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Pardon the dust! This page includes some jargon that hasn't been added to the site's glossary yet. I'll be around to fix this later, but sorry for the inconvenience in the meantime. |
Review: Braid
At a Glance
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How to Save and Pause:Your progress is automatically recorded at the end of a stage. But, only one game can be saved at a time. To pause the game, press ESC to bring up the pause menu. Time needed per session:While levels can be completed in mere moments, you really shouldn't rush through them as you'll miss important items. Since you'll need to search around and figure out these puzzles, plan to play for at least thirty minutes at a time.
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Does this game pose issues for Christian players?
 | No - this is a great game for Christians The central theme of this game is learning from your mistakes and in turn, learning to forgive yourself. Even considering the dark nature of the ending, this is still a very healthy concept to focus on. |
Screenshots
![[view screenshot]](../images/screenshots/braid_0.jpg)
![[view screenshot]](../images/screenshots/braid_1.jpg)
![[view screenshot]](../images/screenshots/braid_2.jpg)
Game Overview
Braid is a classic indie game - in fact, it's sometimes hailed as being the first big indie game to gain mainstream appeal. A lot of its charm comes from its heavily detailed and fluid art style and the quiet ambience of its soundtrack, but there's something to be said for how it turns a few simple mechanics into brain-breakingly difficult puzzles. But, what makes it stand out to me is how somber everything is - the entire game feels like regret personified.
The story starts off simply enough. Like a certain famous platforming franchise, the player is sent on a grand quest to save a kidnapped princess. Yet, every time you reach the end of a world, you're greeted by someone who informs you that she is in another castle, and the journey must continue if the hero is to find her. Even the enemies resemble the antagonists of that well known franchise, be they giant man-eating plants or heads that wander around on two stubby feet. But, Braid is not a Super Mario Bros. clone - the trappings may resemble one, but this is as far as it goes.
Unlike that other series, Braid focuses on exploring the concept of moving around in time as well as space. Each world features a different way to control the flow of time, either on a grand scale or in a small area. This turns what would otherwise be a normal platformer into a complex puzzle game, as your real goal is to locate and collect puzzle pieces. To truly conquer a world, you need assemble its jigsaw puzzle. Once all five jigsaws are complete, the path to the finale will open.
But, there's something else going on. If you're reading the texts found at the beginning of each world and paying attention to the jigsaws, you'll start noticing that the "rescue the princess" line is only the surface of the story. With each puzzle piece you find, more details begin falling into place, setting up for a very impactful ending that you should experience for yourself.
Ultimately, this is a sobering game about the consequences of our actions, our ability to learn from past mistakes, and leaves us wondering how things might have turned out if we had made better choices. It's worth playing through at least once - but I'm not sure it's worth buying at full price. As good as it is, there are a lot of more affordable games out there that are just as impactful these days.
The story starts off simply enough. Like a certain famous platforming franchise, the player is sent on a grand quest to save a kidnapped princess. Yet, every time you reach the end of a world, you're greeted by someone who informs you that she is in another castle, and the journey must continue if the hero is to find her. Even the enemies resemble the antagonists of that well known franchise, be they giant man-eating plants or heads that wander around on two stubby feet. But, Braid is not a Super Mario Bros. clone - the trappings may resemble one, but this is as far as it goes.
Unlike that other series, Braid focuses on exploring the concept of moving around in time as well as space. Each world features a different way to control the flow of time, either on a grand scale or in a small area. This turns what would otherwise be a normal platformer into a complex puzzle game, as your real goal is to locate and collect puzzle pieces. To truly conquer a world, you need assemble its jigsaw puzzle. Once all five jigsaws are complete, the path to the finale will open.
But, there's something else going on. If you're reading the texts found at the beginning of each world and paying attention to the jigsaws, you'll start noticing that the "rescue the princess" line is only the surface of the story. With each puzzle piece you find, more details begin falling into place, setting up for a very impactful ending that you should experience for yourself.
Ultimately, this is a sobering game about the consequences of our actions, our ability to learn from past mistakes, and leaves us wondering how things might have turned out if we had made better choices. It's worth playing through at least once - but I'm not sure it's worth buying at full price. As good as it is, there are a lot of more affordable games out there that are just as impactful these days.
Points of Interest
Tough puzzles
Only a few of the puzzles in this game have obvious or simple solutions. The rest definitely challenge your brain and understanding of the level's time-manipulation mechanics. If you really get stuck on a puzzle, you can find guides and walkthroughs online, but it's more fun to figure things out yourself. None of the puzzles are impossible - they just take some imagination and a little bit of patience.
There's no way to really lose
Since the player can control time, any serious mistakes they make can simply be undone by turning back the clock. For example, if the player character gets bit by a man-eating plant or stumbles into spikes, the player can just rewind to a time before the incident occurred. Additionally, nearly every level can be completed without solving their puzzles, so if something is too hard to solve right now, you can come back to it later and try again.
Steam community features
Players can earn twelve achievements as they work their way through this game. None of these are particularly inspired, as they are all tied to your progression through the game. Each world has two achievements - one for passing through it, and one for completing the puzzles in it. The only achievement that isn't based on simple progression is the one awarded for completing a speedrun of the game, and unsurprisingly enough, almost nobody bothered to earn it.
The finale must be earned
The entire jigsaw puzzle concept is a good one, as it rewards players who have the time and skill to solve the game's many puzzles with some deeper insights into the story. However, finding collectibles should be optional. As it is, the final world can only be accessed by the most skilled and dedicated players, which means most people won't be able to experience either of the game's endings.
Concerns and Issues
Mild violence
With the exception of bosses and the plant monsters, everything in the game can be defeated by being jumped on, stumbling into spikes, or by being hit with a fireball. Defeated characters, including the player character, fall off the bottom of the screen. Alternatively, you'll defeat bosses by dropping chandlers on their heads, breaking their helmets and knocking them out.
One little swear
The epilogue contains a famous quotation, and included in this quote is the only thing close to a swear word in the game. The word in question rhymes with "itch", and it seems like everyone has their own personal opinion whether or not it counts as swearing.
You're not the hero
Without spoiling things too much, it slowly becomes apparent that the guy you're playing as isn't really that nice, and feels somewhat guilty for all of the pain he's caused. Interestingly, the narrative is just vague enough that what players think about Tim is determined by whether or not they've witnessed the finale, which exposes the game's story as a big metaphor. Hint: there's a reason this game begins (and ends) with the town burning, and it's all thanks to guy you've been playing as.