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Review by King3567
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I have found that writing an introduction to a review for Braid has been much more difficult than I imagined. So, if you'll all bare with me, I guess I will start it off with this; Braid is the greatest gaming experience so far on this generation of consoles. Pretentious? Maybe, but this game is the first game in a long time that does something the gaming industry seems to have forgotten about and that is, that it leaves room for our own imagination. Read on to find out why this is a must-have experience.
Life is But a Dream
One of the brilliant things about Braid is how sombre and subtle things are. Take the beginning for example. You boot up the game and the game simply begins. No menu, PRESS START message, no poppy music. You see the screen above and you are ready to go. The controls are simplistic, just move and jump. But, where things get interesting is the unique time altering game mechanics the game provides. At first the game seems like you've a puzzle game in my Super Mario Bros., but by the end you'll face situations where time simply moves depending on which direction you walk and you'll have a shadow clone that repeats what you had previously done. The puzzles are highly innovative and challenging, yet they are always true to the game's logic. If you like Portal, this'll be right up your alley.
The End Is the Beggining Is The End...
Storywise, the game is absolutely brilliant. It is intentionally ambigious and I love it. You see, the game can be interpreted in numerious ways from the books that you read before each level and the puzzles you make using puzzle pieces, that you get from solving puzzles (in case you didn't pick up on in, this game is a PUZZLE). This is so refreshing in an age where we are often spoonfed every explanation for every for every character. All of this leads up to quite possibly the most gut wrenching ending in a video game. For all of thos critcs who say that video games can't be art, PLAY THIS GAME!
Old is New Again
Speaking of art, the game is gorgeous. The whole game revolves around time so it kind of makes sense that the art is both old and new. On one hand, you've got primitive graphics on the forefront, but the background is beautifully watercolored and detailed. It has to be seen in motion for it to be really appreciatted. For music, the game uses wonderful, relaxing music that really sets you in the mood. That's another thing Braid has down really well, it's personality is ten times greater than most full retail games and that is an impressive feat. One thing that you might notice in this game are the numerous homages to Mario. Be it the simple controls to the "Princess is in another castle" to the vicious plants that come out of green sewer pipes, the game isn't shy about part of it's foundation. But, alot of people who have played the demo played Braid wrong as I have seen. This game is NOT a platformer. It is a puzzle game disguised as a platformer. This is where the game's puzzles REALLY mess with you. Alot of the time, you will try to make impossible jumps, when really the solution to the puzzle was a lot simpler than that. Braid isn't shy on being difficult and believe me, you WILL be tempted to go to GameFaqs or somewhere else for a guide. But, I am begging you, don't do this. I played Braid without a guide and it was one of the most satysfing feats I have done in a video game. You will be ecstacic when you finish, knowing that you got all the puzzle pieces by yourself.
"Now We're All Sons of Bitches"
In the end, I could go on and on about how great this is, but in the end you've got to just play the game. If you try the demo and don't quite like it, buy it anyway as the demo doesn't do the game justice. From the infintely unique game mechanics to the awesome storyline, Braid is a must-have experience that will remembered and refrenced years from now. I can't believe one guy made this and I simply can't wait to see what he does next.
P.S. Braid is worth $15 bucks
P.P.S. Yes, it really is
King3567 on 08/10/2008
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alienmastermind on 08/22/2008
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King3567 on 08/23/2008
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