Braid Review

BY Rabie Hassoun | POSTED: 11 August 2008

Gaming at its finest.



Many people might think of XBLA as an ideal place to download remakes of classical games. That is true; many publishers have brought back some very good classics for us on XBLA. Now with the release of the new generation of XBLA games however, things might just start to change. And I hope this game, Braid, is the first sign of amazing and innovative things to come. Braid as a game is a first of a kind on XBLA and the Xbox 360 overall. So good and original, that many retail games can only wish they are half as good as Braid in action. So what is the fuss all about exactly?

You are a kid called Tim dressed up in a suit and a red tie, living out what seems to be like a set of weird dreams, six dreams to be precise. Each dream is stranger than the other, with each level giving Tim a different power to help him solve the puzzles. The levels in Braid are not huge at all; you can actually finish the whole game in 20 minutes of running around.  The goal of the game however, is to actually solve each puzzle on hand.

In every world, there is a set of puzzles you need to solve to obtain the puzzle pieces. Each puzzle is a different and unique challenge. You will be able to rewind and correct a mistake, slow down time to take advantage of a situation or even spawn a clone to move an object for you. All of that in one game, with different and interesting puzzles coming at you consistently. For a while you might struggle with some of the puzzles on hand. Almost each and every one of them requires you using all the powers you posses PLUS every object and enemy within the level. You will reach a point in the game where nothing is just there for the heck of it; each object has a purpose and is placed there for you to take advantage of it.

The game controls very well and you will have to play a few levels before your hands gets used to all the rewinding and time control. As you move along in Braid, puzzles might get trickier and will require you fully understanding how your characters moves and reacts. One world for example will have everything moving according to your very own movement. Move forward and everything will move, move backward and the whole level will do so too! Stop and everything else will freeze. Imagine solving a puzzle in such an environment!

The game might not feature the eye popping graphics we are spoiled with consistently these days, but it does feature some very impressive and colorful levels in full wide screen. The music played in the background is also a remarkable aspect about the game. The constant flow of the music into your head as you solve a tricky puzzle, is a just something you need to experience to understand and appreciate. The story is just as fascinating as the gameplay itself, you just have to play it and finish it to understand how remarkable it is.

Braid is a game that many will struggle to understand, slowly everyone that invests enough time into it will enjoy every minute he or she have put into the game. It has unique printed all over it from the start to finish. Every time you face an “impossible” puzzle, keep trying until you solve it and see how good it feels. Now this is gaming at its best.