I wanted something short to play through while I'm back home over Christmas, and since I never completed Braid when I last went through it I figured I'd start over and work through it for good this time.
And it struck me now, as it did then, that it's a pretty perfect game for a low-maintenance playthrough topic. This'll be more of a progress log than anything else, but at least it'll let you guys laugh at my stupidity and witness my occasional eureka moments. Which is pretty much what Braid is all about.
Enjoy!
Oh, and I think I got something like 50 of the 60 puzzle pieces last time (including both of them in that one level everyone hates), but I've forgotten all but the most memorable solutions. Which is to say I remember that you need to jump in the table in the first world's pictureframe, but that's about it. Should be a relatively fresh experience.
World 2: Time and Forgiveness Three Easy Pieces: Yep. 3/3
The Cloud Bridge: First two are straight-forward. Went back and got the high one on the ledge, but the lower one eludes me a little. Or rather, how I get the goomba thing down does. Consider this a work in progress. 3/4
Hunt: Took me a minute to remember the slight trick needed for this. 1/1
Leap of Faith: Timing on the fourth one is a bit of a b****, but that's the only thing of note here. 4/4
It didn't go well because I knew I had finished a lot of the ones I was having trouble with before and it frustrated me. I just want to see what happens at the end, but I've prided myself on not using a guide or asking for help with this game.
After a little thought, just manipulated the pictureframe in the right way to get the goomba down. And promptly mistimed the jump to grab the puzzle piece.
Stars are available immediately. Only thing is you'll pretty much never figure out where they are on your own, I applaud anyone who can. But yeah, don't finish the world 2 puzzle until you get the star that involves manipulating it.
<spoiler> * * * * * The 2nd star (yes, second) is that you make a star using the World 2 puzzle to create a star shape. I think it's near the top left of the picture. You have to match two puzzle pieces, that don't usually go together (Rotate them and whatnot), together to make the shape. If you finish that puzzle, then you can't get it. * * * * * </spoiler>
I suggest you look up how to get the stars unless you want to spend a very long time scouring the game for them, because they really are hard to figure out.
its the world 3 puzzle you create the star out of, the world 2 one doesn't matter as its just the platform you use to get up to it. You can still use a completed world 2 puzzle to get up, its just slightly more difficult (and really, its not that difficult)
World 2 and 3 completely down. Minus stars, of course, but whatever.
World 2: Time and Forgiveness - Three Easy Pieces: 3/3 - The Cloud Bridge: 4/4 - Hunt: 1/1 - Leap of Faith: 4/4
Overall: 12/12
World 3: Time and Mystery - There and Back Again: 1/1 - Phase: 2/2 - The Ground Beneath Her Feet: 2/2 - Tight Channels: 2/2 - Irreversible: 3/3 - A Tingling: 2/2
Overall: 12/12
Thoughts:
- World 3 was way more challenging than 2 in general. Not sure if the difficulty curve remains this steep but some of those really challenged me, and I've cleared them all before. - First two rooms (three if you include The Pit) are really just introductions to the world's mechanic, which I think works really well at introducing you to the various elements at play. - Managed to work out the second one in The Ground Beneath Her Feet relatively quickly this time, unlike last time where it was inexplicably the last one I solved in the first three worlds. - The two underground key puzzles in Irreversible are among my favourite relatively straightforward puzzles in the game. Didn't get the second one until I took a break and gave it a fresh look a few hours later, either, which will probably be a recurring theme.
Top five pieces so far:
1. The Cloud Bridge III 2. Irreversible III 3. A Tingling II 4. Irreversible II 5. Tight Channels I
World 4: Time and Place - Jumpman: 3/3 - Just out of Reach: 2/2 - Hunt: 0/1 - Movement By Degrees: 1/2 - Movement, Amplified: 2/2 - The Fickle Companion: 2/2
Overall: 10/12
Thoughts:
- God, I knew exactly what was coming and this world is still disconcerting as **** at first. Doesn't even give you a nice introductory puzzle piece to get into it (although in hindsight the first two levels sure feel like it). It might be the most diabolical world of all though, some seriously clever **** in here. - On that note, The Fickle Companion. I've honestly never understood the hate. Sure, the way the key seems to jump between levels due to the left-right time equilibrium being unable to show vertical movement is a little beguiling, but overall it's phenomenally designed. Especially given how easy the two solutions actually are. I kind of got the first piece by accident this time around, but as soon as I realized what I'd set into motion I still closed the deal easily enough. And the second is just brilliant. - Must be said, though, I did spend more time on it than I did, say, Movement by Degrees, where I quickly realized I wasn't gonna work out the second piece and moved swiftly on. - I remember exactly how the Hunt works in this world, but I haven't quite worked out how to execute it yet. Headache inducer right there. - Just out of Reach and Movement Amplified are kind of plain fun levels in comparison to the rest, but that's kinda necessary. Just Out of Reach I in particular is such a fantastic piece of red herring puzzle design that I nearly burst out laughing when I worked it out.
World Ranking: 4 > 3 > 2
Top Five Pieces:
1. The Cloud Bridge III 2. The Fickle Companion II 3. Irreversible III 4. The Fickle Companion I 5. A Tingling II
1. The Cloud Bridge III 2. The Fickle Companion II 3. Irreversible III 4. The Fickle Companion I 5. A Tingling II
A year ago, I had a topic where I ranked the pieces. I don't remember a whole lot about it, but I remember those were in the bottom 10 or bottom 20 at least.
I hate that level so much.
-- SuperNiceDog owned me in the Guru. Or do I have to stop using the word "owned" in order to not offend black people due to slavery?
It's not just confusing at first, it's confusing all the way through. Back then, I did the speed run achievement, so I played through the game a few times in a row. The way that stupid key behaves still pisses me off to no end. Ugh, I get mad just thinking about it.
-- SuperNiceDog owned me in the Guru. Or do I have to stop using the word "owned" in order to not offend black people due to slavery?