The developers of Undergarden have touted the title as one that will free your mind and relieve all stress. The purpose of the game is to take your little buddy and float him through the undersea world as he pollinates the sea floor with beautiful flowers. That is really the whole meat of the story as The Undergarden is meant to play as a casual game when you just need a break from the daily grind.
Gameplay:
The best part of The Undergarden is how easy it is for anyone to pick up and play. The game is meant for all ages and makes good use of the PS3 controller. The sticks are used to float your little guy through the ocean in all directions. As you move through the water, you will come across pollen pods on the sea floor. Bumping into these pods will fill your character with pollen and allow him to spread the seeds of life through the ocean floor. As you move across the floor, plant life will sprout up in whatever area you touch giving some great things to look at.
It’s not all just flowers that you will grow, but fruit and seeds make an appearance as well. You can use the X button to pick up the objects and drag them to weighted boxes that once full enough will open levers to the next area. These type of puzzles are the most common throughout most of the game and can cause things to get a bit repetitive at times. Throughout the levels, you will find other little musical characters that are sitting there strumming guitars or making some type of music. You can pick these characters up to help with the pollinating process. I found that it was pretty enjoyable just having them along as it changed the game’s atmosphere, both physically and audibly. The Undergarden is really just that simple to play, and that’s what makes it a great casual game.
Graphics and Audio:
The Undergarden starts off as a brooding dark world, but explodes with color as you pollinate the ocean around you. The game is very pleasing to the eye and reminds me of such great casual games like Flower. The game looks like an Andy Warhol painting under the sea. While playing I found no graphics issues such as tears or FPS problems. The sound in The Undergarden is what drives home the game’s relaxation aspect. I could see players using the audio track to meditate or do Yoga to.
Final Thoughts:
While The Undergarden will not strike a big chord with hardcore gamers, it is a decent time-waster for those instances when you just need to take a break from blowing people up or the daily grind. With it being so accessible to the family, it can be used as a great starter game for younger crowds. I would recommend that Shogunites try it before you buy it on your PSN today!
