If I could turn back time…

It is weird to be nostalgic for things that have happened in the 21st century. Yet here we are one quarter through and thinking about things like Xbox Live Arcade are now retro. When this service launched it changed gaming, then came Summer of Arcade and it peaked. Braid was a game that everyone was talking about when it dropped. It was a simple puzzle game that had a stubby character jumping on realistic looking goombas, but there was a twist. The way this game played with time and space was something else. I remember discussing with friends how they solved the puzzles and discovering it was amazing. Now almost 20 years later we are reflecting on the game with this updated release.

Braid originally came out in 2008 and took the indie world by storm. It really redefined what indie games could be and kicked off the popularity of main creator Jonathan Blow. There was really nothing like it before, which not only elevated the creator, but the service itself. With all that said, the game itself is something of a marvel. On the surface it looks simple. Walk to the right and jump on enemies while performing some platform jumping. Peeling back the layers though, Braid offers a wholly unique game experience.

MSRP: $19.99
Platforms: Xbox (reviewed), PlayStation, Switch, PC
Price I’d Pay: $19.99

The concept is simple. The first time you die, the game prompts you to hit the rewind button. Quickly you discover that it is infinite. You can always revert what you just did. This is neat, then you realize it can be used for so much more. Stringing together events from forward to reverse alongside some clever puzzle design and the light bulb illuminates. There is a whole depth to this game that to this day, is hard to match. It was revolutionary, it was brilliant, and even today I couldn’t help but adore the sound effects as things started going backwards and I figured out how to solve this seemingly simple solution.

If this was just a port though, what is the point? Heck if you own it on Xbox, it can still be played via backwards compatibility. What makes this package special is the amount of care that has gone into updating everything from the visuals, to adding a plethora of director commentary as well as some new levels to dig into.

Let’s start with the commentary. This is by far the most impressive set of commentaries included in a game. The developers take their time to walk through specific puzzles complete with onscreen notations to show how they came up with the ideas and the thought process behind them. This is really neat and plentiful. There are over 15 hours of commentary to check out, which is longer than the actual game itself. There are different sections including a set of doors focusing on specific aspects of the game from people such as Jonathan Blow and David Hellman, who worked as an artist on the game. There are also sections of the game where Blow will narrate as I played through specific sections. It really sets the bar for commentary in video games.

The visuals have also received an upgrade pass. The design of the game was iconic, so this new update is more about not changing the feel, and instead improving upon it. Players can swap to the old design at any time by clicking in on the stick. It is neat to see what has been changed and the visual upgrade is subtle enough that it doesn’t detract from the original design. It also brings out the style with higher resolutions. The biggest change though is the music. It has been remixed to include more channels, making specific instruments stick out even more and making the music feel more impactful. This is also toggled when you click the stick. It is a wonderful package that is worth revisiting, especially if you don’t still own the original on Xbox.

Braid was an iconic game for its time and revisiting it has been a treat. Say what you will about its creator, but most of the issues are not present in this package. This is still a game I think about regularly. It really defined a service and elevated indie games to a new level when it came out. Solving these puzzles still felt magical all these years later. If you have never played this title, do not skip it, even if you have it is worth revisiting. There are certain games that feel timeless, and Braid is easily one of those.

Review copy of game provided by publisher.