GDC08: Hands on with flOw on PSP
Just go with it
Seemingly named by the same marketing group responsible for the hodge-podge capitalization in the WipEout series, flOw bears gameplay that's equally as unusual as its title. Less game and more art, this creative downloadable title continues to extend the range of experiences coming to PSP. And following hands-on time with the game during the Game Developers Conference, we're eager to go with the flOw.
flOw puts you in control of a microorganism floating through a miniature world filled with other tiny creatures. Your objective is to eat these minute monsters and grow into an elaborate life form capable of consuming even larger animals. It's an unusual experience since it plays less like a traditional game and more like an interactive screensaver. Which isn't intended to knock the game; on the contrary, it offers a breed of zen-style play that works surprisingly well on PSP.
Moving through the biological microcosm of flOw is done with the analogue nub. A pulsing mouth lets you chomp on small creatures, which in turn cause you to grow. Larger enemies can slowly be eaten by munching on their designated weak points – red circles on the geometric foes inform you of where to bite. Once you've attacked all of a big organism's weak points, it'll explode in a gorgeous geometric display.
Instead of open-ended levels, you can move back and forth between different planes within a single stage. Small crimson creatures take you into the blurry background, which comes into focus upon eating the organism. On the flip side, ingest a blue creature and you're moved to the foreground. You want to constantly travel between the two in order to maximize your microorganism meal.
Mouthing off to your prey isn't the only way to get them into your belly. Each controllable creature – there are a few different organisms you play in the game's handful of stages – possesses a unique ability triggered with a press of the L or R shoulder buttons. In the level we tried, holding down L instigated a spin attack that disorientated small creatures and pulled them into a central location where it was easy to pick them off. Other attacks later in the game include poison gas that can paralyze prey, for instance.
Most impressive about flOw is how beautiful it looks on PSP. Inherited from PlayStation 3 as a downloadable title, it shares in the original's same gorgeous lighting effects, stylish geometric organisms, and fluid aesthetic. It's simply a very pretty game. After our initial experience with it, we're eager to draft a final review of it come March 6 when it becomes available via the PlayStation Store for PSP.
