Topic: Braid (XBLA) - The next Portal?

[LuigiHann]

From http://www.cubeecraft.com/

As for the story, I thought it was fine as it was presented. Gave me something to think about, not so much to search for answers or the "true meaning" of the story, but just some interesting concepts to chew on.

[KDR_11k]

Looks kinda like Guybrush Threepwood to me...

[LuigiHann]

He does, doesn't he. I remember noticing that when playing the game, he's like a little combination of MI1 Guybrush and MI2 Guybrush.

[LuigiHann]

Then there's the whole thing with the stars.  I don't know how people discovered this.  I have a list of the levels they appear on, and I've made it to one, but wasn't able to actually get it.  The unfortunate thing is that if you've already completed the puzzle for World 3, you have to start your game over to get one of the stars.  So I'm contemplating if I should start over before trying to get any stars.

Care to share that list? All I can find on google are links to the videos, and I'd hate to spoil them any more than I have to. A little nudge toward where they are would be useful, since I went through the whole game without a clue they existed.

[matt oz]

Then there's the whole thing with the stars.  I don't know how people discovered this.  I have a list of the levels they appear on, and I've made it to one, but wasn't able to actually get it.  The unfortunate thing is that if you've already completed the puzzle for World 3, you have to start your game over to get one of the stars.  So I'm contemplating if I should start over before trying to get any stars.

Care to share that list? All I can find on google are links to the videos, and I'd hate to spoil them any more than I have to. A little nudge toward where they are would be useful, since I went through the whole game without a clue they existed.

The eight locations are:
Overworld, 2-2, 4-5, 4-7, 5-4, 6-5, 6-6, 1-1

Most likely, that won't be enough to get some of them.  There are some jumps where you have to be so exact that it's extremely difficult without a walkthrough.  I don't even know how people discovered them on their own.  I still haven't gotten the one in 1-1.  I know what I need to do, I'm just not totally sure how to go about it.  I give it a try every once in a while.

[Caliban]

These stars, what are they for, or do?

[Smakian]

What I liked most about this game is the interesting design decision where the last few puzzle pieces actually can't be collected because the puzzles have no possible solution. It really turned my expectations on their head, and I admire that innovation. It took me hours to realize that I was actually at the intended end of the game.

[KDR_11k]

What the hell are you talking about?

[matt oz]

What I liked most about this game is the interesting design decision where the last few puzzle pieces actually can't be collected because the puzzles have no possible solution. It really turned my expectations on their head, and I admire that innovation. It took me hours to realize that I was actually at the intended end of the game.

That made me laugh out loud.  If you really have spent hours on them, maybe you should consult a walkthrough.  There are some that are really ingeniously designed and need a "think outside the box" mentality.

These stars, what are they for, or do?

What are they for?  Well, they complete the constellation of Andromeda outside the house.  (And yes, there is a relation between the myth of Andromeda and the storyline of Braid.)  They also provide an added layer of challenge to the game.  And something interesting happens when you get the final star.  It relates to one of the storyline threads that was introduced in the Prologue.

[Caliban]

Oh cool. It seems I'm going to have to play the game yet again.

[KDR_11k]

Meh, I'm not going to bother with that.

[LuigiHann]

I got one of the stars, but after spending a reasonable amount of time trying to get the second one, I just watched the whole walkthrough, and WOW that would be a pain to actually do. Still, it's pretty old-school in that sense, hearkening back to when video games didn't hold your hand through all the puzzles and stuff. Still, that's some crazy stuff.

Anyway, I assume people here are mildly familiar with Elite Beat Agents or Ouendan, so I needn't spend much time explaing why this video is cool: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4YZMU7GWB_s&fmt=6

[ShyGuy]

I tried the demo of this last night, very impressive. Interesting blending of two different elements.