Post by: NWR_Neal on October 20, 2008, 11:51:53 AM
I just downloaded World of Goo after succumbing to its superb review scores and playing it made me realize one thing: This is WiiWare’s Braid.
For the uninitiated, Braid came out in August on Xbox Live Arcade to glowing reviews proclaiming it to be an artistic masterpiece. It was headed by a small team led by experiment designer Jonathan Blow, who put his own money into the game. The game proclaims such things as "Every puzzle in Braid is unique. There is no filler," and "Braid does everything it can to give you a mind-expanding experience." The way it’s described might seem more like some kind of outrageous hallucinogenic drug then a video game. It won numerous independent game awards and is slated for a future PC release.
World of Goo has a similar history. Created by a small group of former Electronic Arts employees, World of Goo is also receiving rave reviews. Mainly due to its artistic aesthetic and creative gameplay, two items that Braid was also hailed for. World of Goo also won numerous independent awards. Hell, both games are $15 on their respective console's download services. They're also both coming to PC!
While a lot of the comparisons are coincidences, these two games seem to be coming from a similar philosophy and represent much of the same things. Innovation, risks, proof that a small team can make a great game. It's also what these digital distribution methods are great for. Without WiiWare or XBLA, or even the Playstation Store, there would be no venue to showcase these great small games.
I'll end this by raising a question. Which one would you rather have? Would you rather have Braid or World of Goo? How about Pixel Junk Eden, which I haven't played but is supposedly a PS3 gem.
Post by: Jonnyboy117 on October 20, 2008, 08:10:40 PM
Post by: Famicom on October 20, 2008, 09:59:38 PM
Post by: GoldenPhoenix on October 20, 2008, 10:00:19 PM
Post by: NWR_Neal on October 20, 2008, 10:03:46 PM
Not a big fan of Braid, yeah it is a good game but I feel people propped it up to be more than it really is.
I kind of agree with that but I don't at the same time.
I had avoided a lot of the hype and was away when it was released. I played the demo, not knowing much about it, and loved it and then promptly bought it and played the hell out of it. Braid is a very good game but its not as good as everyone says it is. First, the story is kind of dumb and forced.
Post by: GoldenPhoenix on October 20, 2008, 10:13:20 PM
Not a big fan of Braid, yeah it is a good game but I feel people propped it up to be more than it really is.
I kind of agree with that but I don't at the same time.
I had avoided a lot of the hype and was away when it was released. I played the demo, not knowing much about it, and loved it and then promptly bought it and played the hell out of it. Braid is a very good game but its not as good as everyone says it is. First, the story is kind of dumb and forced.
That is mainly what I found disappointing, it was like they were trying too hard with making a symbolic story. The core game has some fresh and innovative ideas that I HOPE is used in more games.
Post by: NWR_Neal on October 20, 2008, 10:42:27 PM
Post by: IceCold on October 21, 2008, 03:59:20 AM
Post by: Nick DiMola on October 21, 2008, 08:29:30 AM
Also, this exact discussion is something I had with one of my good friends right after WoG came out. Download services for all of these systems has allowed a whole new pedigree of developers to bring unique concepts to gamers on all of the systems. In a way this generation is a rebirth of gaming. With Wii and DS totally tossing traditional control out the window and download services changing what we consider a game, this generation has potential to get very, very interesting.
Post by: NWR_Lindy on October 21, 2008, 12:27:48 PM
Post by: NinGurl69 *huggles on October 23, 2008, 01:27:45 PM
It's already interesting.
Post by: Mario on November 08, 2008, 11:36:36 PM
Post by: KDR_11k on November 09, 2008, 03:17:40 AM
