It’s not often that you see a first party studio take an interest in the thesis projects of college kids, but then most thesis projects don’t revolve around quirky and inventive gameplay. Yet, that’s exactly the case with the PlayStation Store exclusive flOw. Starting with a Java-based project by Jenova Chen demonstrating dynamic difficulty adjustment theory, Sony has turned the casual, strangely addictive web game into a playable tech demo for their sixaxis controller.

LSD Pac-Man

Thankfully, you don’t need to pay much attention to where flOw originates to enjoy it. An existential Pac-Man for the next generation, flOw is a very casual game based on superb physics, innovative audio, and easy to understand gameplay. Instead of a chomping yellow maw, you take control of one of six very hungry and different evolutionary forms. While the shapes may change, the actual gameplay never does. There is no maze; instead, you are in a free-floating aquatic universe with multiple layers, accessible at any time. The object is the same as Pac-Man: eat to survive.

Beautifully rendered geometrical parts make up all the creatures, looking as if they were spun from beams of light. Most of the forms are worm-like, and the more you eat, the more elaborate they become. Other forms include a jelly fish-like creature, a porpoise with wings, and a scorpion creature. Each form feels and controls somewhat differently. The porpoise creature, for instance, is lightning fast with a devastating lunge attack, while the jellyfish is easy to control and slower. The worms are a fun, if difficult, exercise in motion sensitive steering. Most creatures have a speed boost ability, though some can affect the creatures around them by changing color instead.

Evolve and Steer

As these strangely beautiful organisms eat the other denizens of their aquaverse, they evolve and go ever deeper into their world. Reach deeply enough and you’ll be able to change to another form entirely. As you go deeper, you’ll encounter more exotic creature designs, some of which can hurt your evolving beastie. Admittedly, you can’t die—if enemy creatures eat enough of your newly formed parts, you simply float up a level where you’ll have to feed more to gain strength.

flOw is also one of the very few games to really show off the sixaxis’s potential, but it still feels more like an artistic tech demo. Move the pad right, left, up down, forward and back, and any combination in between, and you creature will react. At times, it feels more like trying to steer a cow than a delicate worm of light, but overall the motion sensitive controls work well.

What gameplay you’ll find here is short, and the overall experience matches its environment—you’ll feel suspended and adrift with no direction if you’re expecting anything more than an interactive art exhibit. There is no set-up, plot, or any purpose other than the experience of the gameplay and the presentation.

Casual Artistry

But, what a presentation! Aside from the gorgeous 1080p HD graphics, the audio is stunning. A vibrant, evocative, and fluid soundtrack powers the game. The audio is not a set score, but rather entirely dependent on the player’s movements and eating choices. Every meal creates a tone, so how you play dictates how the game sounds.

Three more players can pick up a controller and join you. Unfortunately, the game doesn’t zoom out to accommodate for the more crowded screen and ends up seeming relatively pointless. Since this is a “casual” game, Sony is expecting flOw to hit demographics that Call of Duty 3 and Resistance probably missed—non-gaming spouses, younger players, girlfriends, and Luddite friends. On that level, flOw is inarguably successful.

Go with it…

flOw has all the makings of a great game, with one major exception. There is almost no point. Just the same, for $8 PlayStation 3 owners will find a truly distinctive, Zen-like gaming experience. Hopefully, someone will take the beautiful bones of flOw and actually create a complete gaming experience. In the meantime, this is one groovy trip.

Article by: Jason D'Aprile
Video produced by: Jonathan Solin