Games Of The Year 2009: Flower

Communication is an interesting component of the human condition. Not only does it allow us to converse in our day-to-day environment, it also defines our interactions and our understanding of them.

Flower communicated with me. It spoke with me on a level that I'm unlikely ever going to be able to articulate, but what I do know is that it goes beyond the mere mechanics that make up the game; beyond the intentionally evocative experience it provides; and beyond the sheer joy and awe as I experiment, explore and discover within its suitably small yet entirely effective spaces.

It was a game unlike anything else I have played before and one I suspect I won't see replicated in the future. It was truly unique, and while some were skeptical about the developers' intentions -- thatgamecompany constantly discussed pre and post-release about how they were trying to instill emotions in the players that they were unlikely to find in other games -- the end result, for me, was a game that demonstrated crystal clear just why I play videogames, why I will continue to play them, and why I am blessed to be able to see the medium meet its potential as it continues to expand, evolve and establish itself alongside the other entertainment mediums we all know and love. The fact it achieved all that, and much much more, through simplicity and a theme that almost everyone would understand immediately, is just the icing on the already amazing cake. Pure, epic, natural, fun.

A Gentle Breeze

As I have mentioned already, Flower came at just the right time for me. I was feeling fatigued after playing through many games with darker, supposedly 'mature' themes and my motivation to simply play a game was disappearing, fast. My anticipation for Flower was built by reading what other people thought about it, reading about why Flower is so enthralling, exhilarating and exciting to play; how it was artistic yet was just like any other game we're already familiar with; and how it was a symbol of our medium's growing maturity. The end result, for me, was an expectation that Flower would be a relaxing experience. An expectation it met without even trying, and a game that was such a breath of fresh air at the time I needed it most.

"If words like 'stunning' can describe most of the good looking games out there, then the word beautiful is how I would describe Flower. It is beautiful -- not just visually but the whole package. The minimal soundtrack, the implied narrative, the sense of discovery and the simplicity. All of it, every single element, combines to make what is just simply a beautiful game."

I also used the above quote to suggest how it made me feel. Seeing it in motion was a sight to behold; playing it using the motion controls of the Playstation 3 controller felt exhilarating; hearing the game's minimal yet effective music made me smile, something that grew wider as I uncovered the sensations of simple discovery. Every time I turned the game off, I was impressed by how enjoyable it was, how it made me feel and the thoughts it inspired. The game is simple after all -- short, sweet, accessible and doesn't pose a challenge nor punish the player at any time. The combination of these elements makes a beautiful game as far as I am concerned, and yet, wonderfully, it also provokes thoughts of a different kind.

One of the main things that Flower's experience indirectly showed me was that we, as gamers, take things for granted.

Throughout any given year we gradually buy games to get us through the months, then once the holiday season comes around we overwhelm ourselves with purchases on impulse, all because of the desire to be playing the latest and greatest thing. Of course that is not just our fault as consumers; developers and publishers alike save their bigger titles for this particular period spoiling us with choice and in recent years, quality. Some of us out there crave for these games to be spread out slowly across the year allowing us to dedicate more time to them; while some don't care about completion or seeing a story through to its conclusion, instead focused on ensuring they are seen as cool because they are playing whatever game happens to be popular that week. Some aren't as fortunate and don't have the privilege of being able to afford every single game they want, using the following year to catch up on titles while everyone else continues to play the next big thing.

If you ask me, we also expect too much. We expect certain features like a multiplayer component to be in most games. We expect games to release on the date that was announced, getting frustrated if that date isn't met and the game is delayed. We expect complex games -- from their systems and mechanics, to their visuals and sound -- to work absolutely perfectly, with no bugs, glitches or signs of a broken element. We expect to get what we paid for, no, more than what we paid for giving nary a thought to the fact that people made the game, people who need to make a living and people who are human. We are all human, we all make mistakes and yet we are all too happy to jump on our virtual soapboxes criticising in an inconsiderate manner as soon as we don't get what we wanted or expected. Some of this expectation is justified, perhaps even all of it (we are paying a lot for our games after all), but the approach with how people complain is at times, horrific. No one seems to stop and think about their fellow gamers, the developers behind their favourite games or how long, expensive and hard it is to create a unique game that stands out from the rest of the pack. We may be spoiled for choice and quality these days, but with that also comes a lack of consideration for any possible situation that may, or may not, factor into the equation. We just take it for granted and now that I have noticed it, I can't help but be disappointed in that fact or even myself for participating in it all.

You could even take this further and beyond the medium. Taking things for granted is not exclusive to video games, it's something that we do in our everyday lives as well. Common household objects like a fridge, kettle or TV are used daily, and it's quite easy to also assume that we all have cars, able to transport us to where we need to go. We have a roof over our head, devices to help us keep in contact with our friends (phones, computers, etc), beds to sleep in and food on the table. Every day we use, consume and/or enjoy these things and every day, we don't give them a second thought. It doesn't matter whether we earned the right to have these things because of employment or our hard work, and it doesn't matter how much or how little we enjoy using them -- my simple point in mentioning them is that we use them and don't ever think about why. They're convenient, aid us in accomplishing various tasks and that is good enough for us. Using them daily also makes us grow accustomed to the convenience they provide and because of that, we take them for granted. Just like we do with games, the people playing them and the people who make them, we don't stop to consider those who are less fortunate and don't enjoy these luxuries.

This post isn't meant to be a rant on how I feel about that nor is it expressing my overall opinion on the matter. Flower's elegance and simplicity showed me just how complicated all the other games we play are and as I thought about it more, I began to realise just how good we have it, and how lucky we are. Forget the luxuries of life. Just being a gamer today, in a time where the medium is progressing in wonderful and unexpected ways and a time where there is literally a game for everyone's tastes, is one hell of a luxurious position we find ourselves in. Continue to take it for granted by all means, but don't forget that it wasn't always like this either, and for that we should be thankful.

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I love Flower, so of course I also love reading about it. Below are some links to other posts on Flower that I thought were fascinating.

- Flower's Precious Play
- I'd Rather Let The Flowers Keep Doing What They Do Best
- Flower Song
- The Odd Couple: Flower And God Of War
- Flower And WiiWare's Woeful Wilting

Hopefully you enjoy them as much as I did.

Networked Gardens

The first couple of months with my Playstation 3 wasn't that exciting. That was not the console's fault though, it was mine. As I purchased it around the same time I was feeling overwhelmed with other games, it was unfortunately neglected while I focused on playing them instead. It even got to the point where I had considered returning the console, getting my money back and then buying it again once I was able to give it the time it deserved. Thankfully, I did not end up doing that and instead had my epiphany (if you will) with the console thanks to three games. Gran Turismo 5: Prologue was the first game, but more importantly both Flower and PixelJunk Eden surprised me in such a way that I stopped playing other games like Fallout 3, becoming increasingly addicted to both and falling in love with them.

Flower

To be honest, I needed this game. I needed it because of how overwhelmed I was feeling with all the shooters and darker titles I had been playing and thankfully, it came out at the perfect time. Before release I expected it to be relaxing and because of how drained I was, my anticipation for it was a lot higher than it might have been under 'normal' circumstances. It met the expectation I had created for it and also surprised me with just how exhilarating and gorgeous it was. If words like "stunning" can describe most of the good looking games out there, then the word beautiful is how I would describe Flower. It is beautiful -- not just visually but the whole package. The minimal soundtrack, the implied narrative, the sense of discovery and the simplicity. All of it, every single element, combines to make what is just simply a beautiful game. It is unique, amazing and if you own a PS3 and don't give it a go, you are doing yourself a massive disservice. Buy it, now!

PixelJunk Eden

I had no expectations going into this title though I had seen quite a lot of praise for it so after a quick purchase, I was ready to play. What a surprise it was, then, to find such a fascinating little game. I was shocked by its simplicity, how easy it was to become addicted and also how strong I felt about it after putting the controller down. I could not stop thinking about it. It reminds me of Flower actually, two completely different games in design and intent and yet similar in terms of simplicity, beauty and even subtlety. It can also be frustrating though, especially when you misjudge a jump and end up falling all the way back down to the bottom of the level. Later levels can also be frustrating, but the onus for that is more on you than the game as you need to take some time to adjust to the different ways of play. The other notable thing that I love from this game is how you can record in-game footage, either saving it to the PS3's hard drive or uploading it to Youtube. It reminds me of the theater in Halo 3 and the Skate.reel in Skate, and I can only wish that the feature was in other games.

I will be changing Internet providers this week and as a result could be offline for a few days so unfortunately I won't be able to extend my thoughts on Flower or PixelJunk Eden. Hopefully these small paragraphs give you a hint of what I think of the games and when I return, I look forward to looking at each of them in more depth than I did in this post. Until then, be safe, have a great week and happy gaming.