August 25, 2008 ... Review by Chad
One day in August of 2008 the online gaming community was amazed if not astonished by a gaming wonder. A game by the name of Braid hit the Xbox Live Arcade for the unheard of price of $15. Most people look at the fact that it costs 1200 Microsoft Points to buy and simply scoff at the product, but a free demo is something that just about anyone will try out. And try it out I did.
After loading up the game you’ll notice that there’s just something about Braid that sets it apart from the rest of the games you’ve played recently. The entire game is in 2-D, and it has a great art style that brings the setting to life.
Not all of the game is explained when you pick up the controller however, as Braid will surprise you once an enemy gets the best of you. The first time you die in the game you’ll realize that you can go back in time. Therefore there are no extra lives, no continues or anything of that sort.
What surprised me the most about the game is that I thought it was a platformer when I first played it. Then I realized that it’s a puzzle game in disguise, just not in the traditional sense. Being a sucker for a good puzzler, this pulled me in and made me hand over my $15 immediately. After only an hour or so with the game, I kept saying aloud that I feel like I should be giving the developers more money because I’ve never seen anything like this game. Braid is probably what’s going to end up being this year’s Portal in terms of ingenious gameplay.
It’s really too bad that the game has such an odd story that can pretty much all but be forgotten. Sometimes it gives you hints as to what each world’s time-power is, but you don’t have to actually read any of the entries in Tim’s diary to have fun with Braid.
The game is so addicting that the first time I played the full version of the game, I was up with a friend until four in the morning trying to figure out some of the puzzles. They’re all solvable, but sometimes you really just need to take a step away for a few hours and then reexamine things.
Much like Portal, Braid isn’t a game that has a great amount of replay value. You’ll probably play the game once and then be done with it. The experience that you get is more than worth it though. The graphics, gameplay, musical score and overall atmosphere make the game one of the best this year, and one that Xbox owners shouldn’t miss.
Completion Time – Five hours or so.
Achievement Information – Of the 200, only 15 of them are tough (speed run).
Braid At A Glance |
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9.0 |
The Good |
Art design. Makes you think. Soundtrack. Use of time. Homage to other games. |
The Bad |
It ends. Story makes very little sense. |
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Amazing |
The Verdict |
Buy this game, $15 well spent. |
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