This past Wednesday, Braid was released on the Xbox Live Arcade. A platformer that uses the manipulation of time as a core gameplay mechanic, Braid attempts to push the boundaries of how games can be storytelling devices.

Does the game succeed? Hit the jump to- Oh screw it. Braid is f***ing brilliant. Buy it now.

The story follows red-tie-wearing Tim on a quest to find the Princess, and the story is communicated through elegant prose at the beginning of each level. But this is not your standard ‘damsel in distress’ story… I would elaborate, but it’s really something one should experience for themselves. The story touches on the main theme of time and it’s passing, and the story is structured superbly, with an incredible ending.

Braid is probably best described as a puzzle game disguised as a platformer. It follows the standard ‘hop and bop’ formula, but being able to rewind time is a mechanic the developer Jonathan Blow uses to create ingenious (and occasionally mind-bending) puzzles. Each level uses the mechanic in a different way. In one level, moving right causes time to go forward while going left causes time to rewind. In another section rewinding time produces a silhouette that mimics previous actions. Sometimes, objects will be surrounded by a green border, indicating an immunity to the time control. All of this is necessary in order to collect puzzle pieces. The puzzle solutions are never obscure, but they will force you to think very far outside the box. I actually had to turn the game off for a few hours from stretching parts of my brain I have probably never used. Just because the time control makes dying a non-entity doesn’t mean that Braid is not challenging. It is.

Braid also features a beautiful watercolor aesthetic brimming with detail. Even standing still, the game is a wonder to look at. It’s rare to find such unique, and detailed art direction, especially on the compost pile that many believe the Xbox Live Arcade to be. Kudos also go to the sound design as well; it’s a nice touch that the music rewinds when Tim does.

Once again, I’d just like to touch on the game’s final level (spoiler-free, of course). The game’s finale is one of the best conclusions to a game ever. It will force you to rethink what has happened throughout the course of the entire game, and is impeccably structured. I sat there slackjawed for five minutes, and then played through the ending again. I couldn’t believe how brilliant it was.

Braid is without a doubt the best game available on Xbox Live to date. It’s a complete package of story, artwork, and gameplay all wrapped up with a neat little bow. My only complaint is that it was over so quickly, but it is a game that begs to be played and experienced over and over again. I’m still bewildered at how something can be so simple and yet so complex simultaneously. This is the most important game of the year.

5 out of 5