Exfanding Review: Braid

You are not smart enough to play Braid.

Depending on who you are, that statement should strike you as either a challenge, an egregious insult, or a statement of fact.

I can say with confidence that I am not smart enough to play Braid. But I beat it anyhow. I think.

Braid is a 2-D puzzle-platformer game from independent developer Jonathan Blow that blends elements from games such as Super Mario Bros. and Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time and successfully creates one of the most creative, thought-provoking gaming experiences to come along since Portal. Braid follows my favorite game design philosophy: easy to learn, difficult to master. And Braid takes that philosophy to the extreme.

Eschewing complex controls and menu options, Braid gives you very simple directions for controlling Tim, a man in search of a princess: arrow keys to move, SPACEBAR to jump, SHIFT to rewind time (on the PC, at least). Easy, right? And that whole thing about rewinding time--that's just nice way to undo mistakes like jumping into a pit of deadly spikes, right?

Wrong.

While holding SHIFT is certainly used for such repairs, Braid gradually makes it clear that you'll need to go backward in order to go forward. Often. And in ways that may break your brain just thinking about how they work.

Consider the following situation: Two locked doors lie ahead of you, but you only have one key to use, and that key becomes worthless after the first time you use it. Now, not all objects in a level are affected by your ability to rewind time, and in this case, rewinding time will have no impact on that first door, so once it's unlocked it will stay unlocked. What do you do, then? Unlock the first door, rewind time to pick up the key again, and then unlock the second door.

That's just a warmup. Wait until some of the later stages, where the gimmicks kick in: for instance, in one world, a shadow doppelganger of you appears and retraces your steps whenever you rewind time. Now see if you can figure out how to get through those two locked doors with only one key using your shadow doppelganger....

Not only are the puzzle solutions absurdly mind-bending sometimes, but actually executing the solution is often equally absurd. You'll need both excellent platforming skills and a very puzzle-oriented way of thinking (or a walkthrough) to succeed.

I'm proud to say that I got through the entire game without every once using a walkthrough... but I had to resort to a walkthrough to determine whether or not I had actually beaten the game! Braid is tricky like that; the credits are neatly tucked away on the menu screen, so once you complete that final level you just pop back out at the beginning of the game. Interesting.

Braid is also unusual in its storytelling; Braid's plot is developed in the little blurbs that appear whenenver you touch the books that line the way into the levels of each new world. The story appears fragmented and quite cryptic, and even if you've figured out every puzzle in the game you still might have no clue what the game is really about (such as was the case with me).

Like I said, I am not smart enough to play Braid. I conquered the puzzles, but after looking back at what others have written about the game, there are so many complexities and nuances that I never would have picked up on. And I'm not afraid to admit that. Because I totally rocked the game portion of the game, and that's what counts, right?

...Maybe. Braid is more of an experience than a game; if nothing else, it's a very different approach to gaming than is usually seen. There's no time limit, there's no permanent damage done by failure, and completing the game requires critical thinking, honest-to-goodness learning from your mistakes, and true skill; if you win, it's because you've earned it, not because you got lucky.

Production-wise, Braid is a brilliant game. The visuals are stunning, yet simple, and they partner with the dynamic music to create a perfect atmosphere for each stage. The learning curve is mostly excellent, and there's almost no wasted potential or wasted space throughout the levels--everything matters. Most (emphasis on most) of the puzzles are expertly developed, although there are a few spots that even after you know what to do and how you're going to do it, actually doing it is a chore instead of a challenge. And on the subject of not-as-positive things, some of the sound effects annoy me. At least there's a touch of humor to keep things from getting too serious, and some of the story blurbs are rather philosophical and provide a nice break from the gameplay. Overall, Braid is tight, no doubt about it.

However, Braid offers very little replay value. Granted, there are hard-to-reach puzzle pieces (bonus items, essentially) scattered throughout the levels that require far more skill to obtain than it takes to just beat a level, but after you have all of them, there's not much that will be different on a second playthrough.

I have just been informed that there are bonus stars you can pick up on a second playthrough. So much for that.

Well, anycurls, Braid still isn't as perfect as Portal (one of the very few games I've ever played that gets a perfect 10/10 in my book), but it's worth the time to play if you're into platformers and puzzle games and exploding your brain. You can get the game from Xbox Live Arcade for the Xbox 360, or you can get it for PC from any of the links on the Braid website. Braid is available as a demo, or you can purchase the full version for less money than you're likely to spend at your Local Comics Shop this week.

Braid trailer from David Hellman on Vimeo.

Waiting for Wednesday, Issue 15

Welcome to Issue 15 of Waiting for, in which we return to our regularly scheduled Wednesday time slot. Lots of new and exciting out this week, but first a brief rant.

Due to shipping problems with Diamond, my LCS is still waiting on books that were due in stores a month ago. One. Month. Ago. And that's just not acceptable, in my opinion. My LCS is doing its darnedest to stay in business and compete in this economy, and Diamond is doing its best to, well...to go directly against that.

And that's just not cool.

Anyway, here's a list of the things I'll be stimulating the economy for today:

First up, we have a book from DC Comics, by two creators that are familiar to all comics fans. Written by Mad Scientist Grant Morrison and drawn by the great Frank Quitely, Batman and Robin, issue 1 hits today.

I'm really looking forward to this book, for a couple of reasons. First, Morrison and Quitely on anything is going to be good. Second, in interviews Morrison has stated that this title will feel more like his and Quitely's All Star Superman than (the Frank Miller/Jim Lee) All Star Batman and Robin.

And, while I don't mind All Star Bats, I know that many fans aren't big on that book. Which, by the way, hasn't shipped in...um...I don't even know how long it's been. Anyway, Morrison's Batman and Robin will likely be a zany, fun look at a Batman that mixes classical and current Dark Knight mythos, and I'm definitely up for that.

Here's DC's solicit info:

"Batman Reborn" begins here! With the reunited team of Grant Morrison and Frank Quitely (ALL-STAR SUPERMAN, WE3, New X-Men), this first issue kicks off a 3-part story arc that can't be missed!

The new Dynamic Duo hit the streets with a bang in their new flying Batmobile as they face off against an assemblage of villains called the Circus of Strange. They also tackle their first mission investigating a child who's been abducted by the mysterious Domino Killer.

But will everything go smoothly? And who exactly are the new Batman and Robin? The newest era of The Dark Knight begins here!

And here's the cover:

Now, just a note that this book is highly anticipated, and will likely sell out quickly, so be sure to get to your shop early, or call ahead and reserve the book.

Next up we have one of those titles that my comics shop didn't get the last issue of. (Does that sentence even make sense?) Mark Waid's super hero deconstruction, Irredeemable, issue three ships today, and I still haven't read issue two because of the aforementioned shipping problem.

Still, issue one was so good, that I am really looking forward to reading issues two and three. If you've checked the series out, then I'm sure you'll be picking this up today. And if you haven't, do give it a shot because it's certainly worth your effort.

Here's the (rather vague) solicit info from BOOM! Studios:

A comic book industry event: a new original ongoing superhero series from Mark Waid! IRREDEEMABLE dares to ask the question: what if the world's greatest hero decided to become the world's greatest villain?

Does Plutonion’s past hold the key to his current deadly rampage? Or does it even matter? A "twilight of the superheroes"-style story that examines super-villains from the writer of KINGDOM COME and EMPIRE!

And here's the John Cassaday cover:

Next is more of a head's up than a recommendation, mostly because it's for a book that I have yet to read. And, by "book," I mean, like one without the pictures. Written by Guillermo del Toro (director of the Hellboy movies and Pan's Labyrinth) and Chuck Hogan, The Strain hit bookstores yesterday.

The book is part one of a trilogy about the beginning of the battle between man and vampires. GDT and vampires? I'm there. From all accounts and reviews online, this seems to be a new watermark for vampire stories, so I'll be checking it out. Here's how the publisher describes it:

The visionary creator of the Academy Award-winning Pan's Labyrinth and a Hammett Award-winning author bring their imaginations to this bold, epic novel about a horrifying battle between man and vampire that threatens all humanity. It is the first installment in a thrilling trilogy and an extraordinary international publishing event.

The Strain

They have always been here. Vampires. In secret and in darkness. Waiting. Now their time has come.

In one week, Manhattan will be gone. In one month, the country.

In two months--the world.

Like I said, the book came out yesterday, but I found out about it late yesterday afternoon, and I plan to make a quick stop at the bookstore right after heading to the comics shop. (Doesn't sound like such a bad day, does it?)

And finally, a recommendation that has nothing at all to do with comics. Yesterday was the release date of the long-awaited new album by the Dave Matthews Band, and I happily bought a copy first chance I got. Titled Big Whiskey & the GrooGrux King, this is the first album the band's released in five years, and the first since the tragic death of saxophonist LeRoi Moore.

The band's been all over promoting this album, and it's certainly apparent that the effort was an emotional one for all of the band members. What came from these efforts, however, is arguably the best album DMB has released--a point that's becoming agreed upon by fans and music critics alike.

If you're a DMB fan, then you already have the album, but if you're looking to get into DMB but just never bothered, now's a great time to start.

Anyway, that's all for today. What are you Waiting for?

BookExpo-ing

As I mentioned last week, I spent this past Friday at the annual BookExpo which was held at the Javitz Center in New York City. While the economy is still kinda...um...not great right now, all of the major publishers were there, and most of the biggest companies had huge booths covering tons of space. There were some big companies that decided to forgo having floor displays, and instead opted to set up in meeting rooms, which might have been a sign of the times.

But, overall, the show was busy and people seemed to be excited about what was going on. Yes, there were likely great fears underneath all of the smiles and handshakes from publishers, but it was still a cool place to be, and the floor was pulsating with creativity.

That's the main thing that hit me right between the eyes. Some of the most creative people in the world, with some of the most creative products in the world, all in the same place. Pretty awesome. Now, granted, there were quite a few "suits" and higher-ups at the show (which always puts a damper on creativity) but the writers and artists and editors seemed right at home and in their element.

I attended the show for a couple of reasons. First, I work for an educational publisher, and it's always good to see what the Other Guy is working on and promoting. Second, as I've mentioned on the blog, I have a graphic novel that is currently being made.

And, yes, for longtime readers, the book is still on the publisher's schedule, and we have decided to move forward with it. (Yay!)

Anyway, I made a few nice connections at the show, and I got several very positive reactions to the book and the art samples that I brought along. But the real highlight came when, due to fortuitous circumstances, I was able to sit down and speak at length with a prominent comics publisher about my project, and about the comics industry in general.

That was worth the price of admission (and parking!), let me tell you.

I had a great talk, and while nothing immediate came from that conversation, I did make an excellent (excellent!!) industry contact as a direct result of the talk with the publisher.

So, long story short, things are moving along on my project. And they appear to be moving quickly. Like, two meetings yesterday, another one today, and a pretty important one early next week.

And that makes me happy, and I look forward to seeing where things go. Now, I am, above all else (and, some would say, to my detriment), a realist, and I tend to look at things in a somewhat negative light and I refuse to get excited over any and every bump in the road or happy circumstance that comes my way. I think I'm just being realistic, though.

So, while I'm pleased with the current direction of things with this project, I certainly have no delusions of grandeur. Quite the opposite, really.

Anyway, I'll keep you posted on any new information, and in closing I wanted to mention the following. BookExpo is just an awesome event, with writers and artists signing books and Very Smart People giving talks on things they are very good at. For people wanting to be in this game of publishing, it's a must go each year.

Oh, and as I was walking out, I saw Neil Gaiman eating french fries. So, there's that, too.

GameCola June Issue Is Here!

Well, June has arrived, and so has the latest issue of GameCola, the Internet's favorite (and possibly only) humorous video game newsletter. My contributions this month aren't nearly as numerous as last month's, but there's more than enough to satisfy my adoring fan(s).

First up is my column about Flash games and animations, Flash Flood. This month I talk about how no fewer than three new GameCola columns have copied my style, and then I go on to review Flash videos about Final Fantasy games.

Last up is my review of the PC spy game, The Operative: No One Lives Forever, which is proof that I can write about more games than just Mega Man. NOLF is a first-person shooter with plenty of action, humor, and fez-clad goons.

Other highlights for this issue include many good articles and reviews I'm currently too lazy to mention by name.

If you enjoy GameCola, please become a friend on Facebook, and take a peek at the numerous videos on the GameCola YouTube Channel. There you'll find a video walkthrough series for both Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney and Day of the Tentacle, plus playthroughs of Final Fantasy VI Advance and too many Mega Man games to count (assuming you can't count that high). Go wild!