Braid – Aug. 6
The Xbox 360 not only featured some great Triple A games, it also brought us loads of wonderful indie games via the Xbox Live Arcade. There were lots of interesting games available, but arguably Braid was the best. Developed over a four year period by Jonathan Blow, Braid is a platforming puzzle game which sees players solving puzzles by manipulating time in order to help the main character Tim rescue a princess.
Not only was the gameplay of Braid excellent, forcing players to think outside the box, it also featured a multifaceted narrative which shone light upon the character of Tim and the nature of his relationship with the princess. We won’t spoil anything, but the end features one of the best surprises we’ve seen in a video game and additional texts presented to the player at the game’s end have had fans speculating for years on the game’s exact meaning. Braid was critically acclaimed and Jonathan Blow has since become a well known name within the gaming industry. If you’ve not yet experienced Braid, then do yourself a favor and check it out.
