This is due to the way the puzzles are formed and the main mechanic of the game: time manipulation. Instead, Braid is all about being methodical and thinking about what you need to be doing, and you’re always thinking a few steps ahead, almost like a game of chess. Don’t be fooled though, you aren’t going to be running around and practicing your reflexes and dexterity, and you certainly won’t be jumping on any goombas (although you will jump on other enemies, so there’s a bit of a reference). Having lost your princess due to a mistake, you now have to go and get her back. That being said, if you regularly suffer from existential crises, you might want to skip this one.Īfter you hear the beginning of Braid’s story, you might think that it’s just another take on the Super Mario games. If you’ve been on the fence about The Talos Principle, I would definitely tell you to pick it up and check it out, but only if you have around 20-30 hours to spare. Ultimately, I don’t want to talk too much about the story or the nature of the puzzles, as the journey of discovering all that on your own is just too much fun. The only real downside is that this really awesome narrative storyscape doesn’t necessarily always mesh with the puzzle element of the game, and often you’re propelled by the mystery, rather than the puzzles. While solving these puzzles that involves lasers, shields and glyphs, you get to hear Eloheim tell his possibly unreliable story, as well as listen into audio journals and read information on computer terminals. It’s this environment of constantly pushing you to the edge that makes the puzzle element of the game so great, and with nearly 120 puzzles or so total, you’re going to get several hours out of it. The puzzles themselves are real head-scratchers, although not overly so, and they aren’t as easy or straightforward as Portal 2’s puzzles.Ī lot of the times you’ll certainly feel that you’re at the end of your wits and really want to look up a guide or walkthrough, before you get your sudden ‘Aha!’ moment which really good puzzle games thrive in. On the way, you start to question who and where you are, and an incessant drive to solve the mystery eats you up from inside. This Eloheim, as he likes to call himself (Hebrew for “God” so draw your own conclusions), guides you through a variety of seemingly dead worlds that are alive with history, from Ancient Greece to Ancient Egypt. Yes, the environments are beautiful and engrossing, but those are just surface level in terms of what the game has to offer from an existential point of view.īeing born as a blank slate in a world that you know nothing about, a mysterious voice rings out of the ether and propels you to move forward and solve puzzles. While it doesn’t regale you with traditional action that you’d expect from other titles on this list, it’s outward appearance belays the deeper questions the game makes you think about. In stark contrast to Portal 2 is The Talos Principle, a beautifully stark game that is all about the puzzles. Or you could find out the cake is a lie (see, I told you). You’re in luck though, since the game is so cheap nowadays, you can easily grab a couple of copies, a friend, and get cracking on some of the most fun times you’re likely to have. If you haven’t played Portal 2 then you’re sadly missing out on not only an excellent puzzle game, but just an awesome game overall. Picking up from where the single-player story ends, you and a friend get put in charge of a couple of robots and continue the story of Aperture Science. Accompanying you is Wheatly, a seemingly inept robot voiced hilariously by Steven Merchant which really just make the dialogue and world shine.Īs you might expect, you can finish the game in single-player mode, but grabbing a partner and playing in co-op really adds to the fun. GLaDOS is constantly harassing and berating you, almost always driving you to move forward.Īs mentioned, you also get to understand the purpose behind the facility, as well as origin stories for different characters, including the mysterious founder, and even GLaDOS herself. Equally important is the story, which really ties the puzzles together and engrosses you in the world. The box of toys you get to solve puzzles with also helps a lot towards that goal, and sometimes it’s just a matter of finding the right execution, rather than trying to figure out an exceedingly complex puzzle.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |