Flower

I wandered lonely as a cloud
That floats on high o'er vales and hills,
When all at once I saw a crowd,
A host, of golden daffodils
W. Wordsworth

Has poetry made its way into video games now?
From a design standpoint, Flower is perhaps the greatest experience in the medium ever made. Furthering the exploits of tgc’s previous flOw, but now in a fully 3D environment, Flower drops us on fields and lets us indulge in simple rambling delights. Though there are objectives and even secrets for the most challengeable players, there is no doubt that what stands Flower apart is its accessibility to a new audience. Again furthering the exploits of flOw, Flower has perhaps the most simple and accessible controls in a videogame, with full SIXAXIS directional control and any face button for a small boost. This ties down with the simplicity and slickness of the style. Adepts of a pure design, you’re set with nothing but the bare essentials; there’s no HUD and no menus. The goal, either, is ever explained but through the gameplay: should you wish to, collect petals that add to your gust of wind, and rejuvenate the world.
You’re presented with 6 stages, which makes for quite varied atmospheres, however short. A full completion of the game will last longer though. Flower’s finesse reaches its climax, appropriately, in the last stage, a true visual and playable delight, and one of the better moments I’ve found in this generation of games.
Flower expands on flOw’s concept of straightforward design in videogames. Much more than numbskull ramblers, they entice the user with freedom within game rules, and an incredible sense of immersion. Flower’s superb visuals and soundtrack do much to this effect. The coupling with the sensible control scheme almost brings the player forward into the world, as if grasped by the wireless plastic wand into a dream world of eco-human critique.