Flower Review
Interactive entertainment (read:gaming) has been struggling to be accepted into mainstream culture for years. With the help of the Wii and Hollywood-style blockbuster titles such as Bioshock, Grand Theft Auto IV, Mass Effect, gaming marches on towards this goal. However, the “games as art” argument has been harder to support, until now. Flower is a stunning example of an emotional experience that can only be achieved in full effect in the video games medium.
In Flower, you play as a gust of wind which is represented by a single flower petal. In the beginning, the main objective is to pass through flowers, activating events and opening up the next areas. As you progress, you collect a single petal from each flower you blow through and you’re soon represented by a long tail comprised of multi-colored petals. The Sixaxis motion controls dictate the direction in which you move while pressing any single button moves you in that direction, offering an intuitive way to direct the experience of Flower.
Imagery of a colorless, unpleasant city is juxtaposed preceding each level in Flower, providing a stark contrast to the beauty and pleasant atmosphere contained in the first few levels of the game. The narrative in flower is told entirely through this imagery and experience playing the game. The gameplay evolves as the story progresses offering a few twists as the narrative changes.
The narrative of Flower, without delving into spoilers, is about creation, beauty, destruction, and rebirth. The beautiful, vibrant world and the powerful ambient audio cues and music pull the player emotionally into the story of Flower. Flower is a two-hour experience that offers poetic messages and emotions about life, beauty, and the world. Flower stands as an excellent example of an artistic experience that can only be achieved through the gaming medium. For a mere ten dollars on the PSN, you’d be soulless not to get Flower.
