Things change when Florence meets Krish, a cellist she hears playing in the park. All the latest gaming news, game reviews and trailers. Let’s just get this out of the way: Florence is one of the most beautiful, unforgettable games I have ever played. Florence tells a very simple story with little to no dialogue and very minimal game play, but it's absolutely worth the small investment of your money/time that it … From the greys when we first meet her as she follows her mundane routine, to the gradual brightening shades as she falls deeper and deeper into love with Krish - it's a gorgeous and artistic masterpiece. While players don't have any input in how their relationship progresses, we do interact with them in simple ways. How do you review a game like Florence? Video games exploring romance is nothing new - but this short and sweet game is probably the best and most realistic title that portrays what the realities of falling in love is actually like. Truly, one could simply listen to the soundtrack on its own and get a complete narrative. RELATED: EQQO Switch Review: Needs More Labo VR. Falling in love is great, but the reality of most relationships is that not all couples are meant to last. Follow her on Instagram and Twitter: @missabbyespirit. Florence is available for Microsoft Windows, macOS, Android, and iOS devices in addition to the Nintendo Switch. Florence Review. In total, the game is told through twenty chapters, divided into six acts that represent a period of Florence's life. Luckily for her, she found something to do with it - make a living in video game journalism! It's a frustrating yet familiar story all of us have experienced or know someone who's gone through it. But it's nice to have both art and music together. Click the button below to start this article in quick view. The puzzles are used in several scenes, as is a game that involves removing and replacing things in Florence’s apartment to make room for Krish. Conversations between the two work as a series of jigsaw puzzles. Her life is an endless routine of work, sleep, and spending too much time on social media. The more in love they are, the fewer pieces there are to put together. Developers of emotionally complex, story-based games can tend to prioritize telling those stories, sometimes at the expense of gameplay. In terms of game mechanics, all of the minigames are relatively simple, calming in effect, and don't take away from the overall narrative. In fact, Florence isn’t really about a relationship at all. We use cookies and other tracking technologies to improve your browsing experience on our site, show personalized content and targeted ads, analyze site traffic, and understand where our audiences come from. Then one day, she meets a cello player named Krish who changes everything about how she sees the world. But what sets Florence apart most isn’t just the beautiful ebb and flow of its story; it’s that it’s a fantastically enjoyable game to play, too. That minigame comes back later, with a heartbreaking twist. A Nintendo Switch copy of Florence was purchased by TheGamer for this review. Krish and Florence get to know each other, fall in love, move in and ... really get to know each other, then fall out of love and drift apart, emotionally and physically. READ NEXT: Acclaimed Mobile Game Florence Is Coming To Nintendo Switch And Steam, Abby Espiritu is a writer and video game fanatic. One day, after her phone dies while walking about, she follows the sound of cello music to a park where she meets Krish, a street performer. Florence By: Annapurna Interactive (Mountains) This is a bit of a hard review to write. Beyond her writing endeavors, Abby is also an onscreen and voiceover actress, as well as a casting production assistant based in New York City. About This Game Florence is a heartfelt experience that lasts around 30 minutes. Tapping on music notes guides Florence to Krish in the scene where they first meet; with each tap, the music gets louder, until the pair are facing each other. Other times they're more complex, like when players have to solve a puzzle that symbolizes Florence's comfort with Krish on their first dates. But while video games continue to explore a wider variety of emotional themes and experiences, like love and death and the minutiae of daily life, something as cohesive and cinematic as Florence still feels unique. The story moves relatively quickly, and a single playthrough will likely take around half an hour to complete. Covering the hottest movie and TV topics that fans want. She’s stuck in an uninspiring routine, like most 20-somethings: She snoozes her alarm until the last possible moment, scrolls and taps her way through social media while on the bus to work, mindlessly balances her company’s books, and argues with her overly involved mother during her free time. When Krish first moves into Florence's home, players have to figure out where his stuff will fit into her home and remove some of Florence's own items to make space. After falling in love with his music, she eventually falls for - both literally and figuratively - the young man. Like the video game equivalent of an orchestra, Florenceis comprised of so many different elements that all work seamlessly together to create an emotional masterpiece. Like the video game equivalent of a classical orchestration and Studio Ghibli film hybrid, Florence is a beautiful, intimate, and emotional portrait at the heartbreaking reality of falling in and out of love. The breathtaking Florence captures falling in love better than almost any game. The use of piano in each chapter's unique song is so effective in communicating Florence's feelings: the slow and timid notes when Florence goes on her first dates with Krish, the jaunty and bouncy sounds when they're both at the apex of their love are all so powerful. Even emotional tasks have been commodified into a game. To learn more or opt-out, read our Cookie Policy. In fact, even reading the App Store description will keep you from being all too surprised at what happens. By. Find reviews, trailers, release dates, news, screenshots, walkthroughs, and more for Florence here on GameSpot. At only an hour long, Florence is, at face value, a hard sell in a world that often values a video game on its length. Video games exploring romance is nothing new - but this short and sweet game is probably the best and most realistic title that portrays what the realities of falling in love is actually like. 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