Tuesday, March 3, 2009

Flower

I purchased Flower, made by Thatgamecompany, last night from the Playstation Store.  I'd seen some gameplay videos and understood the concept, but wanted to be surprised so I didn't read too much about it.  (It has since gotten pretty favorable reviews.)  So I was pleasantly surprised by the whole thing!

First of all, the audio and visual presentation are incredible.  The landscape looks lush, beautiful sky and saturated colors fill the screen.  The soundtrack and effects are satisfying, responding as you create a tune by flying flower petals around on the wind.  Areas are much bigger than I took them to be, allowing you to explore far afield and take levels at your own pace.

I was playing with a group last night, and everyone kept asking me what the point of the game is.  I'm still not sure.  But I know it's pretty, and it's fun, and I keep wanting to awaken the landscape in this representation of a plant's inner desires.  Kind of crazy, but this game just makes me happy.  It's almost like a fireworks display, everyone who watches it just keeps going "Ooooh!" and "Aaaaah!"  It's a high concept, but it works.