Datura

16 cert, Sony, PS3 ***

You get an idea of what you’re in for when you realise that Datura is named after a plant with toxic hallucinogen. Set in a mysterious forest, the first- person title certainly offers something different. It’s surreal from the outset. Exploring the forest brings on flashbacks that tell you at least part of the story – though, frustratingly, not all. You can interact with the environments and, ultimately, all your decisions shape the game. Datura wins on visuals. The developers have managed to strike the right note between slightly weird and downright eerie. Team it with a great soundtrack and a whole heap of atmosphere, and you have an immersive title. What lets it down is the gameplay as frustrating controls yank you right out of that immersion. Datura offers both controller and move options, but neither work as the preferred option. On the face if it, Datura is a pretty short game. Sure, it has multiple endings and great atmosphere. But the truth of it is that there’s not enough to make you come back for more.