Title: Flower
Platform: PSN
ESRB Rating: E
Publisher: Sony
Developer: ThatGameCompany
Rating: 
Review by: Bill Jones
Flower deserves respect, if for nothing else than pushing the boundaries of what a “video game” can be. Arguably more than anything before it, Flower proves to be a different kind of interactive audio-visual experience, challenging us to rethink our notions of gaming and art, and what they have the potential to be.
The first thing that the game forces players to note is that it is absolutely breathtaking. The gamer essentially controls the wind, and with it moves every single blade of grass and a gathering stream of multi-colored flower petals. It is stunning.
The action is controlled mostly by the SIXAXIS motion controls, with the buttons only serving the purpose of getting the gust moving and keeping it at a steady pace. It controls incredibly well, especially considering how gimmicky motion controls can often feel.
Each stage, if it can be called that, begins with a single flower and the wind taking hold of one of its petals. Using that petal as a sort of character, or guide, one moves around the world collecting more flower petals. In the process, the world changes from a dull landscape, or a sometimes urban cityscape, into something filled with color, growth and life.
The experience in the opening areas of the game can best be described as serene, exciting and awe-inspiring, all at once. Unlike the challenge of traditional games, Flower allows the gamer to simply relax and take in the experience in a casual manner, where winning isn’t the main objective. It is simply about experiencing things and trying to take it all in.
There is a twist, however, which would be too much of a spoiler to fully address, but it is relatively safe to say the latter half of the game does fall back on some traditional concepts of gaming, and possibly even good versus evil story elements, though that might not be the best way to describe it. In a way, it takes away from what the title accomplishes in its first half, but ThatGameCompany was in a damned-if-you-do, damned-if-you-don’t sort of situation.
Had Flower completely stuck with the ideas presented in its first half, it would likely have been criticized as little more than a tech demo for the PlayStation 3’s HD graphical prowess and motion controls. But again, falling back on “gameplay” in many ways hampers the innovation of its better half.
Still, it is rare that a game can truly evoke emotions on the level of those drawn out by Flower, and this twist plays into those emotions. Players will experience excitement, wonder, anxiousness, anger, fear, achievement and more, all in this deceptively simple game about nature. With its fluid, intuitive controls, Flower invites gamers into its world for an experience quite unlike any other, and challenges the notions of gaming. It is a work of art, imperfect but beautiful.
For more info, www.thatgamecompany.com/games/flower
