Braid
If you've not heard of it, Braid is an indie Xbox Live Arcade game. Its "genre" is puzzle platformer, but this game defies categorization.
In all my years of playing video games I've found it difficult to describe some of my favorites in a way that does justice to the game. For example, I often describe Final Fantasy VI and Chrono Trigger to my non-gamer friends as games which feel like "playing a book" because of their deep stories and character development. Games like Call of Duty 4 and GTA4 invoke descriptions such as "Oscar-worthy" or "cinematic experience". Games such as Portal which push the envelope and stretch gaming in new and interesting ways are also difficult to describe without using the words "revolutionary" or "innovative".
But Braid is the first game for which the only description I feel justifies the game is art. It has the qualities of a rich short story narrative, a beautiful poem, majestic paintings, and sweet music. Sure, it's a puzzle platformer - an excellent one at that, I am a puzzle game connoisseur and it definitely hit the spot - but it's much more than that. The provocative narrative elicited emotions I haven't ever felt while playing a game, and even some emotions I've not felt at all in years. The ending was amazing, in the way only a masterfully told story of suspense and mystery can be amazing. I've also never felt that sort of an epiphany while playing a game, and never felt so much empathy for a character who never expresses himself even once.
Anyway, I know that not many of you are Xbox 360 gamers, but I just wanted to share, because Braid is something worth sharing. If you find yourself in a position where you have an opportunity to play it, then do it. You will not be disappointed.
In all my years of playing video games I've found it difficult to describe some of my favorites in a way that does justice to the game. For example, I often describe Final Fantasy VI and Chrono Trigger to my non-gamer friends as games which feel like "playing a book" because of their deep stories and character development. Games like Call of Duty 4 and GTA4 invoke descriptions such as "Oscar-worthy" or "cinematic experience". Games such as Portal which push the envelope and stretch gaming in new and interesting ways are also difficult to describe without using the words "revolutionary" or "innovative".
But Braid is the first game for which the only description I feel justifies the game is art. It has the qualities of a rich short story narrative, a beautiful poem, majestic paintings, and sweet music. Sure, it's a puzzle platformer - an excellent one at that, I am a puzzle game connoisseur and it definitely hit the spot - but it's much more than that. The provocative narrative elicited emotions I haven't ever felt while playing a game, and even some emotions I've not felt at all in years. The ending was amazing, in the way only a masterfully told story of suspense and mystery can be amazing. I've also never felt that sort of an epiphany while playing a game, and never felt so much empathy for a character who never expresses himself even once.
Anyway, I know that not many of you are Xbox 360 gamers, but I just wanted to share, because Braid is something worth sharing. If you find yourself in a position where you have an opportunity to play it, then do it. You will not be disappointed.