flOw Review

By Richard Leadbetter Published 1 April, 2007

Go with it.

Version tested: PlayStation 3

FlOw, from Sony's Santa Monica labs and developer ThatGameCompany, is a welcome sign of innovation and experimentation being injected into the PlayStation Store. It isn't so much a game as such, more a trippy ornament of sorts for your PlayStation 3; a bizarre Fantastic Voyage of an experience that propels you into a microscopic fluidic world where cell-based organisms fight for life, all the while evolving into ever-larger, more beautiful creatures.

The objective is extremely straightforward - choose from a selection of amoeba-like entities, then dive deep into the on-screen ocean, patrolling the depths in a constant search for food. The more you eat, the more you grow and evolve, a process that radically changes your lifeform - making you larger, stronger and more capable of chowing down on the more dangerous creatures you come across. Aside from the insatiable maw at your command, the only form of attack you have available is a single special move accessed by pressing any of the major buttons on the SixAxis. Each creature has a different special move (cyclone-like spinning, sudden charging and the like) and the effects of these techniques amplify the more powerful your beast.

'flOw' Screenshot 1

Once a particular level has been explored to your satisfaction, you seek out a red-tagged icon which propels you further into the watery domain, or else you can opt to take the blue icon, which takes you back a stage. This is useful as some levels can leave you drained of energy - swooping back to devour some basic microbiotic livestock gives you the edge in tackling a harder level. A preview of things to come takes the form of a far-away blur in the background of each level. Once you're attuned to the flow, you'll be able to ID these murky apparitions and prepare yourself for the next level accordingly.

Control throughout is achieved using the motion sensor built into the SixAxis joypad and in this game at least, it's entirely suitable for the purpose. The game is played at a valium-fuelled pace, and requires little in the way of precision movement. It still feels as though it's a step back in terms of absolute control though, and I've yet to play a SixAxis-based game that would not benefit from more conventional controls (the forthcoming Super Rub-a-Dub does little to disprove this). However, in the case of FlOw, it doesn't matter that much. There's very little in the way of danger in this experience anyway - even if you are roundly defeated, you simply regress a stage and start again, so there's little sense of actual loss.

'flOw' Screenshot 2

In terms of the overall scope of what's on offer, there are six different lifeforms to take control of, to grow and to guide through the ether. Each has a very different journey to undertake, opening up a host of different visual effects in the background along with a different cross-section of the submarinal wildlife to engage with. At any time, another player can join you for a spot of co-operative play which adds a miniscule element of additional entertainment to the mix but is really little more than an afterthought as the basic experience barely changes at all.

In effect, FlOw feels like a tech demo in many ways and if there is an overall point to the gameplay, it's essentially to act as a tour guide through the AV experience. It's designed to look pretty, to sound cool, and to let you gorge yourself on all of these treasures with only a modicum of effort. The graphics are basic, but well designed and layered with all the HDR and dynamic lighting tricks that the PS3 can muster (and it's another 1080p game for the collection to boot), with water-based physics that keep everything moving beautifully. Audio is THX-certified, providing a fairly simplistic, but involving surround sound stage. Even the simple act of eating a cell adds a pleasing musical note to the overall ambience, though all of the game's inhabitants have their part to play in adding to the aural soundscape.

'flOw' Screenshot 3

FlOw is a difficult game to score. Taking control of each of the six core lifeforms and evolving them to their limits offers little more than a few hours of entertainment with a negligible level of challenge. Multiplayer adds nothing to the longevity and there are no perceivably online features. It's disappointingly bereft of content, but I can't help but like it for what it is, and its mere presence on the XMB often makes me load it up as a distraction during my working day. There's a core experience here that could be developed into a really worthwhile, innovative and compelling game. Give the player the freedom to develop a lifeform with a degree of individuality, set it in an MMO-style online world and add more scope to your core game objectives and this could be something quite special. In the meantime, FlOw is what it is - download it in the full knowledge that you're participating in an experiment of sorts and I think you'll get good value from your £3.49. If you're looking for something more like a conventional game, I'd lop off a mark or two from the final score.

7 / 10

Read the Eurogamer.net scoring policy
Picture of Richard.

About Richard Leadbetter

Rich has been a games journalist since the days of 16-bit and specialises in technical analysis. Commonly known around Eurogamer as the Blacksmith of the Future.

Read more articles from Richard by visiting the Richard Leadbetter archive page.

You may also like...

Comments (68) Latest comment 5 years ago

Comments threads automatically close after 30 days, but please feel free to continue chatting on the forum!

  • JayeM #1 5 years ago

    I'll get it when I have some money.

  • Beano #2 5 years ago

    flOw have surprised me... there's more "game" to it than I thought and an simple but enjoyable zen-like experience and a great showcase of the SIXAXIS's tilt controls ;)

    Highy recommendable at that price and EG's score is right on the money... after all, it's "not a good as Halo then".



    Edited by 1 at 01/04/07 @ 07:55

  • Dizzy #3 5 years ago

    It is a screensaver.

  • Mashum #4 5 years ago

    Sounds great - and the price seems more fair than something like electroplankton which also offered only a few hours.

  • Mashum #5 5 years ago

    ....jesus don't you sleep?

  • FmCUK #6 5 years ago

    Just in case anyone isn't aware, surprised it wasn't in the article, this was/is a free online flash game and is available here; http://inti huatani.usc.edu/cloud/flowing/

  • mike_mgoblue #7 5 years ago

    People in Europe paid $1,000 to be able to play this game...a game that looks like an Atari 2600 game...a game that is one of the top-rated Playstation 3 games...

    Wow...

    Sony's Playstation 3 really is even worse in Europe than it is in North America or Japan.
    Edited by 1 at 01/04/07 @ 08:49

  • Qbert2k #8 5 years ago

    mike_mgoblue: "People in Europe paid $1,000 to be able to play this game...a game that looks like an Atari 2600 game...a game that is one of the top-rated Playstation 3 games...

    Wow...

    Sony's Playstation 3 really is even worse in Europe than it is in North America or Japan."

    Yeah because they all bought a PS3 just to play flow and nothing else. Just like everyone bought a 360 just to play geometry wars.

  • Gouki #9 5 years ago

    Qbert2k nice touch genuinely lol!!!!

  • morriss #10 5 years ago

    Sounds ok.

  • MaxiSleep #11 5 years ago

    People in Europe use the vastly superior £ or €! With vibration and rumble, the £ and € are truly better than the late and inferior $!

    I just wish all those £ owners would get off their obsession with the past and upgrade.


    :)

  • AOFanboi #12 5 years ago

    flOw is the new Rez - so it is all good.

  • EmiliasHorse #13 5 years ago

    I have just spent a very happy 20 minutes playing this.
    At first I thought snake, then I thought snake with more depth and better gameplay.

    Very enjoyable, not sure I would want to buy a PS3 to play it, but the free game online is a great fun.

  • Xerx3s #14 5 years ago

    Lol at people voting 1.

  • Xerx3s #15 5 years ago

    flOw defines what I need from games.

    Sleep?

    XD

  • Tomo #16 5 years ago

    I'd love to meet mike_mgoblue.

    Y'know... just to see what makes him tick!

  • Beano #17 5 years ago

    "People in Europe paid $1,000 to be able to play this game...a game that looks like an Atari 2600 game...a game that is one of the top-rated Playstation 3 games... "

    Go away, troll !

  • kangarootoo #18 5 years ago

    @mike_mgoblue

    "People in Europe paid $1,000 to be able to play this game"

    Did you buy your kitchen suite so you could heat up a single can of beans?

    Buffoon.

  • kangarootoo #19 5 years ago

    @Tomo

    "I'd love to meet mike_mgoblue.
    Y'know... just to see what makes him tick!"

    Primary school would be a good place to start your hunt I think.

  • CitizenGeek #20 5 years ago

    I didn't care much for Rez, but this looks.....nice. If I had a PS3, I'd definately be checking this out.

  • EmiliasHorse #21 5 years ago

    Yup I would love to see this on XBLA, not planning on a PS3 for a long time so will have to make do with the PC version.

  • reflux #22 5 years ago

    The only interesting PS3 title so far.

  • bauhaus #23 5 years ago

    ""People in Europe paid $1,000 to be able to play this game"

    Thas because we shit money, and $1000 is lose change

  • jiveguy #24 5 years ago

    "Give the player the freedom to develop a lifeform with a degree of individuality, set it in an MMO-style online world and add more scope to your core game objectives and this could be something quite special."

    Is that not Spore?

  • haowan #25 5 years ago

    It's too easy and when you've played through it once you'll never go back to it. There's no closure as well, you get to the end and blip, back to the start. I also don't see why this is being hailed as amazingly innovative - sure it's a good interpretation of Snake, but that's about as far as it goes.

  • chronom4n #26 5 years ago

    When i first heard about this game a while back, I immediately thought how cool this would be. Using the sixxaxis controller would be quite an experience. Just sitting there not worrying about which buttons to press but just moving your controller about in a laid back fashion. Once Sony start selling the PS3 with the vibration sixxaxis controller I will go out and buy one. But this game would be awesome if you are stoned or need to just chill out after a hard days work.

    Another cool thing I like about this tech demo is that it reminds of how race car drivers move their hands imitating the track that they are going to drive on prior to actually going out and doing the track. Pretty awesome methinks.
    Edited by 1 at 01/04/07 @ 17:23

  • drumbaby #27 5 years ago

    It's beautiful and hypnotic, and a great game to mong out to.

  • Salvia #28 5 years ago

    I wonder who keeps giving every PS3 game 1 out of 10 in the reader voting?
    Is it the same group of people? Very sad individuals if it is.

  • DanC89 #29 5 years ago

    I downloaded this last night. Great stuff :-)

  • pikemon #30 5 years ago

    how is this different from the os x version?

  • Quine #31 5 years ago

    I'd like to see a fully-worked-up proper game based on this, and no I don't mean Spore, which looks like it's going to be a total train set.

  • WrongShui #32 5 years ago

    Isn't this just a fancier version of Snake off my old nokia?

  • haowan #33 5 years ago

    It's more like Serpentine than Snake, actually, now I think about it. It's definitely worth a pop, especially if you've not had a play of the Flash version, but don't expect it to last or anything. Personally I'd expect more for £3.50.

  • Lost_in_Darkness #34 5 years ago

    Why did the article not even bother to mention that this was originally a Flash game, with the PS3 version being an extension to that original?

  • JediMasterMalik #35 5 years ago

    I love it to bits.

  • JYM60 #36 5 years ago

    I have played this a lot today and it has helped me get over one hell of a hangover.

    Saying that i am still squinting at the monitor.

  • Red930 #37 5 years ago

    This is an excellent game make no mistake. For 3.50 you cant go wrong. Its soothing, chilling, unexhausting, non-frantic action. Yes its short, but its different every time you play. Ive replayed it about 6 times so far. The gfx are most excellent, the sound is brilliant and its even caused my girlfriend to forgive me for forking out for a ps3. You cant say more than that. Love it.

  • Beano #38 5 years ago

    "Isn't this just a fancier version of Snake off my old nokia?"

    Not really.

  • JediMasterMalik #39 5 years ago

    I'd rather be dull then an idiotic waste of time.

  • bdc #40 5 years ago

    This with Shpongle playing is a good combo.

  • miiiguel #41 5 years ago

    i prefer an idiotic waste of time...

  • thesombrerokid #42 5 years ago

    i think the reviewer missed the point completely with his conclusion it's supposed to be relaxed not competitive imo

  • old_man #43 5 years ago

    I tried it for ten minutes, but was so stressed out by the hell that is the Playstation online store I lost the will to play.

    I love simple games for my simple mind, but I just could not find it within me to be bothered with this.

  • Beano #44 5 years ago

    "I tried it for ten minutes, but was so stressed out by the hell that is the Playstation online store I lost the will to play."

    Life is hard....

  • L0cky #45 5 years ago

    kangarootoo: 'Buffoon.'

    What's a buffoon ever done to you? Have some respect man!

  • Arwin #46 5 years ago

    The game's controls work well but if you can't see that the sixaxis controls for Motorstorm are some of the best examples of how it should be done at this point, then you're really, really stuck in your analog stick ways. ;) I've polled and tested the sixaxis controls for Motorstorm on a lot of people now, and everyone except perhaps some of the most diehard analog stick ubergamers get it immediately, which is great (but you do have to take care with motorbikes, where you can actually lean back and forward as well, which affects your handling).

    Anyway, I love flow and it is very much worth its money, costing as little as it does and providing something unique and beautiful.

  • Cloudane #47 5 years ago

    Who are those silly bints who whenever a PlayStation 3 game is reviewed give it a one (out of ten) on the vote section?

    Get a life.

    flOw is probably the best download game I have played so far between the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3.

    Yes, it is a funkin' good looking version of Snake on the Nokia phones but with the Sixaxis support, lovely audio and mouth-wateringly simple but sexy visuals, it is so much more than what some make it out to be.

  • Azazel #48 5 years ago


    Who are those silly bints who whenever a PlayStation 3 game is reviewed give it a one (out of ten) on the vote section?

    There's a vote section? Oh.

  • miiiguel #49 5 years ago

    wow! new trend of system wars, just between PS aficionados.
    You better like the game, or else...
    Edited by 1 at 01/04/07 @ 22:45

  • Darren #50 5 years ago

    This is a an application that really didn't need a review score because it simply isn't a game, it's one of those desktop toys that you play around with for a while. It's unique and strangly relaxing but it doesn't have any real depth or substance to it. Definitely worth the £3.49 asking price but don't expect to be playing it for hours...

  • JediMasterMalik #51 5 years ago

    Well I played for hours, and probably will play more.

  • JYM60 #52 5 years ago

    Jesus you guys are really tight bastards. Surely £3 is fuck all to all of you. Its maybe a lot to a homeless person(but seeing the little effort the BIG issue sellers put in I'm not sure) but surely there isn't people on here complaining about £3?

  • SeesThroughAll #53 5 years ago

    Like countless others have already said, although hardly anything that deserves to be called a full fledged game, this is pretty entertaining on it's own right. It at least makes a decent use of the tilt sensor and supports multiplayer. I liked it, because I didn't expect too much from it, especially after trying the flash version.

    The comments from the hypocrites who bash this but nevertheless also enjoy this kind of simple games in Live Arcade amused me too. Can't wait for when EG reviews the PSN version of MK2. The bashing will get even better then.

    Off I go. Peace.

  • JYM60 #54 5 years ago

    Yeah I got more than I expected as well.

  • Beano #55 5 years ago

    Quite amusing how people bitch about a small £3.50 game but happily pay £50,- for endless FIFA or other soul-less sports games with minor updates year after year.

    My guess is, if this was on Wii, everybody would talk about how innovative and brilliant it was... but oh nooo... it's on PS3!!!!

    And no... flOw on PS3 is not the same game as the PC flash version.
    Edited by 3 at 02/04/07 @ 09:08

  • Cloudane #56 5 years ago

    Well said SeesThroughAll and Beano.

  • grimly_reaped #57 5 years ago

    "This is a an application that really didn't need a review score because it simply isn't a game, it's one of those desktop toys that you play around with for a while. It's unique and strangly relaxing but it doesn't have any real depth or substance to it. Definitely worth the £3.49 asking price but don't expect to be playing it for hours..."

    Well that really depends on what you define as a game. It has an objective, a win state, and mechanics to achieve the goal ... what makes a game a game?

  • andromeda #58 5 years ago

    @haowan

    "Personally I'd expect more for £3.50."

    sweet bejesus, thats the funniest thing ive read in a while.

  • Beano #59 5 years ago

    "Well that really depends on what you define as a game. It has an objective, a win state, and mechanics to achieve the goal ... what makes a game a game"

    I agree... there's more under the surface ;)

    It got levels, power ups, special-moves, unlockables, a goal... ok you cannot die in the game (only get punished), but again... you would still call Prey a game, right?
    Edited by 1 at 02/04/07 @ 09:48

  • #60 5 years ago

    Downloaded flOw, had no expectations what so ever, specially for £3.50.

    Found myself enjoying it quite a bit, think it's a relaxing and entertaining little game. If I'm bored and have an hour to spare I actually find myself playing flOw rather than Motorstorm. It's such a hassel to get off the couch find Motorstorm, take it out of its cover, putting it inn the PS3 and starting it up, much quicker to just fire up flOw from the XMB :)

  • Moz #61 5 years ago

    Let use the international denominator ... Beer.

    This game costs you 1 & 1/2 pints of Beer (about 800ml) And in my opinon offers more the 1 & 1/2 pints worth of entertainment. So well worth it.

  • macksed #62 5 years ago

    finally, a reason to sell my kidney and buy a ps3

  • firm3d #63 5 years ago

    Having had a quick go of the Flash game AFTER buying flOw for the PS3, I don't feel hard done by, but then I like Lemmings, Blast Factor, Genji and Resistance a fair bit more than most reviews suggest I should --- Opinions will destroy the human race!

  • Beano #64 5 years ago

    "Opinions will destroy the human race! "

    facist!

  • haowan #65 5 years ago

    OK, I take it back. This is fine for £3.50. Just don't go in expecting an actual game. :)

  • LOLLERS #66 5 years ago

    "Give the player the freedom to develop a lifeform with a degree of individuality, set it in an MMO-style online world and add more scope to your core game objectives and this could be something quite special."


    You mean Spore?
    It's out at the end of the year, apparently...

  • Dizzy #67 5 years ago

    "This game costs you 1 & 1/2 pints of Beer (about 800ml) And in my opinon offers more the 1 & 1/2 pints worth of entertainment. So well worth it. "

    Depends on what kind of beer.

    1 & 1/2 pint of Belgian beer then no... flOw is not worth it. 1 & 1/2 Heineken? In that case it certainly is worth it.

    ;)
    Edited by 1 at 02/04/07 @ 13:48

  • kangarootoo #68 5 years ago

    @Moz

    +1

  • Saii #69 5 years ago

    I beleive the sixaxis pad has taken away from the philosphy behind the original in favour of tech-demo'ing the ps3's controller.