Braiding

Well it sure has been a while. Whilst I’ve had time for gaming this summer I’ve had little chance to catch up with my thoughts on the games and put them into writing. If only I had more time… which leads us quite nicely to something I played over the summer, Braid.

I’ve have wanted to play this game for a long time, ever since seeing the entertaining documentary Indie Game: The Movie. The Prince of Persia games for the PS2 and their time manipulation were one of my favourites from that era, so Jonathan Blow taking that idea and making time manipulation an essential component of a game was always going to appeal to me. I’ve seldom played a game where the sheer level design makes me shake my head and laugh in appreciation of the genius at work.

It would be enough with the first world’s time rewinding mechanic, but each subsequent world comes up with a fresh take on how the time mechanic works. Making Braid into a original platform and puzzle hybrid, with loads to discover and wonder at. The music, the visuals, all elevates Braid to such a high level and whilst I could endlessly gush over the game there is something else at play here. That these is something more, the story and game left me feeling I was recalling the plot of a half-remembered dream.

I cannot praise Braid enough, it is a wonderful game and an experience seldom like any other.