Grow Home Reviews
Simply put, Grow Home is a fun little game. It's not such a big game that you would spend more than a couple days playing it, but even after you've finished the story there is plenty to do afterward.
Rather clever physics-driven climbing mechanics marred by the game's lack of willingness to actually do anything with them. Still, Grow Home manages to be a cheap, pleasant surprise of exactly the sort we ought to encourage.
Despite its short length, Grow Home stands out as one of the most refreshing and original titles to have come out of Ubisoft in recent years.
Despite a handful of interesting moments, the whole experience feels a bit hollow
The gaming mechanics of the title are quite fun and when mixed with these powerful vines that the player controls, it does create a sense of gaming wonder. Sure, it does lack replay value but if you want a few hours of escapism, this is definitely the answer!
You should be left feeling bubbly after playing Grow Home. It's not perfect in execution, but given it was never meant to be a commercial product, it's easy to see why Ubisoft couldn't resist turning it into one - it's a bright, charming and original little game that has an irresistable sense of happiness to it.
Grow Home: a great climbing platformer. Beautiful, chunky world. But with a bit of a wonky camera.
Phallic imagery and sore wrists don't stop this from being uniquely charming. Definitely worth a few quid and a few hours of your time.
Ultimately, Grow Home ends up feeling like a product you really want to love, but is unable to produce the content required to hook your attention. It presents a lovable character, but that character lacks a meaningful world to participate in. If there were better visuals or a stronger story, the strong main character would have been able to develop more and become an integral part of the game. As it is, the game is focused on sprouting vines, which is, no doubt, fun as hell. But that fun begins to fade away when you are forced to slowly make your way up a large tree, in what seems like the slowest way possible. As previously stated, Grow Home feels like a piece of a very enjoyable video game, but by itself it lacks the power to stand on its own two feet.
Free from the claustrophobic Fordism that increasingly robs series like Assassin's Creed of their sense of wonder, this is a game that's taken shape at its own pace, and that has been allowed to find its own voice. Pick a point to aim for and jump. Jump!
While its intoxicated physics can lead to occasional despair, the overwhelming joy of the whole experience is a strong tonic, over the handful of hours it takes to get through, I couldn't help maintaining a smile.
If indie gaming is just a state of mind then Ubisoft is getting increasingly good at encouraging it in their developers, especially in this novel plant-based platformer.
Grow Home is a better experiment than a game. The procedural animations of B.U.D. will instantly make him one of the best interactive robot companions you've ever had (no, seriously, HK-47 better watch his back). But the wondrous tension of ascending this Star plant is constantly hampered by the need to waste time collecting arbitrary trinkets so you can waste less time on your main mission.
Grow Home's charming personality, feel-good physics, and satisfying controls make for a beautiful climbing adventure.
You can probably get a good three to four hours of gameplay out of Grow Home, and more if you decide to search for every crystal and seed. It's relatively short, but it oozes charm and personality. I got more than enough enjoyment out of exploring the world, free falling through the vines, and watching BUD be all adorable and weird. If you're still unsure, just give it some time. I bet it will grow on you.
Grow Home is utterly lovely. It's welcoming and sweet, and its simplicity is as elegant as BUD is adorably clumsy. Little experimental treats like this are worth a dozen Far Creeds and Assassin's Crys. More of this, please, Ubisoft!
Take your time, play with the flora and fauna (although be careful, it's not all friendly), search out the gems (some are cunningly hidden), and enjoy taking your time. This isn't a game to rush, but to wobbily savour.
Grow Home isn't awfully deep, nor does it provide any real story to hook you, but this game taps into the pleasure centers of seeing something and going there... however you may choose to do so.