Staring at the Abyss, in Paradise
What a way to start my vacations! Decided this would be a good game to acompany me during this travel, just for the setting alone. As I'm travelling here and there, it means internet connection is minimal, slow and sparse throughout the area, very bad. It was just me, and this game for the most part, also decided deprive myself of any guides or any type of FAQS mostly the ones centered around puzzles. So I went straight ahead into the unknow, waiting to see what this game could add to the Kill the Past series.
Flower, Sun, and Rain is a puzzle adventure game with a big focus on narrative. Specially making nods here and there to The Silver Case since it's secretly a sequel. Here in the west we never got to recieve neither The Silver Case nor Flower, Sun and Rain at the time of it's release in any type, way, shape or form. But 7 years later we got the blessing in form of an english localization. A little too late for the party, but we got it anyways. This was launched during Suda's ascent in the west with hits such as No More Heroes and Killer7, so it made sense that at least one of his beloved works left in japan would cross the sea in style.
We take control of Sumio Mondo, a so-called searcher. Search for objects, he finds them and make people's live easier or at least I think so. Main task, disarm a terrorist bomb set in a airplane...in 2001. Mind you this was released before 9/11, it was never created with only to shock with bad taste in mind. This "simple" task while strange to be delegated to someone like Mondo turns up to be more complicated than needed once "Days" pass away. Or not? It's a mystery within a mystery within a mystery. The deeper we get the darker it gets, as any hard truth might be. But in reality Flower, Sun and Rain tone isn't dark. In fact it actually leans towards something more like a surreal comedy.
It's an easygoing but slow adventure were danger is totally eliminated. So no "Game Overs" or any "Try Again" screen if you take the wrong decision or happen to go against the rules just because. While "Skill" as we know it, pressing the buttons at the right time or what not isn't necessary here; patience will be our best friend. I certanly have patience towards the things I like and I like Suda51 so I eat it all the way through without complaining. It's enjoyable if you can take silly jokes, harmless fun and math. Don't rush it, this ain't a race. Enjoy the funny DS graphics, the compressed ass songs, pink cocodrile. It's the moment, you know. Don't try to see the logical side of it if you can't make sense of it, that can hurt a cell or two at the long run with this game.
Flower, Sun and Rain as I said before is a direct sequel to The Silver Case. But I wouldn't consider that way exactly, take it more as a spin-off that will answer some very specific questions about one or two members of the The Silver Case cast. Doesn't make things go further in the Kill the Past series but gives us a very interesing insightful analysis of Sumio as a character. From this text now on this will be nothing but spoilers but I'll try to be as vague as possible in case you still reading this, I just want to make this go through. So, you ever asked what hapenned to Kodai in The Silver Case? Look it up if you don't remember. Thing is, he regrets it and the fantasy world of his would become reality. In Paradise. The Fantasy World he talked so much about, clashed with twisted reality and a bit of..let's say an impostor syndrome. The Time Loop means something incredible, an eternal trap.
Dreams are but mere reflections of past events twisted or arrange for personal purposes. This game really did happen? It doesn't matter, but it was necessary for awakening. His awakening. Flower, the flower it's you. Sun are the possitive emotions you carry, too much of it and you will burn. Rain, the rain represents struggle, too much of it and you will end up crushed. These factors makes the Flower growth healthy and strong. The Sun can represent the humour, the good vibes, the music. The Rain can represent the events that need to occur to advance the story; the puzzles or the endless walking. This is the Flower, Sumio. Kill the Past has always play with this concept, it's in the very name. Face the reality, face the consequences, to move forward. And this game is not exception. In fact, it might be it's most clear example of what Kill the Past is, altrough hidden under layers and layers of cryptic writting and events that don't seem to correlate to the main story.
My recomendation, play The Silver Case first, that goes without saying at this point. This game is not that important to the Kill the Past series in general if we take the conservative side of it being a sequel. Take it as a christmas special. Short, familiar and sweet or a halloween special. Long, weird and scary.
What a way to start my vacations! Decided this would be a good game to acompany me during this travel, just for the setting alone. As I'm travelling here and there, it means internet connection is minimal, slow and sparse throughout the area, very bad. It was just me, and this game for the most part, also decided deprive myself of any guides or any type of FAQS mostly the ones centered around puzzles. So I went straight ahead into the unknow, waiting to see what this game could add to the Kill the Past series.
Flower, Sun, and Rain is a puzzle adventure game with a big focus on narrative. Specially making nods here and there to The Silver Case since it's secretly a sequel. Here in the west we never got to recieve neither The Silver Case nor Flower, Sun and Rain at the time of it's release in any type, way, shape or form. But 7 years later we got the blessing in form of an english localization. A little too late for the party, but we got it anyways. This was launched during Suda's ascent in the west with hits such as No More Heroes and Killer7, so it made sense that at least one of his beloved works left in japan would cross the sea in style.
We take control of Sumio Mondo, a so-called searcher. Search for objects, he finds them and make people's live easier or at least I think so. Main task, disarm a terrorist bomb set in a airplane...in 2001. Mind you this was released before 9/11, it was never created with only to shock with bad taste in mind. This "simple" task while strange to be delegated to someone like Mondo turns up to be more complicated than needed once "Days" pass away. Or not? It's a mystery within a mystery within a mystery. The deeper we get the darker it gets, as any hard truth might be. But in reality Flower, Sun and Rain tone isn't dark. In fact it actually leans towards something more like a surreal comedy.
It's an easygoing but slow adventure were danger is totally eliminated. So no "Game Overs" or any "Try Again" screen if you take the wrong decision or happen to go against the rules just because. While "Skill" as we know it, pressing the buttons at the right time or what not isn't necessary here; patience will be our best friend. I certanly have patience towards the things I like and I like Suda51 so I eat it all the way through without complaining. It's enjoyable if you can take silly jokes, harmless fun and math. Don't rush it, this ain't a race. Enjoy the funny DS graphics, the compressed ass songs, pink cocodrile. It's the moment, you know. Don't try to see the logical side of it if you can't make sense of it, that can hurt a cell or two at the long run with this game.
Flower, Sun and Rain as I said before is a direct sequel to The Silver Case. But I wouldn't consider that way exactly, take it more as a spin-off that will answer some very specific questions about one or two members of the The Silver Case cast. Doesn't make things go further in the Kill the Past series but gives us a very interesing insightful analysis of Sumio as a character. From this text now on this will be nothing but spoilers but I'll try to be as vague as possible in case you still reading this, I just want to make this go through. So, you ever asked what hapenned to Kodai in The Silver Case? Look it up if you don't remember. Thing is, he regrets it and the fantasy world of his would become reality. In Paradise. The Fantasy World he talked so much about, clashed with twisted reality and a bit of..let's say an impostor syndrome. The Time Loop means something incredible, an eternal trap.
Dreams are but mere reflections of past events twisted or arrange for personal purposes. This game really did happen? It doesn't matter, but it was necessary for awakening. His awakening. Flower, the flower it's you. Sun are the possitive emotions you carry, too much of it and you will burn. Rain, the rain represents struggle, too much of it and you will end up crushed. These factors makes the Flower growth healthy and strong. The Sun can represent the humour, the good vibes, the music. The Rain can represent the events that need to occur to advance the story; the puzzles or the endless walking. This is the Flower, Sumio. Kill the Past has always play with this concept, it's in the very name. Face the reality, face the consequences, to move forward. And this game is not exception. In fact, it might be it's most clear example of what Kill the Past is, altrough hidden under layers and layers of cryptic writting and events that don't seem to correlate to the main story.
My recomendation, play The Silver Case first, that goes without saying at this point. This game is not that important to the Kill the Past series in general if we take the conservative side of it being a sequel. Take it as a christmas special. Short, familiar and sweet or a halloween special. Long, weird and scary.