Flower Review

By Tom Bramwell Published 9 February, 2009

Into flora.

Version tested: PlayStation 3

In the words of developer thatgamecompany, Flower is a "videogame version of a poem, exploiting the tension between urban bustle and natural serenity", and while the brief, sensuous journey through the game's six levels is worthily conceived and executed, inviting interpretation, its high-minded origins also have the potential to derail it, albeit not in the eyes of "the audience of pretentious fawning fops that have turned the PS3 into the equivalent of a f***ing beatnik poetry bar", as one of our readers put it when we previewed the game in January. However, the result is pleasantly innocent and uplifting, and perhaps unexpectedly its best qualities are those of a very good videogame.

You control the wind, using the Sixaxis motion sensor to direct a petal on the breeze, or to gust forward by holding any of the face buttons. As the petal passes over nearby flowers, they bloom and release their own petals into its wake, which follow you across hills carpeted in swaying wild grass under gorgeous oceans of summer blue. Every new petal emits a calming strum or twinkling murmur into the gentle flow of background music and pivotal events are embroidered by the audible rush of wind.

Certain flowers are held in a translucent circle, and collecting all the petals in a group of these typically has an effect on their surroundings - spreading waves of vibrancy over sun-bleached meadows, for instance, or activating wind turbines and lighting beacons at nighttime. Besides collecting petals and admiring the scenery, you also gust through gullies on occasional, sympathetic rails, sweep through caves and soar from the crests of half-buried obelisks to ascend the walls of canyons and gather far-flung petals. This is how you make progress, moving between two or three significant areas in each level and restoring them by inviting their occupants to bloom, before floating into an end-of-level vortex that transports you home to a dusty windowsill in a city apartment, where your current level's flower is revitalised by the events you've portrayed in its imagination.

'Flower' Screenshot 1

The grass animation and use of sunlight is almost without compare.

As the game darkens toward its conclusion, you encircle hay bales and sweep across pastures to sow luminescence in fields by starlight, and - in the closest thing Flower gets to conflict - flutter briefly but precisely between the rusted carcasses of fallen but electrified pylons to cleanse them, before journeying to the city itself for a conclusion it would be unfair to explain in any detail.

Each new level begins with a single petal and presents a discrete but overlapping flow of simple gameplay, and the game is never difficult. Although your stream of petals can be sizzled to ash by electricity in level five's industrial boneyard, if it's possible to fail I didn't manage it, and while the purely motion-based controls occasionally restrict precise turns over distances of a few feet, for the most part the interface is invisible.

But the absence of challenge isn't the least bit disturbing, because by the time it should become relevant Flower's gentle pace and expressive visuals have disarmed you of traditional notions of achievement. The superficially repetitive design is embellished by the game's grace and simplicity to the point that the things you do and see are the unspoken focus of your efforts. Spreading light across a field and gliding through canyons at knee height is empoweringly tactile, and the game is aesthetically coherent down to the smallest detail.

The way the petals move through the air is so convincing that it requires almost no consideration, and the silhouettes of industry that lurk in the pitch-black transition between the game's cheerful initiation and the final few levels are like shapes moving in the water. The impulse to proceed floods from these details just as it does from your first glimpse of the world outside Vault 101 in Fallout 3, or the first time you exit the hills above Damascus, Acre and Jerusalem and stare down upon Assassin's Creed's playground of minarets.

The only thing that punctures this, ironically, is the way the endgame leans too hard into tradition, inviting you to collect everything you possibly can and probe extremities to uncover green flowers, three sets of which are secreted in each level. There's almost no end to the simple pleasure of floating through the summertime but prolonged exposure to each environment weakens its grip on you until the stranglehold of immersion is broken and you're just collecting objects to make another object appear. There are many good games that are about nothing but collecting objects to make another object appear, but Flower is a good game for other reasons.

'Flower' Screenshot 2

How long before we have to use the word "petal" in a review again? Answers on a kerb-stomped skull.

It is, simply, a game where you want to see what happens next, because whatever does happen next will be delicate, beautiful and pleasurable, and never so hurried as to overburden the spectacle and sense of immersion. Even viewed warily through the haughtily lyrical prism of thatgamecompany's artistic mission statement, these are the characteristics of a well-designed videogame, and the torch-wielding art police would do well to encourage them rather than arguing about the designers' motivation. Not least because in this age of overblown expectation, the developer's candour and Flower's composition are honest enough to make it clear whether or not the game will appeal to you in seconds. It certainly did to me.

With all this in mind, it seems almost horrible to have to debate the price, but GBP 6.29 is the figure Sony's gone for and, although beautiful and engaging, Flower's brief, film-length experience would be better suited to something closer to flOw's original GBP 3.49, and that ultimately counts slightly against it.

8 / 10

Flower is due out exclusively for PlayStation 3's online store on Thursday 12th February.

Read the Eurogamer.net scoring policy
Picture of Tom.

About Tom Bramwell

Tom is Operations director of Eurogamer Network and Editor-at-Large of Eurogamer.net. He joined the company in February 2000.

Read more articles from Tom by visiting the Tom Bramwell archive page.

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Comments (116) Latest comment 2 years ago

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

  • coastal #1 3 years ago

    my gf creates her own wind, she needs no encouragement

  • MasterNameless #2 3 years ago

    That's not a bad score now is it, petal.

  • GamesProgrammer Verified Games Team Programmer, Eutechnyx Ltd. #3 3 years ago

    its the highest scoring news article ever!

    aww they fixed it, now its just a well scoring review.
    Edited by 1 at 09/02/09 @ 16:22

  • Retroid #4 3 years ago

    /WANT

  • bdaggers #5 3 years ago

    Categories = News ? Edit - fixxored

    Would buy this if I had a reason to have a PS3.

    But I don't, so I won't !
    Edited by 1 at 09/02/09 @ 16:23

  • gohda #6 3 years ago

    Woo! As good as Halo!

  • GreyBeard #7 3 years ago

    Bit of a shame to end the review with a criticism of price. I don't know how much cinema tickets cost in Brighton, but £6.29 is substantially cheaper than a peak (evening performance) ticket round here.

  • beckyh #8 3 years ago

    No mention of how long the game takes to play, or how long each level is.
    If this is a one hour wonder I will not bother. The price tag has already put me off a little.

  • the_dudefather #9 3 years ago

    @farticusmaximus

    not getting it for your PS3 then? :D

  • dr_faulk #10 3 years ago

    So, not considering the price, a 9/10?

  • mingster #11 3 years ago

    Its not exactly wallet breaking i spent more than that on lunch.

  • Goodfella #12 3 years ago

    @farticusmaximus

    What a cunt you really are.

  • YobRenoops #13 3 years ago

    farticusmaximus - The epitome of 360 fanboy. We get it. You don't like it or the PS3 in general. I'm sorry.

  • Widge #14 3 years ago

    lol! it quotes farticus in the review!

  • Widge #15 3 years ago

    "in the eyes of "the audience of pretentious fawning fops that have turned the PS3 into the equivalent of a f***ing beatnik poetry bar", as one of our readers put it when we previewed the game in January. However, the result is pleasantly innocent and uplifting, and perhaps unexpectedly its best qualities are those of a very good videogame."

    i.e. stop being so dreary

  • mikeck #16 3 years ago

    "In all honesty I've had a lot more fun playing with the packaging my Xbox was shipped in than all my PS3 playtime combined, and the packaging has been 100% fully interactive for all it's play time."

    I'm not surprised, seeing as your game collection on EG doesn't have a single PS3 game in there, do you actually have any PS3 games to play, or do you sit looking at it hoping it'll do something of it's own accord?

  • ChrisS #17 3 years ago

    Incidentally, if anyone's skipped straight to here after glancing at the score and not reading the review, then I'd strongly advise you not to read it, given that it essentially spoils one of the game's most impactful surprises.

  • Thornhillboy #18 3 years ago

    £6.29 really does not seem expensive...

    Has my sheltered student life protected me from the harsh realities of the credit crunch more than I though?

  • udat #19 3 years ago

    Hmm... one of the few titles that makes me want to buy a PS3.

  • gamecubeisbest #20 3 years ago

    Day one buy.

  • mikeck #21 3 years ago

    "Lol, I'm a gamer, I have no reason to own a PS3.

    I do get to check oujt new releases and demos on a friends PS3 every few weeks though. Sometimes it's worth keeping switched on for nearly a whole hour! "

    Hehe, even though I disagree, you made me chuckle ;)

    See I'm the opposite, I haven't used my 360 in about two months...

  • JHuxley #22 3 years ago

    Shame about the price, don't think I'll be picking this up unless Sony snip a couple of quid there. Which is odd, because they're usually pretty fair with the pricing.

    @farticusmaximus
    You like to play with empty boxes? Funny, so does my 3yr old nephew. You seem to have a lot in common, I'll introduce you.

  • guernican #23 3 years ago

    "pretentious fawning fops that have turned the PS3 into the equivalent of a f***ing beatnik poetry bar"

    That certainly sounds like something I'd part with 6 notes for.

    I might also point out that there are any number of ways to express amusement in prose. Choosing to use "lol" makes you look a bit of a twat.
    Edited by 1 at 09/02/09 @ 16:58

  • Krelle #24 3 years ago

    ChrisS
    i did! Thanks, wont read it now~ :D

  • GreyBeard #25 3 years ago

    @beckyh

    The review on 1up.com pegs playtime at 2-3 hours to basic completion. Longer if you want to find the hidden stuff/extras.

    Judging by the trophy list, there's a lot more long-term play/replay value than say Flow.

  • smoison #26 3 years ago

    Needs a demo

  • Stuz359 #27 3 years ago

    Wow a lot of hostility here. Wonder why?

    I mean, at £6.29 it is less expensive than most release on live arcade, it's got a good review and as far as I know hasn't insulted any or your mothers. Seems a little harsh some of the criticism.

  • drumbaby #28 3 years ago

    Might as well pack a fucking mongoloid parrot in PS3 related theads. It's less predictable than farticusmaximus.

  • creepylizard #29 3 years ago

    "beatnik poetry bar"? have we been transported back in time? surely, in this day and age, you mean East London jazz recital?

  • kangarootoo #30 3 years ago

    If everyone just ignored farticus, life would immediately improve. A troll with an audience loves every second of it, a troll with no audience is just a frustrated idiot.

    Do it, make it the next thing you do. Hit that button. Its worth a thousand times more than calling him a cock.

  • Goodfella #31 3 years ago

    Wow a lot of hostility here. Wonder why?

    Because tossers like farticus have nothing better to do in their miserable little lives than repeatedly put down an inanimate object and it's fans.

  • schnide #32 3 years ago

    I think at £5 it would have hit the right psychological price point but hey, if you don't like the price, don't buy it - simple.

  • Shrui #33 3 years ago

    Flow was a game I got lost in, sometimes you just need something to relax with. Like listening to some chillout music. Flower looks like a nice progression of this! :)

  • secombe #34 3 years ago

    Wow a lot of hostility here. Wonder why?

    Amazing, isn't it. Even the PS3 owners are getting 'bullied' by the 'in-crowd'. I thought I was in a minority (I'm a Wii owner) but thankfully the hate appears to be pretty much universal.

  • AOFanboi #35 3 years ago

    I guess you "Flower is not a game" crowd have spent the last twenty years dissing Flight Simulator.

    No?

    Just accept that the game is not for you and move on, asshats.

  • spiny #36 3 years ago

    Nice review tom, shame the comments are turning into fanboy arena again. How's about top 10 list of most ignored posters? :)

  • GreyBeard #37 3 years ago

    Everyone should just take Kangarootoo's advice.
    There's nothing to be gained by reacting to trolls.

  • butler` #38 3 years ago

    Funny thing about farticusmaximus' comments is, he's absolutely right. :(

    I'd be tempted to buy this but not at that price tag.

  • Law07 #39 3 years ago

    LOL I have farticus on ignore and I assume hes saying things along the line of "OMGZ PS3 HAZ NO GAMEZ LOL"

    Yeah might've been a good argument 1 year and a half ago. Go play in traffic you silly boy.

  • bad09 #40 3 years ago

    "In the words of developer thatgamecompany, Flower is a "videogame version of a poem, exploiting the tension between urban bustle and natural serenity""

    Makes me want to throw up :)

    Seriously keep these people away from my PS3 Sony! I REALLY hate the "games are art crowd". Bunch of adults who don't want to except they are grown up and still like playing videogames if you ask me!

    / hides

  • merkdot #41 3 years ago

    tech demos should be free really.

    on the flip side; there's something very Internet about commenting on something you don't want for no reason other than to fight one corporation on behalf of another.

  • Benno #42 3 years ago

    i cant shoot stuff? wtf sort of game is this?!?

  • Thornhillboy #43 3 years ago

    IRT Merkdot

    "Seriously keep these people away from my PS3 Sony! I REALLY hate the "games are art crowd". Bunch of adults who don't want to except they are grown up and still like playing videogames if you ask me! "

    Pet peeve, but it's 'accept' not 'except'. But that's more me being a pedantic arse than anything else...

    Whats wrong with 'games as art' if it fulfils a market? If you don't like them, don't buy them. I love games like this, that are different to the usual type and enjoyable to both watch and play. And before anyone thinks I am the sort of person who only likes arty games, my two most played are World of Warcraft and Fifa 09.

  • bad09 #44 3 years ago

    @ Thornhillboy (and grammar police)

    Christ you're right to pull me up, schoolboy error alert!

    And, of course, you are right everyone is into different things....I...just.....HATE it!!!!!

    Games are games, books are books, movies are movies. I never played Asteroids, Space Invaders, Head Over Heels, Skool Daze or Jack The Nipper (just to name a few old arcade/home games) and thought such nonsense about "art". I don't know where or when this "art" bollocks started (amiga era maybe?) but it is so far up it's own arse I can't find it!

    Still if people are actually out there in our world that can find an unmade bed artistic, there are twats...er sorry....people who think ANYTHING is art.....

  • merkdot #45 3 years ago

    I never said that :p

  • Leeks! #46 3 years ago

    Though I don't think we should criticize a game for having higher aspirations than just braining terrorists or monsters, it is pretty funny that this "game version of a poem" sounds--in terms of its artistic content--like a rote regurgitation of Wordsworth by a first year English major who happened to miss the lecture on romanticism (and then all subsequent lectures discussing the progress we've made since).

  • Gormless #47 3 years ago

    Brilliant, at last another flower i can play with without the wife threatening to divorce me.

  • Goodfella #48 3 years ago

    It's really quite disturbing that so many people are getting angry or offensive over a game that has been tagged as arty. So fucking what?

    Go back to whatever the hell it is you get enjoyment out of and let other people enjoy what they want. Jesus, it;s like a totalitarian state in here at times.

  • GamesConnoisseur #49 3 years ago

    I do consider X360 as a better gaming machine overall to date, but hell I m excited by PS3 with this game coming up and Killzone 2!

    Sony do need to be praised for encouraging creativity to blossom more on their console!!

    My wife and kids are simply gonna love this as well.

  • bad09 #50 3 years ago

    "It's really quite disturbing that so many people are getting angry or offensive over a game that has been tagged as arty. So fucking what?

    Go back to whatever the hell it is you get enjoyment out of and let other people enjoy what they want. Jesus, it;s like a totalitarian state in here at times."

    Of course you're right, but happily free speech works both ways ;)

    / Grants Goodfella's wish and f**ks off to play GAMES (on Dreamcast - thanks EG!).....

  • GreyBeard #51 3 years ago

    @Bad09

    If you have a look around on youtube, there's a quite nice little interview with ThatGameCompany creative leader Jenova Chen, you should have a look at it as it might help you get past your problems with what they are trying to do. You might be surprised how unpretentious his intentions are.

    The heart of what he's getting it is that like movies, games should be allowed to entertain us with a broad spectrum of emotional experiences - not just one thing. You want a laugh, you go and see a comedy, you want action and spectacle you go to a blockbuster, chills and shocks, a horror movie and so on. As long as its clearly labelled as offering a particular type of experience there's really not much to complain about.

    The key thing about games is that they are interactive. Not that they are built around a specific type of content. The premise of Flower is that its basically an interactive chill-out experience. Rather than excitement, its about relaxation, and that's not especially pretentious or high-falutin!

  • Goodfella #52 3 years ago

    Free speech doesn't quite work like how you think. Being a dick and (repeatedly - eg farticus) saying something to get a rise out of people for whatever bizarre reason is beyond free speech, it's just outright moronic and baffling.

    How about I go up to a police officer and call him a cunt and see what happens. That's free speech right?



    Edited by 1 at 09/02/09 @ 20:01

  • Buran #53 3 years ago

    I slightly agree with farticus in that Flower probably isn't that great game, but imo games like Wipe Out HD, Tekken 5 DRO, GT PRologue, Warhawk or Siren have shown that the PS Store has better games than any other DLC system except PC. There is not better DLC game today than WO HD, except maybe some Steam titles as TF2.

    In fact, I'm not interested in Flower or the review -which I haven't read-; I have only come to read the comments, to see how important is to people as farticus to trolling about a so insignificant game as Flower.

  • bad09 #54 3 years ago

    "How about I go up to a police officer and call him a cunt and see what happens. That's free speech right? "

    Actually yes.

    / from experience.

    You may end up in a small room with a sponge mattress and a toilet that doesn't flush and no bog roll. But you are "allowed" to do it.

  • bad09 #55 3 years ago

    "The premise of Flower is that its basically an interactive chill-out experience."

    smoke a spliff FFS ;)

  • dommer #56 3 years ago

    GreyBeard


    Bit of a shame to end the review with a criticism of price. I don't know how much cinema tickets cost in Brighton, but £6.29 is substantially cheaper than a peak (evening performance) ticket round here.

    Yup, v good point. Anyone been to the Hop Poles lately? £3.60 for a pint of Guinness
    Edited by 1 at 09/02/09 @ 21:13

  • HuggyAtHome #57 3 years ago

    @farticusmaximus

    what a cock.

    /hits ignore

  • sonicgoo #58 3 years ago

    Games are art. Games are not art.

    Games are applied art. Games are a medium. Some games will be art. Some will be entertainment. Some will be just rubbish.
    Some even two or more of the above.

    Me, I'm just happy there are games that are not brown and full of monsters that need shooting. I just wish that every game would be released for every format, so we could stop comparing hardware and start comparing games.

  • Salato #59 3 years ago

    Really pleased this sounds like it has turned out well, will definitely be getting this. Just the breath of fresh air I was looking for from a game.

  • Burkey123 #60 3 years ago

    ''Needs a demo''

    +1, I'm on the fence about this.

  • Doctor_What #61 3 years ago

    I was concerned that this would be beatiful but without enough game to back it up. The review makes it clear that there is also a strong (and emotive) game in there, so I think this will be going onto the list of games that I'll download, and another reason why I love the variety of the PSN catalogue.

    (And Farty, I really do think you just say these things for effect, but I wish you wouldn't.)

  • JohnnyWashnGo #62 3 years ago

    It looks like a nice tech demo and it is something that I would like to experience, but the price is just above what I would consider to be an impulse purchase and, therefore, will have to wait until I have a little more spare money knocking around.

  • tomnol #63 3 years ago

    Of course you're right, but happily free speech works both ways ;)

    Unfortunately rather than happily in some cases, but still true. So knock yourself out.

  • Dave52 #64 3 years ago

    How did this, a most inoffensive game, become the subject of a fanboy rant...?

    I think this looks like a winner - a nice escape from the grit and adrenaline of the next few Killzone months. I'm gonna buy it...

  • Rirekon #65 3 years ago

    Free speech is a myth and a pipe dream, much like Communism really. You do not have the right to verbally abuse anyone, try it on with a cop and see what happens; they'll quite happily inform you of the laws that mean you can't. You have even fewer rights on privately owned forums, though (un)fortunately our EG overlords rarely seem to (ab)use their powers ;-)

    edit: Oops, bringing this back somewhere near the original topic; I'm quite looking forward to this, flOw is stupid addictive
    Edited by 1 at 09/02/09 @ 23:02

  • Obli #66 3 years ago

    @ farticusmaximus

    You haven't even played Flower. Once you have, if you still don't like it, don't worry, there are more than enough mindless games to satisfy your simple mind.

  • ph101 #67 3 years ago

    moaning aside - and in fact only a very few are actually being particularly troll like in this thread - quibbling over £2.80 at the end of the review really seems incongruous. I seem to remember flow being a 2d type game .. i wouldn't mind paying the equivalent of a pint for this level of immersion and it feels justified... If I had a ps3 that is.

  • RedSparrows #68 3 years ago

    'Though I don't think we should criticize a game for having higher aspirations than just braining terrorists or monsters, it is pretty funny that this "game version of a poem" sounds--in terms of its artistic content--like a rote regurgitation of Wordsworth by a first year English major who happened to miss the lecture on romanticism (and then all subsequent lectures discussing the progress we've made since).'

    This. 'Exploring the tension between urban bustle and natural serenity' is rooted in the 19th century.

    Still, sounds rather pleasant.

  • Sunyavadin #69 3 years ago

    See, this actually makes me want to play it. And I have no doubt that by the end of the PS3's lifespan, as with the PS2, there should be half a dozen games like this that I want for it, and I'll be able to pick one up second hand for 50 quid to play them.

  • webcider #70 3 years ago

    Will buy game enough said:

  • Zebula77 #71 3 years ago

    These comments sections are a right laugh to read through. It's interesting how a game trying to offer something besides the arbitrary shoot this, kill that-gameplay is getting slagged off so harshly. IMO we need more games like this. More independant companies to produce games like this, fl0w, Pixeljunk Eden, Braid and so on. I've spent way more time with games like this than some of the AAA-titles by huge companies, simply because they offer a fresh "feel" and impression. I'd like to this this kind of mentality in bigger titles too, instead of just following the same old formula. I mean, I look forward to Killzone 2, but honestly, KZ2 is not the future of gaming. It might be prettier and technically superior, but still highly formulaic.

  • Widge #72 3 years ago

    Ign - 9.0

    http://uk .ps3.ign.com/articles/952/95252...

  • Beano #73 3 years ago

    "Lol, I'm a gamer, I have no reason to own a PS3."

    You said it : LOL

    (jesus christ on skates)

  • dominalien #74 3 years ago

    Why do you guys insist on quoting people I have on ignore? ;-)

    Unfortunately, in my case Flower will be the victim of me having impulse-bought too many games online which I hadn't bothered to play afterward.

  • Mooglepies #75 3 years ago

    Might give this a look in; sometimes it's nice to take a step back from the games that require lots of concentration and just relax with something like this.

  • mingster #76 3 years ago

    wtf this game has no guns, cars, blood, zombies or tits.
    can they seriously expect anyone to buy this?

  • davisorle #77 3 years ago

    Seriously now. Why do you pay for this? What's it's gaming sence since we are all gamers I supose, aren't we?

  • Widge #78 3 years ago

    I'm not sure, because you make about 0% sense.

  • Spooke #79 3 years ago

    I'm going to check this out, for £6 it's bound to fill an empty drug fueled come down at 4am one Sunday morning.

    ;)

  • canIdoyabombsforya #80 3 years ago

    Flower and Little Big Planet, two system sellers in just a few months and not FPS's, go Sony go.

  • LewisResolution #81 3 years ago

    "Brilliant, at last another flower i can play with without the wife threatening to divorce me."

    Post of the ever.

  • Thornhillboy #82 3 years ago

    IRT Merkdot

    I'm clearly a retard...

    IRT Bad09

    I think the 'art' thing came in when games became graphically good enough to look like art. Space invaders doesn't really have the graphical power to look like art (except maybe some Jackson Pollock rubbish) but games like Flow and say, Okami, look beautiful for their artistic merit.

    And I agree, Tracy Emin is an idiot. That is definatly not art.

  • LewisResolution #83 3 years ago

    Careful with confusing "art with which you don't engage" with "not art" or even "bad art." Difficult lines to draw, admittedly.

    Anyway. Are games art? Some of them. Should they be art? If they want to be. That's about all there is in the debate, isn't there?

  • élbéróss #84 3 years ago

    @Gormless, classic line lol

  • dirigiblebill #85 3 years ago

    Ah, farticus, how are the mighty fallen. I remember not so long ago you were picking on big, khaki meathead shooters like Resistance 2, games with a bit of fight to 'em, not brightly coloured budget-priced lunch-break-fillers like this one. Your standards are slipping, you abysmal little testicle sack.

  • rydek #86 3 years ago

    God this is terrible, ok mgs4 was a fantastic game though the cutscenes were rather long, and it got the same score,

    Fable 2 a 10, and it had terrible multiplayer and a fair few glitches, seriously what is with eurogamer?

    Racism towards japanese developers?????? who knws

  • LewisResolution #87 3 years ago

    rydek: Are you serious? Really?

  • rydek #88 3 years ago

    yes I am real

    I love fable and I can admit flaws and mgs4 but come on how can a moving flower score the same as a game that pushed the boundaries, I'm from the uk everywhere in Europe gets along with america, but no place to the east if you think of it, so come on really. How do we rate games now, do we rate them on being new to a genre, a game with rather big flaws but don't knock it, or a game with small flaws but in affect are meant to be there aka long cutscenes and gets pulled down for it. Metal gear is a cinematic experience (cinematic).

    So really am I wrong to point out the obvious no, I'm not. I'd like a gm of eurogamer to get in touch on their point.........
    Edited by 1 at 12/02/09 @ 00:56

  • Krelle #89 3 years ago

    rydek, a rant like that gets you nowhere
    EG is a weird bunch, agreed, but you need to calm down and think.


    Is games always put on PSN at a certain time? I was looking fot Flower just now, but found nothing.
    (Also, is the Lumines Classic Pack out today(12th) aswell?)

  • LewisResolution #90 3 years ago

    Rydek, your comments are based entirely on the assumption that a particular sort of game should score more highly than another. Which is so closed-minded I might have to sob for a minute.

    "I'm from the uk everywhere in Europe gets along with america, but no place to the east if you think of it, so come on really."

    I'm not even going to dare to imagine what you might be implying by that.

  • Krelle #91 3 years ago

    Yay, its up!

  • Atropos #92 3 years ago

    OK. bought Flower on the strength of this review, and I have to say I'm in love with this game. I have an advance copy of Killzone 2, and I took a break from playing that to check Flower out. Intended to play through the first level just to see what it was like, but I'm halfway through it and now realise I'll be finishing it tonight. Quite simply a very pleasurable experience. And it IS a game, just without the usual conflict-based drama. More of a "Journey-not-the-destination" type deal...

    Killzone 2 is frickin' good too, though :-)

  • Phattso #93 3 years ago

    This is the best game I've played on my PS3 in months and months. A very unique and enjoyable experience. One of those games where, as you're playing, you genuinely don't want it to end.

    Well for the six odd quid it cost. :)

  • Atropos #94 3 years ago

    OK, done. Finished it. Anyone who doesn't like Flower is dead inside. Dead, I tell you.

    Back to Killzone 2 :-)

  • #95 3 years ago

    Former TV games journalist? What program Atropos?

  • Atropos #96 3 years ago

    DaemonB: Swedish show at the mainstream end of the spectrum called Kontroll. Haven't worked with games for ages, but I still get all the review copies :-)

  • Krelle #97 3 years ago

    Would also like to confirm that this IS a game, (unlike flow etc).

  • AllenSpawn #98 3 years ago

    . Anyone who doesn't like Flower is dead inside. Dead, I tell you.

    amen to that brother, my sentiments exactly.
    It really is a beautiful experiance....and a good , if short, game

    @ farticus
    you are a boring cunt

  • Atropos #99 3 years ago

    @Farticus

    Stockholm, not Stockholme. Please don't abuse the King's Swedish.

    Also, your comments are moot since you're dead inside, and we're not :-D

  • tomacwhite #100 3 years ago

    Shame on you Eurogamer. This is Game of the Year material and worth a 9 or 10 imo.

    :D It's like poetry in digital form.

  • m0thr4 #101 3 years ago

    I played this through this evening and actually quite enjoyed it. The world in which you manipulate the wind physics is very relaxing a became a welcome departure from big guns and big explosions of late.

    + 1

    This joins PJ Monsters and PJ Eden as the primary reasons why my PS3 gets a look-in almost every evening, while my Xbox 360 gathers dust.



  • dirigiblebill #102 3 years ago

    The power of brand association, eh? It's the foible of a weak mind.

    I would have hoped a man who uses words and phrases like "brand association" or "foible" would be capable of more than the partisan bilge you like to void over these hallowed pages. Are you sure you're not just taking the piss? :)

  • Toadie48 #103 3 years ago

    What the hell kinda technical demo is this? And how dare they have the tamarity to charge for this utter poop that they call worthy of being in the PS3 library - well looking at the other PS3 games they might not be wrong ;)

    Im pretty sure I've had more fun plugging in my Xbox 360 hard drive then with PS3 the games to date.

  • Krelle #104 3 years ago

    Toadie48
    Tried it? Flower is almost GOTY material.

  • FladgeMangle #105 3 years ago

    A truiy wonderful game. Beautiful and absorbing from the start right to the joyous end. I hope there's more to come via PSN as I would swap a hundred FPS meat-head, smack talking kill-em-ups for this piece of sublime wonder.

  • cheekyjay #106 3 years ago

    Surely anything that creates an emotional response can technically be classed as art. In that respect the question of whether this game is art or simply a piece of entertainment comes down to the individual's reaction to it, just as it does with any game, book, film, painting or piece of music.

    Personally I found it to be one of the most refreshingly fresh and addictive games I've played in a long time, it even drew me away from Portal on my 360 and World of Goo on my Wii, if only for a brief time. One of the most memorable and enjoyable experiences I've had in gaming for a long time.

  • davisorle #107 3 years ago

    Just realised.. This got a 9 and Fear 2 got a 5...? How fucked up is that? Go play with ur fucking pedals Rosemarry and fucking pussy ass mofos you make me sick. U r all planning on fucking ruining the hardcore and casual gamer with ur bitchiness and your fucked up Sony support or whatever else the fuck u would pay this shit for. It's embarassing. Learn how to play fuckign videogames dumbasses.

  • dirigiblebill #108 3 years ago

    "Learn how to play fuckign videogames dumbasses"

    "Fuck IGN" is a genre now?

  • jkrodal #109 3 years ago

    Wow u r exactly right, davisorle!! I can't believe I didn't realise it sooner as well. It is indeed fucked up that [Game A] got a 5 and this [game B] got a 9. What the hell?! Ugh I'm disgusted now.
    We need to wake up everybody. [company A] is turning us all into a generation of pansies. Let's a start supporting [company B] instead. The future of both hardcore and casual gaming is at stake here!

  • Krelle #110 3 years ago

    Flower is a more "hardcore" game than FEAR2 will ever be. Youll realize in time, buddy.

  • Mooglepies #111 3 years ago

    Bought this yesterday. Played 3 of the levels so far and had to tear myself away after I realised how long I'd spent on it. Really relaxing, a nice break from the other stuff I'm into at the moment. The price point seems about right for what you get, if I'm honest, and it IS beautiful.

    Not sure I agree with it being "artsy", but I'm liking it for what it is in game terms at least.

    Will play some more tonight.

  • iago71 #112 3 years ago

    Just got it over the weekend - Finished it already yet there will always be a time that I want to go back and just experience it again..... really great and well worth a look - If its your kind of thing to begin with I guess. An eperience more than a game I would say. Great stuff and a refreshing change.

  • HuggyAtHome #113 3 years ago

    @iago71

    Totally agree. The only issue I have is the week long gap I have to give my self away from the game to get that last trophy. Not really in the chill out spirit I guess but nevermind.........my kids loved it too. In fact it was only when they asked to play on the PS3/Xbox a day later that I realised how many titles are now equating AAA status with 15+ age ratings and therefore there was noting else for them to play. Flower is the exception and should be rewarded accordingly.

  • Yodzilla #114 3 years ago

    Just played and beat it last night. Absolutely brilliant.

  • cyber_nicco #115 2 years ago

    Well, it's an 8 for about the first 5 minutes, anyway...

  • Neil__ #116 2 years ago

    I can't take any review of this game seriously unless it contains the words mind-numbing, repetitive, pointless and WTF.

    This game won an award and it wasn't the Turner Prize for stupid art, go figure.
    Edited by 1 at 20/03/10 @ 02:59