If we were to describe Flower in a single word, it would undoubtedly be "zen." From the development team that brought you flOw, Flower is an incredible, emotional journey through a state of nirvana.
The game’s main objective is to bring ‘happiness’ to six different flowers that gloomily line a window sill. Each flower has its own vast region that is either picturesque or a monochromatic landscape waiting to be brought to life in an array of color. In order to begin your journey through the wind, you select one of the available flowers and prepare for the valley that lies ahead.
The worlds of Flower are entrancing. From what we saw at CES 2009, you’re either going to experience a blast of a colorful environment that changes with each progression you make, or you’re going to be in a gloomy black and white world that will blossom as you progress. In fact, some of the storyline — if you can call it that — gives off a vibe not unlike Prince of Persia or Okami. Once you’ve collected enough petals throughout an area, the entire surrounding area bursts into a colorful display unlike any other, leaving you in a state of awe.
When it comes to controlling the wind that carries your flower petals, it’s actually quite easy and user friendly. The wind mechanic is handled entirely via motion sensing and the face buttons. Circle will help speed the wind up, allowing you to dash through the blades of grass to the melodious sound of each upcoming flower. Meanwhile, the X button slows the wind down a tad, letting you lazily take in the glorious surroundings.
Outside of the primary flower objective, there are other plants that add to your petal trail, and concurrently to your own personal melody with each touch. As you touch each flower, new ones may spring up in a different color that you must venture to in order to unlock the next area. There are also special flowers to find that unlock hidden Trophies throughout the game. These added objectives help increase the length of the game and purpose of each region. Still, there is honestly no direct path to unlocking everything or enjoying the title, allowing you to enjoy the game in any way you please. We’d be lying if we said it wasn’t possible to lose yourself within the experience.
Flower is not only visually stunning with its vibrant score of color and sounds, but it’s also a very good game at changing the pace of your play style. Instead of the usual fast-paced, hectic encounters gamers are faced with, Flower allows you to take a breath and adopt a relaxed frame of mind.
Flower has the potential to be a huge seller on the PlayStation Store, and deserves a purchase from anyone looking for a change of pace. The developers have done a fantastic job creating a stirring yet soothing emotional experience, and we couldn’t ask for more than that.