A bundle of Sony, Indie developed, exclusivity graces the shelves now with the Collector’s Edition of Journey. Not just one game, the disc version also incorporates both flOw and Flower as an added bonus. So, is this an artsy fartsy bumper pack or a gathering of some of the most uniquely engaging titles of this generation?

Let’s kick off with flOw seeing as it came out first in 2007, irritatingly spelt nonetheless, it set’s the stage for the following games in terms of ‘what the hell is going on?!’ Controlled entirely via the sixaxis, you get to play as an amoeba; at this point, I was already sold on the idea! Even without much in the way of tutorials, gameplay is fairly obvious, your goal is to evolve into the biggest, badass underwater creature you can, whilst staying out of harms way. This is done by chomping the lesser organisms and harvesting their DNA, whilst also powering away from the larger amphibians who wish to do the same to you.

Mutating into the more fearsome variants is the addicting force in what drives the game forwards, growing an extra fin or two after gobbling up some tasty nuclei propels you to see how large and intimidating you can become. Before long, that massive dragon-esque thing you were once scared of, becomes: I wonder what appendages I’ll acquire after slaying that!

Graphically stunning along with mesmerising, almost trance inducing animations, the feeling of fighting your way to the top of the food chain becomes an experience like no other. The inevitable downside being that it is on the shorter side of three hours in length.

Flower then next, released a couple of years later, once more sparked discussions of ‘can a videogame be classed as art’. I would personally class it as an interactive, relaxation media. Despite the subtle overtones of how we’re destroying all that’s beautiful in the world and that we control a gust of wind picking up a following of petals to help revive the natural order of splendour in the world, it somehow came across as a little bit pretentious. The analogies in Flower are plentiful, unique to the player and often, unashamedly apt.

Unfortunately, the gameplay doesn’t quite mimic these bold ideals on which the foundation of the game was built upon. The player controls a calm breeze, collecting petals and bringing life to forgotten patches once more. Without a sense of purpose, playing Flower felt like an arduous exercise in futility, the notion of doing something inherently ‘good’ in the game, counteracts the need to progress, it just felt like a task that could never be achieved. Once in the swing of things, the mind has time to wander and muse at the expense  of personal engagement, which unfortunately for me, is why it becomes the weakest of the three; that’s still not a slur by any means! The almost poetic fluidity of Flower alone is reason enough to give it a go.

Following the natural chronological order of releases, last but certainly not least, comes Journey. Released in 2012, Journey epitomised what Indie games should be all about. Something unique that doesn’t necessarily require unfathomable amounts of funding, just an interesting idea implemented well. Deep, memorable and artistically astounding, Journey is simply one of those games you have to play to appreciate it fully.

Once our unnamed, scarf toting character awakens in the desert, you are given control and instinctively climb the peak of a nearby sand dune to reveal in the distance a towering mountain, here begins your journey. The goal is obvious, the following expedition filled with trepidation and the reasoning is your own. Aside from some dream-like sequences between transitions from area to area, the cause as to why you must ascend the summit relies upon your own imagination.

The distinctive design choices of Journey taken as singular mechanics appear ridiculous, but combined as a whole, just work. The notion of sharing your adventure with another player randomly chosen by the game, of which you have no method of conversing with besides ‘singing’ sounds absurd. Yet the regression to caveman levels of communication skills does not hamper progression in the slightest. Players quickly bond and decide collectively what each other mean, short sharp bursts may indicate decisiveness whereas a long press could show understanding. The co-op features really are the main draw here, when exploring the vast open areas alone, a sense of solitude and isolation claw at you, making the discovery of a second party all the more exhilarating.

A true collector’s edition wouldn’t be complete without a lavishing of behind the scenes documentaries and other goodies; of course this is no exception. Themes, commentaries on influences and histories of the titles and even a few ‘mini’ games are all thrown in as accompaniments to the package.

Overall, a weird and whimsical assortment of downloadable games full of exceptional ideology, design and implementation. Flower is inimitable, flOw really is spelt horribly and Journey is probably one of my favourite downloadable titles of all time. The length of these games, combined, will probably add up to less than ten hours, but not only are these the best and most accurate uses of the sixaxis I’ve ever seen, they are also Playstation exclusives to be truly proud of.

Reviewed on PS3.