I just finished playing Braid, Jonathan Blow’s critically acclaimed indie game. Get on Steam and play it! Now. Really. It’s that good.
More than enough has been said about Braid, so I’ll just focus on three things that blew me away.
1) Exploring every aspect of a gameplay space.
Braid is one of those games (much like Portal), that takes a gameplay concept and explores every corner of it. The basic mechanic is simple – you can reverse time – but every level brings with it a new twist.
2) Absolutely no filler.
Blow has crafted a very compact experience which you takes just a few hours to complete, and as his walkthrough pointedly points out, massively rewards you for doing so. Because each puzzle is different, the feeling of satisfaction from getting that puzzle piece at the end is intense. This maintains the beautiful balance between the pleasure of unravelling its delightfully mind-bending mechanics and the manual dexterity to actually execute (reminds me of my first love, rock climbing).
3) The theme, ending and overall storytelling.
The story is told through obscure fragments that don’t inform as much as they set up a mood. You’re introduced to this Princess you are seeking in these strange worlds, but it’s never obvious who you or this character is.
This aspect is arguably where Braid pushes the boundaries of games the furthest. The main theme of this game is regret (if you don’t mind massive spoilers you can see just how much here) and this is supported by the time reversal mechanic, the painterly, ethereal art style, the nostalgic locations, the distorted pop culture references. If you’ve played Sanitarium, you’ll have some idea what I mean.
Most games justify their mechanics through storytelling, aesthetics or simply because they are fun. This isn’t bad in itself, but what a huge achievement to set up gameplay that in itself reinforces the very theme of the game (in the same way that the Munch’s brush style enhances The Scream). Another argument for the idea of game mechanics as art.
The final level (scene?) is a masterpiece in itself, because it wrenches all the game mechanics together in a way that immediately makes you go through the gut-wrenching sense of realization, hopelessness and regret (normal computer game topics, right?) that Braid is ultimately about.
The game industry is undermining itself by focusing on epic adventures that take millions to produce and dozens of hours to play. Games like Red Dead Redemption and Mass Effect are brilliant big budget experiences, but their core gameplay is often repetitive. Your gun might get nicer over the course of the (admittedly awesome) story, but you’re still shooting things in much the same way. Their length also serves to make them inaccessible. Imagine if you could only see one or two films a year because each took 40 hours.
It is just as valuable to create a highly focused game that fully explores its space, avoids repetition and most importantly delivers a lasting emotional impact.
