Customer Reviews

Braid [Online Game Code]

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Some people use this game as the perfect example of how video games are art. I usually disagree with that statement, but having played Braid kind of opened my mind a little bit regarding the argument. Having played and beaten the game, you may think there is very little story or that it's a simple love story, however the story is so deep and layered that it is very difficult to uncover the entire story. Once you start trying to put the pieces of the story together, you realize their is much more going on than you thought. Much like a great film, there is a lot of interpretation in the story and requires thought of your own, instead of being simply presented the entire story. Their is also an epilogue which I thought was brilliant.

Regarding the gameplay, it has platformer elements but most of the game is puzzle solving using different methods of altering time. This can be really fun and challenging, but sometimes finding a way to obtain a puzzle piece can seem nearly impossible. Some puzzles remind me of a great magic trick where you think there is literally no way that it can be done, yet you find out it is possible and sometimes much simpler than you expect. In a way that is good, but overall I found many puzzles (especially some of the later ones) to be quite impossible to figure out on my own and became frustrated. I ended up resorting to watching videos of others online to figure out some of the puzzles (Shame on me). It is the level of difficulty to figuring out some of these puzzles that made me not fully enjoy the game at times and why I give the game 4 stars out of 5.

Overall, I do recommend this game to someone who is open-minded and is great at puzzle games and doesn't mind looking for the story. I personally did not like spending $15 on it and think $10 would've been more appropriate since once you figure out the puzzles there is not much replay value to it (unless you want to find the stars which are 10x more difficult to get than the hardest puzzles). Yet if you're patient (unlike me) and will try to figure out the puzzles on your own as well as the great story then this game will be well worth the money.

Braid is one of the top three games available on Xbox Live Arcade. While it LOOKS like a platformer, it is actually a time bending puzzle game that will challenge and entertain you every step of the way. As an added bonus, the gameplay reveals a multi-layered story which can lead to some insightful, if not down right philosophical discussion, if you so choose. I highly recommend it.

What a little gem in the rough...

Braid is a fantastic game. It's near impossible to sum up how this puzzle platformer works, but with time manipulation, a compeling story and heart warming visual, it's as good as it gets.

Plus Amazon's direct code download was easy. It was very fast (had my code within minutes) and it was a better option than spending my existing XBL Points on my XBox. Anything that saves me getting another point card is great.

Everyone should play this game at some point in their gaming life.

It's always refreshing to get a brand new game that is so enjoyable. This game looks and sounds beautiful, and will stimulate your mind in a unique way. The price is slightly higher than the average XBLA game, but don't let that stop you. This game is worth it.

The level design is very clever, and you (the player) have to be even more clever in figuring it out. Spend the extra time figuring it out on your own and the reward is even greater. The game starts out simple enough but quickly becomes surprisingly clever and unique. So if you are looking for a unique experience that is both exciting and relaxing, do not hesitate and get this game.

Great game for those interested in wrapping their heads around a fresh new variety of puzzle. The game progresses and slowly adds layers of complexity to your ability to manipulate time. Rewinding time is not always the answer. You'll probably have to play each level a few times to get all of the collectibles to fully complete the game. Recommended for older audiences, kids might get bored easily, as you cannot simply run through the game. Definitely worth the price, I got a few hours out of this and a few days racking my brain on some of the more complicated, yet simple levels. Like most puzzles, once you figure it out it seems obvious, however there are many solutions that are easy to figure out, but hard to execute, very frustrating, but satisfying when completed.

What is a killer app? An app that is so strong and valuable that it drives users and usage to a platform. By this definition, Braid is absolutely a killer app.

I'm a lifelong gamer. In fact, I'm a borderline game system collector. (I finally managed to part with most older systems, but I still have my beloved Dreamcast and even my Atari 800 cluttering my garage shelves.) Plus, many of my friends urged me to get an Xbox 360. Despite all this, I was not convinced. The Xbox 360 had serious hardware issues at launch (which now appear to be resolved), and there just weren't any games that demanded such a hefty platform investment.

Braid changed the equation.

Two gaming friends insisted that I give Braid a chance. In fact, they sat me down and forced a controller into my hands, and they watched -- for two hours, because I coldn't put it down. The next day, I spent $600 on equipment (the best Xbox 360 system with all the bells and whistles), just so I could continue playing this $15 game. Braid is *that* good. And I've introduced other friends to Braid and they, too, ran out to buy the console.

Normally, I spend review space describing the game, especially for off-the-beaten-tracks titles like this, but I won't do so in this case. I had the rare opportunity to experience a masterpiece cold, with no spoilers, and I really appreciated it. So instead, I will merely say this. If you enjoy puzzle games or platformers, if you enjoy games with intriguing and unique mental challenges, games that require more thought and less button mashing, if you enjoy beautiful artwork, both audio and video, you will definitely enjoy this game. If you need more information, other reviews and this site will no doubt provide it. (BTW, you likely won't spoil yourself on Braid's "plot" by reading other reviews, you'll just spoil yourself on the groundbreaking game mechanics. If you play the game cold, you can discover the game mechanics yourself and have many fun "aha" moments in the process.)

I've heard that Braid is coming out on PC soon. I can't speak to the PC version, but I can say that the investment in the Xbox 360 was well worth it, and not just for Braid. It's the strongest game platform available today. These opinions are best saved for a review of the platform, but my point is, if you want to play Braid but don't have an Xbox 360, you can either wait for the PC version or take the Xbox 360 plunge. If you play a fair number of video games, you definitely won't regret getting the Xbox 360 platform. [Update in 2011: Technically, by my definition above, Braid can no longer be called a killer app because it's available on multiple platforms. It's still one of the best puzzle games of all time, but you won't be tempted to buy a new platform just to play it, because it's now available for Xbox 360, Windows, Mac, Linux, and PS3.]

Regardless, Braid truly is an exquisite game and work of art, and I believe it's a worthy contender to be added to all-time hall-of-fame game lists everywhere.

P.S.: in case this helps anyone decide about this game, I'll point out that I view Braid as great in many of the same ways as I view Portal as great. The two games are quite different, but they both have excellent finishing touches, groundbreaking game mechanics, and are both transcendentally impressive.

When you begin to play Braid, you are immediately grabbed by the gorgeous 2D graphics and the lush soundtrack. The opening title screen perfectly captures the dark, mysterious nature of the story you are about to unpack as you play through Braid's time (and mind) bending puzzles. The 2D platforming controls perfectly, and the ability to rewind even when you die allows you to avoid frustration and focus on what's really important: the puzzles. Solving each worlds' unique time manipulation brain teasers is always challenging and never cheap or unfair. When you realize what you need to do it's like you've opened up a part of your mind that was previously closed off. At times, especially near the end, you literally learn to see time differently, and freeing yourself from the concept of linear progression makes the late game incredibly thrilling.

There is actually a story in Braid as well, though it is told cryptically with the use of books that you read between levels. It is unclear what exactly the story IS even up to the end of the game, but the last level will blow your mind, and in the epilogue "level" you are able to see what has been going on from two different (albeit still cryptic) points of view. Truly mesmerizing.

The game will last you a good while, depending on how quickly you solve some of the puzzles (for me, sometimes I needed to take a day or so away from one to come back and approach it with a fresh perspective). Even after you've completed the game, there is lots of replayability in the form of speed trials (both for individual levels or the entire game) and hidden items which when collected unlock more clues to the game's TRUE story.

Braid is one of many excellent 2D platforming games that are currently enjoying a renaissance in console gaming (other terrific titles include the downloadable Limbo, Outland, and the retail Rayman Origins). Even in this company, Braid still shines the brightest. With challenging puzzle-solving, pitch perfect controls, beautiful graphics, stellar music, and a haunting storyline, Braid is a game that players of all ages and skill levels should experience and enjoy.

This is a traditional side scrolling platform game that feels very familiar. You enter different levels, hop on most enemies to defeat them, find keys, open doors and climb ladders. It feels very familiar. There is a jump button, up lets you go in doors or climb ladders, and a button for the big twist.

The big twist. Time manipulation, you can reverse time or fast forward it once you have rewinded. This way, when you die, you rewind time to when you didn't die. You rewind time to help you solve puzzles too.

Such as, you will get a key, open a door and find another door, well you can rewind time to where you still had the key. When time is restarted, you will have the key, but the first door will be open. A lot of puzzles are like that in the game, whether its dropping 5 ceiling fixtures onto a boss's head when you need to rewind time to reset the fixtures or grabbing a key in a pit and rewinding time to when you didn't fall in the pit (but still keep the key).

The game feels mellow and has a unique art style that makes it feel like a story book. There are things before the levels that you can walk by and read the rich back story to the game.

While it is amazingly good, challenging and thought provoking. It feels like other free games found on the Internet. This game is just the best of them all, its a nice change of pace from everything that is 3D in the world.

If you have seen the screen shots of this game and gone, "I don't know, it doesn't look that great" then you'll be pleasantly surprised once you play it. For those of you still in the process of playing this game, prepare for the most godly, unbelievable, and ingenious ending you have ever seen in your entire life. That being said, BUY THIS GAME!

"What if our world worked differently?" - Braid, World 2

What at first appears to be a simple homage to Super Mario Bros quickly becomes something more. Tim is a man in search of his Princess. But Tim has something that Mario does not, the ability to rewind time and correct his mistakes.


"If we've learned from a mistake and become better for it, shouldn't we be rewarded for the learning, rather than punished for the mistake?" -Braid, World 2

There is no punishment for failing. As you travel the worlds, you'll solve puzzles and slowly grow to understand how each of these worlds functions. If you fail, you simply need to rewind and try again, applying your new found knowledge.


"But how would this be perceived by the other residents of the city, in the world that flows contrariwise? The light would be intense and warm at the beginning, but then flicker down to nothing, taking the castle with it; it would be like burning down the place we've always called home, where we played so innocently as children. Destroying all hope of safety, forever." - Braid, World 1

Each of the worlds functions differently from the last. Framed with thought-provoking stories, the game challenges you to think about life, causality, and differing perspectives.


If you enjoy puzzles, pondering life, or just want to admire the hand-painted graphics, I would strongly recommend getting this game.