Puffball
The puffball is a kind of poisonous plant found on Stygia. The "anti-peace pipe", as Grayson calls it, releases psychotropic dissociative gasses that cause pugnatious hallucinations according to a statement by Trishka Novak.
Characteristics and effects
In the game, these plants are shown as large yellow bulbs, that release green gas into the air on regular intervals, however this gas does not affect any gameplay, it is purely visual. However, if shot, these plants will burst open and the gas will rapidly fill a large area of the battlefield.
Any enemies caught in this gas will then turn and, after gagging and choking for breath, attack their allies, or, if none are in the vicinity, the player. It has also been observed that enemies only mélee when under the effects of puffball gas, this can be used to explain why berserkers are so ferocious (as some of them have a puffball strapped onto their mouths). Also this can be used to many advantages as these plants are found in alot of areas of the game after their introduction in Act 4 Chapter 2. They can be used to cause alot of mayhem amidst the battlefield and can also be used to rack up some skillshots including Antidote and Toxic Love.
There are, of course negative effects to this, if Grayson Hunt should come into the cloud of spores released after the plant bursts, the players screen will go green and their vision will blur, also movement may be slightly disoriented. Should the player manage to get a kill while under the effects of the puffball, they will be rewarded with the toxic love skillshot.
Skull beserkers sometimes, quite frequently later in the game, wear smaller version of the puffball over their mouths, indicating in a possibility that over long periods of time and direct constant exposure to the gas, one can perhaps control the emotions and gain some sort of physical boost out of it, increased stamina, damage resistance etc. as these enemies seem to be tougher than their lesser companions. If the puffball is shot however, it will instantly kill the beserker (due to the requirement of a headshot) and release the gasses in the midst of their allies, albeit in a much smaller area.
Trivia
- While the player is infected with puffball gas, Venus Maneaters will glow red, similar to the Hyper-Mutated Flytrap. During the boss fight, the red areas of the Flytrap were vulnerable to damage. This could mean that the puffball enhances threat detection when dealing with other plants on top of speed and strength.