
We’re catching up on some reviews that we didn’t get to during the holiday rush. Better late than never!
Mark:
In a world where massive, graphics intensive, multi-million dollar budgeted games dominate that playing field, any site that would pick a short, 2D side-scroller as its game of the year would have to be completely nuts. Well you know what? If you don’t completely, 100%, unconditionally agree with everything you read/hear on Threevue, then you are the one that is completely nuts.
Braid is a nowadays-rare game that combines thoughtful storytelling with gameplay mechanics that are unique and stay fresh throughout. Every puzzle you come across in this game is something new, and just when you think you have them all figured out, it throws a whole new idea at you. Visually, it’s beautiful. With the colorful, impressionistic art style scenery and the quirky characters, it’s almost as fun to watch as it is to play.
If you fancy yourself a fan of all types of games, this is an experience that you must try. You’re not going to shoot any big guns, you’re not going to pwn any n00bs, but you are going to find yourself gaining a different outlook on just how good a low-budget, independant game can be. If you don’t even own a console yet, go buy an Xbox 360, and download this game. You won’t regret it.
96/100
Russ:
I’m a sucker for frugal gaming. I scourge the wastelands of bargain bins trying to find any semblance of decency amidst garbage sports and racing games. So when I say that this 4-hour game is worth every cent of your $15, you’ve gotta know that I loved Braid.
There are plenty of moments in this game that will stay with me for a while, but reading and re-reading the storybook intros for every level probably stick with me the most. It’s some deep, challenging stuff, and I found myself applying the author’s sentiments to my own past experiences. That kind of shit don’t happen in Cabella’s, son. The gameplay wasn’t super-tight but that’s forgivable, and the puzzles are mind-benders that I quickly forgot, which means that when I play this game again a year or two from now, I’ll be able to re-live the experience all over again. I can’t wait.
94/100
Tyler:
The moment that I knew Braid was going to be an exceptional game was when I read the book that has the line about the Princess’ braid slapping Tim in the face as she turned to leave. It’s a line that comes soon after you first access the books and it made me think hard about just how personal this game was for the man who made it. Maybe something like that really happened to Jonathan Blow, maybe it didn’t. Who knows? The fact that he leaves the game in such an abstract way is just another reason that I love it.
Touches like these are what make me so enamored with Braid. Its qualities are directly opposed to the qualities of all the crap games out there; uninspired games that do nothing but diminish the art form that Video Games could be. At no point does Braid use a gimmick to substitute for good gameplay. I wish that it was the introduction to video games for everyone, that critics of the medium would play it fully so that they could understand the spectrum games cover and that this caliber of game is carried on so that games become as legitimate as film and music in the future.
98/100
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