Braid 360 Review

Braid is a neat little Xbox Live Arcade title (coming in a few months to the PC) that was made essentially by a team of three people. Largely the brainchild of Jonathan Blow, it’s an interesting rumination on side-scrolling platforming gameplay, and a great puzzle game to boot. With a beautiful art style and some interesting time-bending mechanics, Braid might be worth looking into if you yearn for the days when Super Mario World was the hottest thing in the gaming world.

The game follows the story of Tim, a fellow in a suit and tie who is looking for a princess. The story starts off simply, but gets much more complex as the game wears on; to say more would risk ruining the experience. It’s a story that, like Bioshock’s, calls into question the foundations at the core of many videogame plot lines. Tim is bestowed with a unique gift, in that he can rewind time to undue his mistakes. Unlike other games with a rewind mechanic, here this ability is unlimited. At any time during the game you can hold down the X button and things start to flow in reverse. This mechanic is necessary not only to the plot of the game, but also to many of the inventive puzzles on display here.

Braid is a game where you run to the right and try to get to the end of the stage. Along the way, you’ll meet a number of truly creative puzzles that usually require some clever time manipulation and precise jumping to solve. The game can get rather frustrating at times, and the only thing that makes it bearable is the rewind mechanic. There are 6 worlds in the game, and each one has a different take on the flow of time. Again, saying too much more would ruin the experience for you. In each world, Tim needs to collect puzzle pieces and then assemble them into a finished picture. You don’t have to get all of the puzzle pieces to beat the game, but then you’d only have about half of the experience. This puzzle platforming gameplay certainly isn’t for everyone, though I was able to get through the entire game in about 5 hours and I didn’t get too terribly stuck.

Graphically, Braid is quite beautiful, with a look that resembles watercolor art. The game moves fluidly and is a true testament to how neat 2D gaming can still look. The sound is quite minimal, and the music ads just the right mood to the game.

Now, the big question would be, is this worth the fifteen dollar asking price? If you’re a fan of older platform jumping games, or puzzle games, then the answer is a resounding yes. If games like Portal and N+ appealed to you, then this will be right up your alley. Everyone else should be a little more wary. Braid is a true achievement in its genre, and the plot is thought-provoking, but the game relies on your being a fan of classic platformers in order for you to get the most out of it. There’s not too much to come back to once you’ve beaten it, although there is an alternate ending if you collect some hidden items, and a speedrun system with leaderboards to show off your fastest times to the world. Recommended for fans of old platforming games like Mario, fans of puzzle games, and for those not easily frustrated. This game is rated E10+ by the ESRB. For more information, check out www.braid-game.com


	Braid 360 Review…4 out of 5 By Alex Rowe Braid is a neat little Xbox Live Arcade title (coming in a few months to the PC) that was made essentially by a team of three people. Largely the brainchild of Jonathan Blow, it’s an interesting rumination on side-scrolling platforming gameplay, and a great puzzle game to boot. With a beautiful art style and some interesting time-bending mechanics, Braid might be worth looking into if you yearn for the days when Super Mario World was the hottest thing in the gaming world. The game follows the story of Tim, a fellow in a suit and tie who is looking for a princess. The story starts off simply, but gets much more complex as the game wears on; to say more would risk ruining the experience. It’s a story that, like Bioshock’s, calls into question the foundations at the core of many videogame plot lines. Tim is bestowed with a unique gift, in that he can rewind time to undue his mistakes. Unlike other games with a rewind mechanic, here this ability is unlimited. At any time during the game you can hold down the X button and things start to flow in reverse. This mechanic is necessary not only to the plot of the game, but also to many of the inventive puzzles on display here. Braid is a game where you run to the right and try to get to the end of the stage. Along the way, you’ll meet a number of truly creative puzzles that usually require some clever time manipulation and precise jumping to solve. The game can get rather frustrating at times, and the only thing that makes it bearable is the rewind mechanic. There are 6 worlds in the game, and each one has a different take on the flow of time. Again, saying too much more would ruin the experience for you. In each world, Tim needs to collect puzzle pieces and then assemble them into a finished picture. You don’t have to get all of the puzzle pieces to beat the game, but then you’d only have about half of the experience. This puzzle platforming gameplay certainly isn’t for everyone, though I was able to get through the entire game in about 5 hours and I didn’t get too terribly stuck. Graphically, Braid is quite beautiful, with a look that resembles watercolor art. The game moves fluidly and is a true testament to how neat 2D gaming can still look. The sound is quite minimal, and the music ads just the right mood to the game. Now, the big question would be, is this worth the fifteen dollar asking price? If you’re a fan of older platform jumping games, or puzzle games, then the answer is a resounding yes. If games like Portal and N+ appealed to you, then this will be right up your alley. Everyone else should be a little more wary. Braid is a true achievement in its genre, and the plot is thought-provoking, but the game relies on your being a fan of classic platformers in order for you to get the most out of it. There’s not too much to come back to once you’ve beaten it, although there is an alternate ending if you collect some hidden items, and a speedrun system with leaderboards to show off your fastest times to the world. Recommended for fans of old platforming games like Mario, fans of puzzle games, and for those not easily frustrated. This game is rated E10+ by the ESRB. For more information, check out www.braid-game.com