What does a flower dream of?

Nature is beautiful, that much is obvious. How often do we stop to take it in, and to think to ourselves that were those plants capable of dreaming, that their dreams might be just as much so? What does a flower dream of, while trapped inside a drab, lifeless apartment in the middle of a city? Not one hint of green, or of life at all, can be seen anywhere. The flower is isolated, starved, hungry...so it dreams of a perfect land, where nothing exists but grass, the sun, and the gentle caress of the wind.

This is Flower, the very latest work by thatgamecompany, also responsible for the PlayStation Network title, flOw. An artistic powerhouse, thatgamecompany finds beauty in simplicity; the concept of Flower, along with the gameplay, can not be simpler.

You play as the wind itself, and by merely tilting the controller (Taking advantage of the motion control therein), you direct the wind. Every button on the controller does the same thing; makes the wind blow.

You start each level (Represented by the dream of a different flower) in a nigh-endless field of gently-swaying grass. There is a single flower...and as you blow the wind, a petal comes loose. It bobs and floats along with the breeze as you guide it...bringing it to other flowers, each flower letting loose a petal and a single musical note, slowly transforming your gust of wind into a force of nature, able to bring light and life to even the darkest corners of the Earth. You light the darkness...you touch nature itself, and breathe it back into shape. One flower at a time, you make the world into a paradise.

The beauty of it all is that it feels so effortless, so calm and serene; each level offers a unique take on the powers that your wind can bring to the world. One level features windmills that let you dance across the level, blazing a trail of flower petals. Another features small, glowing flowers that, when spread about by your wind, can light up the night. Still another features a special kind of flower petal that allows your wind to paint the grass an array of starkly beautiful colors, from purple to yellow to red.

Take a look at this video for Flower, and you'll see what I mean! Simplicity is beautiful in many art forms; some of the very best photographs or movies feature the most mundane of subjects, and yet...that is their best quality. Flower is no different!