Game Review: Flock
Billy O'Keefe - Mclatchy -Tribune News Service
Apr 17, 2009
"Flock!"
For: Playstation 3 via PSN, Xbox 360 Live Arcade and Windows PC
From: Proper Games/Capcom
ESRB Rating: Everyone (crude humor, mild cartoon violence)
Price: $15
"Flock!" presents a stiffer barrier to entry than most downloadable puzzle games - and not merely because it's $5 more expensive than most think it should be. In "Flock," you're a UFO, and your objective is to herd farm animals around hedges, past natural and unnatural pitfalls and doohickeys and onto your mother ship.
The idea is inspired, and a fantastic look and personality pile on the whimsy. But because you're merely herding animals instead of controlling them directly, "Flock's" intricacies may give you fits. Things start to click when you learn not to overdo the controls and let the animals do some of the work for you, but that's not an easy thing to understand when the game rewards speedy herding with medal bonuses. Fortunately, finding a way to carefully herd every single animal on the board is more fun and worth more in the rewards department, and "Flock's" 50-plus levels don't disappoint in the brainteaser department.
The game also earns its price tag by letting players design and trade their own levels online. If the game finds a devoted following, that translates into months of continuous (and free) downloadable content. It's merely a shame you can't actually play the game online with those same people: "Flock" has co-op play, but it's offline only.
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Copyright 2009 by Mclatchy -Tribune News Service
