Flower Review (PlayStation LifeStyle)

'Nearly two years ago ThatGameCompany unleashed flOw upon the young PlayStation Network. Later that same year at the Tokyo Game Show they teased a new game similar in concept but taken an additional dimension, Flower. Flower takes the full capabilities of the SIXAXIS and puts them to excellent use.'

[itchy18]

before i buy this game. how do you play this game? even hardcore gamers like this game and reviewers give a perfect score.

[Sev]

You play using only the SIXAXIS tilt. However it turns on a dime like a sports car. Controls are intuitive and fit the game perfectly.

Unless you are one of those people that ONLY play shooters, we highly recommend this game.

[GrandTheftZamboni]

"Calling Flower a game is almost an insult, it’s much more an experience and a truly amazing one at that."

[Sheddi]

My mom usually don't like games, but this game caught her her attention.
She said it was so beautiful, she wanted to be there :P.

[Marceles]

Great review Phoenix, very well done unlike some of even the most high-profile gaming sites

[SaiyanFury]

I've been gaming on Sony consoles for over a decade now and I was impressed with Flower. Something that's just fun and easy to get into. The SIXAXIS controls are responsive and reactive. Press a button to get a gust of wind to blow to the next target. Simple and accessible: Flower is a great piece of software. As was flow a few years ago. The PSN has some truly great titles and I'm happy that Sony is supporting these companies. As a gamer who can appreciate simplicity, I love Flower. A great piece of software that not only appeals to the visual sense, but something that can appeal to everybody.

[Shaka2K6]

Sucks you stupid Xbug turds use last gen. controlers that lack motion sencing options you will never experience real AAA games like Fl0w and Flower you stupid losers Hahahahahahahahahaaaaaaaa!!!

[Blackcanary]

love this game.

[Bathyj]

This game is gorgeous and surreal. I was seriously moved at the sunset level, like starring at a beautiful painting although thats never happened to me. I appreciated it on a technical level, but even more on an artistic level.

After the Sunset the next level started with the same scenery and time of day, but the sun quickly went down and it became night with luminous petals everywhere.

If you have no soul, artistic appreciation or sense of wonderment there probably not much here for you. If you just want to be angry and kill stuff, go elsewhere.

If you're willing to let go and lose yourself, and forget your playing what people will call a game only because its software then theres nothing like this. If you're the kind of person who can watch a fish tank for an hour, or even Planet Earth on BR then you might enjoy this alot.

PS
The motion controls are so responsive. Would anyone like to hear about my idea for the ultimate first person light gun game?

[UltimateIdiot911]

Agreed, the environment in the game is quite captivating. It makes me feel like going to an open field and just enjoy some time there. Strangely for me, it makes me feel like I'm flying for the most part. Which is good because I always wanted to fly.

Yeah, the controls are really good, I made a complete loop by turning the control 1 complete clockwise towards me. It's basically 1:1 control.

[GamerPS360]

I am buying this game now.

[Sev]

You will be very glad you did. Glad you appreciate our review enough for it to make you buy a game.
That is one of the best compliments I have ever received.

[GamerPS360]

I always prefer gamer's review than some sites called EDGE/EuroGamer. Even Gamespot.

I nearly missed Heavenly sword, Ratchet & Clank 'coz of these sites.

[GiantEnemyCrab]

Is this game really that good? I bought Linger in Shadows because of Playstation folks telling me how good and amazing it is and well.. It's interactive art alright but one freaking boring one at that imo.

Everytime I see this game I think of some douche or tampon commercial with the flowers on the breeze.. I just don't want to waste money again on "interactive art" that is severely overhyped.

I really like PlaystationLifeStyle and one of the few PS3 sites I visit(even before actually owning a PS3) so I can appreciate their opinion so I might give this one a go. But if I hate it I'm coming after you Playstation Lifestyle! =)

Why doesn't the PSN have demo's for everything like XBL, it would make these decisions so much easier.

[UltimateIdiot911]

I have to agree, Linger in the Shadow didn't feel much to me either. But I had fun with Flower, the only thing was a lot of my friend was telling it's a game you play when you're high but the game itself is quite a good feeling experience. If anything you can ask friends who would like to game share, and just share games. That's what I do to cut cost and feel better when I purchase games on PSN.

[GiantEnemyCrab]

Thanks for the reply. I have no problem buying it if it comes with good user recommendations. Even though I didn't like LiS, it wasn't an empty experience.

I do enjoy FLOW in a Zen like way so I can see Flower is that same type of relaxed gameplay from what I'm reading.

[chaosatom]

The best game on Playstation 3.

Played it for 10 hours or more total easily. It's a fun single play but hella fun co-op offline play.

[Godmars290]

Linger in the Shadow was only ever a tech demo. Some PR di*k got it into his head to add trophies and charge for it. Otherwise it probably would have been free.

[GrandTheftZamboni]

If you didn't find any enjoyment in Linger in Shadows maybe you shouldn't spend your money on Flower. I hope you would try and like it anyway. LiS is definitely darker experience but it's still flying. There is much more in Flower though. I think Flower can help a man awake a long asleep boy within. And that's from a guy whose favourite game is Warhawk.

[callahan09]

Linger In Shadows, for me, was interesting for two reasons:

The slight interactivity, and the music. I liked how little things like tilting and shaking the controller would progress the piece. It was very inexpensive, too, and so for that 3 bucks I got to enjoy a weird little graphical showcase with some odd stuff going on with a cat and a dog, I could control it in limited ways, and I heard some fascinating tunes. All-in-all I'm glad I spent the 3 bucks on it just to experience something that was pretty unique and to support endeavors of that nature. I liked the experience even if it really provides no reason to go back for more.

But to call Linger in Shadows a game is pretty silly, it's far from it. But Flower is DEFINITELY a game. It's fully interactive, not limited. You have free control over your wind/flower petals and you can fly over great expanses of land, there are no "rails" that you have to adhere to, you can soar to the heavens and ride the grass and part the blades like Moses parted the Red Sea (it's beautiful watching all those individually rendered blades of grass get parted and swayed by your wind). The game is about flying over flowers and causing them to bloom, but there are other interactive activities to do throughout the game, too, like painting the grass different colors, illuminating darkened areas, restoring nature to a run-down city, cutting the power from power lines (which provides actual CHALLENGE, because if you hit the power transformers in Level 5 you will char your trail of petals... you can't actually LOSE, but your majestic tail of trailing petals is cut off, and you earn a silver trophy for beating the level without getting hit by the electrical current). There are also secret areas and hidden flower to find, and the trophies are fun to unlock. Most of all, though, it is a breathtakingly beautiful piece of visual art that you have FULL CONTROL over, soaring around on the winds making a docile world bloom into life again. The colors, the flowing petals in the breeze, the sunsets, the peaceful music... it's all the perfect solution to wind down after a stressful day and have some good light simple fun.

[Armyless]

Flower is on par with Rez... without the guns OR the rails.

[gravv]

i'll pick up this and demon's soul instead killzone....

[Phoenix17]

@giantenemycrab
dude why must u troll about everything seriously when something good and brand new comes out for the ps3 u just have to troll over and say something bad about the game & then u must bring up the 360 or live to complain about certain things. Yes i do agree that they should have demos for more games on the PSN but even so i enjoyed both flow and linger in shadows cuz they try to create something new in terms of all the casual things we see in gaming these days. so just stop trolling man plz

[LeonSKennedy4Life]

He's not trolling.

For once, he's being honest with us. Respect that, please.

[GiantEnemyCrab]

That was not meant to be a troll. I was merely stating my observations and asking a question. I was over sold on LiS and was disappointed in the whole "interactive art" thing and I want to make sure I don't buy into something that is similar. It sounds more like a FLOW type game, which I enjoyed and it sounds like it will be a buy.

I don't mean to bring up Live but you have to admit, having a demo from all PSN game would be a great thing for gamer's.

Don't want to stir up anything here so if that came off as a troll it wasn't.

Thanks Leon, glad not everyone took it as a troll.

[gravv]

disagree? lol

IMO demon's soul is better than killzone because i don't like fps.... deal with it

[RememberThe357]

So because some one disagrees with you their not dealing with it? Come on. I click disagree because, well, I disagree. I picked this up, and I'll pick up Killzone 2... Deal with that.

[Phoenix17]

well anyways sorry i took it the wrong way & yea im surprised u actually said something positive about this game but anyways
i beat the game already & got all the trophies but does anyone know how to get into the secret level cause i already got all the green flowers and now my window shows this mountain within a green field but wat am i suppose to do now to get into the secret level??? PM me is u knw or figured it out X)

[GamerPS360]

glad you got guts to admit when you are wrong. Kudos to you dude. Not many people does here.

[SupaPlaya]

Props and bubble for being a man/woman and admitting your mistake.

[Armyless]

The last flower is staring at you.

[Highatus]

Relaxing game, until you try for the Pure trophy... :P

Other than that if your looking for something fresh, and something you can just play for what it is then flOwer is a great choice.

Much like flOw (which i enjoyed as well) is unique.

I'd recommend this game in a heartbeat.

Already waiting for DLC.

[godkiller]

Just finished it got all trophys, so love this game, mil times better than linger.
What with fat princess , and ragdoll kungfu soon , gr8 time b a sexy ps3 owner.
C u guys in the zone. B great if they did a sea game next like flower.

Ps great game if drunk or stoned , er or both!!!

[poeo]

dont forget Noby Noby Boy!

with our help Boy and Girl are going to take over the universe!

[ambientFLIER]

How do you share games? I'd be willing to share Stardust HD for this game.

[CBaoth]

Remember your/his login passwords and go under each other's Users List on the XMB of your PS3s. Initially register a new account but instead of creating said new account select the option of using an existing account. Input your ID and password and voila you're on your friend's PS3 as an account. You may have to activate the PS3 (via Acct. Management screen) for certain software. Now, on his PS3, log in to the store with your account and check the box in the right hand corner "View all downloads" and re-download the game. When he logs back in to his PS3, your game will appear as if he bought it. Repeat the process on yours and 2 games for the price of one can be yours.

Remember if you have had a defective PS3 or just outright sold it, you'll have to manually call Sony and have them de-reigester it. Only 5 consoles at a time can be registered to a single owner in this way.

[poeo]

i was actually not that impressed by this game playing the first level, it was exactly as i expected it to be...

...but after playing two more levels with headphones on, i can't help but love the game. literally breathtaking at some moments. and apparently the best is yet to come for me, people say the latter levels are the best. i can't wait.

[typikal82]

Its a good break from all the shooters I've been playing lately. The SIXAXIS controls are slightly better than LAIR's Maybe because I only have to steer this time and not shoot/kill things?

[Magic_The_Celt]

i got it yesterday, once again PSN proves to be the hubb of gaming innovativeness

Amazing game yes

[Sty]

I wasn't sure if I were going to get this game, but reading the review and reading all your comments, I am sure getting it, thanks ppl... good gaming for all