David Fisher : What is Noise Blog

I have just recently purchased an Xbox 360. I had owned Grand Theft Auto IV from when it came out and I bought it for betahouse, so I didn’t have many games. After seeing it showed off at GamerDNA a bit, I wanted to buy Braid.

Braid is a platform-like puzzle game, but to call it a platformer is like calling Myst an FPS. It does have side-scrolling action, and many of the creatures in the game take a serious nod to Mario Bros, and it works the phrase, “I’m sorry but the princess is in another castle” into the storyline quite well.

Braid is a time-manipulation puzzle game. Every map has a unique challenge, and an excessively unique solution. In some levels you can simply rewind time to correct your mistakes, in other levels some items react to you rewinding time but others do not, in other levels a shadow version of yourself completes actions that you had done prior to rewinding time. Overall it is simple, elegent, and mindblowing.

Braid is currently exclusively for Xbox360, although I see no reason that asides from licensing that it couldn’t hit the Wii, PS3 or PC in time. It isn’t excessively graphically demanding, although it is beautiful. The musical score is great, and the music plays off of your time manipulation. In one level there is the sound of a music box playing. As you walk left and right the music box goes forward and backwards.

Braid is only $15 on the xbox DLC. Some have complained of its high price compared to other DLC offerings. All I can say is that its well worth it. Braid and Geometry Wars 2 are the winners right now on the DLC and well worth their combined $35.

So this leaves us that Braid is likly the best puzzle game of the past 15 years. Myst was the one before that which totally blew my mind with its complexity, graphics and puzzle skills. Much of the puzzle genre is represented by casual games that don’t have any depth or brain power involved.

What is interesting, is that this game isn’t based on high powered hardware. Honestly, this is the game that Super Mario Bros, (or at least Super Mario World) could have been. We could have had this 20 years ago. Its like the Wikipedia in a way, in that it wasn’t the technology holding us back from having the product but simply the fact that it hadn’t been done yet.

Here is a video review that I found of the game and highlights aspects of its gameplay rather well:

The other day I purchased GTA: IV for betahouse. I figured it would be a good change from Rockband since we’ve gotten several noise complaints from the neighbor and it’s a game that’s practically impossible to play quietly. I picked it up at Radioshack of all places for $60, but it came with a $10 gift card which I’m using on electronics parts (maybe some blue and green LEDs later).

I bought the Xbox 360 version, as that’s what we have at betahouse. I’d really like to get a Playstation 3 myself, although the news that the Xboxes will soon have Bluray players does make them tempting. I personally just want to play Metal Gear Solid 4, GTA: IV, and Gran Turismo 5 however, so it looks like I’ll be on a PS3 soon enough.

Took it into the office, fired up the projector, turned on the sound system. This game is jawdropping. The shadows are the best I have ever seen in a game. The characters don’t look “real” as some screenshots of MSG:4 are looking, but they are really enjoyable to watch. Turn on sub-titles as they are a must since they have heavy accents for most of the game.

The driving is better, but much more difficult than in prior games. The missions so far have been ok, but nothing amazing. Overall I think I just enjoy the world.

A few things that they have done to the game. No longer are there vast expanses of wilderness and farms. It’s all NYC! No empty random spaces. They did a great job at modeling the city. It feels much more vibrant. At the same time, a few things feel a bit less interactive than before, but they really did take out some of the random tedious things that you had to do in prior games. I’m only around 8% through it, but so far this is looking to be one of the best games ever.