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Braid
Publisher: Number None Inc.
Developer: Number None Inc.
Genre: Platformer
Release Date: August 6, 2008
Platform: XBL
Reviewer: Damien
Braid is a 2d platforming game that was released on Xbox 360 arcade on Aug
6th, 2008. This game was created by independent game maker Johnathan Blow.
Johnathan took 3 years and over 180,000 dollars of his own money in order to
create Braid. Was his time and money worth it?
Braid starts with no intro movie or credits. It starts simply with a title
screen that is directly a part of the game itself. The game’s main character is
named Tim. Tim is on a quest to “save the princess”. Sound like a familiar
quest? That is because there are several direct references to games like Super
Mario Brothers 1 throughout. The similarities end there however, and you will
find that Braid is like nothing you have ever seen, heard, or played before.
There are 3 things you will notice in regards to Braid. One is the amazing
artwork. Much like “Odin Sphere” Braid has hand drawn sprites and backgrounds.
It is truly a sight to see the game in motion. Everything was created with
painstaking detail. Just looking at the expression of sorrow on Tim’s face when
he can’t go any further will connect with you in a way that no sprite ever has.
Second is the music. The music in Braid is on par with any major motion picture
out there. Braid’s music was composed by Jami Sieber, Shira Kammen, and Cheryl
Ann Fulton. The music consists of guitars, harps, violins, horns, trumpets, it’s
very much like spending a night at the opera. The music is directly related to
the action in the game. If an area of the game is depressing, then the music
reflects that. Not only that but it will reflect what your character is doing.
Some areas the music will play backwards, sometimes it will play in slow motion,
it all depends on what Tim is up too.
The third is the game play. Braid’s game play is second to none. Much like the
first time you played any of the NES Super Mario Brothers or Genesis Sonic the
Hedgehogs, Braid will blow your mind from the get go. The game is set up into 6
stages. The first world is actually the second. WHAT? I know that sounds odd,
but when you first start the game you will be exploring “world 2”. There are 6
worlds in total with “world 1” being the last stage. This is all done with
specific reasoning. I don’t want to give away too much of the story, but at the
end of the game when you finally get to play “world 1” your jaw will drop.
The objective of each stage is to college different puzzle pieces that are
scattered around the world. Once you collect each of the puzzle pieces, there is
a puzzle mini-game to put the pieces together and they will form a picture. That
picture helps to tell the story. That may sound simple enough, but each “world”
will change the rules. On one stage enemy characters might only move while you
are moving, in another “world”, you have the ability to slow down time in a
bubble around your character. These changes keep every world fresh as you never
know what you are going to be facing next. It will also keep you staring at the
screen for hours just asking “how the heck do I get that?”
Much of the games story is left totally up to personal interpretation. What I
believe the story is trying to express may be totally different than you. I have
heard people debating the story to range from everything from nuclear war, to
being a stalker, to getting divorced. None or all of these could be correct, but
one thing is for sure, you will be thinking about the game for days after you
complete it.
Final Verdict
It should be noted that while most games on Xbox Live cost 800 ms points. Braid
cost’s 1200 (15 bucks). And before you ask, yes it is very much worth the extra
cost. It is on the shorter end, but there is no filler and you are left feeling
satisfied. If you like classic platforming games, or heck if you like games at
all (and you own a Xbox 360) go buy this game NOW!
Rating
10 out of 10
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