Journey:
You've heard it everywhere, Journey is a short game. You can easily finish in the first playthrough in 1.5 to 2 hours, depending if you like to explore the environment or not. Although it's not the best game for exploring since there aren't too many collectibles as rewards and it can be slow going sometimes. That said, Journey felt like it was the perfect length for a game of this type of gameplay, because if it was much longer, then it would lose the specialness that makes Journey so unique. The art direction is great and there are many areas where it was simply breathtaking. You would be going into this new area and the sun would be shining down, casting shadows while the sand will be sparkling and shimmering. The desert turns into this wavy glossy surface and it just looks amazing. This happens often and is such a treat for your eyes. As special as some of the graphics is, there was one section later on in the game (in the snow levels) where it felt subpar and the colouring and textures looked flat compared to the rest of the game. The game design is minimalistic, which works wonders here.
The simple controls mean that it is easy to pick up and learn, and it gives an innocent feel to the game. The music fits with the atmosphere and there were a few moments in the game where something unexpected would happen and pumps you full of adrenaline. The beginning of the game was good but it gets slightly bogged down in the middle before picking up again in the end. The ending levels were really fun to play and you feel a rush as you complete it especially by as this time, you're used to the controls, it was extremely enjoyable. Journey had one of the best implementation of multiplayer ever. It is anonymous (although you do get to see who you ended up meeting by the end of the game), and true to the title, if you end up journeying the whole game with someone (or at least the majority of the game), it creates an engaging experience as you pass through obstacles together, and signal to each other through limited communication. What's special is that this type of multiplayer brings out the best in players, you're not competing or killing the other player.
You are journeying together, maybe the other player is more experienced and they will show you some hidden secrets, and then you in turn, pass on that knowledge the next time. At worse, you just go your separate ways. The story is probably the weakest aspect since it is basically showing this random, shrouded figure, travelling through the desert to a mountain in the distance. The ending doesn't provide many revelations, it's all down to your interpretation (which was the intention of the developers). It works although it is not the story, but the process in controlling your character, that provides the emotional aspect of the title. There was one event near the end of the game, when the character was close to the mountain in the snow where it would touch your heart. There are many instances in the game where you can see the developers put in subtle nods and attention to detail. As the camera angle changes automatically while you're playing to show you what the developers intended, sometimes it can get in the way when you just want to shift the camera and you need to fight it so you get to see where you're going. Overall, an amazing and unique game that would truly get you in touch with your emotional side.
Flower:
A very different game, in terms of gameplay and overall design philosophy. Like Journey, this game is about the experience but I found it lacking compared to Journey. It didn't evoke as much emotion. It feels more abstract and is harder to understand. Story is basically a flower petal transforming the environments back into their natural, beautiful self. Restoring a rundown, polluted, grey and dreary city. There is significance in the message and it feels like it is trying to push about caring for the environment. The concept of the game is that you control one flower petal at first, then move it around and whenever it touches another closed flower, that flower blooms and another petal is added. It reminded me somewhat of Snake (the mobile game on Nokia phones) in that by the end of the level, you get this huge flower 'tail'. Interestingly, the game's primary control is the sixaxis (i.e. motion control), which could have been a recipe for disaster. Instead, it is executed well and controlling where you want to go, generally, is easy and does what you want. Of course, there were times where the camera swings about as this is not a perfect and precise control method (try not to get motion sick!).
The only other thing that you can do is control the speed at which you're going, by holding down any button (which is pretty sweet). One of the really nice touches is whenever you bloom a flower, it creates a musical chime, it actually gets addictive trying to bloom all the flowers. The game is relaxing and when you clear an area, turning it from a dead and grey land into a lush green environment filled with colourful flowers, it feels good. It creates a beautiful landscape and makes all that effort worthwhile. The music wasn't too memorable but it suited the carefree nature of the game. The last level of the game was excellent. It seemed to push the boundaries of the game, giving you a colourful playground to do as you wish. Rushing through the road was fun and in the end, the finale, it was done well and the music there only served to elevate the scene even further. Flower also has one of the best credits I've seen, it's interactive and basically, you 'play' the credits like it was another level, blooming flowers and collecting their petals. The twist is that there are names above each flower, when done this way, you actually read the credits and makes it less boring to sit through. Overall, an interesting game, the graphics and landscape are pleasing to the eye, although it is definitely not a game for everyone.
Flow:
In my opinion, Flow is the worst out of the three games in this collection, I'm actually glad the money I forked out wasn't only for this game, otherwise I would have regretted my purchase. The controls are unorthodox, and not in a good way. Similar to Flower, you use the sixaxis for movement and any button to perform a special action. However, the way the sixaxis controls your character doesn't feel natural and it doesn't go the way you would expect it to. Since the game is played on a 2D plane, motion control isn't as effective. I wished the developers could have given you a more traditional control scheme as an optional alternative. The game's music and overall atmosphere is very relaxing and it gives you something to wonder about. The premise is good, in that you start off small and then gobble up things to get bigger and bigger, "evolving" into something more. That's the most interesting part of the game, to keep eating and see the evolution take place.
There are six different lifeforms you end up controlling. What the game doesn't explain to you properly is when one campaign ends and the next one begins, since it is just a cycle, it felt like a neverending thing as you keep going down each 'layer' and never reaching any worthwhile objective (okay, you get a new lifeform to play as but the game gets so mundane and more of the same after the third time this happens). The designs of the lifeforms are unique and interesting. They are probably the best parts of the game. The graphics are simple but also visually appealing, suiting a game of this nature. The credits form a playable level, this interactivity made it much more effective and entertaining. The trophies are fairly annoying and on the whole, Flow felt lacking and quite boring. Unlike Flower or Journey, the message and reflection isn't as strong, nor does it invoke any powerful emotions. Flow sounded great in theory but it just wasn't that fun in execution.
Bonus Features:
There are "special features" of sorts included in the disc to make it seem more like a "collector's" edition instead of just a collection. They are all digital content. Bonuses include developer commentary on all three games, which is pretty neat. Considering that each game can be finished under two hours, these commentary feels the right length too (okay, as a disclaimer, I never really fully watched any, I'm just guessing here). There are also soundtracks (although I don't think they can be exported outside of the PS3), concept art and trailers. As well as that, there are three local multiplayer games, Grave Digger, Duke Wars and Nostril Shot. Key word is "multiplayer", therefore sadly, you won't have much fun playing alone as they were built with 2+ players in mind. The graphics throws you back into the 16 bit era and feels like rough drawings since they were created in an internal "24 hour game jam" by the developers. It is nice that they bothered to include extras like this though.
Onto the minigames themselves, Grave Digger is a collecting game, in that you kill zombies, collect their skulls and bank the points. Duke Wars is a strategy game, raising peasants, collecting wood and gold. Nostril Shot is a shoot 'em up and probably the one you'll get the most fun out of alone. It's actually ridiculous with the number of enemies it throws at you at any one time, which adds to the charm. Overall, these minigames won't make or break the decision to get this set. One of the annoying things about this is that the physical copy is basically just an install disc. You end up having to install all the games onto your hard drive, which somewhat defeats the purpose. You still require the disc in the slot to play the games but it just feels somewhat odd. I guess it is understandable considering the games are all downloadable titles first and foremost and it is just easier to do it like this.
Overall:
If you have an interest in Journey, then this set is worth the entry price. Why? Since the price of this edition is almost the same as the downloadable version, but you get two extra games. Flower is worthwhile, giving a different feel to Journey while Flow is mediocre (but you may like it). Nevertheless, good value for money and I had a good time playing through all through. That said, each game can be finished within two hours, so they can feel somewhat short.
-----------------------------
Other game reviews can be found on this page.