Datura Time and the Art of Soviet Funk | Gert Lush Gaming
You don’t stumble into Datura Time, you spiral, shotgun-first, into a lysergic warzone where memory glitches and metaphysical trauma loop on repeat. This in-depth dive into its retro-rendered chaos introduces a zone riddled with Soviet ghosts, lost souls, and eerie symbolism, all wrapped in the jagged fidelity of fifth-gen 3D grit. Combat isn’t just survival; it’s ritual. And as the Datura compound drips through your consciousness, reality begins to flake like peeling wallpaper in a brutalist ruin. Welcome to the Zone; you won’t return unchanged.
Datura Time Review Pros
- Decent PlayStation 1-style graphics.
- Download size.
- Full controller support.
- Visual settings – CRT screen filter, screen effects, and resolution.
- Controller settings – aiming assist and vibration can be turned on and off.
- 3D adventure gameplay.
- Brief tutorial pop-ups, not huge or anything, but you get some guidance.
- A full 3D game world, and the camera follows you as you turn, but the right stick can be moved and zoomed in and out.
- When you talk to someone, it goes in close, and you get an avatar image of the person you are chatting with.
- When you walk up to things, signs, etc, you get told what it is.
- The game has subtitles for every bit of interaction, even when looking at something.
- It is a really cool, interesting world and one that I loved exploring and looking around.
- Stamina system for running, jumping and fighting.
- Health is a healthbar system, and you find and eat food to replenish it.
- Mashy combat where you pick up weapons and just swing around.
- The animations of the enemies, fighting, bleeding, and all that does look cool, and I haven’t seen stuff like that in a long time.
- Decent loading times.
- At times, the game will do this flyover off the new area; it’s an old thing, but I appreciate it.
- I have no idea 100 per cent, but there is something about this game that has me constantly intrigued.
- You see enemy health bars.
- Melee and ranged weapons with aim assist act more like a lock-on.
- The music is not constant, but from what I did hear, I didn’t hate it.
- I think the game is like one of those ones you would get from a dodgy guy at a market, and it will initially be a bad experience, then as you go deeper, you realise something is here and you catch yourself thinking about it when you are not playing it.
- Many memorable set pieces.
- The story is just as wacky as the gameplay.
- Boss-like encounters.
Datura Time Review Cons
- Bare minimum graphics settings.
- No Steam achievements.
- The game plays badly, but it has something.
- You cannot remap the controls.
- The TV static effect they do is not good for your eyes; you can turn it off, but still.
- You cannot invert the axis and sensitivity sliders for the camera, and it is sluggish.
- There is a bit of stuttering and slowdown, even when nothing is happening and you are just moving around.
- The controls are loose, and you definitely feel it when turning and trying to do precise movements.
- You are never sure when you can just exit a char with someone or when you actually benefit from it.
- A lot of swearing, and you cannot turn it off or tone it down.
- Never sure when the game has or is saving.
- Early game, it is just a key collector sim, so you can open a door to find another key for the next locked door.
- Constant Difficulty spikes and getting outnumbered.
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Datura Time
Developer: Vladeta Stojanovic
Publisher: Vladeta Stojanovic
Store Link:
Datura Time Review
Summary
Datura Time – The Thrills and Highlights of Gameplay
Datura Time throws you headfirst into a lysergic warzone where combat feels more like ritual than survival. The game blends fifth-gen 3D grit with a stamina-based system for running, jumping, and fighting. You pick up melee and ranged weapons and swing wildly, with aim assist acting more like a lock-on. Health is managed by scavenging and eating food, and enemy health bars keep you informed mid-battle. The world is fully 3D, with a responsive camera and avatar close-ups during dialogue. Subtitles cover every interaction, even environmental observations. Flyovers introduce new areas, and brief tutorial pop-ups offer just enough guidance. It’s a strange, memorable zone full of Soviet ghosts and eerie symbolism, and despite its rough edges, it’s a place you’ll want to keep exploring.
Datura Time – Where It Falls Short: Key Negatives
Datura Time struggles with loose controls, sluggish camera sensitivity, and no option to invert axes. There’s stuttering and slowdown even when nothing’s happening, and the static screen effect is harsh on the eyes. Graphics settings are barebones, and you can’t remap controls. Early gameplay leans heavily on key-fetching loops, and difficulty spikes hit hard and often. Swearing is constant and can’t be toned down, and saving is unclear. The game plays badly in places, but there’s something about it that keeps pulling you back.
Datura Time – Immersive Story and Narrative Elements
The story in Datura Time is just as wacky as the gameplay. You spiral into a surreal zone where memory glitches and metaphysical trauma loop endlessly. Boss-like encounters and strange set pieces keep things unpredictable. It’s the kind of narrative that sticks with you, making you think about it even when you’re not playing. There’s a constant sense of intrigue, like you’ve stumbled onto something deeper than it first appears.
Datura Time – Visual and Performance Aspects
Datura Time leans into PlayStation 1-style visuals with jagged fidelity and CRT-style filters. While the graphics aren’t cutting-edge, they suit the game’s retro chaos. Animations for enemies, bleeding, and combat are surprisingly cool and distinct. Load times are decent, and the occasional flyover adds a nostalgic touch. Still, performance hiccups and minimal visual settings hold it back from being truly smooth.
Datura Time – Overall Verdict: Is It Worth Playing
Datura Time feels like a bootleg market find, rough, confusing, and oddly captivating. It’s not polished, and it doesn’t pretend to be. But if you push past the jank, there’s a weirdly compelling experience underneath. It’s a game that lingers in your mind, full of strange charm and haunting atmosphere. Not for everyone, but for those who appreciate raw, experimental design, Datura Time might just be worth the trip.
Back of the Box Quotes
“Retro chaos meets Soviet funk in the unforgettable world of Datura Time.”
