The JPEG doesn't exactly flatter Flower's appearance

I’ve had some mixed responses to supposedly “medatative” games in the past.  Some games I’ve found can really support a relaxed atmosphere for the player, while others seem to make being calm as a challenge that must be acquired competitively.

Well Flower, a indie title from ThatGameCompany, is simultaneously both of these and somehow neither.  It’s one of a very small collection of games that manages to be more about the experience than the goal, and probably a member of an even smaller group of games that can make a convincing argument for the “games as art” debate.  Flower carries itself with a relaxed sense of style, and is capable of conjuring up some of the most beautiful imagery to grace gaming in a long time.

It’s even got me talking wishy-washy.

As the title suggests players take the role of a flower.  Or, perhaps more accurately, a flower petal.  From the moment it is plucked from it’s home, this petal simply wafts on an invisible breeze until the player gives it a direction to move in.  From here, your petal must collect petals from surrounding flowers, which open and begin to shape the landscape around them.  Opening a whole collection of certain flowers is greeted with an explosion of colour, as brown grass turns green and more and more petals fly up into the air.

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I just wanted to make this joke before anyone else did.  In other, less hilarious news, your original PS3s asplode…

The visuals are simplistic, yet elegant

For anyone who hasn’t played it, I’ve recently been distracted from my console by the browser game Auditorium.

Auditorium is a rather creative puzzle game where you have to control a stream of music through a series of flow altering orbs to create a harmony.  To complete a level, you must have your stream flowing through every music track on the board.  It can be quite complex at points, and can take a lot of trial and error.

It’s really a very difficult concept to explain, but it’s a fantastic puzzle game and you can check out the demo for free.  It’s fun, a little bit different, and the only reason why I haven’t bought myself the full version yet is because it could very well be making it’s way to consoles via XBL and PSN soon.

Give it a try!

We're the Klokateers, you can be one too

Can I pick good ideas, or can I pick good ideas?

News that’s going to excite the whole crew here at Armchair Diplomat (and my brother) out of the Wall Street Journal today, telling us that a videogame based on Cartoon Network’s Metalocalypse will soon be on it’s way to Xbox Live Arcade and PlayStation Network.

The game, tentatively titled as Metalocalypse: Dethgame, will apparently place the player as one of the Klokateers (DethKlok’s rather expendable road crew).  Given the shows penchant for violence and gore, I’m sure we can expect something suitably “brutal” out of Konami.

Peruse the full article (and make sure to tell anyone nearby that you’re reading the Wall Street Journal).