The great thing about this current generation of consoles is the availability of indie gaming. Each platform has its own pros and cons of the indie game scene. As such, each platform offers a unique perspective. Currently, the most prominent is the Xbox 360 and Xbox Live Arcade (or so it seems to me). And Braid caught the eyes of many players about a year ago. And it’s about time we PC gamers got a chance to play it. So how does it hold up? It holds its own rather darn well on the PC and is a pitch perfect port of the XBLA game.
Braid is a simple yet complex story that follows a young man by the name of Tim. You see, Tim is a rather unique individual because he has the power to move time backwards. Unlike in Prince of Persia, Tim can move time all the way back to the beginning of a level and manipulate it in unique ways. Anyway, he is searching various worlds for his Princess. But for him to find her, he must collect the various puzzle pieces scattered throughout the levels. Unlike other games in which the story is told through cutscenes, Braid is told through books. You stand in front of it and read the text that pops up. But if you don’t feel like reading, you can just ignore the books and focus on gameplay.
Braid is a unique mix of platformer and puzzler. The prerequisite gaps and timed jumps are all there, and having strong reflexes can help. However, this game is also a puzzle game. Each level the rules change just a bit and GREATLY change as you progress into the next area. At first, time moves forward at a stately pace. World 4 mixes (and messes) it all up by making it so that time only moves forward when Tim is moving forward. Thus, time rewinds when he moves to the left. World 5 has the doppelganger ability that is released whenever Tim stops rewinding time. World 6 ...well, let’s just say it’s pretty neat, but it makes things even harder.
Certain spaces are immune to his abilities and are required to solve certain puzzles. For example, an early puzzle requires you to gather most of the puzzles pieces, make most of the puzzle and then move the puzzle around so it connects to a platform. From there, Tim and the monster can cross it and reach the puzzle piece that is out of range. Thus, Braid just doesn’t modify the rules at each level; it turns them upside down! Nothing can be taken for granted as you can never guess what’s coming next or how to initially solve them all. It’s crazy! Especially when certain puzzles are solved. It almost feels like I’ve cheated to obtain my goal.
Graphically, the game is great to look at. The backgrounds are all unique and detailed. Mountain ranges loom in the distance in one world, and a psychedelic cityscape is seen in another. Tim’s hair flows as you move him from one side of the screen to the other, and monsters also move rather well. The only downside is that the game moves a bit slowly at first. Thankfully, everything speeds up as you start playing each session. Also, as of this writing, there is no option to increase (or decrease) the screen resolution to fit your computer’s strengths and weaknesses.
The audio has a soothing zen-like feel to playing. You’ll hear Tim jumping, monsters have their own cries and the boss has its own growls, cannons fire out monsters or fire balls, and giant plants come out of pipes. The downside is that you’ll hear the same few sounds over and over again. This is mostly due to the fact that there are not many enemies and not many levels.
Alright, folks. Let’s be frank: There may not be a lot to say about Braid, but that speaks volumes. It’s not just about experiencing this oddly fascinating surreal world; it’s about fully digesting it. It’s about seeing how it connects to our lives, how we all search for that elusive “prince” or “princess” and the means we take to reach him or her or it. This is not another story about Frankenstein that warns about the dangers of taking science too far; it is more about the relationships we have with people. The Princess may be afraid of Tim, but at the same time, there is something about him that draws her to him.
As such, this is not an easy game to recommend. It is a very unique experience and is done very well. However, it is a very quick game and will take you no more than about four or so hours to complete. And I confess I’m guilty of looking for some help at times. The puzzles are pretty tricky. But there is so much information to digest. Plus, how many highly polished games are out there these days? Some people might find Braid to be a little pricey for the length ($15), but it’s a great game. If you have any doubts, there is a demo to download. There’s a reason why this game is the currant spokesgame for the indie gaming community.
