Flower

So, there's this ongoing debate about video games.  About whether or not they're art or just mindless killing.  Most of us don't really care too much about what others think about our video games we just like to play them.  We have our Gears of War, Uncharted's, Halo, Final Fantasy's, Mario's, etc.  And that's fine.  But then sometimes a game comes along that completely changes the mold of what a "game" is.  Every once and a while a game comes out that in many ways "splits" the gaming community.  Some accept these games with open arms as they yearn for more, while others critisize them.  Flower, is that game.

 

When I first started up Flower I wasn't sure what the end result would be.  I was partly afriad I wouldn't like it and have wasted 10 dollars that I could have spent on another more enjoyable game.  From the offset Flower makes it very clear that it's a very simple game as far as controls go.  Nothing overly complicated just easy controls that definitely help in it's goal of getting you immersed in what's going on.  After going through the first level I figured I'd seen pretty much exactly what Flower was going to be.  Maybe a couple of changes in scenery but nothing too dramatic.  Boy was I wrong.

 

What I began to notice very quickly was just how incredible of an experience Flower was going to take me on.  And it immediately brought me back to a little game called Shadow of the Collossus.  Something I've always praised SotC for was it's ability to tell an emotional story without the need to be bogged down by drawn out cutscenes and choppy dialogue.  It just let you play without taking you out of the game so you could stay immersed in the world.  And as you progressed it became evident that something greater was at hand as things began to change.  It's something that still ranks up as one of my greatest games of all time and I'm sure it'll be up there for a long time to come.

 

See something that SotC did so well I began to notice very quickly with Flower.  As I played through I needed very badly to continue onward just to see what happened next.  The world around me began to change and I needed to see what was going to become of it.  

 

After finishing Flower through in one playthrough I spent a few days thinking over what exactly Flower is.  It wasn't long before I came to my conclusion.  Flower is very much a game.  Though Flower is much much more than just another game.  I think Flower shows us that anyone who can not accept the fact that video games is an art form is clearly close minded.  But then I thought to myself, should it matter?  Art is expressing creativity in unique ways.  Paintings, music, movies, games, etc.  They're all art.  All very very different forms of art but they're art nonetheless.  Just because we may not think of killing massive hordes of zombies as art doesn't always mean it's not.  

 

I once remember David Jaffe referring to God of War III as "a moving painting" and while that very well could be true I believe that saying can very well fit Flower.  Flower, in the same way as many paintings, leaves it's story open for interpretation.  I think Flower is one of the few games where you can truly say, the experience and the story will be different for everyone.  I'll interpret Flower much different than maybe my brother.  But nonetheless we'll still have an enjoyable and refreshing experience.  

 

Flower reminds us that we dont need blood, guns, swords, knifes, etc.  To be a hardcore game.  While we also can have games that can appeal to both hardcore and casual gamers.  Flower is something very special in it's own right and it's saddening that I see so many people believing the price tag is too high or that it's boring.  Mainly because these accusations are so far from being true.  Flower breaks the mold that video games are usually put in by the media and does it very well.  It took me on a three hour ride through a world that went through a cycle of life and was reborn as it is an experience I won't soon forget.  I think I found that night that maybe I dont' JUST play games because they're fun.  But much in the way that many look at paintings, I play games for the experience.  Something that is delivered perfectly in Flower.  

 

Now I'm sure maybe someone will comment and in some way try to put down Flower.  I'll be the first to tell you, Flower is one of the best gaming experiences I've had in the past year.  Will I say it's better than Game A or Game B?  No.  But I will openly admit that Flower kept me fully engrossed in it's world for over 3 hours in one night and I've gone back to it many more times.  

 

Everyonce and a while a game comes out that critics will say is a "must play".  Flower is a game that any "gamer" should experience and play through in a single sitting.  Flower is a very enjoyable ride and in Portal fashion, it's a perfect length.  While Flower itself may not change anything in the gaming industry and it probably won't change many people's outlooks on videogames at all.  It will hopefully bring about more games like it.  Because quite frankly, I think sometimes we all need a break from blowing people's heads off ;)