Review: Flower (PSN)

Every now and then a game comes along that is truly different from anything that came before it, completely unique in its design and execution; thatgamecompany's flower is one of those games. It abandons many common conventions of the modern day game such as dying, checkpoints, boss battles, and even combat itself; instead, it embraces themes of rebirth, beauty, and hope. In fact, there is not really a playable "character," so to speak... the main character of this game is the wind.

The game controls are very unique for the PS3. Instead of navigating through the world with the Dualshock's joysticks or directional pad (D-pad), movement is dictated by merely tilting the controller in the desired direction; pressing any button on the controller increases the speed with which the wind coasts over the fields. Thatgamecompany did a wonderful job utilizing the Sixaxis technology; the relay between the controller's movements and its subsequent onscreen execution is nearly simultaneous. It really is a game that anyone can pick up, play, and immediately get the hang of it.

This is aided by the unconventional aspects of flower. The goal is not to defeat an alien race or terrorist organization. It is simply to course through the world, awakening sleeping flowers and reinvigorating the beauty and well-being of nature. There is no narrative; at least, not in the form of words. Flower's story is told through simplistic visual vignettes before each stage (I will not spoil it for you, though). There is also no heads-up display to show how many lives are left or where to go. Thatgamecompany simply creates a vision so striking that one could mistake it at times for a photograph.

If there are any complaints to make about this game, it is that it is too short. After finishing it, I found myself wishing I had twenty more levels I could explore and enjoy. It is also what I would term a "narrow" experience, meaning that thatgamecompany created a very specific path for the player to travel. Oftentimes the player is presented with an area where they can open certain groups of flowers in whatever order they wish, but it is not possible to explore or move on to other areas until the current one is completed. However, that is not necessarily a critique, but more an observation.

Thatgamecompany's flower, to quote a friend of mine, "is a love letter to gamers," meaning that thatgamecompany cared enough about the industry to give it a game such as flower. It is an incredibly romantic game; not in the traditional sense, but in that it is engrossing, hypnotizing, and simply gorgeous. Every individual blade of grass is animated; a pluck of strings or a smattering of bells dances across the ear when the wind blows a flower open. Some might decry the game as too short (which it is), repetitive (while enough small wrinkles are thrown in to maintain interest and enthrall the player, the core dynamic of play overall does not change), or too structured, but these all miss the purpose of the game. Flower is simply an exercise in appreciating beauty for beauty's sake; it is a truly beautiful and unique display of what the medium can achieve. In short, while it falls short in one or two areas, it is still a must play game for any self-proclaimed gamer.

Grade: 9 out of 10.

Flower is rated "E" and is available to purchase on the Playstation® Network for $9.99.