The idea of rushing off to save a princess in distress is a cliché that applies to many mediums, but the quest is always for chivalric and noble reasons, be it the iron-clad night riding off into battle or the overalled plumber desperately overcoming castle after castle. Jonathan Blow’s Braid for the Xbox LIVE Arcade is also about a man’s quest for princess, but the main character, Tim, is full of motivations that seem less altruistic than your standard hero. The romanticism behind the princess retrieval story is cast away as Braid reveals a darker side to fairy-tale motivations and video game conventions.

Gameplay

While the story in Braid is scattered, it is far from scarce and inadequate. You play a man name Tim on his quest for a braided princess, believed by most to be a mere illusion. Tim knows that the princess does exist, though, and he abandons his life and relationships in the pursuit of his dream. The story is a chilling mix of the naïve optimism of Tim and the harsh reality of the world outside of one’s own mind. It isn’t a sad story, it isn’t a bad story, and it’s not necessarily moving. It does, however, leave you feeling a bit empty and contemplative, an aftertaste left by few games. There may be some gaps in the story, but they never feel like plot holes. They are merely a chance for you to draw your own conclusions about our suited hero and his braided obsession.

Braid is, primarily, a puzzler. You could call it a platformer, or some fusion of platformer and puzzler, but such a tag just does not fit Braid. While the engine is similar to your standard platforming game, it’s not meant to be a gameplay feature. It is meant to take your mind off of looking a few feet in front of you for immediate danger and instead allow you to look at the whole puzzle laid out in front of you. Yes, there are enemies, but they are not there for you to kill for points, or coins, or health, or just satisfaction. The enemies exist purely for your use in the puzzle. You learn that each enemy has some point, be it to grab a key for you or to allow you reach a platform you would be unable to reach under your own power. Braid even parodies to these classic platformers to an extent in the form of enemy design, some level design, and text. The platforming only sets the stage for the game, as you will miss all fund of the game if you focus on platforming movement from Point A to Point B. It is in the collection of the 60 puzzle pieces in the game that you find the true meat of Braid: The puzzles. While the platforming aspects may offer nothing spectacular, the puzzles do, especially in the execution of Tim’s ability to manipulate time. At the most basic level, you can rewind up at eight times your normal movement speed (you can also fast-forward during this time if you went back too far), but there are levels that will have their own special rules, such as making time linear (when you move right, time flows forward; when you move left, time flows backward). Not all aspects of a level will be under your control, though. Of course, there aren’t really any old tricks in the game, as Braid manages a fresh mix of puzzles that is never a bore, challenging but manageable, and always satisfying.

Graphics

The graphics in Braid are a wonderful mix between the watercolory, Disney style fairy tales we all grew up on while being muddied up with the dark truth of the Grimm origins of most of those fairy tales. While the graphics can be bright and some sections are whimsical, there will always be some touch that keeps you connected to the dark themes swirling beneath appearance.

Sound

Some of the most amusing sound effects are afforded to the enemies in Braid, and sometimes you will just want to kill the flower-rabbits and rewind just to hear their shrill shrieks. The sound effects for things like raising panels, pulling switches, picking up keys, and unlocking doors are kept loud and easily distinguishable, removing possible frustration from some puzzles. Musically, Braid offers a well selected mix of gothic whimsy that compliments the art style and story perfectly.

Controls

Being that Braid wants you to focus on solving the puzzles, the controls are kept sweetly simple. The A button jumps, the B button picks up items, the left analogue stick moves Tim. You control time by moving backwards with the left trigger and forward with the right trigger, and the appropriate bumpers allow you to cycle through different speed settings for your rewind. The physics for the game are also excellently done, so much so that there is little to say. Simply put, everything works exactly you expect it to and you will never find yourself able to fault the system for your inability to triumph over a puzzle.

Conclusion

Braid is a wonderful artistic game that is extremely well crafted. The $15 (1200 Microsoft Points) price tag may scare off some gamers, but they are truly missing out on one of the best gaming experiences in recent memory, and truly notable entry into the puzzle genre. It is true that Braid is a little short, with the main game taking around 6-8 hours to complete, but, much like Portal, the game never becomes stale and out stays its welcome. Alost the strict-but-doable Speed Run mode can easily keep you interested if you are into self-improvement. For less than two movie showings, Braid is far from a rip off. It will not surprise me if, in a year or two when gamers talk about underappreciated gems like ICO, Psychonauts, and Beyond Good and Evil, Braid becomes a staple part of such lists. Unless, of course, the gaming public decides to give good games a chance before they become cult classics.