Back in 2007, Roger Ebert infuriated the gaming populace by flat-out stating that video games are not art. Of course, this spurred endless rants and complaints on message boards from angry gamers and probably some threats to Roger Ebert, himself. Most of the “games are art” arguments were led by examples such as Ico and Shadow of the Colossus, which both used powerful imagery to project some expression of emotion as art generally does. It’s a shame, however, that Flower wasn’t around at the time to back up these gamers’ claims, as it truly is the best example yet.
Flower¸ from the makers of the online flash title and PlayStation Network download flOw, is a tough game to explain or even categorize. You start up with a close view of a flower sitting in an open field. Each blade of beautifully rendered grass around your flower is swaying ever so gracefully in the blowing wind. A press of the X button triggers the flower to bloom, causing a lone petal to jump out and blow in the relatively calm wind. As you tilt the controller, the camera starts to move around and that petal starts moving in the direction you’re facing. With another press of the button, the wind picks up in that direction and your petal is then in flight at high speeds.
As you guide this petal through the sun drenched fields that make up the bulk of the first half of Flower’s six level campaign, you’ll encounter flowers that have yet to bloom. With careful guidance, these other flowers will bloom and spurt out a petal that will be added to create a stream behind your original petal. Though some flowers have different reactions and some additional gameplay elements are added in the latter half of the experience, this is the primary Flower experience, and it works beautifully, both in the gameplay and visual sense. The SIXAXIS motion controls work surprisingly well and add to the feeling of flight as opposed to detracting from it. Visually, every level has its own unique look and style, but still manages to display an impressive number of petals and the previously mentioned grassy fields without a hitch. This is, without a doubt, a showcase for what the PS3 is capable of graphically.
If you’re not convinced that Flower is a fantastic experience, or if you simply don’t get it, my advice is to go and try it anyway. If you have a PS3, an internet connection, and ten dollars, there is no reason not to give this a try. It may not present a challenge and it may be a little bit light on extra content, but you will be having too much fun flying through the grass just to feel the unique rush, or scouring the landscape for one flower you may have missed. Ultimately, Flower is an incredible achievement in that it’s an excellent game that succeeds at entertaining gamers and making Roger Ebert’s claim moot.
Short and sweet; a fun game with some serious artistic chops backing its relevancy.
