Braid, Anniversary Edition review – Unnecessary? Yes. Awesome? Yes, again

There aren’t many things better than Jonathan Blow’s puzzle-platformer masterpiece, Braid. We can list a few, though. Self-medication, sliced bread, and Braid, Anniversary Edition, the game’s claim to fame fifteen years later. When the news first got out that Braid was getting the remaster treatment, we couldn’t help but roll our eyes. Having taken on the brilliant time-twisting mechanics again after the fact, however, we’ve changed our tune.

A smorgasbord of Braid, Anniversary Edition

Braid, Anniversary Edition is certainly the definitive edition of the title. You’ll still get a whole lot out of the 2008 original, especially if there’s a copy already sitting in your Steam library, but for newcomers? We can’t see why you’d ever want to head back to the original. Aside from the added content, Braid, Anniversary Edition makes a case for your indie bucks simply by being available on so many platforms.

We’re of course talking about the Anniversary Edition’s jump into mobile through Netflix’s ever-growing catalogue of games — alongside the usual suspects — including the PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One, Windows, Linux and Mac. We’ve played it on two Android devices — a smartphone and a tablet (for free) — while also picking up a paid-for copy from the Nintendo eShop.

Braid, for those who missed out the first time around, follows Tim on a Mario-like quest to save his Princess from a monster. This is a platformer, after all. But as Tim traverses the many worlds in hopes of finding his ex-girlfriend, the player is given an insight into his thoughts, moods, and memories — all wrapped up in a platformer-puzzler where players can never die thanks to the ingenious time-reversing powers at Tim’s disposal.

Players progress through Braid’s many worlds, each bound by different laws of physics and goals. You’ll always be on the hunt for puzzle pieces — locked behind certain puzzles that usually require an outside-of-the-box solution (and occasionally an inside-the-box solution) before it’ll yield to you. It’s set to a flourishing painted aesthetic that feels alive, especially when compared to the game’s original 2008 graphics. Hand re-painting will do that.

It was a genius premise and universe to get lost in then, and it’s just as, if not more genius in the Anniversary Edition. That’s all got to do with Jonathan Blow leaving the original story and gameplay untouched, only touching up those bits that have fallen victim to the passage of time. Graphics and soundtrack have been overhauled, along with the addition of a few (13) entirely new levels and, of course, developer commentary. We’ll get there.

Did someone say ‘free’?

Braid, Anniversary Edition’s release on Netflix is easily the most accessible version of the game available. Not only because everyone has a phone in their pockets, but because any schmo with an active Netflix subscription (any subscription will do) can get in on the fun. After that, it’s all about putting up with the game’s somewhat finicky on-screen control scheme.

There are really only three buttons needed to make Braid work. A simple jump, an interaction key, and a button with the power to bend time and space. Netflix’s version handles these (mostly) fine, offering a hidden on-screen analogue to control Tim, relegating the other buttons to the bottom right of your screen. At first, moving about feels unnatural — especially when challenging those time-sensitive puzzles – but it quickly becomes second nature.

Still. Nothing can beat the feeling of a controller or mouse and keyboard. If you’ve got a Bluetooth controller at hand, we see no reason why you shouldn’t dive right into Anniversary Edition. Scratch that. Even if you don’t have a third-party controller handy, still give Braid a go. There’s nothing to lose.

If you’d like to fund Jonathan Blow’s work further, you can pick up a copy on one of those other platforms we mentioned. We picked the Switch version purely to make use of its beautiful OLED display and built-in controls — and the results are exactly what you’d expect if you know anything about Braid. Bloody brilliant, to say the least.

Braid, Anniversary Edition verdict

At the end of the day, whichever console, smartphone or tablet you decide to dig into Braid, Anniversary Edition with, it doesn’t really matter. They all feature the same content and hit a solid 60fps wherever you are.

We’ve already gushed over the hand re-painted graphics, but there’s nothing quite like seeing David Hellman’s HD work on a screen in front of you in all its HD glory. Jonathan Blow talks about the challenges that faced Braid’s art style, even in 2007, so to see that much love poured back into a sixteen-year-old game is heartening.

Changes to the soundtrack have been made too, all in the hopes of really amping up the mood in the latter half of the game. It’s less noticeable than the massive overhaul in the graphics department, but it’s there. And when you do pick up on the subtle differences, there’s something to point to and say “Woah.”

Easily the best addition to the Anniversary Edition is the fifteen or so hours of developer commentary shoved in there. We haven’t yet listened to all of it — we preferred to listen to that new soundtrack fully first — but from the few hours we’ve put in, it’s well worth the listen. There’s just so much to see and hear, from interview commentary to an entire world dedicated to insight into the different challenges when making a game.

Honestly, the included commentary alone makes Braid, Anniversary worth the bucks — and if you’re on Netflix, there’s absolutely nothing stopping you from spending the weekend hunting down Tim’s Princess ex-girlfriend.