Braid is something where the seam between art and game is non-existent.
For this very reason Tim Braid is one of the most evil protagonists in gaming, let alone the entirety of fiction. I will leave it to the player to discover to why but ask yourself this: is it fair to control time?
Braid follows an extremely cliched plot: a vile monster has stolen Tim's princess and he must rescue her but those little introspective pieces at the start of each level begin to reveal more and more about the truth of the story and who Tim Braid is. Tim can control time at will, if killed by enemies or projectiles he can reverse to the time of his mistake and try again. This is something that gaming has relied on for eternity, how else would one be expected to complete a game? Much like in Bioshock with the whole concept of 'choice' in gaming being turned on its head so to does Braid take the concept of spawning after death and turn it into something that the story depends on: Tim corrects his mistakes and learns from it. I won't spoil the ending but it is something that comes out of left field if one has been playing the game like any ol' platformer albeit with some cool mechanics.
Braid offers some pretty heady stuff if you sit down and ponder it and read between the lines. One of the stages starts off with Tim looking back on his childhood and twenties but it's phrased in such a way that states he went to visit his parents and his old college campus but it's clearly stated that Tim hates how his parents were with their archaic ways so he goes out in a huff and starts towards the campus. If he hated his parents so then it would make sense that he didn't just go to the local university but far away so it would be quite the walk for him to go from his house to his university.
Tim Braid, however, controls time. Does he visit his parents or travel back in time when he was a child but still have the wits of an adult? It is continually stated that Tim believes it acceptable and indeed preferable if man had the option to commit sins or mistakes but go back in time before the mistake and not cause it but still be the wiser.
Braid can be analyzed for days trying to discover all the symbolism and meanings without any theory being inherently better or more credible.
Getting to the sweet, sweet meaning of the story and its symbols is also an intense and enjoyable experience. Each level throws something unique at you with the first couple not being all that hard but the later puzzles presented can make one stop and just look at it for a while and try and picture how to play it out. This game demands a lot from its players in terms of thinking outside the box in terms of solving the puzzles and understanding the meaning of its symbols.
Visually the game is gorgeous with a stupendous soundtrack. The flowing paint look really works well and turns Braid into something one can also just look at and enjoy just how damn pretty it is with the solemn music adding that extra layer of comfort.
Braid is something that won't be forgotten soon after it's completed. It's well worth the time and money of anyone regardless of genre preference or if they even play games.