Have a PlayStation Move controller but no games to play? Never fear, as Datura, the intriguing Move title has finally received a North American release date.
Datura - which gamers might remember as the game that lets them walk through a forest touching tress - will launch on the PSN on May 8th, 2012. PlayStation Plus subscribers will also get a discount on the game and can pick it up for $7.99. This is a 20% discount, so non-Plus members can enjoy the game for $9.99.
Developer Plastic Games - who also crafted PSN title Linger In Shadows - believe the game is best experienced if played in one session, due to their efforts to create a “film-like narrative.” Linger In Shadows could be completed in a single session, coming in at just seven minutes long. It seems unlikely that Datura would be so short if it’s being sold for ten dollars, so we’d expect about an hour or two of playtime.
While Plastic may suggest playing through the game in one session, they certainly aren’t encouraging players to “only play it once.” Players will be able to choose multiple paths in their story, providing the best support for replayability. There are also moments that Datura’s game director Michal Staniszewski describe as having completely different meaning based on each players’ own interpretation. How’s that for post-modern?
One of the most interesting aspects of the game is the player’s ability to control nothing more than simple floating hand, despite the claims made by the developers about the immersive nature. Plastic originally tried to implement an entire arm, but the Move’s tech prohibited them from doing so. Perhaps Sony should keep this in mind if they plan to include motion controls with the PS4. Staniszewski opened up about the technical struggles and how they actually helped make the game better:
