Whenever the initial information that trickles out about a game carries along sentiments of “games as art” or even drawing a comparison between a video game and poetry, my cynic alarms are instantly raised. Of course any given group will perform plenty of posturing to grab headlines and get the word out about their game, but the wrong message can certainly be put out and can taint your first impressions of any product. This was the mindset I was in when I sat down this past weekend and loaded up thatgamecompany’s Flower, a spiritual successor to fl0w, another PSN title that was exclusive to Sony’s platforms. I had managed to avoid much information regarding the game, besides the occasional comment regarding the game’s control system or “non-game” status, but I still had an idea of what was coming. The impact of that first moments immediately lifted any cynicism I had about the game.

Flower starts you off with a brief visual display of a city at night with melancholy music and a wilted flower overlooking the urban landscape, as you tilt the controller towards the sad looking plant to start your adventure. As you enter the first world it displays the flashy images of a desolate and depressing metropolis, and brings you a luscious green field and a single flower. When you take the time to press any button, the game begins and you are then controlling a single petal as it floats around the world. You control the petal’s movements using SIXAXIS, and its speed by holding any of the other buttons on the controller which creates a gust of wind. And the first thing you’re likely to notice is just how well that control scheme works, despite a body of evidence within the PS3 library that would suggest the SIXAXIS is basically unusable.

The goal is to move across the world, breezing through other flowers which bloom as you touch them and add a petal to your parade that tags along behind, creating a beautiful bouquet as you gather up items. And the game is beautiful, with vibrant colours that juxtapose the darkened city you’re shown at the start, and as simple as the whole environment is you can appreciate that subtle actions like parting grass as you drift close to the ground, or the waves of wind that permeate throughout each rolling hillside. And when the game deviates from that whimsical style you can really feel the tension build.

What is being shown through Flower is a love song to nature; that is the true narrative of the game. Your goal is to bloom flowers, unlocking newer parts of each world as you do so and moving back to the city to watch it gradually show its brighter side. There are secrets and collectible throughout, solidifying the fact that no matter how odd the lack of statistics, lives and HUD information it is still a video game. There are levels, goals and challenges throughout, even sections where you can injure your petals, something that had a stronger negative connotation to me then dying in most games does just due to the alarming state it elevates you to. While there aren’t a vast amount of gardens to explore, the story of the game is executed at a steady pace, and the game gets its point across before tiring out the style and function of the game.

The music and the entire package of the game certainly lend itself to artistic leanings. Every action you take in the game has a corresponding sound; very orchestral and thematic, setting the mood for each world with major and minor notes. In that way, the audio and visual components really come together to bring the whole experience of drifting on a breeze through some abandoned countryside something to behold, and gives the entire experience weight. The way the SIXAXIS controls work also enrich the title, as you can move in any way you want with relative ease without worrying about awkwardly steering the control around the room. It is one of the few times I have played a game where I did not feel like I was steering some awkward plane, but rather controlling something that could defy gravity and fly freely. While not complex, it gets just about every piece right, and is another solid addition to the list of great games on the PlayStation Store.

So what I’m really trying to say is…

Flower has gorgeous visuals, a singular focused gameplay mechanic that works well and does not give itself time to grow tired enhances a strong narrative of the city’s encroachment on nature. It doesn’t feel pretentious or attempt to confuse or belittle the player’s understanding, and if any deeper revelation is lost on some it does not hurt the game as it is still a great experience to fly so freely around the world. The level progression makes sense, and none of the moments in the game really break the flow of the experience. With great controls and beautiful graphics, Flower is a game that you owe a few minutes or your time to get an idea of what a truly focused game experience can be.

Flower is developed by thatgamecompany and published by Sony Computer Entertainment. It is available for $9.99 (CDN) on the PlayStation Store.