Initially, when being tasked to play the game Braid, I didn’t think much of it. It looked like a terrible knock-off version of Mario (In fact, many of the design choices were actually inspired by the game) and relatively simple. Like many others, I normally view video games as simple pass-time, where you can mentally switch off and enjoy button-smashing to make something cool happen on screen. However, I soon realized that this 2D platformer was so much more than that.
There is a unique gameplay element players use during the game: the ability to interact with time. Each world has their own time based mechanic that makes the player’s experience solving puzzles and completing the game fresh and challenging. The only other instance I have seen utilization of time-control in a video game was in Superhot, a first-person shooter where time moves only when you do. Superhot, now critically acclaimed, came out in 2016 and has developed into a VR game. So, I was shocked to learn that this idea, which I had previously thought was a reflection of modern gaming technology, was actually introduced to us many years ago in Braid.
What makes it even more interesting, was that unlike Superhot, the game play mechanic actually aided in building a deeper narrative. After conducting a close reading in class, we saw how time was a crucial element in understanding Braids hidden metaphor about the atom bomb. When you play the game slowly, you start to notice subtleties alluding to the evolution of science. Play the game in reverse and you gain an entirely new perspective of the game, that makes you rethink many choices made in the past. It was astounding to see how so many things are easily overlooked, and how some choices, maybe not even intentionally made by the creator, can influence a game’s overall story.
This entire experience has made me re-evaluate how I view games. I’m not saying I will be obsessed with every minute detail on every game I now play. However, it is worth noting the power video games have in conveying a story or idea. I would argue that the ability to interact with a game and its complex mechanics, like seen in Braid, can make it more impressive and enriching than any movie or tv show can ever be.
I too was completely surprised by Braid. I also saw it as a knock off of Mario, but I wasn’t too upset–I love super mario bros, so I generally like games similar. But the playing with time through the worlds really adds another layer of complexity to the game, and it changed the way I think about games that are heavily inspired by other games. While I still favor Mario bros, I will say that Braid made me realize that a “knock off” game can become a more complex version and a stand alone in itself.
I once watched the game walkthrough for Super Hot and it’s interesting to see how the other game plays with time in a completely different way. It’s also so fun to notice how both games have really interesting aesthetics – I never fully get why exactly Super Hot applied this crystalline quality to virtually everything, especially the organic subjects, in the game, just like how Braid plays with the blurry, highly saturated style. Probably to form a contrast against what humans are like realistically?
I’ve never heard of Superhot before and it looks so interesting! In regards to the concept of space/time-travelling, some other older games it reminded me of was Super Mario 64, Ocarina of Time, and Majora’s Mask. Although all of these have time elements within it, I think Braid combining it with such beautiful storytelling makes it so memorable and underrated, it was truly a beautiful game.