When thatgamecompany’s moving piece of gaming beauty, Flower, was introduced to the gaming world early last year, it was met with warm receptions, warm hearts and, in some cases, welled up eyes. These sort of reactions by gamers aren’t simply reserved for the average consumer, but for the big names behind the games as well.
Flower, it means many things to many people, one of those people in particular happen to be GoldenEye 007 creator Martin Hollis. Many gamers who complete Flower experience not only a profound sense of accomplishment, but often a very calm emotional state; a relaxed state-of-mind, if you will, through the game’s story which can come across as simple for some, and complex for others. This complex storytelling ability, shrouded by an air of simplicity, actually moved Hollis to put the game down altogether, because he found it to be far too stirring emotionally.
“One of the interesting things about Flower was I couldn’t play it because it was so emotionally provoking,”
“I couldn’t play it properly because as soon as I controlled it I felt an upwelling and I had to put it down.”
“That’s an achievement.”
Hollis then went on to discuss how he hasn’t played titles like Shadow of The Colossus, because he knows that he just wouldn’t feel right killing the beasts in the game. But for a game such as Flower – one which doesn’t contain any enemies or any actual characters depending upon how one looks at it – to move someone to the point of putting down the controller, well… that certainly is an achievement. It truly is impressive to see one of thatgamecompany’s masterpieces still making headlines over a year after its initial release, and proves that games are not only art, but for some… an experience unlike any other.
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