Cloud - It's like a daydream you play

I...I have nothing smart-assy to say here.

Cloud is a oddball game, especially for the current gaming environment.  When the whole world seems bent on making you shell out money every month for games you already own, and forcing you to look down a gun sight for any kind of solid gameplay, Cloud stands out as something totally apart, like a snowman in a battlefield.

First of all, It's peaceful.  I mean really, genuinely peaceful.  The amazing thing is it does this without being boring at all.  You fly about as nightshirted avatar of a day-dreaming boy, collecting and shepherding clouds around to form shapes, or pushing them against storm clouds to make rain.  The thing is, at no time do you feel stressed.  Even when you're trying for the eighth time to make a shape, it's just all so pretty and peaceful it's hard to get worked up.

WEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!

Not since NiGHTS has a game made more happy to fly.  The controls take a few seconds to get used to, but soon you'll be zipping around, collecting clouds and just generally exploring.  The area is somewhat minimal, but everything is done with such a soft, day-dreaming style that it's still gorgeous to look at.  It's hard to concentrate on missions at times, with the nagging desire to just pick a direction, put the hammer down, and fly!

What's more, there's a nice sized community of folks making add-on missions for converting black clouds, making puzzle shapes, and just generally fleshing out the experience.  At only four levels, it's a short game, but you'll find yourself playing it again and again.  It's just a fun, wide-open sandbox of imagination.  Oh, have i mentioned how cool it is to fly in this game?  It is.  Really.

I keep finding myself grinning at the screen like a idiot.  Well, more of one.

The cherry on top is that it's a free game, distributed here for the joy of all.  It's won tons of awards, and is well worth at least a look.  I may not be the next big thing in the game world, but it's interesting to see that there are still some people with truly original ideas out there.

Now, 'scuse me while I kiss the sky.