A deep, mature, and intriguing story imbued with beautiful art and a fantastic score make Braid a worthwhile experience.
Braid's game play is very simple and streamline. It's premise, however, is more complex. It introduces a new direction of time manipulation in video games. We have had games like Prince of Persia that rely heavily on the overall concept, but death is still a part of its game play. Braid diminishes the idea of death and extra lives and replaces them with the word "again". Face your problem from a new angle, at a different point in time, or just do the exact same thing again. As the game progresses, new mechanics are introduced to provide variety. As you play the game for a second or even third time you may focus more on the story and realize that some of the game play mechanics are another level of the character's struggle.
The music and art help this game to shine, but its true luminance comes from its story. Braid, unlike most games, can be labeled as a novel experience. Tim, the game's protagonist, is broken, depressed, and a seemingly insane man. The story is told through a set of books which you are given the option to read before each level. Tim is responsible for something horrible. Something that not only destroyed the one he loved, but the people surrounding his negligence. He arrives home to find himself alone. He is left to his thoughts... which in his case are dangerous. Each level, puzzle, and game play element is a level of insanity, his way of coping with his mistake. Braid addresses the troubles of regret, and the dangers of holding on to your past.
Tim is searching for an answer that will only bring him back to where his problem started... With himself. Braid addresses the unwelcome fact that we make our own mistakes. We chose to be content in our own turmoil. Regret and depression are the outcome of such a state of mind. Facing these things is the only way to let go, and Tim is a fine example of a man struck with such opposition.