Braid is a unique game that suffers primarily from its pricing.
Pros
- Brilliant art design.
- Fun puzzle mechanics.
Cons
- Those same "fun puzzle mechanics" get old somewhat fast.
- Little to no replayability.
- Costs 1,200 Microsoft points.
Most likely, due to Microsoft's excessive advertising for the Autumn XBLA releases, you've heard of Braid. It is, above all, based on the likenesses of Mario. Not only do you have "Goomba-esque" characters, but piranhas, a Princess to save, and so on. The story is very much optional, when going to different worlds you pass by books of which you may read about the plot. A lot of it is very confusing but the basic objective is to save said Princess.
The game is so simple the "How To" menu has only 3 pictures. Manipulating time is the premise of puzzle-solving. For instance, you can grab a magical key, open a door, reverse time so you have the key again but the door is still open, and then open the next door. It's hard to explain without making it overly confusing, but fret not since the game is user-friendly. You cannot die, at all. When dead, just reverse time to when you were alive. Therefore the only hiccups you should have are the occasional tough puzzle.
Braid doesn't just focus on one form of manipulation, though. On world 2 and 3, you may think the game is straight-forward. Then you get to World 4 where objects are affected by you (e.g. if you move, the enemies move in conjunction). On World 5, a shadow can be formed from reversing time, of which the shadow will then go about the duties you completed before reversing. Lastly, World 6 throws in a device you can throw down, and it slows time in a circular radius.
Like I said in "Cons," unfortunately the game doesn't have much replayability. Although the aforementioned variety among the worlds is a nice change, this game is still baseing its entire gameplay on a single mechanic, and not an incredibly innovative one at that. The only impressive element of gameplay is how it is put to use in the puzzles, but when the puzzles are more frustrating or similar, motivation is lacking to complete the game. If anything, the main replayability is the ability to compete in Speed Runs.
One more complaint is the length of this game. There are only 6 worlds, most of these can be rushed through. Collecting puzzle pieces is optional, but it does unlock the "real" final leve, which is the 1st world. Confusing, right?
Yet all of the complaints in the world cannot attest for the amazing artwork and overall direction of the game. Not only is it polished and crisp, but it looks gorgeous (for lack of a better, manlier word). This game deserves at least a trial play, just to gawk at it. I've never seen a game quite like this.
To put it all into one paragraph, let me go over the game. You manipulate time in a quest to save the Princess, throughout 6 worlds you will be presented with a variety of ways to solve puzzles and collect puzzle pieces. The artwork is amazing, but the game won't last you very long, maybe 4 hours, but is worth playing the demo. The price point of $15 is a bit steep for many, but for dedicated people who love these art-inspired games it is a treat for the eyes and a great puzzle game at that.
