[AAK]

So wait, is there going to be specific mode where you place a Move controller next to your head? Or is it just a tech demo of what could have been?

http://vimeo.com/41350330

[asa]

Damn, someone lit a huge match under Sony's ass recently. They are in rare form right now with their releases and announcements.

Have I missed something, this looks mighty interesting, but what else have they announced lately?

[AAK]

GOW:A, Unfinished Swan

[Loudninja]

GOW:A, Unfinished Swan

Also LBPK and Battle Royale.

[KalBalboa]

This looks pretty amazing.

With two Moves and one of those $800 HD headsets, you can play Datura in "virtual reality mode" with 1:1 head tracking courtesy of the Move.

"Understandably, it's not practical, and it's really nothing more than a tease if you look at it that way. Why get users disappointed that they cannot play it. She even took it away, packed it up in a box, and walked away with it. It was myself and one other journalist who got to see it, albeit for only a brief moment.

And for a brief moment, I did. And there was no disappointment in the game, the situtation, etc. The only disappointment I feel is that I am unable to experience a game as deeply on a regular basis. When the time comes, my friends, gaming will never be the same."

[KalBalboa]

So wait, is there going to be specific mode where you place a Move controller next to your head? Or is it just a tech demo of what could have been? http://vimeo.com/41350330

Ut- you beat me too it. It sounds like this miiight be added to the game via a patch, but for now we wont have access. I'd actually be interested in getting a HMZ-T1 if I had a handful of games that supported this.

[Vinterbird]

Review code came today. Under embargo till the 7th of May, but I'll do some general thoughts over the weekend when I get a chance to try it out.

[Carl]

Review code came today. Under embargo till the 7th of May, but I'll do some general thoughts over the weekend when I get a chance to try it out.

Nice one, Vinterbird. Looking forward to it.

[EXGN]

This game sounds absolutely amazing.

[Afrikan]

Ut- you beat me too it. It sounds like this miiight be added to the game via a patch, but for now we wont have access. I'd actually be interested in getting a HMZ-T1 if I had a handful of games that supported this.

PLEASE GOD PATCH PLEASE GOD..THIS IS WHY I BUY ALL THESE EXPENSIVE GADGETS! I have all that stuff. please do it for us crazy gamers.

edit- I never thought about the idea of how you could use a second Move controller as head tracking device. Only problem is the wire from the HMZ that's plugged into the box unit.

[Vinterbird]

So let's talk about the game a bit, I'm under embargo until tomorrow for a full review'ish text, but some impressions never hurt anyone:

- Uses only a Move controller, a Nav is not needed

- DualShock 3 is a viable way of playing the game, but it moves a bit weirdly using a dualstick setup

- It has a bit of calibration issues here and there, which took me out of the moment here and there

- The game has a really otherworldly feel to it

- Visuals are not as impressive as I expected, framerate is all over the place at some times

- It does what Flower also excelled at, telling a story without using words or forcing it onto you

Still not done with the game, but a co-worker who finished it yesterday could not stop praising it and calling it beyond amazing and real game-art.

[slider]

So let's talk about the game a bit, I'm under embargo until tomorrow for a full review'ish text, but some impressions never hurt anyone: - Uses only a Move controller, a Nav is not needed - DualShock 3 is a viable way of playing the game, but it moves a bit weirdly using a dualstick setup - It has a bit of calibration issues here and there, which took me out of the moment here and there - The game has a really otherworldly feel to it - Visuals are not as impressive as I expected, framerate is all over the place at some times - It does what Flower also excelled at, telling a story without using words or forcing it onto you Still not done with the game, but a co-worker who finished it yesterday could not stop praising it and calling it beyond amazing and real game-art.

Do you know how far from launch it is? Didn't see it from a skim of the thread. And did you co-worker not mention frame-rate issues or any other negatives?? Look forward to reading the review if you post a link link here.

EDIT: Duh, ignore the launch date thing. :(

[Vinterbird]

Do you know how far from launch it is? Didn't see it from a skim of the thread. And did you co-worker not mention frame-rate issues or any other negatives?? Look forward to reading the review if you post a link link here. EDIT: Duh, ignore the launch date thing. :(

I haven't discussed the game in large detail with him yet, he just texted me during play with "this is amazing, this game is insane, it's fucking crazy", and he talked about having some calibration issues as well.

But we haven't compared notes yet, as I don't want to get spoiled on anything by accident yet.

[slider]

I haven't discussed the game in large detail with him yet, he just texted me during play with "this is amazing, this game is insane, it's fucking crazy", and he talked about having some calibration issues as well. But we haven't compared notes yet, as I don't want to get spoiled on anything by accident yet.

Ahh ok. Do post a link - look forward to reading your review but I'm intrigued having paid no attention to date.

[theBishop]

There goes Sony, shamelessly copying the competition again.

I'm excited to (literally) dust off my Move to play this. My only concern is that it's less of a game than the trailer suggests. This studio's history is in the demoscene: semi-interactive procedurally generated animations. Their last 'product' Linger In Shadows was an attempt to bring that legacy to consoles, and it was a little underwhelming in my opinion.

[Vinterbird]

There goes Sony, shamelessly copying the competition again. I'm excited to (literally) dust off my Move to play this. My only concern is that it's less of a game than the trailer suggests. This studio's history is in the demoscene: semi-interactive procedurally generated animations. Their last 'product' Linger In Shadows was an attempt to bring that legacy to consoles, and it was a little underwhelming in my opinion.

I think that comparing it to Flower is pretty fair. It's a fair mix of art non-game experience oriented combined with exploring and what probably can be called mini-games (but it's a really harsh generalization of what it is, but it's the most appropiate way of talking about the game within the established vocabulary of game mechanics)

[theBishop]

I think that comparing it to Flower is pretty fair. It's a fair mix of art non-game experience oriented combined with exploring and what probably can be called mini-games (but it's a really harsh generalization of what it is, but it's the most appropiate way of talking about the game within the established vocabulary of game mechanics)

If it's as much of a "game" as Flower, I'm all for it. When Nintendo first demonstrated the Wii my head jumped to Datura's kind of gameplay interaction, and it never materialized. I hope this Datura is a success because this is the only kind of motion control worth exploring in my opinion. Kinda like if Heavy Rain had been designed completely around 1:1 interaction.

[GeoramA]

Anyone making an OT? Very excited to finally play this on Tuesday.

[Yjynx]

now this sounds really exciting.

[Carl]

Thanks for the impressions Vinter! Sounds good, can't wait to play it.

So, when is the review embargo up? Not seen any reviews yet.

EDIT: Oh, maybe if i had looked... TheSixthAxis has theirs up:

Above all else, Plastic have come up with a complex, clever slice of software that taps into the idea of delirium with such aplomb it’s slightly unnerving, as if the developers have encountered this state, those flowers, and somehow documented what often feels like a free-fall through the mind of severe, unhinged paranoia and nightmarish visions. Applause for pushing the boundaries of what we conceive as interactive entertainment, at least.

http://www.thesixthaxis.com/2012/05/...review-ps3psn/

[Pranay_]

Anyone making an OT? Very excited to finally play this on Tuesday.

edit - bit busy, ill back off for now, hope someone makes it

[Vinterbird]

So let's throw in some impressions (I've not done written reviews in a very long time, and english is not my native language, so sorry for it being crude and simple):

I think Datura is a interesting product. I really wouldn't call it a game, and as said it''s closer to Flower then anything else in my opinion.

If you do want to talk gameplay, you can be extremely rudementary and boil it down to:

There's a hub world, in this you find hotspots which activate a tiny Move oriented mini-game / gameplay gimmick, these then have implicit or explicit choices attached to them. Type of choice is afterward reflected on your map as either black or white dot.


It sounds simplistic as hell, and to be fair, it kinda is. But you come into Datura for the gameplay or the likes, I would say you're coming at it from the wrong direction. The game is solely focused on giving the player a experience, and when you breach the inital barrier of having a controller in your hand, it soon becomes a extension of yourself into the game world.

By the end of it all, I started to move both my hands because I was so immersed in the entire experience, and almost crawling out of the chair towards the TV to touch certain objects in the game. It does something to you in regards to immersion that I've not experienced since Wii Sports, and thats the biggest praise I could ever give a game.

Story is heavy on interpretation and the player putting stuff together, there's no dialogue to the player, at least not of any meaningful value but it still conveys a plot, and it's enjoyable for what it is.

But really. It's all about the mood, the world and becoming apart of it, having your hand become thsi bridge between the physical world of your livingroom and the digital space of Datura.

It's cool, it's great but don't go in expecting a "game" in the typical sense.

Other stuff of note:

- If you're left-handed, the game will recognize that and mirror the entire world (hurray!)

- Framerate is up and down in the first section of the game

- I don't know if this is due to my PS Eye being funny, but at one point the game lost traction of me, because the camera decided to zoom in on me

- Movement takes a while getting used too, and it never really became second nature, but it's serviceable

[Lord Error]

- Visuals are not as impressive as I expected, framerate is all over the place at some times

I've heard the game is 60FPS with some drops, but the base framerate is 60. This was really surprising to me given how dense everything looks.

[SparkTR]

Sounds a bit like Dear Esther in a broad sense, may still check it out but I'm burnt out of these types of games right now.

[KalBalboa]

The general response I'm seeing is that it's incredibly interesting but iffy on control, so it won't exactly be the next Flower or Journey, but those interested will be satisfied.

[jetjevons]

$7.99 for PS+. Will buy. I got rid of my Move. So it's good to see that this supports DS3.

From my playtest at GDC Move is the only way to go. I expect your experience will be compromised playing with a DS3.

[Carl]

Wow great impressions there Vinterbird. Really looking forward to it now. Thanks for sharing your impressions

[Yjynx]

Great impression. I truly love this kind of diversity that Sony give us. Hope more would come to it.

[Neuromancer]

Some pretty rough review scores (60 average right now)

http://www.metacritic.com/game/plays...critic-reviews

[K701]

I have an HMZ T1 and two PS Moves. I just heard about this game today. Will the final version support 2 moves, one for the camera like the video on vimeo? Or is that a tech demo?

Can someone with a review copy confirm?

[maquiladora]

Some pretty rough review scores (60 average right now) http://www.metacritic.com/game/plays...critic-reviews

dat 4/10 edge...

[Carl]

Oh hey, Edge giving low scores. That's a new one ;)

Still looks interesting to me, so will give it a try. Vinterbird's impressions make it sound like my kind of thing

[dreamfall]

I'm excited, critical Edge score and all. The impressions sound like it'll be something different, and I'm excited to use the Move for it!

[Globox_82]

Love the looks of the forest. I will get it but i wish universe was usedfor some more regular type of game

[Fezan]

so this and starhawk not getting great reviews.
disappointing all around

[Zabuza]

This looks too interesting to pass up. 10 bucks seems like a good price.

[Loudninja]

so this and starhawk not getting great reviews. disappointing all around

Starhawk is getting good reviews, what are you talking about?

[Patapwn]

Starhawk is getting good reviews, what are you talking about?

Well, he did specify great reviews. :P

I think I'll pass on this exclusive one two punch Sony threw at us. Didn't dig starhawks and the reviews for datura = wait for price drop

[Raoh]

The gametrailers review made me wonder if MOVE was maybe just announced/released a year too early.

[K701]

What the fuck is this shit?

By the way guys, this experimental "2nd Move for camera" feature will be included in the final release of Datura but won't be visible. There won't be a specific option for that. You'll need to perform a secret little trick to activate it. I'll tell you how in my upcoming video analysis ;)

NO CODE NO BUY.

[dreamfall]

I wasn't really sure where to post to talk about this game. I just finished a first playthrough, and it was kind of insane. It took me awhile to get used to the controls (at times it felt finicky, others it felt great) and I enjoyed it. I'm still trying to make sense of it all- there is a narrative, but the lack of a cohesive sequencing leads it up to much interpretation.

I think exploring the Forest as a hub world felt beautiful- like I was playing something like Myst. Holding the Move button to walk does feel a little strange at first (I had the Nav controller out because I thought it utilized both) but pressing the T-button to run was neat. There definitely seems to be a lot of depth awareness involved concerning your hand motions- sometimes I felt like I had exactly the right gesture, but my on-screen hand needed to be closer. Turning may be off putting to most; it is a bit cumbersome to wait for the field of view to rotate with the X button but I didn't mind it. There was a little bit of a framerate dip between gates, but nothing terrible.

What I like most about it is you never seem to be doing the same thing twice regarding your exploration. It's creepy, and definitely slightly depressing, but I felt captivated by a lot of it. Maybe it is because I haven't used the Move enough, but it had some interesting gameplay ideas regarding hand motions. It certainly was something different, and I was pretty patient in trying to understand how to play it. But I think I liked it!

Edit: It was definitely strange, and you must be willing to put up with some strange control issues. It is something I'll remember entirely.

[dark10x]

I've heard the game is 60FPS with some drops, but the base framerate is 60. This was really surprising to me given how dense everything looks.

Yeah, it's actually 60 fps most of the time I've found. It runs into drops (not severe) but generally seems to hold 60 fps (at least within the first 10 minutes that I briefly played).

Looks absolutely beautiful too. Love the forest section.

[Vinterbird]

Yeah, it's actually 60 fps most of the time I've found. It runs into drops (not severe) but generally seems to hold 60 fps (at least within the first 10 minutes that I briefly played). Looks absolutely beautiful too. Love the forest section.

If you start to fiddle too much with the physics the framerate will crumble. Especially if you fuck with the water physics.

[Melchiah]

How playable is it with the regular controller? I just bought it without noticing it's supposed to be played with Move, and now I fear I may have bought a game I can't play.

[Acquiescence]

How playable is it with the regular controller? I just bought it without noticing it's supposed to be played with Move, and now I fear I may have bought a game I can't play.

I read one review that stated the game controls better with a Dualshock rather than the Move. I'll soon find out; it's just finished downloading!

[Ridley327]

How playable is it with the regular controller? I just bought it without noticing it's supposed to be played with Move, and now I fear I may have bought a game I can't play.

It's a bit sluggish, but the game's pace is slow enough where that's hardly ever an issue.

I will say that there is one part that does make me regret not having a Move, but I won't say anything else on that subject.

[Melchiah]

I read one review that stated the game controls better with a Dualshock rather than the Move. I'll soon find out; it's just finished downloading!

It's a bit sluggish, but the game's pace is slow enough where that's hardly ever an issue. I will say that there is one part that does make me regret not having a Move, but I won't say anything else on that subject.

I hope you're right. I certainly won't buy Move just because of 6,36€ game.

Damn, the download speed is slow as hell. Nothing new there, but still annoying when you really want to start playing something you've bought.

[Lord Error]

If you start to fiddle too much with the physics the framerate will crumble. Especially if you fuck with the water physics.

There's a scene early in the game that lets you put hand under the water (it looks more like gel though) that's pretty cool and I didn't notice framerate diving there. Smoother particle hydrodynamic effect, with not that many particles, but still very cool looking as you can interact with it with the hand.

I hope you're right. I certainly won't buy Move just because of 6,36€ game.

lol, no. He (or that review if it's for real) is definitely not right. You can't even control the hand at any time unless you play with Move.

[Carl]

Guess this is sort of the default OP seeing as no one has bothered to make one :P

I intend to buy this tomorrow. Enjoying reading all of your impressions

[Acquiescence]

This game controls like shit, but so far I find it worth playing just for the WTF factor involved. Falling down the well was... interesting.