Braid [XBL/PSN]

[NekoFever]

I just finished it, and I'm glad I did before I came here and caught up with the thread

There were two last pieces on World 6 that had me stuck for a while, but I had a couple of 'eureka' moments with both of them. Credit to the developer for never having any puzzles that required trial and error, because the solution is always there when you know how to look. Too many otherwise great puzzle games have fallen into that trap as a way to make things harder.

Anyway, ending talk from here on...

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I loved the way the whole story was condensed into that little epilogue. Beautifully choreographed to work like that, and it's amazing how it suddenly all becomes clear when that part is played in reverse. All this time I thought it was some kind of Mario reference, and then it turns out that this 'misunderstanding' was that she caught Tim spying on her through the window.

I can't help but be reminded of BioShock, when the big plot twist happens and the whole thing effectively becomes a treatise on how gamers will unquestioningly follow orders in a game. This time you've spent a few hours stalking an innocent girl just because it was dressed up in a pretty fantasy theme. Bravo.

[SuperBeatBoy]

Did anyone else

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think that the Time ring is the acual engagement ring?

[stainboy]

Did anyone else

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think that the Time ring is the acual engagement ring?

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I guess it must be, but why does it slow down time? Is it because he wanted more breathing time in the relationship? Was he engaged then? I didn't pick up on that.

[Family Fry]

Absolutley loved ever minute of this game, the ending was a fantastic great wee set piece I was like THAT'S SO CLEVER.
Story has lots of layers too, it's like an onion.

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Do love the stalker angel for it at the end though, very cool when it's all rewinded and you are chasing the princess as she is trying to escape, then does with a knight in shining armour (not tim).

Best one I have seen though is over on another forum, someone has done some cracking work to link Braid to be about

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the creation of the atomic bomb of all things, when you read it though it's entirely plausable.

http://www.rllmukforum.com/index.php?showtopic=190136

Has to be credited, great theory and also spoilerific if you havent finished the game.

[Brats]

That theory's brilliant and quite believable. Amazing how a 'simple platformer' could be about something so profound.

[Paulos G]

Oh I do like that! Good spot about the

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flags

too.

[kingmobster]

Almost done now, only the

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epilogue

left. A few of the puzzles on world 6 had me tearing my hair out.

I think this is the first game I've ever played that seems to be made completely for an intelligent adult audience. The subject matter is really sad and thought provoking and not in a "let's drown the game in blood and pretend we make a comment about game violence" way like Manhunt for instance. Combining this narrative depth with fun platforming and puzzling is bordering on genious.

It took me a while to "get" the game though - it wasn't until I solved the first few puzzles on world 4 (Jumpman and Hunt to be specific) that I truly realized its brilliance.

Yay for this and I hope it sells a million units so we get more games of this kind.

[PeteJ]

I've picked up 40 pieces so far but only the first world is complete. Have to admit I'm finding this really hard

Each time I sit down and play it I find that a lot of the puzzles I spent ages getting nowhere suddenly become very clear. Fickle Companion though >_< I can either use

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the key to unlock the door or use the door to reach the switch. Aaaaargh

.

[Magnakai]

Edit: Sorry, I had it confused with an different level. I know which one you mean though - that is initially complex, but like everything else, it's totally logical.

A clue (for the correct one):

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Explore the different ways of getting the key over to the right, and the time independence of the little bobbly bad guy.

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Pete, that took me a while to work out, but I woke up in bed this morning with a Eureka moment. I ran over to the Xbox and lo and behold! It worked!

It's entirely logical given the rules of the world.

[PeteJ]

Yep just done that one and have now solved worlds two, three and four. Solving world 4 was probably the most satifying gaming moment of 2008, especially Hunt which was quite simple but took me a while to figure out.

World five is mostly done but am failing badly at six!

[Brats]

Hunt in World 4 is brilliant. At first i thought 'this will be easy' but then 'oh ****, they come back!'.

I found the World 6 puzzles the easiest. The ring is a superb device.

[kingmobster]

I've finished it now. Wow! Best videogame ending since Ico.

[ItsThere]

Magnakai - that one is doing my head in too. Its the ony one left for me in World 4

[stainboy]

Weird, Hunt was a bugger at first but I solved it pretty quick compared to a lot of other ones! I ended up loving world 4's backwards forwards rules. Would love some more of that.

Anyone remember a game made with net yarooze on the psx that had you playing as a snail that would create a past version of itself every so many seconds. These clones would then repeat everything you did but if you hit one you died. That idea would have made an interesting world for this game.

[stainboy]

So those who have got all pieces:

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Are you collecting the stars? There's loads of talk about them on rllmuk (which is the only games forum I can read at work.) Haven't seen anyone mention them on here yet.