Metareview - Braid (XBLA)
by Ludwig Kietzmann 
{ Aug 7th 2008 at 2:01PM }
- IGN (88/100): "Xbox Live Arcade needs more games like Braid. Heck, gaming on all platforms needs more titles like this. Imaginative, innovative, and engrossing, Braid is a spectacular achievement. If only the experience lasted a little longer and there weren't as many puzzles with singular solutions."
- Edge (90/100): "Braid remains a beautiful and brilliantly demanding game that barely contains its dense population of ideas, taking its place alongside Geometry Wars and Pac-Man Championship Edition as one of the finest original titles available on Live Arcade."
- Eurogamer (100/100): "I've gone to bed thinking about Braid, and I've woken up thinking about it. From the fragments I remember, I'm pretty sure I've dreamed about it as well. Braid is that sort of game."
Gallery: Braid
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
Huey2k2 @ Aug 7th 2008 2:08PM
I can't decide wether I want to buy this, OH JOYSTIQ MASSES PLEASE TELL ME.
Burritoclock @ Aug 7th 2008 2:14PM
Get it.
I'll just add two short things to help:
1: If you like platformers at all, even the tiniest bit, get it.
2: If you don't need the $15 to eat or feed your children, buy it.
Erluti @ Aug 7th 2008 2:22PM
Also (heavily influencing my decision) is that the art is being done by the guy who does the art for the best webcomic of all time:
http://www.alessonislearned.com/
copa @ Aug 7th 2008 2:28PM
No need to rely on the opinion of fanboys with too much spare time. The demo gives you a perfect sense of the game. Play the demo, and you will know whether you want it.
In my case, it was an easy purchase decision, and I hadn't yet bought an XBLA game this year. It's beautiful, painstakingly designed, and emotionally affecting.
Steph @ Aug 7th 2008 2:30PM
@Burritoclock: You don't need $15 to eat your kids.
Burritoclock @ Aug 7th 2008 2:33PM
Well my recipe is $15, but I guess you could do it cheaper in a pinch.
CB @ Aug 7th 2008 2:47PM
I'd actually like to know about the replayability. Some of the people on my friends list already beat the game and aren't looking back at it.
SirCrumpet @ Aug 8th 2008 10:23PM
Copa: "It's beautiful, painstakingly designed, and emotionally affecting."
Amen.
Get it.
GreyFox @ Aug 13th 2008 12:08AM
I like platformers and could spend $15 but I don't think this game is a $15 purchase. That seems like way too much.
RC @ Aug 7th 2008 2:11PM
Will Eurogamer never stop with the 360 asskissing
Ludwig Kietzmann @ Aug 7th 2008 2:20PM
I know, right? It's even worse than all this "good game" asskissing that's going on.
Eggy @ Aug 7th 2008 2:34PM
Doubtful. But this game gets pretty good marks across the board. Downside is you can complete it in 1 hour.
copa @ Aug 7th 2008 2:43PM
"Downside is you can complete it in 1 hour."
What do theoretical speed runs have to do with anything? I spent an hour last night on the game before moving on to the first castle.
If you enjoy the game, you'll want to take your time experiencing it. If your only goal is to tear through to the end as quickly as possible, this game is not for you.
SeNiLe911 @ Aug 7th 2008 2:43PM
Play it all night, go to bed and see if you can wake up with out trying to solve a puzzle or two. I had a hard time waking this morning.
I need a walkthrough for my dreams know.
Vegeta (aka Ska Oreo) @ Aug 7th 2008 3:46PM
iknorite? God forbid they give a good game a good rating. That's just wrong.
xGeneral DEATHx @ Aug 7th 2008 5:01PM
Apparently, "Logic" doesn't live here anymore.
samfish @ Aug 7th 2008 2:13PM
Now do Eternity's Child and let's play compare & contrast!
baby sea tuna @ Aug 7th 2008 3:04PM
I hear Beyonce is amazing in that!
Kizzle @ Aug 7th 2008 2:14PM
I agree it's in that top tier with Pac-Man CE and Geo Wars. Unfortunately for Braid, those games were 800 and 400 points, respectively.
After playing the demo, I was fairly impressed. But I'm not impressed enough to plunk down 1200 points for it. This is not entirely because of the "it's 15 bucks, and that is too much" reasoning, although that is a factor. More accurately, it's because there is other worthwhile stuff competing for my dol...er, points (Geo Wars 2, Rock Band DLC, Castle Crashers upcoming), and Braid just doesn't stack up in that case.
If they drop it to 800 points in the next 12 months or whatever, I'll buy it.
Courtney @ Aug 7th 2008 3:19PM
It's worth pointing out that Geometry Wars could be released cheaper as it was a property that had already developed and included on one of the PGR games. It had name recognition and didn't need revenue from XBLA sales to survive. Pac-Man CE has powerful name recognition and would have posted good sales at least in part because of that (and the fact that it's awesome).
Braid, being independently developed and an original IP, has none of the advantages of those two games to generate sales. Blow admitted on his blog he would have preferred a lower price point, but agreed to $15 so he can (hopefully) continue to make independent games and pay back all the people who financially helped with Braid over the last few years. Sure, there is an argument that it might sell more games at $10, but will it sell 50 percent more games (enough to cover the price difference)? I kind of doubt that a $5 price decrease would generate that many more sales.
All that being said, people who enjoy puzzle games, 2D platformers, original games, time travel and creativity should buy this.
I'm not typically the fanboy type, but I'm a huge supporter of small, independent developers who do good work.
Xoviet chiK @ Aug 7th 2008 2:15PM
Game is absolutely brilliant. Easily one of if not the best game I've played all year, along with Patapon of course.
Can't wait till the PC version comes out, and we get a level editor. This game begs for one.
vidGuy @ Aug 7th 2008 2:15PM
How long is this game? I'd be willing to put down $15 if it was over five hours, but it doesn't seem to be that long and a puzzle game has zero replay value. Pretty creative game though.
whymog @ Aug 7th 2008 2:28PM
The initial game will probably take you 4-6 hours to beat, and then speed runs (the final achievement) will probably take another couple hours.
Even if it's not that long, the experience is incredible. You can't quantify it by dollars per hour; instead consider how long afterward you'll be thinking about the game. It's really a haunting experience.
copa @ Aug 7th 2008 2:44PM
What whymog said.
Fernando Rocker @ Aug 7th 2008 2:17PM
I definitely want it... but $15 is, in my opinion a lot for a Live Arcade game, specially because according to reviewers is a very short game.
I will definitely pick this game when is $10 dlls.
Fenix @ Aug 7th 2008 2:26PM
Nah I dont care about the price. If its a good game and you enjoy it, why not? Now a days we spend 15 buckaroos on nothing. From all the videos on GT and IGN I am very excited to get my hands on it. If I really enjoy it I'll support the game just so we can get some more incredible indie stuff from the same developer.
3cubed @ Aug 7th 2008 2:44PM
I was thinking the same thing to. 10$ would make me get it. And my 360 is in a box anyways so no loss really.
whymog @ Aug 7th 2008 2:19PM
This is the best game since Portal. If Portal was your thing, you'll love Braid.
I completed it last night and holy shit was that $15 well spent.
John Perkins @ Aug 7th 2008 2:55PM
Odd. Because I absolutely loved Portal. It was my favorite game of last year, and I really did not like Braid at all. Not even a little.
I'm a huge fan of 2D platformers, and I do enjoy good puzzle games, but for some reason I really just didn't like Braid. Also not a fan of the art style.
Matt Spalding @ Aug 7th 2008 2:20PM
It's flippin' brilliant. Utterly, UTTERLY worth 1200 points. Heck, I'd love all games to be 400 points, but I don't begrudge paying for this game AT ALL. Potentially the best XBLA game yet, for me!
:-D
tooPrime @ Aug 7th 2008 2:27PM
The game is pretty good, although not without problems. It is short (especially for $15). As a Mario inspired platformer it fail big time, I mean you can even die and from what I've played there there is only one boss and you fight him twice. You could speed run it in 15-20 minutes. As a Portal/Switchball puzzle game it is great. Some puzzles are hard and you feel smart for getting them, others you stumble around for 15 minutes, luck your way into the solution and go "Oh that's how you do it? How the hell was I supposed to figure that out?" It's very unique, try the demo and if you get puzzle piece lust then buy the game.
tooPrime @ Aug 7th 2008 2:28PM
can't even die*
Fernando Rocker @ Aug 7th 2008 2:31PM
Oh Switchball... the Gold Medal in every stage is my most proud achievement.
tooPrime @ Aug 7th 2008 2:44PM
All gold metals in Switchball is pretty freakin' hardcore. Switchball requires much more "stick skillz" that Braid but Braid reminds me of Switchball and Portal because those are the best puzzle games in recent memory. Braid has a higher % of mind bending puzzles but Switchball is much longer and had quite a few creative puzzles although maybe not mind bending.
Stink Snake @ Aug 7th 2008 2:28PM
Its a great game but, I wouldn't compare it to Portal as some reviewers have. Portal had humor and the rules of the world were quite clear. The rules of Braid are hazy from the get go and keep changing as you go.
Some of the puzzles in the game make you want to call your mama in the room and show her how good you are.
Others have maddeningly obtuse solutions that just frustrate you until anger takes over upon solving it.
The melancholy story wouldn't bother me if it didn't remind me a bit of Tim Buckley's miscarriage melodrama.
I think for most people Braid will be a polarizing game; either you'll love it or hate it.
whymog @ Aug 7th 2008 2:29PM
I'm really sad that you just compared Braid to Tim Buckley.
Leobebes @ Aug 7th 2008 2:59PM
Portal had the luxury of existing in a 3d environment. It's complexity was helped because of spacial resources, Braid is gimped due to its 2 dimensional world yet the developers created a game that rivals Portal's complexity. Which in essence is pure genius.
deaftly @ Aug 7th 2008 2:29PM
Wow, judging from the comments it looks like Im gonna be $15 shorter when I get home.
Cyro @ Aug 7th 2008 2:36PM
I think I am going to be doing that also.
-1200 points. :/
Dr. @ Aug 7th 2008 2:47PM
I'm gonna be $20 shorter cause Microsoft can't give us a reasonable method to buy content >:(
Marty @ Aug 7th 2008 2:53PM
Same here - I thought the game looked neat, but seeing people gush about it has piqued my interest a bit more... I'll have to try out the demo and see what I think, and then buy if it turns out to be as good as everyone here seems to say it is.
MagiKarp @ Aug 7th 2008 2:30PM
Joystiq! Can we have a poll here to see how many people are turned off by the extra $5? I think it'd be interesting to see....
Jacksons @ Aug 7th 2008 2:54PM
The people who apparently sold their soul to one of the big three console manufacturers might wreck the results, but yeah, it'd still be pretty interesting.
RobLink (Alex Kidd incarnate) @ Aug 7th 2008 3:25PM
Totally worth the extra points. Give it a go and see.
BIGFAT @ Aug 7th 2008 3:34PM
"Sometimes, truth isn't good enough, sometimes people deserve more. Sometimes people deserve to have their faith rewarded."
ZenGaijin @ Aug 7th 2008 2:38PM
I really don't get why I like this game. I love puzzle games but maybe its the game platforming nature. It makes me expect something that this game doesn't seem to deliver in the trial platforming action.
I think its a weird combo that just doesn't sit right with me. Whatever the reason I'm glad others seem to be enjoying it as much as well.
Dr. Stabbingworth @ Aug 7th 2008 3:39PM
So despite all that borderline trolling you spewed out in the last week week about disliking a game you had never played, now you've decided you like it?
ZenGaijin @ Aug 7th 2008 3:42PM
I still don't like it or get it but as I said if you do more power to you.
ZenGaijin @ Aug 7th 2008 3:43PM
Sorry, the first line should read "I really don't get why I don't like this game."
Sir_Drace @ Aug 7th 2008 2:52PM
While $15 is a little expensive for an XBLA game I feel games like these need to be rewarded. If spending a few bucks more on Braid means we get more games like it then so be it. Braid's story, visuals and music are great and very different from most of the Live Arcade stuff you see on 360.
This is the type of product I want to see more of from XBLA downloadable content in the future.