"Worth every penny"

gameplay - 10/10
It does what it wants to do, and it does it flawlessly.The gameplay mechanic of time manipulation is played out in 5 unique ways... Some of them at your control, while others not quite as much. With 6 Worlds to explore, 60 puzzle pieces, without outside help, you can count on 3-6 hours of gameplay on your first playthough without the help of an FAQ. On top of that, there are 8 stars to be found that require skill, patience, and knowledge of exactly how the game works down to the finest details.


controls - 10/10
There isn't much to say about the controls. The game utilizes the left thumbstick (or dpad) and the 4 face buttons, as well as the left and right bumpers. The controls simply wouldn't work as well any other way.


sound - 7/10
Some interesting tunes in this game, but nothing to rave about ether. The music, like everything else in the game, is also effected by time manipulation, so if you rewind, so will the music, likewise, if the environment itself has control over the time flow based on your movements, that will control when the music plays and at what speed.

Music aside, the sound effects are simple, but effective and basic platforming sounds that you would expect to hear in any other platformer.


Graphics - 8/10
A clean, crisp 2D game with smooth animations. the characters, enemies, and environment all look spectacular.. An added artistic touch helps mold everything in the world of Braid together very nicely.

As the game progresses, the art style shifts from a brighter- happier world, to a dark midevil style.


Story - ?/10
The story is quite hard to follow for some, and can be interpreted a few ways, and in truth, you wont know whats really going on until the very end

Lasting Appeal - 8/10
The main story itself isn't the lengthiest adventure, however, with speed runs and star collecting, this game should easily be able to last you 10 hours if you go for the full 200 gamer points it has to offer.


Overall - 9/10
The game has plenty to offer for those who enjoy the puzzle-platforming genre and although placed at a higher price point ($15 at release), it could just as easily sell for $30 as a retail game without getting any complaints about price. This is definitely one of the best games on xbox live arcade and it's at the very least worth downloading the demo to see if you like it, as the demo is an accurate portrayal of what to expect in the full game.

Reviewer's Score: 9/10, Originally Posted: 08/13/08

Game Release: Braid (US, 08/06/08)