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Trivial Pursuits => Arts & Entertainment => Topic started by: Doc on August 31, 2008, 10:42:58 am

Title: Braid
Post by: Doc on August 31, 2008, 10:42:58 am
So I just finished Braid, for those who don't know it's an X-Box live arcade (tm? registered trade mark? etc. etc.) platformer game with an intersting time control puzzle mechanic, but what really puts it over the top is the atmosphere of the game. I was going to say story there but if I'm honest the story isn't necessarily super strong but the appearance of a story is if that makes sense. On top of that the music and art is just beautiful (not graphics: art I realised about halfway through that I recognised the style and sure enough it was all done by David Hellman of A Lesson is learned but the Damage is Irreversible. (http://www.alessonislearned.com/)) and the level design really was great. There were plenty of puzzles that stumped me but once I worked them out I was always grinning at how crafty the game was, as opposed to being pissed off at a cheap trick.

Anyway, anyone else play it? I'd love to hear what other people thought of the story but I won't discuss it right now for fear of spoiling it.
Title: Re: Braid
Post by: jay-ell on August 31, 2008, 01:25:25 pm
Is there a PC version out? 
Title: Re: Braid
Post by: Doc on August 31, 2008, 01:44:27 pm
Not yet, there's meant to be by the end of the year.

Title: Re: Braid
Post by: dejavroom on August 31, 2008, 02:56:07 pm
Since I don't own a console, I'll have to wait until the PC version comes out... incidentally, Doc, did you see this Braid review (http://www.escapistmagazine.com/videos/view/zero-punctuation/203-Braid) from Yahtzee Crosshaw (of "Zero Punctuation" (http://www.escapistmagazine.com/videos/view/zero-punctuation) fame)?




Title: Re: Braid
Post by: Doc on August 31, 2008, 11:08:06 pm
I did, that was what made me decide to get it since it was something like the third place I'd heard someone ranting about it.

Re-reading my first post I just realised I practically come across as an astro-turfer and one with poor punctuation at that. My excuse is that I'd just finished the game and was really buzzing.
Title: Re: Braid
Post by: jay-ell on August 31, 2008, 11:13:57 pm
Let's jut say that Croshaw's review really stunned my husband, Adrian. 
Title: Re: Braid
Post by: Doc on August 31, 2008, 11:23:40 pm
Well it's about time he took responsibility.

If you plan to get it I'd almost recommend you don't read too much about it, like portal and similar games a lot of the fun I had was discovering the new twists and turns for myself.
Title: Re: Braid
Post by: Doc on April 11, 2009, 02:27:36 pm
Just working a bit of thread necromancy.
This game is now available on Steam, Penny Arcade's Greenhouse (http://www.playgreenhouse.com), and Stardock (http://www.impulsedriven.com/braid). I understand 15 bucks is considered pricey over there where full games only cost 50 but I'm pimping this thing half a year since I finished it, I've been waiting for the PC release so I can tell you all to go play it, it really was something special for me. I'm curious as to how well the controls will port to PC since on it's most basic level it's just a platformer (which I don't really like playing with keyboard).

There would be worse ways to spend your easter weekend people.
Title: Re: Braid
Post by: jay-ell on April 11, 2009, 03:49:37 pm
Just heard that Ghostmaster is available on Steam now, too -- $3 (US) I think?  If you've never played it, it's worth a couple of bucks to futz around with, just for the sake of seeing some unique gameplay mechanics. 

It's a basically a puzzle game, but each puzzle has multiple valid solutions based on the internal logic of the game (as opposed to a puzzle/adventure with one solution to each problem that's essentially arbitrary based on whatever method occurred to the level designer first.) 

Good stuff.