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Braid (video game)

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Braid
Developer(s)Number None, Inc.
Publisher(s)Microsoft Game Studios[2]
Designer(s)Jonathan Blow
Platform(s)Xbox Live Arcade
ReleaseAugust 6 2008 (XBLA)[1]
TBA 2008 (PC)
Genre(s)Platformer/Puzzle[3]
Mode(s)Single player

Braid is a platforming game developed by independent software developer Jonathan Blow for the Xbox 360's Xbox Live Arcade service. The title was officially announced for Xbox Live Arcade during Microsoft's Tokyo Game Show 2007 press conference and was released on August 6, 2008.[1]

Braid won the "Innovation in Game Design" award at the Independent Games Festival in 2006.

Story

Braid features Tim, a man searching for a princess. His relationship with this princess is vague at best, and the only clear part of this relationship is that Tim has made some sort of mistake which he hopes to reconcile or, if possible, erase. As one progresses through the six worlds in Braid, storyline text at the beginning of each world provides further insight into Tim's quest for his princess.

The ending of the game is ambiguous, and has been subject to multiple interpretations.[4]

Design

Braid is played by solving physical puzzles in a standard platform game environment similar to Super Mario Bros. with jumping and enemies. One of the main game elements is the player's ability to reverse time and "rewind" one's actions, even after dying. The game is divided into seven worlds, including an overworld in the form of the main character's house. The worlds are entered through doors in the house. Each world has its own time-based game mechanic:[5]

  • Time and Forgiveness: this section plays as an ordinary platform game, except that the player may rewind time to undo their actions. The section includes several challenges that would be unplayable or unfair in an ordinary platform game, but become trivial when the rewind mechanic is available. As such, it has been interpreted as an oblique ironic comment about traditional platform game design.[6]
  • Time and Mystery: in this section, objects appear that are unaffected by rewinding. Rewinding can thus be used to change the synchronisation between objects that can and cannot be rewound, which is the basis of many puzzles in this section.
  • Time and Place: in this section, time is linked to the player character's location on the level. As the player moves toward the right, time flows forward; when moving toward the left, time flows in reverse. This sets up a large number of complex correspondences that must be managed.
  • Time and Decision: in this section, after the player rewinds time, a "shadow" of the player character appears and performs the actions that the real player character rewound. Puzzles in this section revolve around using this mechanic to carry out multiple actions at once. (A similar mechanic is found in the game Blinx: The Time Sweeper and this mechanic was also used multiple times in the entries for a game design competition on Jay Is Games.)
  • Hesitance provides the player with a magic ring which, when dropped, slows down time in the area near to it. The regular rewind control remains available.
  • The final world is untitled. In this world time flows in reverse. Rewinding time returns the flow of time to its normal state.

Each stage contains puzzle pieces that must be collected to create jigsaw puzzles that tell the story, as well as to unlock the last stage.[7][8] Upon completing the main game, a speedrun mode becomes available.

There are also eight stars hidden throughout the world of Braid that correspond to the stars in the constellation just outside the main character's house.

History and development

File:Braid videogame.jpg
Braid gameplay screenshot before character redesign.

Though the environment is composed of relatively simple objects, the art is very elaborate and whimsical. The worlds and backgrounds were designed by David Hellman, who was responsible for the art in the critically-acclaimed webcomic A Lesson Is Learned But The Damage Is Irreversible. The character visuals were originally created by Edmund Mcmillen, but were later redrawn by Hellman "to better match the now-predominant style of the backgrounds".[9]

During the game's three years of development, Blow put over $180,000 of his own money into the development of the game. [10]

Blow withdrew Braid from the 2007 Slamdance Guerrila Games Competition in protest of the controversial Super Columbine Massacre RPG! being dropped from the competition.[11] Several other developers including thatgamecompany and The Behemoth followed suit and later withdrew their games from the competition.

Braid features licensed music from Magnatune artists Cheryl Ann Fulton, Shira Kammen, and Jami Sieber.[12]

Blow has expressed that he has no current plans to either release more levels or make a sequel.[13]

During an Interview with the Game Focus Podcast Blow said that a PlayStation 3 version of the game "might happen in the future". [14][15][16]

Reception

Upon its release onto Live, Braid met with a very positive response from critics with an average review score of 93% at Game Rankings, with 1UP grading it an A+, and Eurogamer scoring it 10/10. Team Xbox gave it a 9.1/10, and IGN gave it an 8.8, citing its lack of replay value and short length. Nearly all the reviews praised the game for its innovation and unique art style, while Eurogamer was "astonished" that it creates "an abstract emotional response" all "within the confines of a 2D platformer."[14] Gamespot raved "A moving story, serene visuals, and brilliant puzzles make Braid an adventure that you absolutely should experience."[20] Braid is currently the highest rated Xbox Live Arcade game on review aggregator website Metacritic.[21] Braid was purchased by more than 55,000 people during the first week of release.[22]

References

  1. ^ a b "Xbox LIVE Arcade Celebrates the "Summer of Arcade" with an Incredible Lineup of Blockbuster Games and Chances to Win Hot Prizes!". Gamerscore. 2008-07-28. Retrieved 2008-07-29.
  2. ^ "Xbox.com: Braid Xbox Live Arcade". Xbox.com. Retrieved 2008-12-08.
  3. ^ "Braid Page". GamePro. Retrieved 2008-08-11.
  4. ^ "Braid's Ending Explained". 2008-8-12. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  5. ^ jcr13 (2007-02-07). "Exclusive Preview: Braid". Arthouse Games. Retrieved 2008-08-11.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  6. ^ jcr13 (2007-02-07). "Exclusive Preview: Braid". Arthouse Games. Retrieved 2008-08-11.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  7. ^ "Jonathan Blow at Free Play 2007". 2007-11-06. Retrieved 2007-11-06.
  8. ^ "Jonathan Blow on Quarter to Three". 2008-6-5. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  9. ^ "David Hellman .net - Braid". Retrieved 2008-06-30.
  10. ^ "Jonathon Blow says he spent $180,000 on Braid". Kotaku. 2008-08-16. Retrieved 2008-08-16.
  11. ^ McCauley, Dennis (2007-01-07). "Developer Pulls Out of Festival Competition in Protest over Super Columbine Decision". GamePolitics.com. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help); Cite has empty unknown parameter: |month= (help)
  12. ^ "Braid video game launches to acclaim with Magnatune music". Magnatune. 2008-08-06. Retrieved 2008-08-10.
  13. ^ "Creator has no plans for sequel". Braid-Game.com. 2008-08-11. Retrieved 2008-08-11.
  14. ^ a b c "Braid for PS3 is a possibility // PS3 /// Eurogamer". Eurogamer. 2008-08-11. Retrieved 2008-08-13. Cite error: The named reference "eurogamerrev" was defined multiple times with different content (see the help page).
  15. ^ Jackson, Mike (August 12, 2008). "A PS3 version "might happen in the future", says creator". Computer and Video Games. Retrieved 2008-08-13. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  16. ^ Webster, Andrew (August 12, 2008). "Braid on PS3 a possibility, Wii not so much". Ars Technica. Retrieved 2008-08-13. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  17. ^ "Braid XBLA Review". 1UP.com. 2008-08-06. Retrieved 2008-08-07.
  18. ^ "IGN: Braid Review". IGN. 2008-08-04. Retrieved 2008-08-07.
  19. ^ http://reviews.teamxbox.com/xbox-360/1548/Braid/p1/
  20. ^ a b "Braid for Xbox 360 Review - Xbox 360 Braid Review". Gamespot. 2008-08-07. Retrieved 2008-08-08.
  21. ^ http://braid-game.com/news/?p=303
  22. ^ http://braid-game.com/news/?p=323
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