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Braid (XBLA)

post #1 of 93
8/7/08 at 12:32am
Thread Starter 
You should all be playing this.
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post #2 of 93
8/7/08 at 2:14am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Slater View Post
You should all be playing this.
Nearly gave in, but its price (and the fact i gotta save up for Bionic Commando) made me choose Geometry Wars2 and a few game contents instead...guess next time ill check it out.
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post #3 of 93
8/7/08 at 2:17am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Slater View Post
You should all be playing this.
Why? Sounds like a game with unique graphics, interesting time based gameplay, and intelligence testing puzzles. Unfortunately it's a platformer. Is there a script/story/plot/anything Psychonauty? Cause it's going to take something like that to get me platforming again.
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post #4 of 93
8/7/08 at 2:20am
1,200 points? Downloading the demo now, but 1,200 is a tall order.
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post #5 of 93
8/7/08 at 2:30am
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by Overlord View Post
Why? Sounds like a game with unique graphics, interesting time based gameplay, and intelligence testing puzzles. Unfortunately it's a platformer. Is there a script/story/plot/anything Psychonauty? Cause it's going to take something like that to get me platforming again.
http://www.eurogamer.net/article.php?article_id=205102

I don't love it quite as much as Senor Whitehead, but there's no denying its ambition and polish. There's really nothing like it on XBLA, anyway.

And fifteen bucks is steep, yeah, but I'd rather support an original labor of love than some generic piece of shit space marine shooter.
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post #6 of 93
8/7/08 at 4:25am
That review just convinced me to make my first XBLA purchase since Castlevania.
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post #7 of 93
8/7/08 at 4:28am
It's amazing. It's been available on Partnernet (the internal version of Xbox Live) for a couple months. I've been returning to it off and on during that time and my admiration only grows. It is ambitious and beautiful and at times very, very difficult.

The Watchmen comparison is actually quite apt.
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post #8 of 93
8/7/08 at 5:17am
I will be purchasing this come Sunday.

Well, I'll tell you why. Target is selling 1600 point cards for $15. A $20 card for $15. Time to stock up for Rock Band, Braid and Castle Crashers.

And 1200 is 400 points too much. It when Geometry Wars 2, the sequel to a highly acclaimed shooter that essentially started XBLA and Bionic Commando Rearmed, a remake of a NES classic that does more than just add shiny are 10 bucks, a unknown indie arty game should maybe not be so cocky.
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post #9 of 93
8/7/08 at 5:39am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Slater View Post
http://www.eurogamer.net/article.php?article_id=205102

I don't love it quite as much as Senor Whitehead, but there's no denying its ambition and polish. There's really nothing like it on XBLA, anyway.

And fifteen bucks is steep, yeah, but I'd rather support an original labor of love than some generic piece of shit space marine shooter.
Well written review. But it left me with no idea why it affected him so deeply.
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post #10 of 93
8/7/08 at 5:42am
Comparing shit to WATCHMEN is the laziest thing you can do these days. It's like saying 'This new Angus Three Quarter Pounder is the WATCHMEN of fast food!'
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post #11 of 93
8/7/08 at 7:09am
Just played through the trial version of Braid. Umm...Whitehead's review is getting ripped apart on the Intertron, and I might have to agree. The graphics are nice, the music moody and evocative, the gameplay time mechanic interesting and the little snippets of philosophies/dialogue are nicely done ... but comparing it to Portal or Watchmen seems pretty unjustified. It's a clever, well-done platformer with great atmosphere.

Transcend the genre? Make you reflect on your life? Yeah, maybe there's something in the full version that isn't in the trial.

*Also finally popped in Crackdown. Man, I've been missing out.
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post #12 of 93
8/7/08 at 7:31am
The $15 price tag isn't a big problem, but the 2 hour playtime is. Kotaku had an interview with the creator where he admits that it is a bit pricey and then proceeds to offer some bullshit explanation for it.
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post #13 of 93
8/7/08 at 9:00am
I have to agree with Slater. I don't know what part is in the trial, but I can't imagine that it's a good representation of the full game. The Portal comparisons are totally appropriate in terms of taking a simple mechanic and adding layer upon layer of complexity, creating something quite unique. I'm loving it so far.
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post #14 of 93
8/7/08 at 9:56am
The demo makes it out to be in the same class as ICO and Shadow of the Colossus--brilliantly constructed puzzle games with narratives that don't assume you're an idiot. It's really rare to get a little intellectual engagement beyond the usual flimsy excuses for going from Point A to B.

But like ICO and Shadow of the Colossus, it doesn't appear to be made for replay value. The fun is entirely in figuring out the puzzle, and once you've done that, you're left with an excellent game that you're never going to touch again. If this game weren't resticted to my hard drive, I could justify $15 knowing I could sell it off or give it to a friend once I was done with it. I don't know if it's worth the one-shot play it appears to be.
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post #15 of 93
8/7/08 at 10:19am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Egg View Post
The demo makes it out to be in the same class as ICO and Shadow of the Colossus--brilliantly constructed puzzle games with narratives that don't assume you're an idiot. It's really rare to get a little intellectual engagement beyond the usual flimsy excuses for going from Point A to B.

But like ICO and Shadow of the Colossus, it doesn't appear to be made for replay value. The fun is entirely in figuring out the puzzle, and once you've done that, you're left with an excellent game that you're never going to touch again. If this game weren't resticted to my hard drive, I could justify $15 knowing I could sell it off or give it to a friend once I was done with it. I don't know if it's worth the one-shot play it appears to be.
A fair point. It's probably not the sort of time-sucking life-stealer that Geometry Wars 2 is, and I doubt I'll be going back to it every day for months on end. I'll certainly find myself revisiting it once in a while like I do with Shadow and Ico, just to marvel the creativity and thematic ambition on display. Those are things that I'd like to see more of from games in general.

It would benefit from a lower price tag for sure, but at the moment I feel like I'll get my money's worth.
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post #16 of 93
8/7/08 at 10:54am
For the folks who wanna see it in motion, with Captain Blandular narrating...

http://www.viddler.com/explore/X3F-TV/videos/65/
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post #17 of 93
8/7/08 at 1:22pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by mediumdave View Post
And 1200 is 400 points too much. It when Geometry Wars 2, the sequel to a highly acclaimed shooter that essentially started XBLA and Bionic Commando Rearmed, a remake of a NES classic that does more than just add shiny are 10 bucks, a unknown indie arty game should maybe not be so cocky.
You do understand the difference between multi-million dollar corporations like Bizarre and Capcom cranking out franchises for a pre-sold audience and some dude maxing out all his credit card to make something original, right?

And $15, boo hoo hoo. That price doesn't seem too steep for about 3-4 hours of solid entertainment. Especially not when shitty games like Blacksite or Stranglehold are charging four times that for basically the same amount of content.
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post #18 of 93
8/7/08 at 1:24pm
With all of the fucking ad bullshit on LIVE taking up like 90% of any given blade, you'd think the prices would be a bit cheaper, or maybe the service be free like PSN. And Braid is worth the 15 bucks by the way.
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post #19 of 93
8/7/08 at 1:30pm
Downloaded the demo.

I feel the same conflict with this that I do shopping at Whole Foods Market. I'm in love with the effort, the philosophy, and the principle, but my wallet doth protest too much, and for 2 hours of gameplay, it's hard to justify....

Combined with not being able to buy BYOB for Rock Band this week, and completely forgetting I still had Ninja Gaiden II 2 days later than expected, Geometry Wars 2 is fast becoming the best game I regret purchasing.
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post #20 of 93
8/7/08 at 2:30pm
Motherfuck World 4.

Yeah, I bought it, and yes, it's worth the price. It's not so much a platformer as it is a puzzle game with platformer elements. Think BLOCK DUDE AND THE SANDS OF TIME and you'll be on track.
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post #21 of 93
8/7/08 at 2:45pm
Is $15 really that much money? Considering how much movies, etc. all cost these days?

I'll be checking this out tonight. GW2 is fucking amazing (even though I suck at it compared to most of you), so I'm hoping Slater's recommendations go 2 for 2.
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post #22 of 93
8/7/08 at 2:46pm
I'm really tired of the whining about the price. Folks are playing this on their thirty bucks a month internet connection utilizing their several hundred dollar video game console on their probably 1K+ television. Stop it!

Is there a story other than those books at the beginning of each level?

You know what I enjoyed the most about the trial, just wandering around listening to the music and watching the beautiful art scroll around. How long did that take one guy to draw?
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post #23 of 93
8/7/08 at 2:56pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Overlord View Post
Is there a story other than those books at the beginning of each level?
Supposidly the pictures you put together with the puzzle pieces are part of the story. I've only completed World 3, so I'm not sure if this is true or not.
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post #24 of 93
8/7/08 at 5:24pm
Thread Starter 
Just finished it. Well worth your fifteen bucks.
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post #25 of 93
8/7/08 at 5:42pm
$15? That's like... £7. That's the price of a single cinema ticket here in the UK.

I'm assuming it's not a similar price on the UK store, because £7 for a couple of hours of entertainment - by an indie dev no less, sounds fine.
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post #26 of 93
8/8/08 at 12:19am
Was going to download the demo for this last night but got caught up in other things. Definitely going to tonight.

First heard about this on Monday and didn't think too much of it until Dan started gushing over it.
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post #27 of 93
8/8/08 at 3:45am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Chris Anthony View Post
Motherfuck World 4.

Yeah, I'm so messed in the head from trying this level. Hunt! is threatening to implode my brain. I can only think in bizarre reverse motion rewind now!!

Lovely game though, it feels so rewarding to figure some of these things out on your own. Anyone who uses a guide for this game is just pissing away money and joy
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post #28 of 93
8/8/08 at 5:07am
Solved World 2 after finally figuring out that you can use the in-world "painting" as a tool to navigate the level. Thanks total fluke jump onto a painted platform!

Incredible!
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post #29 of 93
8/8/08 at 2:27pm
And here's today's PA strip that talks about the price/playtime

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post #30 of 93
8/8/08 at 2:31pm
^ Love it!

I spent about an hour and a half playing last night & I'm hooked. I see a lot of my weekend suddenly blocked out as I try to get all those damn puzzle pieces.

Still haven't figured out how to get the ones that are just floating over the doors in world 2, but that will be my project tonight!
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post #31 of 93
8/8/08 at 2:32pm
I got a new plasma tv so I have about 40 hours left of break-in time before I play this and GW2. Next weekend I should be good to go though!
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post #32 of 93
8/8/08 at 3:32pm
Microsoft gave me 1600 points for getting fifth place in their GTA contest. My only hold up on this game are the puzzles since I was born idiotic and have remained so. What level of difficulty are we talking here? I managed to beat Sands of Time all by myself but I fear games like Professor Layton. What say you?
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post #33 of 93
8/8/08 at 4:05pm
Cave in, bought this, loving it, may be addicted to it....damn you, hype and word of mouth.
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post #34 of 93
8/8/08 at 7:11pm
As exciting as some of the ideas sound from that review by Whitehead, I would be embarrassed to have written it. Not only is it so completely overwritten, it's far too self-serious, and the kind of thing I've seen Whitehead mock on this very forum. That line about "Our Princess is always in another castle" is painful. I'm surprised people here haven't been tearing it apart.

The game sounds great and I'll download the demo first chance I get. As soon as I can scrounge up some extra money I'll grab it, demo or not. At the very least, it sounds like something new and fun. Unfortunately my queue of gaming excitement is Soul Calibur IV (Yoda + character creation has me so sold on this it hurts), Bio-Shock (need to finally play this), and then this, so it could be a while. The wait'll be worth it I'm sure, so don't try to convince me to jump it up the list.
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post #35 of 93
8/8/08 at 7:17pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Smeagol View Post
As exciting as some of the ideas sound from that review by Whitehead, I would be embarrassed to have written it. Not only is it so completely overwritten, it's far too self-serious, and the kind of thing I've seen Whitehead mock on this very forum. That line about "Our Princess is always in another castle" is painful. I'm surprised people here haven't been tearing it apart.
His review is terrible. But, a better forum exists for discussing it. That being the eurogamer forum directly below the review.
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post #36 of 93
8/8/08 at 7:28pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Overlord View Post
His review is terrible. But, a better forum exists for discussing it. That being the eurogamer forum directly below the review.
I didn't say this was the place to discuss it, but I fully expected people here to. I was mostly trying to get across my surprise it wasn't.
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post #37 of 93
8/8/08 at 7:34pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Smeagol View Post
I didn't say this was the place to discuss it, but I fully expected people here to. I was mostly trying to get across my surprise it wasn't.
There's been a few comments, but you're right; basically nobody's touching that subject.
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post #38 of 93
8/8/08 at 7:37pm
Now y'see I don't know how you could have possibly approached the game in any other way. Really I think your writing has to take on a lyrical style to match the style of the game.
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post #39 of 93
8/8/08 at 8:10pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Spike Marshall View Post
Now y'see I don't know how you could have possibly approached the game in any other way. Really I think your writing has to take on a lyrical style to match the style of the game.
This has me even more curious to play it.
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post #40 of 93
8/9/08 at 2:52am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Matt Goldberg View Post
Microsoft gave me 1600 points for getting fifth place in their GTA contest. My only hold up on this game are the puzzles since I was born idiotic and have remained so. What level of difficulty are we talking here? I managed to beat Sands of Time all by myself but I fear games like Professor Layton. What say you?
It's on par with BLOCK DUDE. You'll have to stand back and think things through, but it's not like PROFESSOR LAYTON where they pull some bullshit word play or not tell you everything you need to know in order to make the puzzle harder.
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post #41 of 93
8/9/08 at 3:21am
Then I guess I'll have to get it after I return the games I rented.
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post #42 of 93
8/9/08 at 1:35pm
The second Hunt puzzle where they come back to life if you move left is fucking with me.
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post #43 of 93
8/9/08 at 1:40pm
Been keeping an eye on this one for a long time.
I'm having to wait for the pc version, but I will be buying that the day it released.
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post #44 of 93
8/9/08 at 6:25pm
Beat it today, and have to say that the ending is a total mindfuck. I agree with what PA talks about in that this should be the first step for XBLA growing from a place to play some old arcade games to a site that features full on games ala Steam.

I do cry bullshit on a few puzzles. World 2 has the painting puzzle that requires you manipulate the picture itself. I found it on accident and was a little ticked by it.

World 4 also has a bullshit puzzle that requires you to jump underneath the enemy in order to bounce him higher. I don't think this concept was introduced at all (or if it was I missed it) and I ended up having to go online in order to figure it out.

The rest, however, were flat out fantastic. One of the most rewarding experiences I've had on XBLA in awhile.
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post #45 of 93
8/9/08 at 6:30pm
haha the Renn Faire music in this game is killing me. So terrible.
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post #46 of 93
8/9/08 at 6:38pm
Harsh. I wouldn't buy the soundtrack, but it did its job and did it well.
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post #47 of 93
8/9/08 at 6:39pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by Chris Anthony View Post
World 4 also has a bullshit puzzle that requires you to jump underneath the enemy in order to bounce him higher. I didn't think this concept was introduced at all (or if it was I missed it) and I ended up having to go online in order to figure it out.
Yeah, that was the only puzzle I thought was genuinely cheap.

I loved the painting puzzle, though, just because it's so blindingly obvious in retrospect.
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post #48 of 93
8/9/08 at 7:07pm
Not that this is a deal breaker for me or anything, but how long is this game actually? I've heard two hours or so, but I was wondering about first-hand experiences from you guys.

And Devin, you weren't moved by the music? I've heard it's very affecting and deep or some bullshit.
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post #49 of 93
8/10/08 at 2:03am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Slater View Post
I loved the painting puzzle, though, just because it's so blindingly obvious in retrospect.
My beef with it lies in that its the only puzzle you can't solve right away. You don't get the platfrom pieces until later on in the world, so if your like me and can't leave a puzzle alone until its finished, it can be annoying to find that the puzzle had no solution.
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post #50 of 93
8/10/08 at 9:46pm
I wasn't a big fan of the world 4 puzzle that you mentioned. It seems o.k., given that it works as a gameplay mechanic, its just that even after stretching your brain around all the puzzles before it you're never once prompted to think something like that should work. that and a couple of later puzzles are the ones that I needed help on, after getting way too frustrated.

The world 2 puzzle, I think, is brilliant. It took me an hour and a half to figure it out, but when I did it was on par with Portal, the amount of personal satisfaction I felt.
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