All the regret of losing a life and restarting a level is gone. Imagine going on your first date with the ability to reverse time! In Braid's case, not only are we erasing mistakes we have made (stepping on spikes, falling off a platform, etc.), but we, as players, retain the knowledge of making the mistake when we repeat the action. The ability to manipulate time is something all of us have wished we could do. On the surface, Braid's story is about regret, mistakes, and learning from each one.
Of course it was all just speculation on our parts (and a little presumptuous, too), but how many games burrow themselves into your mind that deeply? How many spark such long, deep and engaging conversations outside of the game itself? Very, very few, and for that alone, Braid deserves high praise. What has Tim done that he regrets so much? Who is the princess, what does she represent? And what's this about an atomic bomb? After completing Braid for the first time, I went back and replayed the entire thing with a friend, picking apart every little sprite and event, watching enemies spout from cannons and wondering if their direction or position carried a deeper meaning. One of the biggest points of discussion in Braid is its story, and there are as many theories on its meaning as there are people to play the game. Blow played with this in a number of ways, toying with the player in such a way that the interaction between you and Braid becomes a story (and a game) on its own. Reading or watching movies is a passive experience, whereas games are active. Why? Because games are interactive, they create a unique bridge crossing the gap between player and game. In creating Braid, Jonathan Blow knew that a video game would be the only suitable medium to tell the story. If it doesn't change the way you think about games as tools of expression, you're missing out on more than half the experience.
To say that Braid is breathtaking is a massive understatement. However, one of the truly astonishing aspects of this game is the deeply involving story, which sweetly lures you in at the beginning, and blows your mind as you travel onward. The music and sounds not only serve as a soundtrack for your adventure, but almost become a manipulable toy by themselves, able to be twisted as you play with time. Each pixel is coated with pure awesome and served with a warm cup of stunning. Jonathan Blow's puzzle of time won't just twist your mind with its new style of mental gymnastics, but features enough gorgeous eye-candy to leave you craving more. If all else fails and you get completely stuck, take a break. Think of how time can be used in that world, and how it can be applied to each specific task. The one mechanism you've never been allowed to tamper with is now your biggest tool for solving each puzzle. If you want to succeed with Braid, don't let this happen. The clock has always ticked down, the bonus points have slowly decreased, and the desire to keep moving just for the sake of moving has plagued you. That much said, we'll try not to spoil too many of the twists for you, but we will offer you this advice: with probably 99% of the games you've played in your life, time has marched on steadily, and there's been nothing you can do about it. Part of the journey Braid takes you on is the thrill of discovering how time moves uniquely in each world.
Holding down the key will move time backwards, letting you undo an action (such as dying) to let you have a new perspective on what you've just done. Almost every puzzle in this game requires you to manipulate time to some extent, whether it be through trial-and-error or altering the speed or direction that time flows. The story even seems to involve rescuing a princess! However, the significant twist (and oh, what a twist it is) is. Run, climb, jump, and bounce off the heads of enemies, all in the name of collecting a puzzle piece. With a deep, intriguing storyline, gorgeous watercolor backgrounds, enchanting music, and the unique ability to manipulate time, Braid is built from dozens of unique puzzles (no filler material) that will challenge your ability to think laterally while inspiring your philosophical mind to search for meaning with every object you encounter.Īs you begin the game, you'll notice how Braid feels like your ordinary platformer. But what if the flow of time wasn't linear? What if you could obtain that knowledge, then go back and use it in situations long before you started reading? This is one of the key concepts Braid, a puzzle platformer created by Jonathan Blow, is built upon. After a few seconds or minutes of reading, you've amassed a bit of knowledge and can find ways to apply it. When you read something, you usually retain some sort of information from the words you've seen.