Booting up Braid, Anniversary Edition was, dare I say it, a bit like going back in time. Its opening moments — from the flickering, fiery logo to the foreboding opening track — instantly transported me back to 2008. Nostalgia can be a powerful drug but also a sobering one. As I flew through the game’s opening levels on autopilot (a side effect of having played through the original a dozen or so times), I began to realize just how much time had passed since Braid made its mark on the world. While it might be standard operating procedure at this point, Braid was one of the first few games that showcased the viability of independent, digital indie projects, ushering in a wave of new classics such as Bastion and Super Meat Boy.

Much like how the original made us rethink the fundamentals of distribution and project scope, Braid, Anniversary Edition tries to do the same with what we’ve come to expect from remasters and re-releases. While it’s become commonplace to take a last-get game, dial up the graphics settings, add some “new” content salvaged from the cutting room floor, and charge full price for it, Braid, Anniversary Edition isn’t content with simply rehashing the basics. In fact, this might be one of the most fully-fledged re-releases we’ve seen in years — more on that in a little bit.

For those who aren’t familiar with the original release, here’s a bit of a refresher. Braid is a puzzle platformer of sorts, though, depending on who you ask, trying to neatly fit it into a single box is a bit of a fool’s errand. When I first played it, back when I was a teenager and hadn’t forayed into the world of games media and game dev, I’d have described it as a neat little indie game that marries traditional platforming with time manipulation. More than 15 years later, I could probably spend hours waxing poetic, but I’d also sum it up as a brilliant deconstruction of Super Mario Bros. that, above all, respects the player’s time and intelligence.

There’s also the matter of the game’s “story” (though I use that term rather loosely). A cursory Google Search will yield countless essays and critiques about Braid’s “meaning” and “metaphors,” and to be fair, a lot of these analyses do hold water. I won’t do a deep dive into what Braid means to me, largely because it’s one of those games that will mean something different to each person. To me, it’s a reflection on the circular nature of the choices we make, the consequences of those choices, and how our regrets and (oft-warped) memories shape our future choices. On the other hand, some cultural luminaries, such as the venerable Soulja Boy, have completely different interpretations of developer Jonathan Blow’s timeless classic.

Regardless of what Braid might mean (or does mean) to you, my recommendation is simple: if you have yet to give it a go for yourself, Braid, Anniversary Edition is the best jumping-off point for you to dive in. For those who’ve already embarked on their own journey of bending time and saving princesses, I still strongly recommend giving this one a go, but for wholly different reasons.

The massive jump in resolution, new environmental effects and animations, as well as the remixed sound, would be enough of a reason for most to shell out for a remaster, but Braid, Anniversary Edition takes things even further. After trying to shoehorn in commentary nodes into the game’s existing levels, Blow went in the complete opposite direction, adding 40 or so brand new levels that were designed in tandem with the detailed behind-the-scenes commentary he and his team were looking to add.

These new pack-ins are available from the get-go, and it’s hard to overstate just how in-depth the developer insights are. While some are relatively straightforward and shed light on the origins of the game and its mechanics, others take the form of technical deep dives, digging into bitmap compression and unpacking, the physics, and math that govern the game’s rules and systems, and so much more.

Admittedly, some of these topics won’t be as easily digestible by all players, but the dozen or so hours of developer commentary to dig through is well worth the price of admission, and there’s a satisfying interplay as you play through a level that reflects the commentary you’re actively listening to. Admittedly, the way it’s all organized and split up can be a bit confusing to navigate, and a simplified checklist would have gone a long way in making sure you don’t miss any of it.

Putting aside that minor issue, the most divisive thing about Braid, Anniversary Edition might be how little of the core package has changed. Aside from the visual facelift, the core mechanics and gameplay are just as they were back in 2008, and that more or less dictates who this remaster is for. Those who were turned off by Braid’s strictly linear progression and uncompromising puzzles are unlikely to have a change of heart all these years later. For longtime fans or those who have yet to experience this timeless classic for themselves, Braid, Anniversary Edition is a must-play.

Disclosure: Review copy was provided by Thekla.

The post Braid, Anniversary Edition (PS5) Review: Time Sink appeared first on PlayStation LifeStyle.

The critical darling Braid originally launched 2008 on Xbox Live Arcade, then hit PSN in 2009. It counts among the first digital-only titles to truly showcase the strength of indie projects. The puzzle-platformer remains a high watermark for the industry in general, too. Thankfully, it will mount a return sometime in early 2021 on the PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5 as Braid, Anniversary Edition. This release from Thekla, Inc. will come packed with a bevy of graphical enhancements, environmental revisions, and developer commentary.

Braid, Anniversary Edition’s announcement came during the most recent State of Play stream, courtesy of the following trailer:

To reinvigorate the title, original artist David Hellman has “hand-repainted” Braid’s gorgeous world, with the environment looking like a painting in motion. On top of that, many of the environments are undergoing revisions to make them appear even more unique. The team at Thekla also added improved animations for fluidity of movement, as well as enhanced the audio and music, all of which you can see demonstrated in comparison to the original in the trailer above.

In terms of sound, it seems the crew is taking things up a notch for the Anniversary Edition. Martin Stig Andersen (Inside, Control) and Hans Christian Kock (Max: The Curse of Brotherhood) are helming sound design, studio President Jonathan Blow says in a PlayStation Blog post. Players will be able to toggle back and forth between the Anniversary Edition and the classic 2008 edition at any time to see and hear the differences.

According to Blow, the aforementioned developer commentary will span many hours. Fans will gain insight into Braid’s “programming, art, design, video game history, and many other things, using in-game hyperlink portals so you can jump between levels to follow the various conceptual threads.” In the PS Blog post, Blow notes the developer commentary will be “a lot;” though, he can’t divulge how long it may last just yet. As of now, the content for it is still being written and recorded. He says it dives into the game in “deeper detail than you’d get from blog postings, or gaming news sites, or the usual kind of in-game commentary,” with the player having full control over how deeply they explore specific aspects and mechanics.

Braid, Anniversary Edition launches in early 2021 for the PS4 and PS5.

[Source: PlayStation Blog]

The post Braid, Anniversary Edition Coming to PS4 and PS5 With Enhancements and Developer Commentary appeared first on PlayStation LifeStyle.

Jonathan Blow, the game designer behind indie gems Braid and The Witness, very rarely speaks publicly. His latest comment, brief as it may be, is likely to spark a bit of interest, however. A recent live stream on Twitch saw the developer make mention of next-generation hardware. In doing so, he touched on where his own interests lie. Apparently, only “some” of the next-gen consoles excite Blow, one of which does seem to include the PlayStation 5.

According to Wccftech, Blow told Twitch viewers the following: “I’m excited about some consoles in the next-generation, let’s put it that way. PS5 is pretty good.” Naturally, this could be construed as a low blow (no pun intended) to certain platform holders, particularly if the platform holder is not Sony. However, Blow’s comment about the PlayStation 5 could hint at a semblance of clarity. Perhaps he merely commented on the consoles he’s received a devkit for? Of course, without the developer offering clarification, no one can quite no for sure what he meant.

Blow’s words also seem unclear because of his mention of “some consoles.” Does this serve as a reference to systems other than PS5 and next Xbox platforms? Or, might he have additionally taken into account other models for the next Xbox, such as the reportedly less powerful Lockhart device?

Jonathan Blow’s most recent title, The Witness, launched early in 2016. At the time of writing, his next project lacks an official title, but did receive a short tease during Reboot Develop 2017.

The PlayStation 5 will hit store shelves on an unspecified date during holiday 2020.

[Source: Twitch via Wccftech]

The post The Witness’ Jonathan Blow is Only ‘Excited About Some’ Next-Gen Consoles appeared first on PlayStation LifeStyle.

The Witness developer Thekla Inc. recently held an AMA on Reddit, answering a magnitude of fan questions about the title. One particular topic that came up quite a bit was virtual reality compatibility for the game which, according to game programmer Andrew Smith, would be quite “problematic.” He cites several reasons for this including the game’s design and the room VR may provide for players to be able to “cheat” the puzzles. He wrote:

VR is actually quite problematic for The Witness (outside of the broader issues current seated or room-scale VR is just bad for navigating any huge open-world environment in first person) in that some of the alignment-puzzles (I won’t go into spoilers) can be “cheated” by crouching down, or tilting your head etc.

On the upside, The Witness’ geometry-heavy art style works really well in VR where a lot of traditional methods, like normal maps, lose their magic.

In response to a separate question, Smith said that it is possible to play The Witness in VR but the game isn’t optimized for use with the technology, and that free navigation in VR is a “hard problem.”

The Witness can be played in VR, but its far from optimal because it was very much designed to be a traditional non-VR experience. The VR games that will really convince people are those that’re designed for the format from the ground up.

Any kind of free navigation in VR is a hard problem. If you move around with a gamepad, but can move your head freely, what happens when you move your character up to an in-game wall and then lean forwards to stick your head through it? Should we disconnect the camera from the head tracking before it passes through the wall? Or do we move the collision boundaries in so you can’t get close enough to any object to do that? Both are pretty bad options.

Stuff like this is why most current games are designed around seated or room-scale, where the real bounds are known. It’ll be interesting to see what people come up with as solutions to this stuff.

Elsewhere in the AMA, Jonathan Blow addressed critic reception to his previous title, Braid, stating that he was bothered by responses from certain critics and pundits who solely focused on the game’s story and didn’t take into consideration its design, presentation, and other aspects.

The real thing that bothered me was not response from players, but from pundits or critics. I felt like they all came from this English-major kind of school of thought and only wanted to talk about the story part of the game as the bit that had meaning, when in fact the game design and other aspects of the presentation are obviously very important. I felt like there were many folks proclaiming “we are the people who are smart and who understand video games, and we will tell you what this game is about!”, but those people had a very poor understanding of the game! The thing that really bothered me was that these people, if loud enough, might permanently damage the way the world sees the game… in the first couple of weeks this seemed pretty likely, but as time has gone on, it hasn’t come to pass. Not too much anyway.

Worth noting that Braid received positive reviews upon release.

[Source: Reddit]

The post Thekla Inc Explains Why Virtual Reality is “Problematic” for The Witness appeared first on PlayStation LifeStyle.

Bringing the amount of titles available in the PlayStation Now subscription library to more than 125, the June 2015 additions have been revealed ahead of going live tomorrow in the United States and Canada:

Adventure Time: Explore the Dungeon Because I DON’T KNOW!

From the creative minds of Pendleton Ward (creator of the award-winning Adventure Time animated series) and game developer WayForward, the adventure begins with a completely new storyline staged in the Land of Ooo as players help Princess Bubblegum save the Candy Kingdom by exploring the mysteries surrounding a massive Secret Royal Dungeon. Play as multiple fan-favorite characters from the show including Finn, Jake, Marceline, Ice King, and more and showcase your best attack moves with special abilities and skills to defeat baddies throughout the dungeon.

Braid

Braid is a puzzle-platformer, drawn in a painterly style, where the player manipulates the flow of time in strange and unusual ways. From a house in the city, journey to a series of worlds and solve puzzles to rescue an abducted princess. In each world, you have a different power to affect the way time behaves, and it is time’s strangeness that creates the puzzles. Braid treats your time and attention as precious; there is no filler in this game. Every puzzle shows you something new and interesting about the game world.

Puppeteer

One dark, moonlit night, a young boy named Kutaro was carried away by the maleficent Moon Bear King to a black castle where the unlucky lad was transformed into a puppet. Puppeteer is a brand new franchise developed exclusively for PS3 by SCE JAPAN Studio. Set in a magical puppeteer’s theatre, this title will introduce you to a strange and fantastic world, where the environment is constantly changing. Players will enjoy a rich, dark fairytale where surprises lurk around every corner.

Sniper: Ghost Warrior 2

You are the deadliest sniper in the elite Ghost Warrior unit. Positioned deep within enemy territory, deliver precision firepower across stunning real-world environments. Pull the trigger and test your skills in an epic story of intrigue and betrayal. One shot, one kill.

Way of the Samurai 3

The consequences of your actions will determine your fate. Choose to fight alongside good or evil during the tumultuous time of the Sengoku era and carve your name into history. Become a hero or become infamous, the choice is yours, in this series famous for its high level of freedom and giving players free rein over their own play style.

The PS Now subscription is now available on PS4, PS3, and select Sony TVs and Blu-ray players, with a rollout on PlayStation Vita and PlayStation TV happening in the coming months. If you’re already a PS Now subscriber though, you can access your subscription titles through the PS Now rentals section of the PS Now app on PS Vita and PS TV. The ones applicable will have a ‘Playable’ label instead of a rental price.

For those in Canada, PS Now Senior Director Jack Buser says, “You can now enjoy both the PS Now subscription and rentals on all of the same platforms that are currently available in the US.”

As a reminder, the PS Now subscription costs $19.99 per month, with a 3-month package available for $44.99. The full list of subscription titles is available over here.

[Source: PS Blog]

The post June 2015 PlayStation Now Subscription Additions Include Puppeteer, Adventure Time appeared first on PlayStation LifeStyle.

Back in 2012, Jonathan Blow told Joystiq that he intended on investing all of the income earned from his hit title, Braid, into his next game, The Witness. Braid had cost him $200,000 to make, and helped him to become a millionaire. As an increasing amount of people switch to current-gen consoles, the income earned from Braid has understandably decreased over time. The result? Blow has had to borrow money to fund The Witness. In other words, he’s invested his entire fortune into the game in hopes that it will sell. 

In an interview with Engadget, Blow said:

Braid still sells well on platforms that are thriving, but two of Braid’s big platforms were the Xbox 360 and the PlayStation 3, both of which are sunsetting at this point. Not so many people are buying digital games there so the Braid income is not nearly enough anymore to fund the team. I have borrowed a bunch of money to finish The Witness. So I hope when it’s done, some people buy the game.

It’s easy to see why Blow needed additional funds. The Witness started out as a relatively smaller game that would have taken about eight hours to finish. Currently, the game is 25-40 hours long, and contains 677 puzzles. This, of course, means more staff as well. Nine people are credited in full for working on the game, with eight additional contributors.

With reference to the perceived similarities between The Witness and The Talos Principle, another first-person puzzle game, Blow said:

I think these two games are ultimately about very different subjects, and were made for very different reasons, and you feel the differences when you play. That said, it is likely that someone interested in one game may be interested in the other game.

Both The Talos Principle and The Witness are scheduled for release on the PlayStation 4 in 2015. A definitive release date for either of the game has not been announced. 

[Source: Engadget]

The post Jonathan Blow: Income Earned From Braid No Longer Enough to Fund The Witness appeared first on PlayStation LifeStyle.

To help celebrate the long weekend, the PlayStation Store in the United States and Canada has launched a $0.99 Flash Sale, which will end at 7AM Pacific Time on Monday, April 21st.

Here’s the full list of games that will be $0.99 this weekend:

• Back to the Future: The Game – Full Series
• Blast Factor
• Braid
• Crash Bandicoot
• Crash Bandicoot 2
• Crash Bandicoot 3: Warped
• Crash Commando
• Crash Team Racing
• echochrome ii
• Everyday Shooter (PS3)
• Everyday Shooter (PSP; PS Vita compatible)
• Gex: Enter the Gecko
• Gotham City Impostors
• Jurassic Park: The Game – Full Season
• Plants vs Zombies
• Red Faction
• Red Faction 2
• Red Faction: Battlegrounds
• Retro City Rampage
• Retro/Grade
• Sam and Max: The Devil’s Playhouse
• Spyro: The Dragon
• Spyro 2: Ripto’s Rage
• Spyro: Year of the Dragon
• Stuntman Ignition
• Super Stardust HD
• Tales of Monkey Island
• Tokyo Jungle
• Urban Trial Freestyle (PS3)
• Urban Trial Freestyle (PS Vita)
• When Vikings Attack
• World Gone Sour

Are you going to buy anything this weekend? Come discuss the the sale with other PSLS readers in our forum thread here.

[Source]

The post Big Easter 2014 $0.99 Flash Sale Starts Today on the PlayStation Store appeared first on PlayStation LifeStyle.

PlayStation is sending out emails of a special limited-time offer for two of the best games on the PlayStation Network. Did you get the message? Check now!

Everyone likes sales, right? Of course they do. Not only are they cheaper for the consumer, but because of the price drop more units are usually sold. It’s a great marketing technique. Well if you got the message, you have access to one of the PlayStation Network’s best puzzle games as well as platformers. If you buy the entire season of Sam & Max: The Devil’s Playhouse by 11:59 PM on October 31st, you will receive a voucher code for Braid, a $14.99 value, for free!!

It looks like there are a few stipulations to the deal. The email says that the “offer is only valid to the receipient of this email and cannot be transferred.” That makes it sound like if you didn’t receive the email, you won’t be eligible for the deal. It doesn’t appear to be PlayStation Plus related though, so it is most likely being sent out to a bunch of people. PlayStation LifeStyle has reviews up for the first, second, and fifth episodes of Sam & Max, as well as for Braid. Don’t pass this deal up! Check your email today!

The post Buy Sam & Max on PSN, Get Braid for Free! appeared first on PlayStation LifeStyle.

The PSN platformer known as Braid quickly became a sound success when it debuted just two years ago. Independent software developer Jonathan Blow was so pleased with the title’s success that he almost immediately began working on yet another puzzle experience. What nobody seems to know is that the game was not only at PAX last week, but was even playable.

Game Programmer and Designer Jonathan Blow hid his current title in development titled The Witness at PAX last week. The game wasn’t revealed as being playable at the show, and instead Jonathan wanted attendees to find it unexpectedly. In response to why Jonathan decided on this method, he posted with the following:

I had several reasons for wanting to show the game this way. Firstly: At a show full of companies trying to capture your attention and sell you things, I wanted to do something that is subtle, and a surprise — if you notice it, and decide to investigate, you find something unexpected.

Also, I wanted people to be able to play the game for as long as they want, not feeling pressured to stop playing because of a huge line of antsy people waiting behind them.

As indicated by the official blog, The Witnesss is “an exploration-puzzle game on an uninhabited island”. Similar to Braid, the game looks like it’ll feature artistic elements and some stylish visuals. Below you can some attendees at PAX playing the upcoming game for the first time ever:

[Source]

The post Few PAX Attendees Witnessed Braid Developer’s Hidden Game appeared first on PlayStation LifeStyle.

Hydrophobia, the Xbox 360 exclusive title is a water-based survival-adventure game from developers Dark Energy Digital. Now, I’ll have to admit – a water-based action game is pretty bad-ass, so who wouldn’t want it to arrive onto the PlayStation 3?

GameHounds‘ latest podcast episode sees them talk to a few members from the Dark Energy Digital team. Within the episode, the forthcoming downloadable shooter will seemingly be releasing on the PS3 when the developer said a simple “Yes, there will be.” to a question regarding if the game would come to the PS3.

As noted by Joystiq, several XBLA games, including Castle Crashers and Braid usually release on the PS3 one year later due to the Microsoft exclusivity. So, we’ll have to wait quite a while for Hydrophobia. But, hey, it’s coming at least, right?

The post Hydrophobia Swimming its Way to the PS3 appeared first on PlayStation LifeStyle.