Flower, Sun, and Rain
released on May 02, 2001
Flower, Sun and Rain is a PlayStation 2 puzzle adventure game developed by Suda 51. It was also remade on the DS for Europe and the United States.
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flower, sun and rain make the flower grow :'-)
I haven’t played the Silver Case yet but holy shit.
everything in this game outside of the actual gameplay is so great that I can almost forgive how painful the walking sim becomes at points. the dialogue, characters, comedy, soundtrack, story and overall vibes makes this game feel like such a unique experience that couldnt come from any other studio. the game takes its time to reveal it's connections to TSC, but once it does the story somehow feels like an appropriate continuation for the characters that fleshes out themes set in the first game, while also being it's own "paradise" that briefly exists for the cast and tells it's own story.
although the walking of the game actually plays well into the themes of the story, the time spent going back and forth from point A-B is egregious. its actually very funny how much the game fucks with you and makes you do nothing but walk for half the missions, but i really don't think it makes for a fun experience for the most part. The best part of the walking is knowing that you'll encounter some freak at the end of the road who will fuck with Sumio for however long the story allows (stephan charbonie....). the puzzles were also kind of annoying at times, but most of them were pretty simple, and the actual Catherine system is very cool
genuinely can't imagine I'll ever play a game like this again, will miss Losspass Island....
Final Steps: 20,901
kill the past
although the walking of the game actually plays well into the themes of the story, the time spent going back and forth from point A-B is egregious. its actually very funny how much the game fucks with you and makes you do nothing but walk for half the missions, but i really don't think it makes for a fun experience for the most part. The best part of the walking is knowing that you'll encounter some freak at the end of the road who will fuck with Sumio for however long the story allows (stephan charbonie....). the puzzles were also kind of annoying at times, but most of them were pretty simple, and the actual Catherine system is very cool
genuinely can't imagine I'll ever play a game like this again, will miss Losspass Island....
Final Steps: 20,901
kill the past
This game's gameplay is too terrible for the rest of the stars.
This review contains spoilers
A game where im gonna write out my personal thoughts with this game which i havent done in a second so here we go.
To start off my ramble of thoughts, before main story potatoes imma yap bout the gameplay. Holy shit did this game rattle my brain with its puzzles mainly within the DS lost and found puzzles. Upcoming trying to be major relating to math and my dumbass couldnt do most. The story puzzles were a bit easier and actually a bit intuitive with clues in the guidebook, even ones i tried really hard but wasted a lot of time until giving into the guide, i found myself in a bit of awe at the thinking behind it if it wasn't completely batshit but again thats more so the optional puzzles. I loved the whole CATHERINE gimmick i love a little neat briefcase used to jack shit and input doo-da's and the like. The other aspect of gameplay that is the majority of the game, the all dreaded and loved WALKING!!!!!!!!! Within technical standpoint I don't think i fuck wit the walking heavy heavy its a bit boring, but thats the thing, game is art yadda yadda your supposed to hate it or sum! I found the shit ton of walking kinda endearing with the good ass music Takada composed for FSR alongside it. It gave me time to think about the game and get absorbed into it.
Speaking of the music, I did not get to experience the whole quality of the music being played on the DS Version (dont ask why im doing this review on this version it looks prettier). Hearing it still tho and then the HD versions of the PS2, oh my googly moogly it fucks. Masafumi Takada is a good composer and captured the tropical island feels and whatever was needed just right (he also did DR2 island music too which is also a good tune to my ears). I will chime into a bit more about some of the music in specific within the story part of the yapping session. Without mentioning those i'd say Cuban Overture was my favorite to listen to.
speaking of the story part of the yapping session,
KILLING THE PAST BABY WE LOVE THAT!!!!
It's hard to start this section, but personally id sum it up to :
This bum ass island bruh :laugh: to I remember you was conflicted.
Comedy attempt aside, the overall plot and thematic ideal of what I believe FSR tried to bring onto me was the longing of a way out of the mundane. I am not a professional critical thinker or philosopher, so it may sound silly but what am i yapping about? Assuming from the obvious that we have completed the game, Sumio Kodai of The Silver Case before this game we see not as kodai, but as Sumio MONDO. We last know of this man as being a "criminal" after case parade. What the hell happened? Kinda is not explicitly stated in a clear way in game but somehow he has broken free from prison and now at an island on a new job as a "Searcher". I really try hard not to just retell the story so im going to try and not bear with me. Lospass Island is fucking gorgeous, It's inhabitants however? Not so pleasant as days in Lospass are claimed to be. Sumio Mondo is called to stop some fuck blowing up a plane at the airport by Edo Macalister the D1 freaky man of this game. Within the island Sumio cannot use his car and must walk the whole way through the game, calves of fucking STEEL. Through the 18 requests (16 days by the end of the game) We spend half of these days helping out the local hotel guests and alike. They usually are somewhat friendly to Sumio, but overall every person is kind of a dick to you and tell you to get fuckin real dude. By the end of the request usually all of the people we help turn to be some odd person and end off with the plane overhead exploding either naturally or in cases like a lady turned to an angel, straight fucking send it to the plane. Sumio awakes every day to the same call by Edo, majority getting up and tumbling over, helping new people search for something and getting assed by them, and end off by the plane exploding. This is a time loop, or it is supposed to be?? Fuck man there is a lot to be said. Sumio is actually born within the island I suppose as "eleven children" of this island which within their electric bill, they clone the damn kid's bodies in case something happens. They even retain the memories of the previous living body onward. Characters Remy and Koshimizu also are those children. On more fucked shit, this whole island isnt even the beautiful one we see mostly its just some island that is kept secret so underground they can infinite silver eyes money glitch to hopefully harvest an eye that works with hyenas that this island breeds via traditions, that the guidebook really fuckin details about shoutout the guidebook yo. Sumio eventually is at a point where sue starts acting 2 goofy and encourages finding the truth and when we dont, sandance shot fucks us stupid style and we die. The whole remy episode was pretty cool with the whole finally introducing the cloned bodies under eleki, and therefore,what? playing ooooooo such a cool moment. Toriko is kinda there sometimes until the last few requests where she revives us so goat sauce on her number one hype lass. Okay i mentioned the music would be brought back up, this mainly happens in request where Tokio Morishima comes in, dude the music being Silver Case music remixed was fucking awesome its like telling us "aight brah wake up its over" Sumio closely regaining conscious from his longing of being nowhere near his reality remembering his past sorta. We then kill that shit in the last chapter where we say farewell to some characters and its actually sweet and genuine for the most part away with being a dick to Sumio. Sumio defuses bombs at the airport like he is a D1 Counter Strike player because Stephan is a fucking loser. The last important bit is Sandance Shot being revealed again ending the "game" he had goin on. We see that actually, the time loop shit is up in the air as we have been going through 16 BODY CLONES of Sumio and we are the last one at the moment. We still regain that memories they had and why we awoke everyday the same. Final Mondo is a beautiful mellow track with hints of "Investigation" from Silver Case in it I believe it sounded like. We board the plane and assume the island finally blows up, BUT THEN PETER THE TRUCK DRIVER SHOWS UP TO BE OUR BUDDY TETSUGORO KUSABI!!!!!!!!! He was looking for us alluding to the fact that Sumio stunted on em by escaping and its time to return to our loser cell. Sumio obviously is kinda fucked still as Kusabi hints we were "used" with this searcher shit. Kusabi's bum ass STILL HAS NO MOTION as he hits us with the "pay me 50,000 yen!"
The game explains Elbow, Maspro and Lospass silver eye production, Edo was a freak indeed working with them but wanted to stop them tho when he learned the truth, Lospass maybe actually was not real all along?? The game sorta ends on this note with the following perfect end statement;
"The long day of Sumio Mondo has ended, and a new day for Sumio Kodai has started."
The whole idea of Escapism and ideal of nothingness expressed to me was honestly well played. Sumio after kinda having no purpose with the Parade revenge done wanted to kinda escape from his life, and therefore found his desire to be away within Lospass Island. The Island was only really for silver eye production, but Sumio's "dream" I believe shaped it to be what we saw, and who was within it. It also shows how we must come to accept our past in some way but also not let it linger with Sumio remembering who he was as Kodai, then killing the past of Mondo and his eleki island origins leaving with a boom. Not stick ourselves too deep within the warmth of "Paradise" separated from the reality, despite the world feeling meaningless and giving meaninglessness things, accept the idea of moving forward still and not imprison yourself into numbing thoughts of that "Paradise".
I might not be the greatest thinker picking up pieces of crucial information and forming mind changing interpretations, nor great with wording my personal thoughts that decrease the yapping. But damn did this game make me think a lil bit and honestly what i believe i got out and what it contributed to the KTP narrative, damn good game I do say and I believe my time spent was well worth it. You dont need me to sing high praises tho, every backloggdian is singing em look at the ratings man.
Perhaps getting caught up in a Paradise filled with mystery away from the real world aint too bad once a while or you could think like Kusabi where there is no real paradise and just keep moving forward. But alas, like Sumio said in the final moments
With an emotional heart I bid you farewell, Lospass Island
To start off my ramble of thoughts, before main story potatoes imma yap bout the gameplay. Holy shit did this game rattle my brain with its puzzles mainly within the DS lost and found puzzles. Upcoming trying to be major relating to math and my dumbass couldnt do most. The story puzzles were a bit easier and actually a bit intuitive with clues in the guidebook, even ones i tried really hard but wasted a lot of time until giving into the guide, i found myself in a bit of awe at the thinking behind it if it wasn't completely batshit but again thats more so the optional puzzles. I loved the whole CATHERINE gimmick i love a little neat briefcase used to jack shit and input doo-da's and the like. The other aspect of gameplay that is the majority of the game, the all dreaded and loved WALKING!!!!!!!!! Within technical standpoint I don't think i fuck wit the walking heavy heavy its a bit boring, but thats the thing, game is art yadda yadda your supposed to hate it or sum! I found the shit ton of walking kinda endearing with the good ass music Takada composed for FSR alongside it. It gave me time to think about the game and get absorbed into it.
Speaking of the music, I did not get to experience the whole quality of the music being played on the DS Version (dont ask why im doing this review on this version it looks prettier). Hearing it still tho and then the HD versions of the PS2, oh my googly moogly it fucks. Masafumi Takada is a good composer and captured the tropical island feels and whatever was needed just right (he also did DR2 island music too which is also a good tune to my ears). I will chime into a bit more about some of the music in specific within the story part of the yapping session. Without mentioning those i'd say Cuban Overture was my favorite to listen to.
speaking of the story part of the yapping session,
KILLING THE PAST BABY WE LOVE THAT!!!!
It's hard to start this section, but personally id sum it up to :
This bum ass island bruh :laugh: to I remember you was conflicted.
Comedy attempt aside, the overall plot and thematic ideal of what I believe FSR tried to bring onto me was the longing of a way out of the mundane. I am not a professional critical thinker or philosopher, so it may sound silly but what am i yapping about? Assuming from the obvious that we have completed the game, Sumio Kodai of The Silver Case before this game we see not as kodai, but as Sumio MONDO. We last know of this man as being a "criminal" after case parade. What the hell happened? Kinda is not explicitly stated in a clear way in game but somehow he has broken free from prison and now at an island on a new job as a "Searcher". I really try hard not to just retell the story so im going to try and not bear with me. Lospass Island is fucking gorgeous, It's inhabitants however? Not so pleasant as days in Lospass are claimed to be. Sumio Mondo is called to stop some fuck blowing up a plane at the airport by Edo Macalister the D1 freaky man of this game. Within the island Sumio cannot use his car and must walk the whole way through the game, calves of fucking STEEL. Through the 18 requests (16 days by the end of the game) We spend half of these days helping out the local hotel guests and alike. They usually are somewhat friendly to Sumio, but overall every person is kind of a dick to you and tell you to get fuckin real dude. By the end of the request usually all of the people we help turn to be some odd person and end off with the plane overhead exploding either naturally or in cases like a lady turned to an angel, straight fucking send it to the plane. Sumio awakes every day to the same call by Edo, majority getting up and tumbling over, helping new people search for something and getting assed by them, and end off by the plane exploding. This is a time loop, or it is supposed to be?? Fuck man there is a lot to be said. Sumio is actually born within the island I suppose as "eleven children" of this island which within their electric bill, they clone the damn kid's bodies in case something happens. They even retain the memories of the previous living body onward. Characters Remy and Koshimizu also are those children. On more fucked shit, this whole island isnt even the beautiful one we see mostly its just some island that is kept secret so underground they can infinite silver eyes money glitch to hopefully harvest an eye that works with hyenas that this island breeds via traditions, that the guidebook really fuckin details about shoutout the guidebook yo. Sumio eventually is at a point where sue starts acting 2 goofy and encourages finding the truth and when we dont, sandance shot fucks us stupid style and we die. The whole remy episode was pretty cool with the whole finally introducing the cloned bodies under eleki, and therefore,what? playing ooooooo such a cool moment. Toriko is kinda there sometimes until the last few requests where she revives us so goat sauce on her number one hype lass. Okay i mentioned the music would be brought back up, this mainly happens in request where Tokio Morishima comes in, dude the music being Silver Case music remixed was fucking awesome its like telling us "aight brah wake up its over" Sumio closely regaining conscious from his longing of being nowhere near his reality remembering his past sorta. We then kill that shit in the last chapter where we say farewell to some characters and its actually sweet and genuine for the most part away with being a dick to Sumio. Sumio defuses bombs at the airport like he is a D1 Counter Strike player because Stephan is a fucking loser. The last important bit is Sandance Shot being revealed again ending the "game" he had goin on. We see that actually, the time loop shit is up in the air as we have been going through 16 BODY CLONES of Sumio and we are the last one at the moment. We still regain that memories they had and why we awoke everyday the same. Final Mondo is a beautiful mellow track with hints of "Investigation" from Silver Case in it I believe it sounded like. We board the plane and assume the island finally blows up, BUT THEN PETER THE TRUCK DRIVER SHOWS UP TO BE OUR BUDDY TETSUGORO KUSABI!!!!!!!!! He was looking for us alluding to the fact that Sumio stunted on em by escaping and its time to return to our loser cell. Sumio obviously is kinda fucked still as Kusabi hints we were "used" with this searcher shit. Kusabi's bum ass STILL HAS NO MOTION as he hits us with the "pay me 50,000 yen!"
The game explains Elbow, Maspro and Lospass silver eye production, Edo was a freak indeed working with them but wanted to stop them tho when he learned the truth, Lospass maybe actually was not real all along?? The game sorta ends on this note with the following perfect end statement;
"The long day of Sumio Mondo has ended, and a new day for Sumio Kodai has started."
The whole idea of Escapism and ideal of nothingness expressed to me was honestly well played. Sumio after kinda having no purpose with the Parade revenge done wanted to kinda escape from his life, and therefore found his desire to be away within Lospass Island. The Island was only really for silver eye production, but Sumio's "dream" I believe shaped it to be what we saw, and who was within it. It also shows how we must come to accept our past in some way but also not let it linger with Sumio remembering who he was as Kodai, then killing the past of Mondo and his eleki island origins leaving with a boom. Not stick ourselves too deep within the warmth of "Paradise" separated from the reality, despite the world feeling meaningless and giving meaninglessness things, accept the idea of moving forward still and not imprison yourself into numbing thoughts of that "Paradise".
I might not be the greatest thinker picking up pieces of crucial information and forming mind changing interpretations, nor great with wording my personal thoughts that decrease the yapping. But damn did this game make me think a lil bit and honestly what i believe i got out and what it contributed to the KTP narrative, damn good game I do say and I believe my time spent was well worth it. You dont need me to sing high praises tho, every backloggdian is singing em look at the ratings man.
Perhaps getting caught up in a Paradise filled with mystery away from the real world aint too bad once a while or you could think like Kusabi where there is no real paradise and just keep moving forward. But alas, like Sumio said in the final moments
With an emotional heart I bid you farewell, Lospass Island
A mystery is concealed here! An endless journey, the prey protects their soul while the hunter hunts the truth. A requiem solely sung for the search! Truth is singular. It's time to go to work, Catherine! The search culminates here!