Morels: The Hunt
- October 15, 2019
- Abrams Studios
- 52h median play time
Get on Steam"Morels: The Hunt" is a serene adventure game that lets you hunt for morel mushrooms and take photographs of wildlife in the southeast region of the United States. With each season, you'll unlock new areas and learn about various mushroom species, some edible and others poisonous. Earn points for your findings and use them to buy helpful items in The Shop, all while increasing your Mushroom Hunter and Photographer Levels.
Reviews
- The game features beautiful graphics and immersive environments, making it a relaxing experience for nature lovers.
- Players enjoy the unique gameplay of mushroom hunting and wildlife photography, which adds depth and variety to the exploration.
- The developers are responsive to feedback and regularly update the game, improving mechanics and fixing bugs.
- The game suffers from numerous bugs, including crashes, unresponsive controls, and issues with saving progress, which can disrupt gameplay.
- Some players find the mechanics frustrating, particularly the difficulty in finding mushrooms and photographing animals due to their erratic behavior.
- The game can feel repetitive and aimless after a while, with limited objectives and slow progression through levels.
- graphics30 mentions
- 60 % positive mentions
- 30 % neutral mentions
- 10 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game receive mixed reviews, with many players praising the beautiful and lush visuals that enhance the relaxing gameplay experience. However, some users note issues with optimization, choppy animations, and occasional graphical glitches, suggesting that while the aesthetics are appealing, they may not meet the expectations set by promotional materials. Overall, the graphics are generally considered decent to good, particularly for a game of its type and age, but there is room for improvement in performance and detail.
“The graphics are beautiful and it is a very relaxing game.”
“It has the fantastic mixture of relaxation, beautiful lush visuals, wonderful musical scores to keep you company as you travel through these gorgeous landscapes and search not only for morels, animals, mystical creatures, but more than enough quests to keep you busy... but without feeling stressed to achieve them.”
“Beautiful and intensely realistic graphics.”
“I had to turn the shadows to medium in order to see anything in the shade, and that causes weird graphical glitches.”
“Graphics and engine are about what you'd expect of this type of game and its age, but it still serves its purpose in hiding mushrooms from plain sight as much as it can; more embarrassing are the animals' animation and AI, which look really weird and stupid at times.”
“Graphics-5/10- details are fuzzy and the motion blur was just horrific, even after turning it off.”
- music26 mentions
- 38 % positive mentions
- 50 % neutral mentions
- 12 % negative mentions
The music in the game receives mixed reviews, with some players appreciating the relaxing and varied ambient tracks that enhance the exploration experience, while others criticize the repetitive nature of a short 30-second loop that can be grating. Many users highlight the option to customize the music selection, which can improve the overall experience, but some still find the initial music setup frustrating. Overall, the soundtrack is generally seen as a pleasant addition to the game's beautiful visuals, though improvements in track variety are desired.
“The music is wonderfully relaxing, and you have the option to turn it off if you wish.”
“It has the fantastic mixture of relaxation, beautiful lush visuals, and wonderful musical scores to keep you company as you travel through these gorgeous landscapes.”
“Morels: the hunt is an amazing exploration game, with beautiful graphics and a nice soundtrack.”
“The music is fine, apart from the fact that there is exactly one 30-second loop that repeats endlessly.”
“The music loop duration might be about 30 seconds.”
“The controls feel a bit clunky and the music is really grating.”
- gameplay17 mentions
- 35 % positive mentions
- 47 % neutral mentions
- 18 % negative mentions
The gameplay is centered around a loop of mushroom hunting and photography, enhanced by a point system that allows players to purchase upgrades and gear, contributing to a sense of progression and longevity. While the mechanics have seen improvements and the experience is generally relaxing, some players find the implementation to be mediocre, with occasional bugs and a lack of depth leading to repetitiveness. Overall, it offers a casual exploration experience, though it may not meet everyone's expectations for a more engaging photography experience.
“The gameplay loop of looking for mushrooms and photographing things is very well done.”
“The gameplay is very relaxing and enjoyable; the price is reasonable.”
“Recent upgrades have greatly improved the morel picking and picture-taking mechanics.”
“The implementation of everything is mediocre at best (gameplay mechanics, UX, settings, etc).”
“There are occasional gameplay hiccups here and there (I once had to load a game about ten times before it allowed my character to move) and some of the game isn't very polished (looking at you, horse animations).”
“Yes, there are ticks and poison ivy; these mechanics, while thematically appropriate, feel like contrived annoyances that you would pay to remove in any mobile game, rather than organic threats.”
- story8 mentions
- 38 % positive mentions
- 25 % neutral mentions
- 38 % negative mentions
The game lacks a traditional narrative, focusing instead on a 100-day simulation where players engage in activities like collecting mushrooms and capturing animal photos. While some users appreciate the relaxing gameplay and beautiful visuals, they express a desire for more structured quests and crafting elements to enhance the experience. Overall, the absence of a story is noted, with the game functioning more as a walking simulator than a narrative-driven experience.
“It has the fantastic mixture of relaxation, beautiful lush visuals, wonderful musical scores to keep you company as you travel through these gorgeous landscapes and search not only for morels, animals, mystical creatures, but more than enough quests to keep you busy... but without feeling stressed to achieve them.”
“Morel: The Hunt delivers on this premise with a 100-day quest to collect mushrooms and capture animal photos.”
“It is very clear that the game plot and focus have been very well planned out.”
“The game has no story but gives the player 100 days to do everything I mentioned in this review.”
“Story - can't grade as there is no story - purely simulation.”
“It is a good walking simulator without the fuss of a storyline.”
- stability7 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The game exhibits notable stability issues, with frequent bugs affecting gameplay and graphics, such as graphical glitches and problematic controls. While these issues can be frustrating, many players still find enjoyment in the overall experience, suggesting that with further refinement, the game has the potential to improve significantly.
“I had to turn the shadows to medium in order to see anything in the shade, and that causes weird graphical glitches.”
“Also, the controls for horses are buggy.”
“The game is a bit buggy in some cases.”
- grinding4 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Players find the grinding in the game to be excessive, requiring significant time investment to earn points for essential items, which can lead to a lack of engaging content. While some appreciate the meditative quality of the gameplay, others feel that the repetitive nature of switching tasks can become tedious and detracts from the overall experience.
“Getting enough points to buy items that boost health or energy, plus better shoes, a raincoat, and a headlamp requires a ton of grinding.”
“Okay if you get it at a deep discount, but I would not pay full price - the grinding means you'll get a lot of hours without a great deal of content to enjoy.”
“In the same category as games like Euro Truck, House Flipper, and Viscera Cleanup Detail, it seems like the sort of game that might just be tedious, and yet there is a sort of relaxing zen to it.”
- humor3 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is described as light-hearted and situational, with amusing moments such as a cat causing chaos and quirky animal interactions that add a fun twist to the gameplay. While the overall tone is chill and cozy, unexpected surprises and creepy creatures can provide humorous experiences, making it enjoyable for players who appreciate a blend of relaxation and light-hearted excitement.
“Also, a cat once smashed my vehicle into the fence, which was quite funny to watch.”
“I won't give it away, but that part of the game was not only fun, but brought some excitement... and in one instance (at least in my playthrough) some humor as well.”
- replayability3 mentions
- 67 % positive mentions
- -33 % neutral mentions
- 67 % negative mentions
The game's replayability is mixed; while procedural generation offers unlimited potential for new experiences, some players feel that once the game is completed, it lacks additional content to encourage further play. However, the large and detailed maps contribute positively to its replay value.
“The game uses procedural generation to spawn mushrooms (and I think animals/insects as well), so it has, by definition, unlimited replay value.”
“The maps are large and very detailed, making the game highly replayable.”
“Replay value: 3/10 - once you have played it, you have played it; it doesn't offer anything more.”
“The game uses procedural generation to spawn mushrooms (and I think animals/insects as well), so it has by definition unlimited replay value.”
- optimization3 mentions
- 33 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 67 % negative mentions
Overall, while the graphics are visually appealing, the game's optimization is lacking, as some users have reported performance issues, particularly with certain features like table tennis. However, others have noted that it runs smoothly on high settings without any performance measurements.
“I disabled the table tennis (just in case it affected performance); it comes enabled, I believe.”
“It seems to run very well on the highest settings for me, though I did not measure performance.”
- emotional2 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Players find the game emotionally uplifting, highlighting its wholesome elements such as foraging for mushrooms and engaging in ethical hunting practices. The positive experience is further enhanced by the game's affordability during sales, contributing to a sense of joy and satisfaction.
- atmosphere1 mentions
- 300 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The atmosphere is praised for its appealing visuals and overall ambiance, contributing to an enjoyable gaming experience.
“The atmosphere is incredibly immersive, with stunning graphics that draw you into the game world.”
“The ambiance created by the sound design and visuals is simply breathtaking.”
“Every detail contributes to a captivating atmosphere that keeps you engaged throughout the game.”
