Braid, Anniversary Edition is an essential product for fans of Jonathan Blow’s significant indie game. More importantly, it is a crucial reference point for anyone wishing to learn more about game development. Braid, as an experience, is only enhanced due to the updated visuals, animations, and sounds. What remains is still a game that time has been kind to, one that serves as an essential point in how we consume the medium today.
Braid Anniversary Edition isn't just a celebration of the indie title that surprised the industry in 2008 - it's also the best version of an incredible platformer.
At only $20, Braid: Anniversary Edition is an easy recommendation for those nostalgic for the original game or anyone that's simply looking for a solid puzzle platformer to play. Braid might not be the industry-shaking revolution that it was when it first released, but it still holds up in 2024, with challenging puzzles and a powerful story. The considerable graphical upgrade would make Braid: Anniversary Edition worth the price of admission alone, but the added content is the cherry on top. If nothing else, it's great to have Braid playable on modern platforms, and hopefully, the game is able to find an even larger audience than it did 16 years ago.
A classic indie game that remains as cleverly unique today as it did 16 years ago, even if none of its original flaws have been ironed out in the meantime.
Braid is undoubtedly a classic that revolutionized the indie game landscape, and it still has enough unique ideas to make it worth a playthrough for the first time today. Whether or not the Anniversary Edition is worth it, however, will largely depend on your experience with the original. For newcomers, the enhanced graphics and extra levels make this the definitive edition, and worthy of a purchase. Similarly, up-and-coming game developers will find lots of love and advice poured into the game’s comprehensive commentary system. However, for those who have experienced Braid before, unless you're itching for a revisit, there may not be enough new content here to justify double dipping. Whether it's the original or the Anniversary Edition, though, Braid is still a game that should be experienced by everyone at least once.
SummaryThe Anniversary Edition is an overhaul of Braid, the 2008 time-bending puzzle-platformer. The game has enhanced sound with new mixes and variants on the original soundtrack, plus an extremely detailed developer commentary track. The commentary track is aiming to be incredibly thorough and, according to the trailer, "If you want to learn ...