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flOw

by GaryTun

Info

Explore a surreal abyss of simple organisms as you eat, grow and evolve into the deep. Freely glide around making your way towards the challenges that lie beneath – or aggressively consume food and compete with every organism around you. Your evolutionary path will ultimately reflect your style of play.

Life could be simple…

No of Players: 1Released: 2007UK Price: £3.49US Price: $7.99

Review

With plenty of games full of action, shooting and fast paced adventure, flOw offers something a bit more relaxing. In a bright pastel sea and awash with the haunting strains of haunting music, the player takes control of a simple structured organism as it makes its way through the depths.

Through use of the pads motion control (in fact the only method for controlling the on screen creature) the player must guide their creature around the screen, eating other organisms to grow in size and shape. Different edibles will have different results on the creatures shape, meaning the final form will never be quite the same during different playthroughs.

Blue and Red pitted organisms allow the player to move higher or lower by one level – the higher levels generally being more sedate and the lower being home to massive creatures that are just as likely to try and take a bite out of you. The trick is to target their weak spots while protecting your own, something that’s not so simple when you’re a multi limbed jellyfish-thing which takes up half the screen.

Once the player has reached a particular depth they can then progress on to a new organism and shape. There are five forms in total and as of November 2007 an expansion pack has been released which adds an additional creature as well as rumble for those with a Duel Shock 3 controller, and a photograph mode.

flOw is something different from the norm. Although not very challenging and could be played through in a short space of time, it isn’t really designed to get your heart racing or be an eight hour adventure. Relaxing and enjoyable, sedate and often haunting, its the perfect example of a chill out game.