Wow. That's all I can say as I play through this game.
The game came out on XBox Live Arcade this week. I know there was a lot of hype for it, but I didn't really pay attention to it, because I mistakenly thought the game was a shooter, because that's all that's ever released on XBLA. So I went into the demo with no preconceptions, and I was completely blown away from the beginning.
The art style is just stunning. It's like you're playing inside an impressionist painting. Since I play my 360 on a regular CRT TV, I don't get the benefit of HD graphics. In fact, most games I've played on the 360 don't really amaze me graphically, because they don't look that much better than some last gen games. It's all about art direction, so in my opinion, this game has some of the best graphics I've seen on the 360.
The gameplay is truly innovative. Without giving too much away, your character has the ability to control time in order to reach puzzle pieces to complete puzzles and advance the story. In the first game world, it seems almost derivative of Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time. But each world has a unique time control ability, and that's what makes the puzzles so innovative. There's one puzzle in world 6 involving an elevator. At this point, you know that you need a particular ability, and it's all about figuring out exactly when and where to use it. Once I figured out what I needed to do, I just smiled and didn't stop until I had completed the level. It was truly ingenious.
It's almost like each puzzle piece has a unique way to retrieve it. Only in the early worlds do you find repeat methods to obtain the pieces. Later on, it's all lateral thinking as you make your way through the game. There are a lot of challenges in the game, but they're implemented so well that it's not frustrating, and once you figure it out, it's really rewarding. This is where I think the comparisons to Portal are really apt. For example, I need one more puzzle piece in world 3 to complete the puzzle, but there's no way I'm gonna cheat and find a walkthrough for it. I'm gonna keep trying until I figure it out, because I know it'll be so much more rewarding that way. It was the same way for me in Portal, particularly the challenge levels. I know I can do it, I just have to wrap my brain around it the right way.
I know there's a few NWRers who are currently playing this, too. I know Caliban's got like 20 more puzzle pieces than I do. What are everyone else's thoughts on this? 2D game of the year? Greatest puzzle/platformer ever? Totally overrated?