Braid:
Last week, an overview of Braid's different Worlds. This week, a consideration of how its plot, a masterpiece, makes the impressive mechanics look like a cartoonish scrawl in comparison.
A few words about Braid's platforming
and puzzles. It does not intend to challenging players with
platforming. Braid isn't in competition with Super Meat Boy
or N: Way of the Ninja. Solutions to the sixty puzzles rarely
demand deft platforming. Instead Braid insists players
innovate, by thinking outside-the-box. If a solution appears to
require an intricate series of maneuvers, it isn't the solution, no
matter how intended it seems. Yet, sometimes solutions necessitate
perfect timing. But Tim is the time manipulator, allowing for the
required precision. With his power, fiddling with time and space,
makes a few millimeters, as large and easy to work with measuring
meters. Even so, most solutions require four or five jumps. And
while some puzzle games twist difficulty into knots to stump the
player (and stretch playtime), Braid doesn't torture the
players, instead fostering critical, imaginative thinking. Most
Puzzles have only one or two moving parts, and eschew complexity for
creativity.
The plot is delivered through
books at the beginning of each world. The most broad (and deceptive)
outlines, is of Tim (in another homage to Mario), searching for his
princess (but she's always in another castle). Yet, unlike the
Mushroom Kingdom, the details reveal an intricately crafted setting,
which eventually outshines the mechanics through which it is
conveyed. These books, of which there are two or three in the lobby
of each World, are freely accessible. There are not hidden, or
unlocked by any activity, except the entering of a World. In near
poetic like speech, the vague events of Tim's life are hinted at,
innuendo-ed, and flourished in varying measure, as to leave the
reader certain of their power, at first, if still uncertain of their
outcome. Delicately expressed, the player explores the relationship
between Tim and the Princess. A strange, and disturbing picture is
crafted through these vignettes. As The Event nears, and recedes,
the outline of Tim's quest crystalize, though still never easily nor
completely revealing the entire truth.
This next bit is full of spoilers, so
jump down to the end for the conclusions if you're interested.
This bit has spoilers, so feel free to
skip on down to the bottom.
In an underground cavern Tim observes
an oafish knight descend from above. Clutching the Princess in his
arms, he cackles, “I've got you,” while she screams “Help!”
As Tim watches, she jumps from her captors grasp, as he yells, “Come
down here”, to which she replies, “Help me!”
Tim can only watch from his inferior
position, underground, as wall of fire appears on the left side of
the screen. Simultaneously Tim and the Princess begin running away,
one below and other above the earth. Along the run, a series of
obstacles require the pair to coordinate. Sometimes Tim has to
activate a switch so the Princess can continue, and vice versa.
Eventually they run into a house, Tim in the cellar, and the Princess
above. And then, without warning the fire is gone. The Princess
lays in a bed and falls asleep, while Tim climbs some vines to access
her room. But here the player loses some of their ability to control
Tim. He is unable to move left or right, up or down. Yet, after
some experimentation, the player will discover, Tim can move
backwards, in time. Rewinding, the player suddenly
understands why the escape seemed so odd. As the player reverses
time, they discover Braid's incredible twist. What seemed to
be a cooperative escape of Tim and the Princess is revealed to be a
reverse time sequence where she flees Tim's advances. Where it had
appeared as if the Princess was assisting Tim by activating switches,
is now shown to be an attempt to delay him. And the dialogue between
her and the knight in reverse functions astonishingly well.
“Help me!” (from Tim), she screams.
“Come down here to me.” (so I can protect you from him), says
the Knight. “Help!” she yells again as she jumps into the
Knight's arms. “I've got you,” (in attempt to comfort) he says
as he carries her away from Tim. Upon reflection, he is not an oaf,
and she is not frightened. They are in love.
An interactive epilogue provides a few
more readable passages without any serious platforming to resolve the
plot. But it's not over.
For those who have suffered an
existential crisis, and are delirious for an insane challenge, Braid
is willing to provide. At the opening, Tim walks under a
constellation before he enters his house. A perfunctory knowledge of
the night sky, will reveal the constellation of Andromeda, the
Ethiopian Princess, who was chained to a rock by Poseidon for the
hubris of her parents, and threatened with death by the Kraken, a
terrifying sea monster. She was rescued by Perseus. Braid uses this
myth as a symbol for the question posed by the developer. Which
figure is Tim: the Kraken or Perseus? (while which does he think he
is?) For those of who find the basic game too easy, there are eight
star challenges, fiendishly hidden and time consuming puzzles, to
conquer (I didn't even realize they were in the game until I did a
bit of research for this article).
It's curious, that this article, because
of the intricacies of Braid, required more time to write than
it took to complete the game itself.
Two final random thoughts/hints:
- Objects and enemies still move while off screen, and all valid effects occurs, even if Tim can't see them.
- A few puzzles are entirely unrelated to time or platforming. Check puzzle pictures!
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