Slog - Comments on Braid Review http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/08/braid_review Braid (Xbox Live) Not often do you see a video game both thank Italo Calvino in the credits and pay tribute to the author's time-toying books, but such is Braid. The chief twist in this Mario-esque side-scroller is time manipulation. At first, it's simply a convenient button-press to reverse death or a missed jump; rewind time a bit, try again. Soon, you can't get anywhere without bending time. An example: You'll see a critter in a later level that glows green. Even when you hit the “rewind” button, this thing keeps moving forward in a backwards world, and you... Copyright 2008 Mon, 11 Aug 2008 13:39:45 -0800 Thu, 14 Aug 2008 17:45:35 -0800 http://www.movabletype.org/?v=3.34 http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss Comment by Tollbooth It's the opinion held 'round the Slog:
Sam Machkovech is too stupid to play video games, much less write about them

]]> Tollbooth http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/08/braid_review#c1098210 http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/08/braid_review#c1098210 Games Mon, 11 Aug 2008 13:55:02 -0800 Comment by Levislade Speak for yourself, @1. As a once-in-a-great-while gamer (and roommate of a regular gamer), I always appreciate Sam's posts. I've been watching my roommate play Braid and wanting to check it out myself. Thanks for giving me more reasons to do so . . .

]]> Levislade http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/08/braid_review#c1098303 http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/08/braid_review#c1098303 Games Mon, 11 Aug 2008 15:03:50 -0800 Comment by Sam M. @2: STOP WATCHING YOUR ROOMMATE PLAY. You're gonna spoil half the fun of figuring the puzzles out.

Oh, and thank you.

]]> Sam M. http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/08/braid_review#c1098341 http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/08/braid_review#c1098341 Games Mon, 11 Aug 2008 15:47:46 -0800 Comment by Levislade @3 - Point taken, will refrain from watching. Although so far I don't think I've understood enough of what I've seen to spoil anything.

]]> Levislade http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/08/braid_review#c1098362 http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/08/braid_review#c1098362 Games Mon, 11 Aug 2008 16:03:02 -0800 Comment by gametimer @1: Chill. Sam is writing about games from the POV of a non-gamer.

]]> gametimer http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/08/braid_review#c1098453 http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/08/braid_review#c1098453 Games Mon, 11 Aug 2008 17:11:28 -0800 Comment by Jason Petersen @5: What? Sam is a gamer, and I haven't really seen him writing from any other POV.


@1: He does a good job covering this area of nerd-dom, and is usually quicker to cover new releases than some other sloggers are to cover the current events in their respective areas.

]]> Jason Petersen http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/08/braid_review#c1098567 http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/08/braid_review#c1098567 Games Mon, 11 Aug 2008 21:03:38 -0800 Comment by William Hart To be fair, I doubt you took the time to collect the secret stars in the game and wonder if you revealed the hidden text as well. Even though it constitutes replaying the game I still consider that to expand it's life by a great deal, especially since collecting the stars reveals something startling. Also I think story wise it deserves just as much credit as it's been given, there has been no other game in a long time that really racks my brain like this. I just view the plot and gameplay the same way - deceptively simple but with grander schemes involved over time.

Anyway fair review and there is definitely room for the game to expand and be even better, those are just my different opinions about the quality. I'll have to try that Portal game out and see what it's about.

]]> William Hart http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/08/braid_review#c1101527 http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/08/braid_review#c1101527 Games Thu, 14 Aug 2008 17:45:35 -0800