Sumio must have calves of steel after all the walking he does in this game.

Flower, Sun, and Rain might be one of the most unique games I've played. Spending copious amounts of time doing nothing but walking back and forth between distant locations, solving esoteric math equations... None of that sounds like fun, and yet I loved every minute I spent with this game. While I'm not too crazy about all the puzzles being number-based (I'll admit I found myself having to consult a guide at times), the way the game handles them by technically having the solution to every single one of them on the player at all times is brilliant. The monotonous gameplay loop of slowly getting closer and closer to your original destination each day is oddly exciting, and once I started making serious progress I found myself unable to put the game down. The simple early-game tasks the player is presented with evoke a sense of comfort, which is quickly ripped away once the plot threads start unravelling and the truth of the island you've been walking around on starts becoming more apparent. Many of the big reveals in the game left me genuinely surprised. Some confusion is inevitable, but the links the game has to The Silver Case become very clear. This didn't stop when I finished the game, as dwelling on what I'd just played (as well as talking with friends that are fans of the Kill The Past series) had me drawing more and more conclusions in regards to both FSR and TSC (and even Killer7) that continued to blow my mind.

It's definitely not for everyone. But The Silver Case is a game that definitely deserves to be given a chance, and you'd be massively missing out to stop there and not play this one. Flower, Sun, and Rain has me very excited to dive into the next entry in the series, The 25th Ward, and see what it has in store.

Reviewed on May 03, 2023


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