Residual space dust from a meteorite strike has given a parcel of earth’s inert plant and fungal life the power to walk, talk, and think…and what do beings that walk, talk, and think do? They go to war. Morels and Boletes—like our friend Pax here, a scout from the Bolete mushroom tribe—have developed into peaceful utopian creatures, but the poisonous Amanitas and Lepiotas have become hostile and warmongering. Welcome to the The Spore Wars.
A world of living fungi peppered with mutated pests is a great concept, but only in the right hands. It could easily read too gimmicky or cute, like a Toy Story spin-off or other such cliché kiddie fare. But that’s not where Red Fly took it. They went down the only path, in my opinion, that could make this game work: the dark path. Not dark as in evil but dark as in foreboding. When you go up against the Amanitas and Lepiotas in Mushroom Men you will genuinely fear for Pax’s life. Mushroom Men has sense of wonder too along with just a splash of humor, but it’s a far cry from the toddler-vision we’re used to whenever critters come to life.
The world Red Fly have created for Mushroom Men is a huge part of this game’s draw, cobbled together out of cans, pizza boxes, gas lamps, pieces of toys and appliances, various containers, utensils…if it’s small and people dispose of it, it’s down here serving a purpose. It’s not so much what they use though, as much as how they use it. They’ve built one the most creative and ingenious game worlds I’ve had the pleasure of traversing out of junk and debris, which we get to see from Pax’s point of view. And when you’re not negotiating the Mushroom world, you’ll be guiding Pax through ours where a tractor or motorcycle is a giant apparatus and a shed can provide hours of fun.
What sets Pax apart from the other Boletes (else he’d be on a pizza) is the ability to absorb life-giving meteorite chunks; a condition he didn’t know he had until he met the Bolete Shaman. Meteor chunks are what build Pax’s strength, but they are also sacred to each village. When Pax absorbs the first one he comes in contact with his initial goal is only to get the village another, but when he keeps on absorbing them the rabbit hole gets deeper. Scavenging for weapons by finding and combining various do-dads, Pax’s arsenal is constantly growing, used to fend off moles, spiders, field mice, rabbits, possums and other such mutated pests. Combat is a big part of the Mushroom Men aesthetic and it’s handled well, but the platforming and adventuring is what really makes it special. Pax emerges form the game’s first mission armed with his first Spore Power, Sporekinesis, giving the ability to manipulate and throw large objects with his mind; and the Sticky Hand, which gives him the ability to target and fire a gooey zip line for reaching high places. Together with his Cap-glide Pax is able to go where no mushroom has gone before as he makes his way through Red Fly’s imaginative network of clever action-puzzles and set pieces, which are anything and everything except ordinary. This is a fascinating world that really transports the player, provided you’re the type who thinks converting the back of a sushi restaurant into a miniature kung-fu set to do battle against marauding Samurai Shiitake is cool. The first half of The Spore Wars is excellent but life beyond the Morel Monastery (the level before the Sushi Restaurant) is like a Prog opus played out in a videogame. Mushroom Men never stops building to its conclusion. Where a lot of games level out and stay awhile, Pax is always on the move; always discovering, making friends, figuring things out, building weapons (and more!), battling nastier and nastier foes, and if you’re so inclined, looking for collectibles. Most of all, though, he’s entertaining you, because Red Fly know it’s your $49.99 that makes their world go-round.
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