flOw doesn't quite suck

[TVC15]

The PS3 version looked swanky, and while I tend to dislike non-games, I always found the web version kind of neat and relaxing.  And fuck, for 7 bucks on the PS3 - the price was right.

But JESUS FUCK, I HATE NINTENDO.

The tilty controls changed this game from relaxing to mildly frustrating.  No matter how well implemented, controls like this will always imprecise.  The ambience and visuals are still aces, but when you change a Nice Relaxing Game into Let's Explore the Possibility of the Cheapass Tilt Technology in These Controllers, you kind of miss what made the game spiffy in the first place.

I've only been playing for a half hour, but it looks like there's just about as much content as the web version, too.  It's a linear path of evolution.  There's really no choices behind it.  How difficult would it have been to make this game less linear, and have branching paths?  Not much.  Argh, I probably shouldn't criticize on the amount of content since this was basically a quickie for a first time dev team, and it's been said in interviews that there wouldn't be new content.  The shitty tilt controls, are new to me, and the make the game suck FoC nuts.

[G The Resurrected]

I liked playing the pc version. sorry to hear its shit on ps3

[TVC15]

I liked playing the pc version. sorry to hear its shit on ps3

There's not even a pause button.  You have to hold the PS button down for 5 seconds if you want to pause.  The tilt controls are just lame.  Just when I think I got a handle on them, I'll LEAN BACK a little too much and fuck up.  Games shouldn't punish people because they like to lounge.  Fuck holding a controller perfectly level in order to properly tilt it.  I play games to have fun, not learn proper sitting posture. 

[G The Resurrected]

reminds me of the horrible MS sidewinder controls of Rogue Squadrone

[TVC15]

reminds me of the horrible MS sidewinder controls of Rogue Squadrone

And I don't want to imply that the controls aren't well-implemented.  I believe they are.  I just thing tilting is a really dumb way of controlling a game. 

[G The Resurrected]

Totally agree with you on that. Motorstorm rocks using tilt though.

[hyp]

If you don't like fl0w because of the controls, maybe you'd like Feeding Frenzy on XBLA. It is basically the same game but without the tilt function, and slightly less stylish graphics.

thanks jonnyram, you just saved me $7 bucks.  i hated the feeding frenzy demo. 

[TVC15]

If you don't like fl0w because of the controls, maybe you'd like Feeding Frenzy on XBLA. It is basically the same game but without the tilt function, and slightly less stylish graphics.

Jesus, they are the same thing, aren't they?

The thing is, flow has this nice ambience to it between the cool visuals and the sound design.  That's what you're paying for.  Feeding Frenzy is like Worst of Popcap.

[y2kev]

I liked playing the pc version. sorry to hear its shit on ps3

There's not even a pause button.  You have to hold the PS button down for 5 seconds if you want to pause.  The tilt controls are just lame.  Just when I think I got a handle on them, I'll LEAN BACK a little too much and fuck up.  Games shouldn't punish people because they like to lounge.  Fuck holding a controller perfectly level in order to properly tilt it.  I play games to have fun, not learn proper sitting posture. 

That's not actually true...the pause is just different. If you press start, you dive to the top layer where you just float around...press start again to "unpause" and you dive to where you were.

[TVC15]

I ended up liking flow in the end.  The controls aren't perfect, and I will never be satisfied if retardo controls are the only option (I like to play slouched and in all sorts of weird reclining positions, which are not conducive to holding the controller level), but it was a neat little game.  Very pretty (but the minor slowdown was odd.  LOL Cell).  It's a pity that it's like 2-3 hours of content, tops.  They could've done some neat things, like branching evolutionary paths and whatnot.  Real goals.  Those two things wouldn't have been all that difficult to implement, and if they were in place, the game wouldn't get the non-game tag.