‘A host of gold daffodils’
Format: PS3 Dev: thatgamecompany Pub: Sony Out: 12/02/09 Players: 1
It isn’t easy to sum up thatgamecompany’s creations. Their first title, flOw, was pigeonholed as PS3’s motion control wonder. A simple and undemanding game, in the same vein as Snake, some people felt its pool of delights was too shallow for them to wade in. Well, their latest seed has had more time in the incubator – and it shows. Flower is brimming with innovative design and colourful dreamscapes that make it absolutely worth your time.
Those who felt there wasn’t enough purpose in flOw will be pleased to learn that Flower is more grounded than its predecessor. From the safety of its high window a flower overlooks a busy and crowded city. Yearning to escape the quandary of the nightmarish metropolis, you are whisked away to one of the flower’s dreams. With each completed level a new flower is added to the desk in front of the window. The journey begins in the countryside amid the trees and wind farms, and eventually leads all the way to the heart of the city.
In each level you begin with a single petal, born aloft and floating on a gentle breeze. Soon this becomes a swarm of petals that dance majestically at your will. You direct them using the Sixaxis controller’s motion functionality. Pitching the controller forwards or backwards, lowers or raises your swarm. Tilting it left or right moves them in the corresponding direction. Pressing any of the buttons on the controller increases the wind speed if you want to pick up the pace a bit.
The beauty of Flower is in its gameplay. Closed buds sit patiently in the grass. To awaken them you simply pass close by with your life-giving petals and another one is added to your flock. You move about valleys, canyons and fields opening flowers as you go, until you reach the level’s end. It’s so responsive that even pulling off fancy aerial stunts is a breeze – easily the best implementation of motion control yet seen on the PS3. There’s no time limits and no health metre (although one level does see harm inflicted on your organic friends if you stray too close to electrical hazards).
You simply glide your colourful blossoms through each of the seven themed levels, interacting with the environment as much as you wish. There are windmills that give you a short push, streetlamps and moonlit ponds to light your way, and a wind tunnel that sends you twirling through a stream of flowers in a wave of springtime glory. Some levels also allow you to paint dying grass vibrant shades of primary colours, which I found most fascinating. Sound and music in Flower are intertwined like the roots of a great tree. Composer, Vincent Diamante, has produced a glowing score that nourishes the senses without intruding on the core sound effects. Every time you release a petal a short tone is made, and this has been mixed with such care that it runs parallel with the music’s natural susceptibility.
There are secret flowers and trophies to collect adding more replay value to the game. Unfortunately if there’s anything that will halt your enjoyment of Flower it’s likely to be motion control. It handles well for the majority of the game, but two of the later levels take place in tight spaces. Here the controller is much less forgiving of unintentional movements. However, taken as whole, Flower is a wondrous game. It’s a full circle of art, design and gameplay. With unique titles such as this, PlayStation Network really is coming into its own.
Aaron Lee
