2008 Xbox 360 Game Changed the Industry Forever - and It Still Holds Up Today
Most people think of something bombastic and explosive, like Halo, when they reflect on the legacy of the Xbox and Xbox 360. But it was actually a tiny little game, independently developed by Jonathan Blow, that turned the industry upside down in 2008. Almost two decades later, it still stands out as one of the most ambitious and artistic games ever made.
Braid was released to critical acclaim and high sales on the Xbox 360 in August 2008. The game has you controlling a man named Tim who is chasing after something, but it's hard to tell exactly what. It looks like he's going after the love of his life, but he might just be chasing the demons of his past, present, and future. Is he running to his goals, or dashing away from his mistakes?
Video games didn't pursue these types of narrative questions often before Braid. They certainly didn't combine the addictive gameplay and unique storytelling that this game did into one package.
Braid allows the gamer to control the flow of time to change the way Tim goes through each level. The gameplay often pays homage to Nintendo's classic platformers, such as Super Mario Bros. and its sequels, but it modernizes them and utilizes a more advanced form of puzzle-solving that melds with gorgeous artwork and melancholy musical backing.
The game is still so influential today because it smashed open the indie game scene in irreversible ways. World of Goo, Super Meat Boy, Cuphead, Shovel Knight, and so many other greats followed in the next decade. Braid demonstrated that the best and most creative ideas in gaming were in the minds of small development teams, not the AAA studios that put out the same expensive package every year.
Dan Whitehead of Eurogamer described the full Braid experience best back in 2008.
"Braid is beautiful, entertaining and inspiring. It stretches both intellect and emotion, and these elements dovetail beautifully rather than chaffing against each other. Still wondering if games can be art? Here's your answer."
If Braid is art, it's certainly the Mona Lisa of its generation. The Xbox 360 will forever be indebted to its ingenuity, and every console that benefited from indie gaming is also in its gratitude.