Flower, a petal in the wind
With consolidation of publishers and developers, increasing development costs, and changes in consumer spending, creativity has slowly diminished from the videogame industry. For every Braid, Pixeljunk Eden, and Mirrors Edge, we find five Gears clones, ten Halo clones, and a barrage of stagnant sports games. I’ve felt for the past few years that the saving grace of independent and creative gaming is the downloadable market. This is a source of distribution allowing one person, a group of people, or a small company to create unique and creative games. This viewpoint is only strengthened with the release of Flower.
Flower is something that I’ve wanted to experience since I first saw trailers a year ago. Flower isn’t about going from mission to mission or collecting orbs, it’s about giving the user a new and unique experience. The game takes you away from the brash and harsh city environment and puts you in the midst of beauty; fields of grass and flowers. One small petal can bring beauty to the world, even though it struggles against unnatural forces.
Flower shouldn’t be played like a normal game, and instead of pretending that you’re the petal moving in the wind, picture yourself as the wind merely influencing the direction of the petal. You shouldn’t sit down and expect to be rewarded with bonuses or power-ups, your reward is the petals effect on the environment. Flower should be played without giving the controls much thought; take in the atmosphere, that’s the only requirement.
The purpose of this article isn’t to review and critique the nuances of the game but to influence people to experience it. Flower is a unique idea that few will try, but it’s something special that comes around so infrequently. If any of you have a PSN account, buy Flower, relax, and get ready for a breathtaking adventure.
