With the aid of Catharine, Sumo’s trusty computer that allows him to “jack” into the minds of his subjects as one of its many useful features, his job is to stop the explosive device that threatens to destroy the entire island. Using the hotel as his base of operations, Sumo travels the island questioning the residents and following up on clues in order to get to the bottom of the mystery. Can Sumo solve the mystery in time to defuse the bomb? More importantly, can he figure out what’s happening to him and his surroundings before he eventually goes insane?

User Reviews about Flower - Sun and Rain

Like the other reviewers said, the graphics are not amazing but, the story is. Its like playing a character in a dreamy foreign film with a great soundtrack. Some of the chapters are tedious I will admit but, the overall feel of the game and the characters make the game interesting for sure. I am hoping that the rereleased Silver Case and the new sequel for the DS will provide a similiar style. Suda51 is a genius! -- Suda's Strange Island

If you are a fan of Suda51's innovative style in his other games (Killer7, No More Heroes), you'll probably like Flower, Sun and Rain. Where this game really excels is in its story and atmosphere. It plays like an interactive novel, so the "gameplay" is limited to solving puzzles with numbers and running...a lot. If this doesn't appeal to you, I suggest you turn away right now. However, if an mysterious, engaging story appeals to you, you'll probably like this title. The atmosphere of this game is incredibly tangible, as it is frighteningly surreal and dreamlike, especially in certain scenarios. Also, at only $20, this is a great deal. -- My favorite game

I agree with the other reviews that say this game is not for everyone. I'll start by listing its faults, because if you can't get past these, you're really going to hate this game.

- Repetitive puzzles: most of the puzzles are of the same type, they are numerous, and they are required to progress through the game. If you get tired of the same puzzle mechanic after awhile, this might not be your game.

- Lots of backtracking: You're going to visit the same locations over and over early on, there's no vehicular travel and no fast travel/teleporting. You walk A LOT. If you get bored with this kind of gameplay, you're almost certainly going to hate this.

- Graphics: There's no two ways around it - this game is ugly. It's an older PS2 game port, so there's only so much you can do, but if staring at blocks, jaggies, and indecipherable human features bothers you, you'll be bothered by this game.

OK, so why 4 stars? Because Suda 51 and the gang at Grasshopper have created such a quirky world full of unforgettable characters, a genuinely engrossing storyline, and great atmosphere that none of the things in the list bothered me at all. The main plot of the game actually provides a good reason for all the backtracking. Every character has personality to spare. The music (quirky versions of things like Ravel's "Bolero" and "Who Could Ask For Anything More", among others) will get stuck in your head, guaranteed. And at its heart, this game is a well-done throwback to the Sierra or Lucas Arts type adventure games of the 80s and 90s. You walk around, find things, talk to characters, solve puzzles and get lost in a far out story. I loved those games, and this one does the genre justice and then some.

Again, the game is not for everyone, but I think it's worth a shot if it sounds at all appealing to you. I had a blast playing through the story and unraveling the mystery. -- Strange, engrossing throwback