flOw PSP

Flow started out as a freeware flash game on PC, spilled onto PlayStation 3 as an early PlayStation Store title and now has made its way to the PlayStation Portable as a $15 download on the PlayStation Store. Flow dumps the player into the ocean as a micro-organism. Players swim around various levels of depth consuming other micro-organisms, evolving as they go. It’s a unique concept for any platform and makes for a relaxing game.

There are six organisms to unlock, including the Jelly and Hunter, each featuring their own abilities. The core gameplay consists of swimming around, eating as many micro-organisms as possible, and evolving to unlock the next organism. Once you’ve cleared one depth you can head to the next via specially marked organisms. Although this version retains the addictive gameplay of the originals while adapting it to the smaller screen, it still feels like a flash game - right down to the lack of a save option.

Due to that, in order to collect all of the evolutions you need to avoid playing anything else between evolutions. Should you need a break you can turn off the PlayStation Portable without losing any progress and the game will resume next time you turn it on. Once you have unlocked an organism it will be available the next time you start a game.

In the end Flow doesn’t add enough to justify the $15 price tag if you already have the PlayStation 3 version, and the lack of a save game in between evolutions may be a problem if you suddenly have the urge to play something else in between plays. That said, it’s portable Flow and fans who want to play with their micro-organism on the go will love it.