Datura

 PlayStation 3
  • Publisher: SCEA
  • Release Date: May 8, 2012
Datura Image
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57

Mixed or average reviews - based on 45 Critic Reviews What's this?

User Score
5.6

Mixed or average reviews- based on 50 Ratings

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  • Summary: Finding yourself in a mysterious forest, you will navigate your way through the game by controlling your character's hand using Playstation Move technology. From here, you are immersed into the game's unique experimental narrative and original way of interaction, which enables you toFinding yourself in a mysterious forest, you will navigate your way through the game by controlling your character's hand using Playstation Move technology. From here, you are immersed into the game's unique experimental narrative and original way of interaction, which enables you to experience the world not only visually, but also empirically - an illusion that you can actually touch trees, faces, and other objects.… Expand

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Datura Launch Trailer

Critic Reviews

Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 2 out of 45
  2. Mixed: 35 out of 45
  3. Negative: 8 out of 45
  1. GamingXP
    May 7, 2012
    85
    Despite the game itself being very short Datura offers a thrilling world with astonishing sound effects and great control mechanics.
  2. Digital Chumps
    May 10, 2012
    70
    You get the feeling Datura's elusive narrative and moral ambiguity was intended to be the subject of rampant speculation. If only it were complimented by proper tactile feedback, or if the whole detached hand mechanism managed a legitimate grasp of Datura's nebulous constructs, we'd be talking more about Datura as a great game and less as an atrophied experience.
  3. Official PlayStation Magazine Benelux
    Jun 14, 2012
    69
    Every time we solved a puzzle we found ourselves in a totally different locale. Behind the wheel of a car, on a barren surface of ice or right in the middle of an ongoing war. Are they memories? Fantasies? Or is the forest a dream world? And who is that guy with the shotgun?. [June 2012, p.104]
    All this publication's reviews
  4. Playstation Official Magazine UK
    May 7, 2012
    60
    While it's short there is some interesting imagery (although visually the polish varies between adequate and woefully poor) and with an open mind it's a fascinating experience you'll mull over for a while.
  5. Multiplayer.it
    May 10, 2012
    60
    Datura's premise is fascinating, but the game fails to deliver because of some poor controls (both with Move or Dual Shock), lack of content and lots of invisible walls to deal with.
  6. Eurogamer Portugal
    May 22, 2012
    50
    We have to praise the artistic enterprise and the search for something different, even if the execution is poor.
  7. Edge Magazine
    May 7, 2012
    40
    You'll trudge endlessly around the forest, cursing your protagonist's languid walk speed as you wander from one already visited landmark to the next in the vague hope of triggering the next bit of scripting in a narrative which goes out of its way to confuse the player.

See all 45 Critic Reviews

User Reviews

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Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 4 out of 17
  2. Mixed: 8 out of 17
  3. Negative: 5 out of 17
  1. J-P-M
    May 10, 2012
    10
    This game may not be too good but it is a fun and very interesting move title so go dust off those controllers you have barely touched latelyThis game may not be too good but it is a fun and very interesting move title so go dust off those controllers you have barely touched lately (COD players) and get to playing this very immersible game just please use a move controller it makes way more sense and please quit whining over 10 dollars quit being so cheap and poor its 10 dollars i spend that daily just going to a appointment or the corner LMAO… Expand
  2. Person77
    May 8, 2012
    9
    It's an odd game for sure. Do not go into this expecting great controls, the best graphics, or a clear storyline. Still the game stuck withIt's an odd game for sure. Do not go into this expecting great controls, the best graphics, or a clear storyline. Still the game stuck with me. It's just so different from anything else out that I can get over a lot of the flaws and appreciate it for being do different.… Expand
  4. GameMSTR9000
    Jul 10, 2012
    7
    Great game, overall. The presentation, music, and graphics are great. But, the controls SUCK! It takes a while just to do a task, and youGreat game, overall. The presentation, music, and graphics are great. But, the controls SUCK! It takes a while just to do a task, and you might not get what you even wanted to do. The lasting appeal isn't great either, for I beat it in 45 min AND got all of the trophies in my first playthrough. That said, this game might not be worth $10, but it's worth a play.… Expand
  5. kudynov
    Nov 1, 2016
    5
    Nice visuals, nice soundtrack and that's it. Short, clumsy control (I played with the six axis, not Move), no difficulty to solve the puzzlesNice visuals, nice soundtrack and that's it. Short, clumsy control (I played with the six axis, not Move), no difficulty to solve the puzzles and a story that is not explained at all.… Expand
  6. TTW107
    May 8, 2012
    5
    I don't even know how to review this. I've been following the coverage for this game and despite seeing the mixed reviews I still gave it aI don't even know how to review this. I've been following the coverage for this game and despite seeing the mixed reviews I still gave it a shot just to see what it was all about. If you are looking for a really exciting game do not buy this. I think the makers just wanted to show that videogames can be much more than your run of the mill game. I don't have the Move Motion controller, so I just had to use a normal controller and at first a few of the parts pissed me off. I thought the controls were absolutely terrible but come to find out on my 2nd play through I was just doing them completely wrong. The onscreen help isn't much help. For a two hour game with somewhat finicky controls and only a few cool parts, I'm not so sure it was worth 10 bucks. I recommend this game if you are a trophy whore (you can easily get all of them on your first play through) or you are just very curious like I was.… Expand
  7. GhostsOnTv
    Oct 13, 2013
    4
    This game should have been incredible. I really wanted to like it. What we have here is a classic case of great ideas coupled with terribleThis game should have been incredible. I really wanted to like it. What we have here is a classic case of great ideas coupled with terrible execution.

    In Datura, you control a faceless, nameless protagonist wandering through a labyrinthian forest, interacting with various artifacts and landmarks. Each of these leads to what is essentially a mini-game you find yourself launched into a dream-sequence (or flashback?) before returning to the home map. Using either the Move or the Dualshock, the controls are intended to mimic real-life motions such as sawing, smashing, twisting, etc.

    Ultimately, the game feels like a desperate attempt to show off the system's motion sensing abilities without much quality control. Attempts to interact with the environment range from awkward to virtually impossible. Even walking around the forest is uncomfortable the game forces you to button-mash constantly to move any faster than a casual stroll, and the lack of any strafe controls made looking around a needlessly troublesome undertaking.

    There's no obvious central theme tying all of the mini-games together, but I actually found that to be part of the game's charm. Wandering around the dreamlike landscape, wondering where I'm going to find myself next was actually really exciting, and kept me hanging on longer than I might have. Ultimately, it was just more effort than fun.    … Expand
  8. CPD98
    Oct 16, 2014
    0
    ¡¡HORRIBLE!!
    Creo que no exageraría la decir que es el peor juego para consolas al que he jugado, la trama de esto no tiene ningún sentido ni    ¡¡HORRIBLE!!
    Creo que no exageraría la decir que es el peor juego para consolas al que he jugado, la trama de esto no tiene ningún sentido ni rumbo ni nada, eres una mano que resuelves minijuegos absurdos a través de alucinaciones, tienes que acariciar árboles para desbloquear el mapa, etc.
    Una paja mental sin sentido.    … Expand

See all 17 User Reviews

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Awards & Rankings

87
#87 Most Discussed PS3 Game of 2012
97
#97 Most Shared PS3 Game of 2012