5. Braid
Developer : Number None, Inc - 800 Microsoft Points I'm going to admit, I'm very late to the Braid train and have only just managed to sink my teeth into it. Quite frankly though, it wasnt at all what I expected. I suppose you could probably sum up Braid as a kind of puzzle platformer, but that really wouldn't be doing the any game justice. The puzzle mechanic in Braid comes in the form of your ability to both rewind time and make the flow of time pass more quickly. Thankfully, the game eases you into the time travel mechanic slowly during the early levels with some basic platfoming sections before introducing new elements, such as keys and platforms that are not affected by the passage of time. As the game progresses puzzles become trickier and the way time is manipulated changes, creating some mind bending late game situations. The story is drip-fed to you via scrolling text at the beginning of each area giving you a little more clarity on your quest and hints on the gameplay mechanic for the next area. While there isnt a whole lot of story to be found, the story that is there is an unexpectedly sombre and thought provoking affair. The games visual atheistic is also something to be praised, utilising a distinct hand-drawn style with colours and characters that literally pop on screen giving the game unique vibrant look, in a landscape of games filled with brown and greys. Braid looks and plays like a breath of fresh air and the sombre story and unique visuals are likely to stay with you for years to come.