Mar 4, 2010
“I can fly higher than an eagle,
’cause you are the wind beneath my wings.”
Or rather, you’re the wind beneath my petals.
No, I haven’t lost my marbles, I’m talking about Flower, the PS3 exclusive game from thatgamecompany.
Before we go any further, I’d like to clear up one thing – this is not a girly game. In fact, it was a male work colleague that recommended Flower when I told him I had a PS3. So there! ;)
The game is promoted as relaxing and immersive, indeed, it tells you to relax and enjoy on the title screen, so it was with some interest (and a little skepticism) that I began to play.
The game opens with a rather dismal, colourless room overlooking a cityscape. A lone, sad-looking flower is sat in a pot on a table in front of a window. By tilting the controller, you can zoom in on the flower and you are prompted to hold any button to continue. You get a glimpse of a stressful, busy city scene with grey buildings, rushing cars and police sirens before the scene fades to a single flower in a lush, green meadow. Pressing X releases a petal from that flower and you are now free to explore your surroundings, accompanied by soothing music.
You, as the player, are the wind. You guide the petal to touch other flowers which, in turn, release petals. Once you have gathered all the petals from an area, a new section to explore will open up and for me, this is where the game becomes relaxing – breathtaking, even.
Excluding the first area, each area you visit looks dead and withered. As you touch the flowers and gather all of the petals in any given area, that area then bursts into life and colour. There is something very satisfying about bringing each area to life and the best part is there are no time constraints. You’re not racing against the clock or trying to rack up points. You are in complete control and can go at whatever pace you want.
As you progress through the levels, each one beginning back at the room overlooking the cityscape, you will notice that the room becomes a little brighter each time; you are essentially breathing life back into a dull, lifeless environment as you progress through the game.
Negatives? I can’t honestly think of any. The game is fairly short but you can go back and replay any of the levels whenever you wish. I’ll often do this when I’m getting frustrated with another game and just need to chill. The controls are easy and take full advantage of the Sixaxis technology: tilt the controller to move up or down, left or right. Yes, that’s it – no Finger Twister here (I’m looking at you, Heavy Rain).
Flower really is a breathtaking experience and does what it says on the tin. If your games have to be fast-paced and challenging, then this one’s not for you. If you’re after a game that’s family-friendly then I can’t recommend this game enough!
Flower is available for download for £6.29 at the Playstation Store.
I think this was actually the first game I downloaded from the PSN store when I bought my PS3. It’s just fantastic!
From a designer’s point of view the game is visually stunning with gorgeous colours and amazing night/day sequences. The game-play is simple (pick up and play) and it makes you want to come back for more.
I suppose the best way to describe it is as if you were experiencing a ‘flying dream’, seamlessly floating over a beautiful landscape while collecting and creating flowers!
My fiance and I love this game and play it regularly!
I’ll have to rent this game and try it out. I saw an ad for it and was confused, hehe. Thanks for bringing it up. (:
Now that I have a PS3, I’m interested in purchasing the game.
It’s amazing how this game manages to interest me while most everything else doesn’t. Maybe I’m just weird…
This is a marvellous review, I actually thought about buying this a few times but I think I will do now :)