I did a short review before when Mr.Blow granted me the privilege of an early version of the game. How have my views on the game changed now that I’ve completed the final release version on XBox Live Arcade? Little to none. Let’s do a breakdown as different people like different things.
Gameplay
Braid is an exquisite medley of nostalgia and completely innovate new game mechanics, combined to form a sandwich entirely made of awesome. Seriously though, the ability to fast forward and rewind time has been toyed around with repeatedly in games of the past, but this is the first time where it actually fit perfectly and was implemented perfectly in the history of video games. Whereas most designers would immediately try to restrict or build costs into a time rewinding mechanic in order to make the game “fun,” Jonathon Blow has built a game around utilizing time rewinding without any sort of chains, backlash or other bullshit that made those previous time travel games a miserable failure (or at least not as fun as they could have been).
Most game designers would immediately flinch and say the game is too easy because of the time rewinding mechanic alone, but they would be wrong. Deep thought must be put into every puzzle that advances progression, and time manipulation is the key that opens the locks. Each World of the game gives a slightly different way to manipulate time, and all of them have many brilliant puzzles.
For those who have started playing and are getting frustrated or stuck, do not worry. I swear that every puzzle is completable and that despite their seeming impossibility, once you have finally figured it out you will be amazed by how natural the solution feels. All it takes is time, thought and effort. If you find yourself repeatedly trying to do something that seems absolutely impossible, reconsider your thought process and see if there’s a better solution that utilizes your time manipulation mechanic. If you’re thinking of giving up, do not. The end level is absolute genius, and to miss it is to fail at life.
Art
I’m not an artist by any means, but it is rare for me to play a game and be absolutely enthralled by the background images. Everything within the game is beautifully rendered in an ethereal way that fits in with the spiritual journey you go through as you push Tim towards reality. Art is often in games, but rarely have I thought of games as art. Braid, in all its ethereal beauty, is art in game form.
Music
The music suits the game well, and I am particularly fond of how it speeds up and slows down with the time manipulation mechanic. Hopefully it will bring a lot of new people into the realm of enjoying classical music.
Story
The story of the game works perfectly with the overarching theme, and more importantly, fits in with the gameplay perfectly. It’s all leading you to something, something brilliant and achingly sad. You can see it in the words as you progress and when it all becomes revealed, you feel it in your soul.
My only criticism here is the writing itself. While the implied meaning of the paragraphs are quite good and perfectly set the scene for the levels you will experience, the writing itself feels mechanical and a bit placid. Perhaps this is the intention, for Tim seems to be obsessed with the mechanics of things. However, it is slightly out of sync with the elegance of the world within which he imagines himself. I would like to think that someone who can dream up worlds so achingly beautiful, would also have the words with which to accompany them.
I also must admit that I did not fully “get” the final few books that I found in the world. I think I understand the general meaning of them, and while I did get some closure from it, I felt they were lacking in cohesiveness with everything else I had experienced. It’s almost as though they were written on such a high level that they failed to mesh with the very explicit meaning of the end encounter of the game.
Overall
The game has come together beautifully, and honestly, little has changed since I played the initial version. I think I may have found a few of the puzzles to be a tiny bit tighter in execution, but that could be my imagination playing tricks on me. Every puzzle completion was a moment of joy for me. It’s simply an exquisitely well thought out and executed game. If you have any interest in game design, you must play this game.
Braid – A+
Pros
- Amazingly crafted gameplay
- Best use of time travel ever done in a game.
- Elegant and brilliant puzzles
- Exquisite artwork that fits perfectly with the theme and gameplay.
Cons
- Slightly mechanical writing style detracts from the perceived overall theme.
- Epilogue felt slightly disjointed at points from the rest of the game.
There you have it, a perfect game in my opinion. The cons are totally personal feelings, but since rating a game is entirely about a person’s personal perspective, I felt obligated to put them in. Weighted against the whole, they are absolutely insignificant to me. Go get this game, now!
WARNING: Comments may contain spoilers. I highly recommend you finish the game first.