fl0wer

4 Pretty!
Flower is a fantastic game (though, the term “toy” seems to be a better fit here) whether you’re longing for a moment of relax or want to show off your fancy TV.

It’s a great example of how far you can get with a simple-yet-toughtful premise and strong aethethics.

The gameplay is very basic – primal almost. Like in a happy dream, you’re a gust of wind flying around green fields and lifting flower petals. There’s no challenge involved, but there are goals — you are to blow through patches of coloured flowers to make more patches appear, accompanied by pretty effects marking your progress on the level. Do it enough times and the portal to the next stage appears. There’s absolutely no time limit or any other way to lose, so you can basically just fly around, enjoy the views and progress through the level at your own pace.

It’s simple, it’s pretty, it’s relaxing and it works perfectly.

Some view Flower as a deeper piece of art. I wouldn’t go as far as that. The aesthethics are certainly nice, but they cater to the most basic sense of beauty (ooh, pretty colors and it’s all shiny!). And the simple enviromentalist message – while not as clumsy as in Cloud – is still nothing too groundbreaking.

However, it doesn’t harm the game in any way. Straightforwardness and simplicty are actually its core strengths. Playing it just makes you feel good.

After all, it caters to the primal dream of flying and freedom. And the levels are simply beautiful. The night one on which each patch of flowers activates a set of lanterns, also making all the petals you’ve collected glow brightly, really made me feel great about what can be achieved with the medium these days.

If you have a PS3, you should really consider spending those few bucks on Flower. If not for the gameplay itself, then to show large companies like Sony that we are willing to pay for something that is just pleasant and doesn’t involve fast cars or marines.