Braid Review

Braid is possibly the most stunning game available for download on any console, and also the only game I can confidently describe as not only a game, but art.

You play as a man named Tim. He looks nothing like your run of the mill cute or “cool” platform characters like Sonic, or Spyro and the like, but is rather a small, red-headed man in a scruffy black suit. Tim is trying to rescue the princess, whomever she may be.

The game borrows bits and bobs from other games, most notably Mario. The protagonist looks like a regular man, the enemies are small Goomba-like creatures and ferocious plants, and the princess is never in the castle.

That’s not to say that this game is a rip-off, not at all. The game is unique in almost every aspect, most obviously the graphics and the “story”.

The graphics in this game are beautiful. A visual treat. A load of environments, colours and shades just glowing on the screen. They look like every piece has been hand-painted and amazing amounts of detail are put into each level.

The story is a completely unique part of the game just on its own, told throughout the levels in the form of books which tell of a man searching for a love lost, going through great measures to reach his princess. However, all is not as it seems. The story never directly reveals anything, and as such can be interpreted in many ways, including theories of the Atomic Bomb or reversed roles in the game.

The aim of the game is to collect Jigsaw pieces (nothing like Jiggies), though for those who simply want to advance the story you can ignore these. A warning though, to reach the last level (or first in this case) you must collect all pieces.

The game is like one long puzzle, using time to changes decisions Tim makes, and each level has a unique way of using time. Some let him simply reverse and fast-forward, some allow time to be slowed in a particular area, and some allow for Tim to use clones of himself to help him reach new destinations.

One thing that just must be mentioned, too, is the soundtrack. The soundtrack is astounding and provokes emotion with each beat. It’s hard to describe, but this game could not have any other soundtrack and be as atmospheric or correct. Rather than creating new music, Braid’s developer uses copyrighted tracks from artists such as Shira Kammen to give a real atmosphere and unique sound to the game.

The game looks and acts exactly how you want a platformer to. It looks gorgeous, sounds gorgeous, but most of all has no negative features regarding level design or controls. However, this game may be a bit “artsy” or perhaps even difficult for those expecting a Mario knock-off or a high-speed side scroller. You could say it’s a platform game for adults.

Pros -

Astounding Graphics
Perfect Controls
Atmospheric Soundtrack
A well-written and intelligent story that goes far beyond “princess has been kidnapped”
Challenging puzzles and depth

Cons -

May be too difficult for younger or inexperienced players (though only if they want to do it all properly)
Time-manipulation games aren’t for everyone
The story, though up for interpretation, may be too much for someone just wanting a simple game
The Hidden Stars are extremely hard to get, though not necessary for completion

Graphics – 5/5
Sound – 4/5
Controls – 5/5
Story – N/A
Replay ability – 4/5

Overall – 4/5

Braid is a game which pushes the boundaries of platform games and delivers something which can only be described as a piece of art wrapped in a game. Though it may not be everyone’s cup of tea, Braid is a game which everybody should at least try. You may just see that platform games aren’t limited to coins and mushrooms.

Games: Braid, Platforms: Xbox Live Arcade, Genres: Puzzle Adventure, Publishers: Microsoft Game Studios, Developers: Number None Inc.