Braid

What is Braid?

Braid is a puzzle-platformer, drawn in a painterly style, where the player manipulates the flow of time in strange and unusual ways. From a house in the city, journey to a series of worlds and solve puzzles to rescue an abducted princess. In each world, you have a different power to affect the way time behaves, and it is time's strangeness that creates the puzzles. The time behaviors include: the ability to rewind, objects that are immune to being rewound, time that is tied to space, parallel realities, time dilation, and perhaps more. Braid treats your time and attention as precious; there is no filler in this game. Every puzzle shows you something new and interesting about the game world.

* Forgiving yet challenging gameplay: Braid is a 2-D platform game where you can never die and never lose. Despite this, Braid is challenging—but the challenge is about solving puzzles, rather than forcing you to replay tricky jumps.
* Rich puzzle environment: Travel through a series of worlds searching for puzzle pieces, then solving puzzles by manipulating time: rewinding, creating parallel universes, setting up pockets of dilated time. The gameplay feels fresh and new; the puzzles are meant to inspire new ways of thinking.
* Aesthetic design: A painterly art style and lush, organic soundtrack complement the unique gameplay.
* Nonlinear story: A nonlinear fiction links the various worlds and provides real-world metaphors for your time manipulations; in turn, your time manipulations are projections of the real-world themes into playful "what-if" universes where consequences can be explored.
* Nonlinear gameplay: The game doesn't force you to solve puzzles in order to proceed. If you can't figure something out, just play onward and return to that puzzle later.

Release Date and Price

XBLA - August 6th 2008 at 1200 points.
PC - 31st March 2009, $30.

Reviews

10 - Eurogamer - http://www.eurogamer.net/article.php?article_id=205102" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

"I almost never give out full marks, generally reserving that honour for retro games that have proven their worth many times over, but Braid has me in its spell. Judged purely as a game, it's cunning, ingenious and endlessly surprising. The puzzles are varied, the level design is revelatory and the whole thing clicks together like clockwork. For those only interested in gameplay, it's simply an excellent puzzler-cum-platformer. But there's so much more here, a desire to create a game experience that is more than mere technical craft. That it succeeds in creating an abstract emotional experience, one where each player can find their own level of meaning and personal context, all within the confines of the 2D platformer, is perhaps the most astonishing achievement of all."

A+ (10) - 1UP - http://www.1up.com/do/reviewPage?cId=3169204" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

"Like Portal, Braid's short length can be disregarded in the face of its unique approach to storytelling and expansive ideas; it needn't be played through multiple times, but those looking for cognitive stimulation must experience it at least once. Excellent but intellectually limited as a puzzle-platformer, Braid is made truly divine with emotional depth and a bittersweet humanity -- a monumentally relevant game that speaks highly of its creators and their potential audience's tolerance for new ideas. To say nothing of an absolutely brilliant, emotionally devastating "ending" that proves that time isn't really that malleable after all."

5/5 - Xbox World 360 - http://www.computerandvideogames.com/ar" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; ... ?id=194733

"The best game on XBLA", "we daren't label Braid the best game ever, but it's right up there - alongside Mario, Zelda, Gordon Freeman and the guy from Vault 101. It's up there."

9.5 - Gamespot - http://uk.gamespot.com/xbox360/action/braid/review.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

"It is impossible to ignore Braid's price point. At 1,200 Microsoft points ($15), it is one of the most expensive games for the Xbox Live Arcade service. But do not let a few extra dollars deter you from an exemplary experience that can rival many full-price, retail games. Braid is worth every penny. The captivating ending sequence, which makes use of your rewind ability in a jaw-dropping new way, provides the exclamation point on this remarkable game, but the adventure is consistently engaging throughout the entire ride. The clever puzzles alone are enough to make this an adventure worth taking. Braid's deep and mesmerizing tale is evergreen: it is outside of and beyond time. It will never get old."

A (95%) - UGO - http://www.ugo.com/ugo/html/article/?id" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; ... ctionId=51

9.1 - Team Xbox - http://reviews.teamxbox.com/xbox-360/1548/Braid/p1/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

9 - Edge

"Plays upon conventions of Mario, but closer to Portal
Designed just as well as Portal (!!!)
Each level has a new mechanic: act 3's is brilliant - steps to the right advances time, steps to the left reverses it.
Fails somewhat with it's storytelling - "trite in it's self-conscious obscurity"
Story's themes aren't reflected well in-game until the final level.
One of the finest original titles on Xbox Live Arcade."

9 - GamesTM
9 - Official Xbox Magazine
9 - GameDaily - http://www.gamedaily.com/games/braid/xb" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; ... 7542/2092/
8.8 - IGN - http://xboxlive.ign.com/articles/896/896371p1.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
8 - Xbox 360 Magazine UK
Must buy - Britishgaming - http://www.britishgaming.co.uk/?p=1064" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

1Up Show review - http://www.gamevideos.com/video/id/20638" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Official sources

Website - http://www.braid-game.com/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
Blog - http://braid-game.com/news/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
David Hellman (Braid's Artist) - http://www.davidhellman.net/braid.htm" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; & http://www.davidhellman.net/blog/category/art-of-braid/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Soundtrack

Available to listen to for free/buy here:- http://magnatune.com/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

"Maenam" by Jami Sieber
"Long Past Gone" by Jami Sieber
"The Darkening Ground" by Jami Sieber
"Tell It By Heart" by Jami Sieber
"Undercurrent" by Jami Sieber
"Downstream" by Shira Kammen
"Lullaby Set" by Shira Kammen and Swan
"Romanesca" by Cheryl Ann Fulton

Previews

Xbox World 360 - http://www.computerandvideogames.com/ar" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; ... ?id=194727
http://savetherobot.wordpress.com/2008/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; ... -gameplay/
http://previews.teamxbox.com/xbox-360/2069/Braid/p1/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
http://uk.gamespot.com/xbox360/action/b" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; ... 94701.html
http://www.1up.com/do/previewPage?cId=3166184" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
http://xboxlive.ign.com/articles/891/891376p1.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
http://www.talkxbox.com/preview1259.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
http://darkzero.co.uk/game-articles/bra" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; ... arcade-pc/
http://www.destructoid.com/pew-pew-prev" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; ... 5816.phtml
http://superiorversion.com/content/view/245/32/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Videos

http://www.gametrailers.com/player/user" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; ... 21382.html
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aSuEtwRpdMM" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
http://www.gamespot.com/xbox360/action/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; ... ay=6194163

Screenshots

http://www.joystiq.com/photos/braid/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Achievements

http://www.xbox360achievements.org/achi" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; ... gameID=634

Videos Guides - I'd recommend you ignore these and work it out for yourself

World 2 - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KnpnYPjC2xg" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
World 3 Part 1 - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TJ32Mma36dE" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
World 3 Part 2 - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Ha-vqNii9o" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
World 4 Part 1 - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R96bWOEwh8o" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
World 4 Part 2 - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=99Wh2x0JJ0E" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
World 5 Part 1 - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H3uE_E-t1Ck" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
World 5 Part 2 - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wyjwp5-Z0Z0" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
World 6 Part 1 - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QcEP1MWJISE" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
World 6 Part 2 - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=roz98toEdko" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
World 1 - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I8dud3E_iyE" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Praise for Braid

"Braid is an ingenious and startlingly creative puzzle game, built with an understanding of good game design that even some of the industry's most revered figures could learn from."

PC Gamer Magazine (UK)

"It's the most original and fresh platform game I've played in at least ten years, and almost every single puzzle in it will make you grin with happiness and clap with appreciation at the cleverness of it."

Graham Goring, The Arsecast

"Braid has the potential to change the way you think about reality. It will certainly change the way you think about video games."

Jason Roher, Arthouse Games

"Beyond Braid's enchanting hand-painted visual style, beyond its often haunting score, and beyond its musings on love and personal growth... Braid is one of the most progressive platform/puzzle games we've played in years."

Cam Shea, IGN Australia

"Braid's artistic design is as imaginative as its puzzles. The whimsical world looks like a painting come to life."

Hilary Goldstein, IGN

"Braid is a risky experiment climaxing in glorious success. Ask yourself when last you felt a sense of reward and achievement playing a game; not Achievement with a capital 'A' and ten Microsoft points, but an actual sense of pride... And when did a game really make you look at the world differently?"

Xbox World 360 Magazine

"I love this game.... I feel like I'm using parts of my brain that have never been used before, like parts that haven't evolved yet."

Frank Lantz

"One of the most interesting, satisfying, beautiful game experiences I've ever had."

Reverend Anthony, Destructoid

"We're not used to being able to manipulate time in the ways that Braid allows you to... You can sit staring at it for hours, feeling entirely clueless as to how the next jigsaw piece could even be possible to reach. But with a bit of patience, everything just clicks, and you can't help but smile to yourself at how elegantly simple the whole thing is. It was never difficult at all - you just weren't thinking in the right way. That's videogaming Zen.

Sean Bell, DarkZero

"Braid remains a beautiful and brilliantly demanding game that barely contains its dense population of ideas, taking its place alongside Geometry Wars and Pac-Man Championship Edition as one of the finest original titles available on Live Arcade."

Edge

"The end level is strawberry floating ingenious."

Gamer Hate

Awards

IGN’s award for Best Puzzle Game of E3 2008.
IGN E3 Best Xbox Live Arcade Game, beating out all the other games in the Summer of Arcade promotion!
IGN Best of E3 Runner-up for best artistic design, Special Achievement for Innovation, and Best Downloadable Console Game.


(Thanks to Shard at GAF for links etc)

Love this game so hard.

Brerlappins little hat wrote:oooh nice, can anyone point me int he direction of walkthrough videos for braid?

I think ive finished about all the puzzles by myself that i possibly can without going mad.

Videos Guides

World 2 - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KnpnYPjC2xg
World 3 Part 1 - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TJ32Mma36dE
World 3 Part 2 - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Ha-vqNii9o
World 4 Part 1 - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R96bWOEwh8o
World 4 Part 2 - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=99Wh2x0JJ0E
World 5 Part 1 - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H3uE_E-t1Ck
World 5 Part 2 - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wyjwp5-Z0Z0
World 6 Part 1 - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QcEP1MWJISE
World 6 Part 2 - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=roz98toEdko
World 1 - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I8dud3E_iyE

Am I the only one who thinks the writing in the story books is a bit tossy, but absolutely loves the gameplay?

Tineash wrote:Am I the only one who thinks the writing in the story books is a bit tossy, but absolutely loves the gameplay?

I concur.

I did like the twist at the end though.

Have the points for this and am gonna get it this evening. Just been waiting for a time when I can give it a few hours. Will watch the Mags get stuffed then hop on and get it

I finished the game yesterday... and that finale absolutely stunned me. Stunned!



Sure I didn't get the "real" story the game as pointed out by Melly on Olde GRe, but regardless I think it's an amazing game with brilliantly clever puzzles, beautiful graphics and gorgeous, very fitting music. I'd love to see a sequel, but unfortunately it looks very much like a stand-alone game. Ah well.

I sincerely hope that this game inspires the industry's big developers. Gems like this are all too few and far between in this work-a-day world.

Lot of people say its short...is it?

Still Id rather it be great and short than crap and long.

Looking forward to getting it tonight

It is, but my word is it a memorable little experience.

It might have been pointed out already, but the guy who did the artwork for Braid, David Hellman, also did a webcomic called A Lesson Is Learned But The Damage is Irrerversible. It's incredibly weird, and dreamlike, a bit like Braid really.

Here's a good one

That's quite bizarre.

I can't wait for this to go on PC!

^^^

Or XBLA after I get a 360. Which ever one comes first.

As I said in the older thread, it's not a bad one - right down to the accessibility of the stars, which are often accessed in that classic Mario Bros "break out of the level" sort of way.

The other theory is probably closer, since it jives with the story in the text, but I still like this one.

TheTurnipKing wrote:As I said in the older thread, it's not a bad one - right down to the accessibility of the stars, which are often accessed in that classic Mario Bros "break out of the level" sort of way.

The other theory is probably closer, since it jives with the story in the text, but I still like this one.

Why can't it be both? Meletonin and Raze's theory is probably the spine of the whole game with Zombitedesade's thoery being the main driving force for the design of the game. There also seems to be other strands within it that don't fit directly within either theory.

No reason at all.

Does Braid come up here for 800 points for anyone else?
Oddly, it's 1200 when you click on it.

It's a bargain at 1200points it's the best thing on Live Arcade.

At 400 points cheaper, Bionic Commando gives it a very good run for it's money.