Sunday, January 04, 2009

Braid: completed!

As it turns out, there are no new abilities to take back with you, just some very clever puzzles. Like, for example, using the table in one of the jigsaws as a platform in the level, allowing a jump over a massive gap, and getting the monster down onto the ground level, or rewinding time while stood on a time-proof platform so that keys move themselves to other sides of barriers, or using fast rewind to get back somewhere before a platform arrives.

The end of the game is pretty clever. You start at world 1-4 and go backwards to 1-1. The whole world goes backwards in 1-4 to 1-2, and then in 1-1 you see the princess and have to flee a wall of fire. Monsters go backwards but the princess goes forwards. She runs along the top, you run along the bottom, and it's pretty tight to get through some of the gaps before the fire burns you. And then at the end you stand on a time-proof platform and the princess goes to sleep on her bed - and I spent ages trying to work out what to do then. It turns out you have to rewind the entire level. I think I missed some nuance of story.

Sorry if I've spoilt it for you.

Good game, especially for the price, but I won't be going back to get the speed-run achievement, I don't think. There was far too much waiting around in the game (for things to rewind, and so on), which would be frustrating.

1 comment:

Zo said...

The 'nuance of the story' is basically you see the guard come down chasing the princess, and she runs away from the evil guard and you chase after her to save you as she opens the gates for you. Then the twist is that when reversed, the princess is running away from you, the mental stalker, trying to block you with the gates, and runs into the arms of the waiting saviour soldier. It's very well done. Perhaps you should watch it again.