Difficulty:

Very Easy

Time Spent:

20 to 40 Hours

The Bottom Line:

"Just plain fun"

((Author's Note: I wrote this review for a blog a friend and I had started that has fizzled over time, but may start back up in the future; nonetheless, if you've seen this review before, it's because it was written by me! :3))

The game Flower was brought to us by ThatGameCompany, the same company that brought us the game flOw. Different than your usual gaming venture, Flower has no timer, no lives, no high score, and more pistils than you can shake your stamen at. Which I'm sure is illegal to do in at least 34 states.

Somewhere, Zhang He from Dynasty Warriors is making his O-face.

Flower does have a story, but it isn't told to you directly; as in, "this is what's happening". Yet, the story itself is simple to understand with a little gameplay. You are the memory of flowers.

In these memories, you take control of a simple, single petal of that flower, adrift in a vast field that, more often than not, could use some sprucing up. And that, dear player, is where you come in. The controls are easy to learn and fun to use. Tilt the Sixaxis controller left and right to make the petal do the same, up and down follows the same routine, and any button, when held down, causes your petal to fly faster through the air. Both the young and the old can learn to play this game, which makes it something the family can get into.

Flower is a masterpiece.

Now, I'm not saying it simply because it's fun and entertaining, which it is, but it's a different kind of fun, a different kind of entertaining, in the way a really good novel can be, or a piece of music that entrances you in its subtle notes and lilting harmonies.

Flower is a gorgeous game to look at. From the get-go you are treated to graphics that are astoundingly beautiful. In the first level, a whole field lies before you, with thousands of blades of grass animated right before your eyes. Golden sunlight bathes the landscape, and gusts of wind make the many stalks dance and sway. A single flower, alone, suddenly releases its first petal, and now it's up to you to control it. You're free to sweep side to side, in and out through the stalks of grass, which part like a Red Sea of flora before you. You can sweep yourself up into the air, twirl and dance to your heart's content. There is a true feeling of freedom; not necessarily from a controls or gameplay standpoint, but on an emotional level that's wonderfully different.

You'll soon find that you are not alone, because many flowers are scattered in patterns and paths. Getting close to one of these flowers will cause them to bloom, and a petal from that flower will follow you. Causing more flowers to bloom will bring about a whole banner of petals that will eagerly dance with you through the air, and the soft music is accented by the notes that are released with each new blossom you awaken. As you fly through these flowers, the quick notes bring about a feeling of excitement that, in itself, isn't trying to haste you along. The game has no feeling of hurry, but rather, of enjoyment.

As more and more flowers unfurl, areas of brown, dying grass and land are transformed a-la Okami-style. Glistening waves of color erupt over the landscape, bringing life back to a barren area, and also guiding you to your next destination to explore further; there is definitely a feeling of accomplishment brought to the table with each new area brought back from the brink.

After completing a level, if you let the game idle for a few moments, it will start to scroll through scenes of the newly-reborn world you have brought to fruition, allowing you to take in the landscape and your handiwork. I've found myself letting it play through these images on my HDTV almost like a changing piece of art in the background to my room as I do other things. It would be wonderful if I could have these animated images as a screensaver on my computer.

There are also secret flowers to find. Colored green, there are three instances of them per level to seek out, either tucked away in hidden nooks and crannies, or unlocked by doing certain tasks or blooming certain arrays of flowers. They help to add a bit more replay value to the game, a subtle encouragement to return and find what you may have missed.

If you are the OCD-type in gaming however, Flower may make you a tad twitchy, as you might find a stressful side to wondering if you've gotten every. Single. Flower. If, however, you can relax about this fact, you'll have a much more wonderful time.

One level to note gives you the opportunity to change the color of the landscape. You are free to flow through several different patches of flowers, pick up their colors, and use them to paint sweeping swaths of pastel hues through the grass. I thoroughly enjoyed this area, painting the land and loving every moment of it. I would swoop to and fro, then soar up into the sky for a birds-eye view. Could that area use more pink? Maybe blue? Yeah. Maybe blue. Then swoop down to add to my 'masterpiece'. It was nice, clean fun.

As the game progresses, you find that not all levels are bright and cheery. One in particular was downright gloomy, almost frighteningly-so. It had a feeling of foreboding melancholy that made you wonder just what happened to your happy flying days, and if those days were coming to an end. Dark, oppressive, a true feeling of loneliness and even some of fear, crept out of the shadows. I found myself not liking that level all too much in that regard; but, then again, not many would, compared to the flighty freedom of levels before it. In the end, it can also make one wonder if the creators wanted you to feel that way, as well.

On a personal note, on the last level when I watched my friend playing it, there was a section where you could activate a large fan that lifts you, swirling, into the air. I suddenly started laughing, and the tone of it..well, as he said, "the pure laughter of a child". I haven't been able to mimic that sound since. Maybe Flower had just drawn me in a little too much by then, but I'm not complaining.

By the end of the game, it may leave one wanting more, as the length of the game itself isn't very long; yet, at the same time, after a while, one may feel that it has also been 'enough'. A nice time had, a nice ride that was enjoyable while it lasted.

Flower is poetry in motion. It is a game that stands out amongst others as real, playable art. Its gentle music and swooping, fluid movements as you control the petals give you a feeling of peace, fun, freedom on an emotional level, somewhere deep inside; maybe, even, on the spiritual. It's a prose of color to be enjoyed, a carefree journey not unlike one you would take within the pages of a favorite book on a cool evening with that perfect cup of tea. Allow yourself to relax, take it easy, realize that not all games should be concerned with blowing things up with missiles and guns, and you might find that this is one game that should be considered a lovely gem to any collection.

And I do hope a sequel happens.

With its gorgeous graphics, ease of play, sense of freedom and a poetic air to it all, I'm happy to give Flower a score of 9 out of 10.