So, most of you who follow this blog probably don’t know this, but I’m a bit of a casual gamer. “Casual gamer” as in, someone who doesn’t necessarily own a game console (unless we count my ancient first generation XBox with its 6 or 7 games), but still enjoys playing all the same in any form that he/she can.
I specifically enjoy philosophical, artsy, clever kinds of indie flash games, and my favorite developers are Daniel Benmergui, Thomas Brush, and Gregory Weir.
The other day though, I finally bought a game that had intrigued me since it first was released a few years ago, Braid by Jonathon Blow.
Braid tells the seemingly simple story of a young man named Tim who has made a terrible mistake, which cost him the companionship of his beloved unnamed Princess. You control Tim as he makes his way through visually stunning landscapes, each with a charming and serene “painterly” feel to them, and over bizarre obstacles in order to be reunited with his love…but things may not be entirely what they seem, in more ways than one.
But why do I specifically think that Doctor Who fans would enjoy this game?
Well, besides the fact that we’re all probably insanely clever and deep-thinking people with a definite eye for beauty, the main focus of Braid is the manipulation of time, the true thesis of the game being:
“What if you could learn from mistakes…but undo the consequences?”
Throughout the game, you learn to control time in many ways, warping it to your advantage…but is it warping your perspective on life as well?
The trailer for the game can be found here.
The ending is…well, it’s something. I don’t want to say anything more than that, because I don’t want to spoil anything for anyone, but it’s definitely something, and an unforgettable something at that.
This game is the ultimate example of a video game as a work of art and as a legitimate narrative. It’s gorgeous, it’s thought-provoking, it’s smart, it’s creepy, it’s fantastic.
(Oh, and the music is stunning as well)
Check it out if you’re interested, but honestly, I don’t know why you wouldn’t be.
