I want to get this out of the way right now. Braid is the probably the most compelling game I’ve played since Portal. Now, I realize the above statement seems rash or a little strange to say, given all of the games released between the two (and, yes, i realize they are both puzzle-based), but I couldn’t stop playing. Seriously. I tried. I downloaded the demo on a lark and bought the full version about 3 minutes later.

What starts out as a seemingly simple 2-D platformer on the XBox Live Arcade quickly unfolds into a deep, challenging, and downright fantastic rewarding experience. There are obvious homages in the design, from Super Mario Brothers to Donkey Kong, but you know what? That’s OK by me. Braid is a game that succeeds, at least in part, to its predecessors. The difference is that the games the level design up a few notches by implementing a fantastic feature: time manipulation.

I know what you’re thinking: this is a tired gimmick. Manipulate the flow of time, you say? Sounds like bullet time or whatever in Max Payne. However, this is different because it’s a simple (well, at first anyway) rewind feature that lets the player replay the last seconds of his or her life instead of starting a level over again, bring back recently deceased enemies, and even offset the timing of the levels’ cannons, baddies, and lifts. It’s on par with Portal’s portal technology in first-person shooters in that the traditional limits on a 2-d platformer level no longer apply. Death doesn’t mean the end of a level, and neither does a key that falls down a hole. Just hold down the X button and bring it all back into the game world and try again.

And speaking of game world, just look at the art design in the screenshot above. For such a simple game, it is really beautiful. The colors, the backgrounds, and most impressively, the title screen are arresting.

However, I think the true highlight in Braid is the compelling storyline, of all things. Before each level only bits and pieces are revealed (and I won’t spoil anything here) but Jonathan Blow and his team just give enough away to keep everything interesting. Inside each level are puzzle pieces that connect to display a painting that connects the story together even more — this presents two objectives: beating the level and grabbing all of the puzzle pieces. Believe me, the second task is considerably more difficult than you may imagine. Some of the puzzles are maddeningly difficult at times, but as along as you remember that everything you need to beat the puzzle is in the level, you’ll figure it out eventually. If you have to resort to help (no one will really blame you) there are some YouTube videos. But where else would you look first anyway?

All in all, this is by far the best XBLA game (and this coming from a DOOM fanatic). Grab it and prepare to spend an entire day (or two) engrossed in Braid. I would recommend this above most games over twice its price and more (Braid is currently $15 on the XBL network).  Braid will give you a saisfying and entertaining experience for your $15, and that is a lot more than what we can say for a trip to the movies. 9.5/10

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This entry was posted on August 26, 2008 at 3:24 pm and is filed under Uncategorized. You can subscribe via RSS 2.0 feed to this post's comments.

Tags: Braid, Digital Download, Donkey Kong, Games, Jonathan Blow, Portal, Reviews, Super Mario Brothers, XBLA, Xbox Live

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