The Greatest Outdoors
Flower is a bit bewildering, conceptually, but its clean systems make it accessible and understandable despite the lack of explicit explanation. Levels begin with you controlling the force of the wind, guiding a single petal through fields of flowers. Breezing through grass and over hills brings dim, dark places to life, and each flower you touch blossoms, earning you another petal. By the end of a stage, your lonely starting petal is the centerpiece of a majestic floral trail, sailing through the sky of a gorgeous place you’ve helped create. Vibrance and change is an inspiring form of visual feedback -- colorful plant life represents progress, success, and the mark you’ve made in these incredible spaces. Every time I play through its 90 minute story, Flower leaves me with the same strong lasting impression I felt the first time. You are not just an explorer here: You are a creator.The uncomplicated input of its motion controls leads to a satisfying sense of minimum effort/maximum gain, allowing you to revive dead plants and open canyons by casually coasting through field and finding life to unlock at your own pace. The mechanics rarely change, but the simplicity of your interaction has a wide range of rewarding results. You achieve wondrous things, and it becomes clearer as you proceed that there’s a reason for it -- despite its minimalism, Flower has phenomenal ambition and a clear goal in mind.
Throughout its relaxing, stress-free discovery, Flower subtly conveys a story of life, destruction, fear, and rebirth. It has something to say about nature, humanity’s destructive tendencies, and whether or not they can coexist. Games rarely feature thoughtful or relevant commentary. Flower has meaningful messaging, but it never preaches gospel or intrudes on the sublime meandering and resurrection. If metaphor or symbolism don’t do anything for you, Flower is just as enjoyable as a game where you explore a dying world, discover the tasks required to resurrect it, and move on having accomplished something beautiful.
Machine Power
The PS4 release is the best way to experience this, for sure. Flower’s visuals are noticeably improved by its 1080p resolution and 60 frames per-second performance. Everything runs smoother, and with added physics and particle effects, objects moves in a more convincing, natural way. Best of all, though, is the motion controls: Dual Shock 4 is a huge step ahead of its predecessor. With lighter gestures you can perform more precise movements, making it easier and more enjoyable to turn on a dime and collect more petals.After an hour or two, when it’s all over, there’s little room for Flower to do anything more with what it has. Within the framework of its goals, it is masterful, and it is masterful every time I play it again. Brevity enables focus, and its unexpected turns, surprising tonal themes, and climactic scenes all hit just as hard on my fifth replay as they did my first time through.
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