It's the end of another year, and that can only mean one thing: it's list season. Inevitably, you're going to see top ten lists by the thousands; and, as an official member of the enthusiast press, I'm afraid I can't violate my directive. But, to make things a little more interesting, I've decided to assemble my 10 favorite games of this year in non-hierarchical form because--let's face facts--it's hard to pick a favorite. And unlike other top 10 lists, this one will be doled out to you in piecemeal over the next several excruciating days! Please enjoy.
As far as downloadable games go, Braid was a pretty big deal; I don't think a day in August went by without me reading several blog posts by people caught up in creator Jonathan Blow's amazing world--oh yeah, except for those days in August when Braid wasn't out. Nevertheless, there's really nothing else on XBox Live Arcade--or any other platform, really--that's like Braid; though its originality would be irrelevant if the game played like crap. Luckily, Blow's deconstruction of the platformer is an immaculately-design work of genius, a mechanical, visual, and aural delight from start to finish. And somehow, even with my embarrassingly poor competence at video game puzzle logic, I stuck through to the game's mindblowing ending.
Please stop me if you can't take all of the well-deserved hyperbole.
What amazes me most about Braid is that no one--as far as I can tell--has actually figured out what the game is about--and Blow ain't telling. A somewhat recent--and very extensive--interview with Blow on 1UP FM shot down a few of the more popular interpretations of Braid, and gave all of us a greater insight into the function of Blow's brain matter. It's a must-listen if you're like me and plan on digging into the Braid once again during the holidays to try to pull out something that might resemble a definitive meaning. What other games out there deserve a second playthrough just for their philosophical substance alone? Answer: not many. And that's what makes Braid so great.
Related Links:
My Top 10 of 2008 in No Particular Order: Audiosurf
Derrick's Top 13 Games of 2008 - Part 1
Ceci N'Est Pas Une 1-Up: The Surrealist Future of Postpunk Gaming