Explore Fushimi Inari

About

Explore Fushimi Inari is a single player open world simulation game. It was developed by Matt Newell and was released on October 11, 2019. It received very positive reviews from players.

Experience a detailed, realistically designed recreation of the renowned Japanese shrine, Fushimi Inari Taisha. Explore the expansive Kyoto mountainside in first person, take photos with the in-game camera, immerse yourself in an atmosphere reminiscent of the real place.

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Play Modes

Single-Player

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93%

Audience ScoreBased on 614 reviews

graphics66 positive mentions

stability8 negative mentions

Stunning graphics and breathtaking visuals that create a serene atmosphere.
A relaxing experience that allows players to explore the beautiful Fushimi Inari shrine without the crowds.
The game is free to play, making it accessible for anyone looking for a calming escape.

The VR version requires a paid DLC, which is misleading as the game is often listed as a free VR experience.
Some players experienced performance issues, including low frame rates and graphical glitches.
Limited interactivity and exploration options, with some invisible walls that break immersion.

graphics
97 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
68%
29%
3%
The graphics in the game have received widespread acclaim for their stunning beauty and realism, often described as breathtaking and photorealistic. Players appreciate the attention to detail, lush landscapes, and the calming atmosphere created by the visuals and accompanying music. However, some users noted that high graphic settings can be demanding on hardware, potentially affecting performance, while a few mentioned minor graphical inconsistencies. Overall, the game's visuals are a standout feature, enhancing the immersive experience.
- “The game is very beautiful and gives off a calm vibe, with excellent graphics.”
- “Incredible graphics and beautiful scenery.”
- “The graphics are pure perfection and incredibly beautiful.”
- “I just feel it was a bit lacking in the quality of the graphics, even on the highest setting.”
- “The draw distance is short even on ultra graphics.”
- “The graphics are good, but I find them a bit outdated.”
music
80 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
48%
48%
4%
The music in the game is widely praised for its calming and immersive qualities, enhancing the overall atmosphere with a mix of traditional Japanese sounds and lo-fi tracks. Players appreciate the option to mute the in-game music and use their own playlists, particularly from Spotify, which complements the serene visuals and exploration experience. Overall, the soundtrack is considered a significant aspect of the game, contributing to a relaxing and enjoyable environment.
- “The music suits the experience very nicely, taking in the popular lo-fi style of music as you walk around snapping pictures.”
- “Beautifully rendered, realistic, great choice of music, wonderful use of ambient noises, great lighting, overall just a very beautiful experience.”
- “This is a beautiful experience; right as you start, you hear calming and relaxing music playing in the background as you explore the Fushimi Inari. You can feel yourself exploring it; it's more than a game, it's a beautiful experience which you need to feel firsthand.”
- “Currently, there is only a music slider, leaving the player no option to control the ambient sound volume.”
- “Music can't be turned off through volume settings; it can only be turned down to 50%, but it can be paused on a completely different menu.”
- “I wasn't a fan of the soundtrack, only just for the fact I much preferred the sounds of nature as it really helped to immerse me in the environment as much as possible without VR capability.”
atmosphere
28 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
68%
21%
11%
The atmosphere of the game is widely praised for its calming and immersive qualities, enhanced by beautiful visuals and soothing music. Players appreciate the realistic recreation of environments, particularly in locations like Japan, which evoke a sense of tranquility and nostalgia. While some noted minor issues with immersion, the overall consensus is that the game effectively captures a serene and picturesque atmosphere, making it an enjoyable experience for exploration and relaxation.
- “The atmosphere is so well recreated, it conveys the tranquillity and beauty of this wonderful place.”
- “The ambience sounds like real life and the music in the background gives the world a bit more bounce, but still provides that relaxing atmosphere.”
- “Probably the best praise I can give this is that it captures the atmosphere and feeling of Fushimi Inari so well that I think if I played it much longer, it'd start blending in with and possibly overwriting my memories of the one visit I had to the real place.”
- “Somehow the misty atmosphere and rainy weather gives me an uneasy feeling... I'm in Japan and surrounded by nature... no jumpscares but it still terrifies me.”
- “The atmosphere sucked me right into the game.”
optimization
11 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
27%
46%
27%
Overall, the game's optimization is a mixed bag; while some players find it fun and adequately performing at high settings, many report significant issues such as washed-out colors, poor blacks on LCD headsets, and distracting detail pop-in. The performance struggles, particularly in dense forest areas, suggest that further optimization is needed to fully realize the game's graphical potential. Despite these challenges, some players remain hopeful for future improvements and still recommend the game for VR enthusiasts.
- “Good game, fun to explore and great optimization.”
- “In fairness, it does run, and if I turn anti-aliasing off and the resolution and view distance down quite a bit, it will run smoothly... but the whole essence of the game is its excellent graphics.”
- “Given the extreme density of the forest, however, I suspect this may be necessary to maintain performance.”
- “Not optimized for LCD HMDs; colors are quite washed out and blacks are poor.”
- “On maximum settings (which is just a toggle of good/bad lighting, render resolution, and draw distance) at 120fps, the optimization is adequate, yet the detail pop-in, even with the highest draw distance, is incredibly off-putting. Trees, bushes, and the like phase right in your face.”
- “This game is not well-optimized.”
gameplay
10 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
30%
40%
30%
The gameplay is praised for its smooth mechanics, including walking, sprinting, and a unique film camera feature that enhances immersion. Players appreciate the absence of intrusive storytelling elements, allowing them to enjoy the stunning visuals and relaxing music at their own pace. Overall, the experience is described as engaging and enjoyable, with potential for expansion in future versions.
- “Walking and looking around is super smooth and has a nice flow to it, and there's also a sprinting mechanic which I honestly needed for this game.”
- “The beautiful design and tone of the visuals, with the lofi music in the background, as well as the amazing film camera mechanic, provide an experience almost like being there yourself.”
- “I'd happily pay for a more extensive version of perhaps many real life or otherwise locations or if you could make some actual gameplay/story out of this kind of stuff.”
- “The simplest addition of the camera adds plenty of gameplay time to the right audience who can find appeal in taking it slow.”
- “The game is free, but the VR support gameplay is not, which doesn't affect me since buying one is quite expensive in my reality.”
stability
8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game's stability has been criticized for various bugs, including freezing on load screens and issues with climbing stairs, particularly on the Valve Index. While some users noted minor glitches like floating objects and texture problems, these did not significantly detract from the overall experience. However, the lack of common troubleshooting solutions and the game's performance on certain hardware configurations raised concerns among players.
- “Freezes on load-screen for me :-( on a Valve Index, Windows 10, GeForce 2070 RTX.”
- “By the way, it took me a while to realize why a VR title shows up in SteamVR, launches from there, and even displays on the PC screen, but pretty much freezes SteamVR.”
- “That all fell apart after seeing some visual glitches, such as floating pathways and 2D trees.”
emotional
7 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players express a strong emotional connection to the game, highlighting its nostalgic elements that evoke memories of Kyoto, such as iconic landmarks and serene environments. The game's beauty and attention to detail elicit deep feelings, with some players reporting that it brought them to tears, while suggestions for minor interactive features indicate a desire for even more immersive experiences. Overall, the game is praised for its wholesome and relaxing atmosphere, effectively transporting players back to cherished moments.
- “I have developed an emotional attachment with this wonderful game.”
- “This game made me feel very nostalgic, particularly the area where the torii gates began (near the entrance).”
- “Seeing the map board, the entrance, the 'please go right' sign above the two paths, the big bell, the observation point above the trees where you can see Kyoto and mountains in the background where I took a picture of the sunset, the lake next to which there were plenty of cats... it was really touching seeing them again.”
story
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
75%
25%
The game features no traditional story or plot, focusing instead on immersive visuals and sound, allowing players to explore beautifully crafted landscapes at their own pace. While some users appreciate the lack of a preachy narrative, others express a desire for a more extensive experience that includes gameplay or a storyline.
- “There's no preachy story, no cutscenes interlaced with QTEs pretending to be gameplay, just great visuals, great sound, and some relaxing music.”
- “There's no plot or story, just a beautifully sculpted landscape left empty for you to explore, camera in hand.”
- “I'd happily pay for a more extensive version of perhaps many real life or otherwise locations or if you could make some actual gameplay/story out of this kind of stuff.”
- “I'd happily pay for a more extensive version of perhaps many real-life or otherwise locations, or if you could make some actual gameplay/story out of this kind of stuff.”
humor
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is highlighted by amusing bugs, such as character rendering errors that create unintentionally funny visuals, like "纳纳." Additionally, the juxtaposition of running in a walking simulator adds to the comedic experience.
- “I'd like to report a bug here: at a distance of 5 meters, it renders 奉 as 纳, so characters show as 纳纳, which is kind of funny.”
- “Otherwise, it's pretty nice; it's funny because you can run in this walking simulator.”
grinding
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players find the grinding aspect to be a decent addition to the game, though they note that certain areas can be somewhat tedious to navigate.
monetization
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Users highly appreciate the ad-free experience provided by Spotify, rating it a perfect 10/10 for its monetization model.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Explore Fushimi Inari is a open world simulation game.

Explore Fushimi Inari is available on PC and Windows.

Explore Fushimi Inari was released on October 11, 2019.

Explore Fushimi Inari was developed by Matt Newell.

Explore Fushimi Inari has received very positive reviews from players. Most players liked this game for its graphics but disliked it for its optimization.

Explore Fushimi Inari is a single player game.

Similar games include Mýrdalssandur, Iceland, Lushfoil Photography Sim, Castle Rock Beach, West Australia, Google Earth VR, Kayak VR: Mirage and others.

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