NOTE: I am reviewing the PS Vita version of the game, but they all play the same. The only difference being that the console versions utilize the motion controls of the Dualshock, whereas the Vita version requires moving the entire system. This is both a pro and a con for the Vita version as moving the system makes you feel more immersed since your personal perspective is altered with the movement, but it also requires you to follow the screen around unlike using the Dualshock.
Aside from this minor change, the experience is the same across platforms.


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Flower is a game about... well no, it isn't really a game, it's an art about... no, that doesn't work either... It's an interactive painting with... Oh forget it.


Graphics:
9/10
Excellent.

Alright, so this isn't exactly my way of saying that the graphics are crazy sharp, or that they stand up against another for realism or brilliant art design. No, these aren't anything special in that regard, but what they are is pretty. You control the wind and carry a flower petal that flies past other flowers and blooms them, collecting one petal from each of them as you do so. Before long you have a swirling mass of petals that float along behind your starting petal, and that swirling tail is always made up of different colors which is as pretty as it sounds, especially on a Vita's OLED screen where everything is super rich. It looks good on any screen, it just looks best on that OLED.


Then there's the environments themselves: the deep greens of the revived grass, the floating light particles, and just the environment as a whole. It looks great in a relaxing and just pretty kind of way. It's also a nice touch that everything starts out plain and lifeless, and ends up lush, vibrant, and colorful as you revive the area by opening more flowers. The whole level is basically a canvas to paint on.


This has been a short section, but Flower kind of defies most explanation, and it definitely defies categorization.

Highlights:
•Colorful
•Pretty to look at



Sound:
5/10
Average.

The sound here isn't exactly good, nor is it bad. But this is a game that's focused on visual beauty, and the audio shows that.


The sound effects are scarce and just ordinary. You'll hear a sort of chime when you bloom a flower, the rush of the wind when the game needs to push you in a given direction, rain, and the like. Nothing special or even noteworthy, just everyday background noises and a small chime from time to time.


The music is better than the sound, but even that's pretty bare. There's a bit of a symphony tucked away within each unopened flower, and as they bloom you'll hear a single note from them. Now when you manage to open several of them quickly, and with the proper timing at that, it sounds really cool, unfortunately most of the time you'll not be able to hit the timing that's needed on enough consecutive flowers for the symphony to play out at all and so this feature ends up being a great idea that never does come to fruition due to some oversight on the developer's end of things. The level music is nice enough and sets the stage for what's to follow, but it isn't great.


Another brief overview, but as I said before, the experience of this game isn't easily explained. Besides that, there's not much to it in the audio department.

Highlights:
•On the rare occasion when it falls into place, there's a tiny orchestra hiding in those flowers.



Story:
5/10
Average.

There's a story here, technically. It's one of those Journey kinds of things though: a story that's meant to be cleverly conveyed in an open way to be interpreted by the player, but it ends up being painfully obvious what it's about, to the point that it's practically shoved down your throat. Either that or they tried to shove it down your throat in the most unassuming way possible. Either way, they failed their objective miserably, and it ends up feeling a bit like a bunch of nature activists got together and decided to throw an incredibly blatant and egotistical jab at everyone who didn't hug a tree some time this week.

No, seriously. It's a blatant criticism of non-environmentalists, and they made you pay for this jab that they hit you between the eyes with. It's something akin to a school bully making you pay him to steal your lunch money and shove your head in a really brightly colored toilet. But hey, at least he picked the bright toilet with blue water, right?


Still, it has to be noted that the story has some interesting points that it raises. Namely that man is a destructive being. We have a knack for destroying things, and that's proven true throughout history time and time again. My only qualm with this argument is this: is it right to put people who have children to provide for out of work in the name of keeping trees and flowers alive? Or In the name of helping future families? What causes us to prioritize one above another? I'm all for keeping the earth clean, but let's go about it in a way that keeps us all alive and well, and not in a way that sacrifices one for the other.


I give it a five because, when you get past the fact that you're getting green propaganda shoved down your throat, it's interesting to watch it unfold, and at least portions of it are true. Man can work together with nature, and he should. It would be a beautiful world if we did, even if there are far more pressing matters...like not killing each other.

The story is told through miniature cutscenes and still shots, and it's a mildly enjoyable experience seeing the world around you change slowly, but it isn't anything special. Consider this a lenient five, even for environmentalists.

Highlights:
•The only game I know with a story about watching the grass grow. Seriously



Depth:
2/10
Incredibly Low

It's very short, only six levels and a small... sort of bonus level? If you don't go into this game as a completionist -- and I really recommend not doing so because, even though there are trophies for finding hidden flowers, and at least one other challenge trophy -- then there isn't anything to it.

Still, this is one game that shooting for completion actually takes away from. To go for completion in Flower is to destroy it. This is a game that's made to be enjoyed at a slow and relaxing pace. It's about slowing down and enjoying the calm and serenity...and also how evil you are because your existence pollutes the earth, but that's beside the point.

Still, the trophies are there, and so are the hidden flowers, but that's about it. And what good does added depth do if the game indirectly encourages you not to utilize it? It's like listening to Miley Cyrus because you want to hear music: yes, it's technically music, but it's not music you'll enjoy. And yes, Flower has an ever so tiny bit of added depth, but it's not depth that you'll enjoy. It's Miley Cyrus depth. Can we make that a new term?

So yeah, just do yourself a favor and play through the levels normally.

Highlights:
•Er...uh... Let me think about that one...
•....
•Yeah, I still got nothin'



Addictiveness:
5/10
Average.

Originally I had this down for a four, but I had to bump it up a little when I remembered what it was like to play the game really. You aren't going to start the game and be wowed by how amazingly fun it is -- because it isn't. However, there is something undeniably satisfying in finishing a level, blooming every flower, turning the grass green once more, and awakening the entire area. I can't put my finger on it, but there's something about it that most games just don't give you. Is it because it's exiting? No, it isn't exciting at all. Is it because it's so much fun? No, because it isn't fun either. I honestly haven't the faintest idea why it's so satisfying, I just know that it is. Bear in mind however, that this feeling doesn't last through an extended gaming session. This is a game that is best enjoyed one level at a time.


I don't actually have any intention of playing it again except to finish it on both my PS4 and PS Vita profiles (it's crossbuy and I helped my nephew finish it on his PS4 profile) at some point, but it does leave you wanting to see the entire journey through, because, greenie or not, it retains that unexplainable sense of satisfaction to see nature awakening thanks to your efforts. Entering that exit portal is just so...ahh.

Highlights:
•Finishing a level offers a real sense of satisfaction



Difficulty:
1/10
Cakewalk.

It isn't often that you find a game that's this easy to play, or this easy to finish. Start it, hold a button (or tilt the stick) and use the motion control to guide the petals around the levels. Touch the glowing light around the flowers, and after you touch enough of them, fly to the exit portal. It's that simple.

And herein lies the charm of the game: it's calming, it's relaxing, it's soothing, and it isn't demanding. You won't lose. It's that simple. Just play.

Highlights:
•It's relaxing



Overall:
5.2
Average.

I'd say this rating is accurate. Flower isn't a great game, and in fact, I really wouldn't say it's even good as a game. It's enjoyable though, and it's relaxing and satisfying in small doses.

What to pay: I'd say less than $5. I could go up to $5, but personally, I paid somewhere around $2.99 if memory serves, and that's about right for this game. I have no regrets about purchasing it, but I can't feel comfortable recommending such a difficult to classify game that reaches such a small group of people for more than $5 at the very most. Just be aware of what you're getting when you buy it. Look at some gameplay first, think about it, and if you conclude that Flower is something that appeals to you, give it a go. It's enjoyable in it's own way.