Developer / Publisher – Funktronic Labs
Price – US $14.99 / EU €17.99 / UK £12.99
Release Date – June 27h, 2019
Input – 2 x Tracked Motion Controllers
Play Area – Seated, Standing
Store – Oculus / Steam
Reviewed on – Oculus Quest
When I saw the trailer for Fujii, I was intrigued, but wasn’t sure if it was going to be a game for me, but I liked the idea of the exotic world full of life that was being shown off, so I optimistically gave the game a try. 8 hours later, I’m realizing this game is way more fun than it has any right to be, and on top of that it is the most relaxing game I’ve played since Flower and Journey. This is a game everyone can enjoy. I play lots of Overwatch and COD, but this is easily the game im playing at the moment that I think about the most when I’m at work or in the car.
Make a garden and watch it grow!
Right off the bat you are put in a dark world with nothing but a small path of flowers to show you the way forward. Soon enough, you have brought light and vibrant colors to everything around you and your adventure starts. The main thrust of gameplay is simple, interact with plants in the world around you to open new paths, collect currency, and collect plant seeds. After your adventure in each of the three biomes, you come back to your main hub “plant base” and you can plant your seeds in your garden. You can arrange your garden to be however you like, and watering and interacting with your plants levels them up into more exciting versions. Currency also grows on your plants, so as you water them and move them around your garden, you will get more currency to buy even more plants. You can also buy more planters to plant your seeds in, as well as the seeds themselves, each costing a different number of currency.
I adore this game. It’s like an acid trip Stardew Valley mixed with the serenity of Flower. All of the different plants, and the few animals in the world are fun to play with. It is very much a game you are meant to take your time with, not one you should look to blast through. You could probably go through all three worlds in about 2.5-3 hours, but that would be skimming over the joy of interacting with the world. Once I finished exploring the three biomes, I went back and completed each again. The currency replenishes in each world when you go back, so you can endlessly collect seeds to grow in your garden. While the game doesn’t have overwhelming depth, I can’t say I’ve had this much fun in a game in a while.
You’ll see some cute creatures on your strolls.
Visually the game is a piece of art. The entire world is full of colors to please the eyes, and all of the plants look fantastic. Even some of the smaller critters that run around in the forest you’re in are stylistically appealing. None of the plants feel too similar, they all look and interact differently. There is even a plant that uses a “simon says” type minigame that you have to beat in order to get the currency it is hiding. The world really eggs you on to explore every nook and every inlet you can find.
The audio is exceptional as well. The music ebbs and flows with your interactions with the plants, and you can’t help but feel calm and relaxed as you think about how to best arrange your garden. Most of the plants have distinct noises when you touch them, and one of them even plays a bit like a marimba. Everything visually and aurally comes together to form a treat for the senses.
Every plant sounds different.
Are there bad things about this game? Well, if you don’t find it easy to make your own fun, this game might not be for you. It is much more a relaxing game than a hardcore mission based experience, so if you are looking for something fast paced, look elsewhere (but actually you should just give the game a try anyway). As usual, there are not save slots in this game, which is a bummer. I’d have liked to see the ability to have different save slots so other people can play without having the world completely revealed to them when they use my save. I would have also liked to see a 4th and 5th biome, but I suppose there’s always potential for DLC (which I would buy in a second). Honestly this is a game I’ll be recommending to everyone who has a VR headset. It’s a good game for showing off VR as well. Nothing is overly complicated, and the world is really immersive.
Overall Fujii is a stand out experience for the Quest, and I cannot wait to have other people play it and enjoy the world as much as I did. I can guarantee I’ll be seeing how big I can make my garden for months to come.
What would I pay? Although I was provided a review copy, I would have happily paid $20 for the experience, but luckily it is only $15! Well worth the money for the best thing I have played on my quest.
Funkronic Labs provided The VR Grid with a press code for this title and, regardless of this review, we thank them for that
