IMO Braid was a success of its time, when digital distribution started enabling Indie developers to reach mass audiences.
Yet I think the reason why the game reached so far was due the Humble Bundles.
While I think this was a competent game with interesting mechanics, there were better indies that I would love to play again (if extended).
Can anecdotally confirm as it is only in my library because I got it via humble bundle. Secondarily because it worked back then already in Linux.
A) I didn’t know it existed.
B) Even if I did, I wouldn’t have bought it. I bought the original when it came out, played a few hours, never finished it, never felt the need to go back.
never felt the need to go back
I see what you did there.
Yeah it was a play-once kind of game for me.
Jonathan Blow has been more interested in marketing his niche programming language than his games, so maybe that’s why.
Supposedly he is also developing another game so yea, this remaster was not on the top of the list. I’m still not happy it sold below expectations because I think it’s a neat game.
Braid was a critical darling but I think a lot of it’s early success can be accounted for by it being one of the first games in Xbox Live Indie Arcade. For a little while, it was literally one of the only games available. And yeah, it’s a fun puzzle platformer but more than a decade of “Is Braid the greatest indie art work ever made?!” thinkpieces have really overhyped it.
“Did you know it’s about nuclear bombs? Did you know the designs are a reference to Mario!?” Like yeah, these things aren’t hidden lore, they’re the text of the game, but psuedo-intellectual posturing towards it is on par with Blade Runner and the Matrix for pure inanity. Plus no real marketing on the remaster, no press releases about “what an important moment in gaming this is” or anything.
Also, Braid isn’t a singular game anymore. Games obviously in the Braid-lineage have pushed the genre. Animal Well most recently, but it’s hardly the only game now eating at the table with Braid, Fez, etc.
I think Blow started to belive the hype a long time ago and now just expects that the mere presence of his genius on a work should immediately push it to best-seller status. And I like his games, I liked Braid and I think the Witness really is kind of genius but man he is insufferable to listen to and I really think that hurts the buzz around his work.
Imagine being upset that someone is having this much fun with like the first level of your game
🤣🤣🤣 Ah man, I forgot about that Souljaboy review! My friends and I loved that when it came out, cracked us up for weeks. “He look like mario from the future! It ain’t got no point to the game! Woaaaaaah! Oooohwooooop!”
It got marketed mostly as a visual remaster, but it looked similar to the original at a glance. And everybody owns a couple of copies of the original.
It really wasn’t very well marketed at all.
I liked the game, but I can’t say I would have any interest in playing it again or trying to get into new levels after so long.
I also didn’t know there was a new release until this article.
It’s also on Netflix games, even less of a reason for people to spend money on it.
TIL Netflix has a gaming option.
They have a lot of good stuff. Dead Cells, Hades, Into the Breach , Death’s Door, Oxenfree 1 & 2, and probably others I am forgetting.
I didn’t even knew it had new levels.
Many people own and played the original, myself included. When the remaster was announced, I looked at it, and it looked like exactly the same game to me. I didn’t see a reason to purchase the game again.
It completely passed me by. This is literally the first I’m hearing of it
I believe I only saw the game being “announced” because I follow a currator on steam that highlights games being de-listed soon. And at some point, i got notified about Braid being delisted soon, because of the remaster.
There was also a fairly high introductory discount for people who owned the original on steam, and it dropped to a 75% discount only a month after release.
Here’s the video that half a dozen gaming sites turned into an “article”:
I played and own the original but didn’t finish it at the time. I want to play it again and might as well play the remaster as long as they didn’t fudge it.
But its currently priced a bit more than I would pay for a remaster of a game I already have. When it gets a 33% discount it will be on my radar, if its 50% it will be an instant buy otherwise … its been 15 years I’m not in any rush.
The game was 75% off during the summer sale for like $5. hope you’ll find it this cheap again.
Ah, I missed that. I had it wish listed on dekudeals but not steam - rookie mistake I suppose.
Still no rush ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
Game is on sale for $5, 75% off on steam right now.
Done. Thanks for the heads up!
The ending is the best part about it.
I liked Braid and played thru it when it came out, including the secret ending. Aside from graphical fidelity, in what other ways has the game been remastered?
I read that they added a bunch of new levels
Apparently most of those are alpha/beta versions, only 14 out of 40 are actually new
Fun fact: Braid is a game about the creation of the nuclear bomb, and maybe some other things as well
Thanks I’m glad I already played it before reading this incredible spoiler
15 year old game at this point
Yeah, but it’s evergreen. Loads of people haven’t played it or finished it, or were even born when it came out, and might be learning about it just now.
For me the gameplay was kinda meh and actually frustrating at times, but the way it tells the story was so nice and so perfectly fit the mechanics, that made it worth it. So I guess think twice about a “fun fact” with no spoiler tag that gives away something so important for enjoying the game.
Loved the original game back in the day, never heard of the new version, but will probably get it when it’s on sale
Did you fix the unwinnable final level?
Unwinnable? Doesn’t it have two ways to beat it?
Played at launch so don’t follow a lot of what’s been going on.
That’s on me, I played it on Android. The touchscreen controls were not conducive to navigating the final platforming level that requires perfect timing.
I played it on Android, and there’s a level where you have to run away from encroaching lava or something. It requires perfect timing on some parts (allowing for a rewind to help you nail it). It’s hard to beat with proper controls, but on a touchscreen it is practically impossible.
I recall beating the game back in 2008 or whenever it was part of the first Humble Bundle.
All of the levels are winnable. What are you talking about?
I’m talking about that final race across the screen, which requires perfect timing and coordination which isn’t possible on a touch screen.
