Flower

Have you ever had a dream where you were no longer yourself. Instead, you are a natural entity, a power of nature. You are the changing of the tide, the bubbling heat lurking under the earth’s crust. Or perhaps you are the calming breeze that is passing through the valley. Well, in Flower, the latter is the case. You must use the power of wind to travel across picturesque landscapes, solve simple puzzles and collect as many flower petals. Its a simple, relaxing and cathartic experience and one you need to experience for yourself.

This game plays like other games such as Journey and Flow which are made by the same developer and come as a trilogy of sorts. Or alternatively, you could argue that this game is in line with walking simulators with relaxing and low effort gameplay like Gone Home, What Remains of Edith Finch, Everybody’s Gone to the Rapture and Dear Esther. This game aims to offer a chill and relaxing experience but is this a profound title or a snore-fest? We find out in our review of Flower

Petal to the Metal

As this game is part of a trilogy with 2012 game of the year, Journey. It can be tempting to try and make comparisons. However, while there are some similarities, Flower is its own entity. This game draws the player in with a simple and intuitive system which simply asks the player to move as the wind and interact with the world. A world that is absolutely stunning might we add. The sheer lack of explanation or HUD needed to guide the player is a testament to the excellent design of the game and it serves as an excellent tool to immerse the player.

As you travel through this barren landscape, you are gradually reviving the plant life and restoring the world to its past glory. A goal that leads to some of the most rewarding visual offerings that a game has ever offered and with minimum effort required. You will have to solve simple puzzles to get through certain areas, much like Journey. However, these puzzles are merely a vehicle to deliver environmentally told narrative.

The story of Flower is one that the player will have to piece together in their own mind. There is no dialogue, no narrator and no protagonist. You are simply the wind, you are nature and your job is to restore the world. So players will take different meanings from their 90 minute experience and that in of itself, is a beautiful thing. It is a story of life. It conveys love, fear, elation, sadness, death and everything in between. In a word, it’s spectacular.

The Verdict

Overall, this game doesn’t have the same refinement as Journey for example. However, that is a tough act to follow. What Flower does do, is offer a story well worth the price of admission, gameplay that is cathartic and rewarding without ever stressing the player in the slightest and provides visual and auditory stylings that only serve to immerse the player further into this unique gaming experience.

Pros:

• Visually stunning with a brilliant soundtrack
• Relaxing and rewarding gameplay
• A narrative excellently delivered through subtle means

Cons:

• A rather short runtime
• Gameplay aspects are minimal