A Large Quantity of Mushrooms: VR Workout or Bad Trip?

I got rather fumed over some of the reviews for this game because I always check everything out about a game so that I give an informed view when I experience it myself. These reviews were often provided by individuals who have no patience and were dissatisfied by the fact that there is no instant gratification. That’s not what this game is about and if you approach it like this, you will immediately dislike the game and here’s why.

What is A Large Quantity of Mushrooms?

This game is the literal feeling you get when you have what drug users call “a bad trip”. The description for the game is that it is an immersive exploration and horror game, which a bad trip kind of is. The game is expecting you to solve a really convoluted puzzle with no explanation given, which often rubs newcomers the wrong way. This is a game you spend time on and meticulously go about solving puzzles that you figure out on your own without the game just handing the answers to you… you know, like back when they made challenging puzzle games.

Graphics and Visuals 4/5

The graphics and visuals remind me of an old game called Voodoo Man and the premise of the game matches what you would find in a creepy horror game. This is not a jump scare game as the trend has been these past few years. Instead, you have creatures watching you the entire time and everything is really dark. I honestly scared myself when open the door to the first dark room as the lights on the wall just looked like dark purple eyes just a few feet from you. Are the graphics impressive? No, not really, but they are put to use very well and it doesn’t become an issue with the game.

Hardware Requirements 3/5

The minimum hardware requirements are to expected of this game, such as the need for an i5 4590 processor and a GTX 970 graphics on 1GB of space. However, it does surprise me that the game is running on 8GB of RAM, which tells me that most of the game is loaded into RAM and very little of the game is loaded during gameplay.

Fitness 1/5

You will not get any fitness out of this game. I wanted to review this game because I was really curious about it from a design aspect and from an aspect of what they rendered as their issue with Big Pharmacy. The game is meant to take you on the infamous “mushroom” trip that is talked about among those who use drugs to get high. It’s not going to workout your body, but it definitely will work your mind!

Gameplay 2/5

The overall gameplay is not very nice and the game is built for a very specific type of crowd. If you are a sober individual that has never been under the effects of a hallucinogen, then this game will likely not be the best one for you. If you have experienced such drugs then you will likely understand the premise of the games. This causes a great divide amongst reviewers who have experienced being high and those that have stayed clean. With that being said, it does not achieve horror level intensity in my experience and just comes off being extremely creepy. The developer could provide more to the game and a more clear direction as to what should be done for the first mini-puzzle of the game so that players can be introduced to the game.

Overall Score: 2/5

I did not develop this game, but I still felt the need to defend this developer’s game because it is a great game if you know what it is meant to be about. The problem with this type of game is that it is not for everyone and the developer already wants $9.99 for something that is in early access. While I understand why this game is being poorly received and why it should be described differently to accommodate the populace, this is an example of a developer not understanding the market very well but having a great idea.