Can video games be art? That is the question. Braid is one of those
games that answers that question with a resounding yes. I'll explain
why.
Braid tells the tale of Tim, in a moving story of loss and
redemption, becoming complacent in our day to day "ordinary" lives, and
wanting to do and be something more. This beautiful story is told in a
classic storybook fairytale fashion, which fits nicely with the rest of
the game, especially the artistic graphics and beautiful musical score.
Braid's
visuals are arguably the most beautiful 2-D graphics ever seen in a
game before, the art direction is extraordinary, never has a game made
you feel like you were playing an interactive painting before more than
Braid other than perhaps Okami. I could go on and on about how pretty
Braid's visuals are, it's easily one of the best looking XBLA games
available, and one of the most artistic looking in years.
The
music in Braid is equally beautiful, with lovely violins and moody
cellos, Braid's musical score will constantly delight your ears. It
also changes depending on what Tim does in the environment, increasing
in intensity or creating a feeling of desperation, and when need be, a
soft relaxing melody almost like a complement of a job well done.
The
thing that makes Braid most unique however is it's gameplay, granted
you can run across the various levels stomping the enemies and bosses
in your path in minutes, but the real meat of Braid's gameplay comes
from using the time manipulation mechanic to solve various puzzles in
order to collect puzzle pieces. Each time you complete a certain
world's puzzle, a multicolored ladder will grow a little bit more
leading the way to the top floor, which is where the final level of
Braid lies, and it's nothing short of epic. Using time manipulation to
solve puzzles is simple at first, but later on you will encounter
objects not affected by time, another level has Time controlling a
shadow version of himself, and it only gets more complicated and
stranger after that. No doubt, Braid's puzzles will make your head
hurt, in fact, I haven't played a game with puzzles this tough since
The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess.
Braid is probably best
described as the Super Mario Bros. of the 21st century, although the
difficulty comes from the puzzles, there is no punishment for death,
simply rewind time to before you died and your back running again.
Arguably the best, not only Xbox Live Arcade title available, but the
best downloadable game available period, Braid is a game that every
gamer should give a try, especially if you enjoy 2-D platformers. And
don't worry about the fifteen dollar asking price, Braid is
unquestionably worth the extra five bucks.
