"Beyond anything you could possibly imagine."

Let me start with a bold statement: Braid is one of the best games ever made. Not just one of the best Xbox Live Arcade games. Not just one of the best Xbox 360 games. This is a title that I have no doubt will withstand the test of time, proving to be one of the legendary entries in gaming history. Why? Because it doesn't merely feature fantastic gameplay, beautiful graphics, and an unbelievably good storyline. It proves that games truly can be art.

To prove my point, let me tell you the story of how I was personally captivated by this game as I review this game.

When I first got Braid, it was because of the fantastic press I had read for it. To be honest, I didn't expect much. I knew it was supposed to be a combination of a platforming game and a puzzle game, two genres that I tend to enjoy but am hardly a big fan of. I didn't think much of the $15 price tag, as it sounded like a game I would probably enjoy, and I'd done far worse for $20 or more.

Once the game finished starting up, I realized I really didn't have a clue what I was getting into. My character was but a shadow, with a gloomy, fire-covered city in the background. Once I realized I was in control of the character and that this was no cinematic, another surprise, I walked out into an alley where I saw stars in the sky, and after crossing a street light could finally see my character. I was already captivated by the art, and knew that I had to see more. Next I entered the house, the hub of my adventure, and saw the gateways to the different worlds. Only one of these gateways appeared to be open, so I went to the door and went in.

Upon seeing "World 2" flash across my screen, I knew something strange was going on. What happened to World 1? Now I was in a cloudy room filled with books, which contain the story of the game. They appear to be purposefully vague, but at the same time feel well written. I want to know more. After I'm finished reading, I enter the one visible door, and find myself in a lush green world. Again, the beautiful backdrops have captivated me. I explore the world, and find that my only power is the ability to rewind time, so that I can never permanently die. There are puzzle pieces to collect, and most aren't too hard to acquire. I later find a board where I can attempt to solve the puzzle. What does it mean? I don't know, at least not yet.

The enemies are strangely reminiscent of Mario. There are Goombas you can kill by jumping on their heads, and Piranha plants that come out of pipes that you have to avoid. At the end of the world, I'm greeted by a dinosaur who tells me that the Princess is in another castle. I find the obvious reference cute, and any memories of the burning city are long gone. I then go back through the level and collect the remaining puzzle pieces after figuring out how to reach them, and soon solve my first puzzle. I'm pretty proud, but little seems to have changed except that by completing the level I had unlocked World 3. There's also a ladder in the house that goes to the attic, but the top few links are missing. By completing the first puzzle, one of the links has reappeared. I now know my quest.

Each of the next four worlds treats me to a new interpretation of how to manipulate time. I'm not going to spoil how here, but safe to say the game will keep you busy as you learn each world's new trick. The puzzles also become much harder as you continue through. While each world is very easy to complete, figuring out how to acquire the puzzle pieces becomes a mind-numbing task, but it becomes clear that each one is possible. The moment when I solved a puzzle was a proud one, giving me confidence I could finish the next. Along the way I saw more beautiful art, and the wonderfully executed gameplay never ceased to amaze me.

What got me was the story. Each world had a new set of books, and none of them seemed to make the plot any less cryptic. Why was the city burning? Who is this princess I am chasing? What do the puzzles I'm solving truly mean? I'm left confused, yet at the same time the hints lead me to believe an answer is just around the corner. However, I ultimately know that the answers I seek are in the attic, at that one door I can't seem to reach. It takes a few hours of diligent puzzle-solving, but soon enough the five puzzles are complete. The attic is in reach, and I go up to find out what is in store.

After several hours of not understanding, things started to click. Everything comes together in the final few minutes, but like the rest of the game it doesn't seem to fully explain what is going on. I'm led forward, chasing the mysterious answer I had been seeking for so long. However, something profound happened when I finally seemed to reach that answer. Gears were thrown into motion that could not be stopped. I'm desperately searching for a way out, but nothing appears. By the time it finally stops, I have been thoroughly broken. My mind and emotions are completely out of sync, and as see the epilogue in a calm, green meadow I am frightened that at any moment time could unravel and everything could end. When all seems to be said and done, I am back in front of the burning city, with the word Braid now there, burning brightest of all.

Before that point, Braid had seemed like an innocent enough game. I was having tons of fun solving ingenious puzzles, admiring the amazing artwork that laced each stage, and left with a seemingly fairy-tale story promised to have a happy ending. However, it was all just an elaborate lure, leading me deep into a captivating experience that begged to be unraveled further. Had I really explored the whole of the game? Maybe I had missed something. I still didn't know why the city was burning, what had happened to my princess, what the paintings and storybooks meant. I was lost, and spent many more hours trying to decipher a game that had taken only about five hours to complete.

And it is here that Braid goes beyond the categorization of a mere game. It is that pivotal moment when you become emotionally invested in the whole experience, and because of it my expectations for what a game can be have been changed forever. Perhaps not everyone will enjoy it just as much as I did, but as far as I am concerned anyone with an Xbox 360 and $15 needs to download this game immediately, if only for the amazing gameplay that can't be found anywhere else. It's a work of art that dares to be explored, and I know that I at least am delving through message boards, still trying to find what I am missing. I'll probably never find it, and in a way that is its own reward.

Reviewer's Score: 10/10, Originally Posted: 08/21/08

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