Now I know this is absurd. I know I will lose all of my cred as a gamer after admitting this, but I had to cheat on some of the puzzles in Braid. Don't get the wrong idea, I tried. I spent a great deal of time on some of the puzzles and just could'nt seem to get them. I enjoyed the game, and truly enjoyed the feeling you get from collecting a new puzzle piece, but there comes a time when enough is enough.
Sure, not everyone is as good at certain things, but I was able to beat Portal, and all of the advance Portal stages without cheating. So whats the difference? Whats interesting is after I would watch a video it was never a feeling of, "oh, how did I miss that?". It was more like, "holy shit! I'm glad I just looked that up cause I would have NEVER figured that out."
I'm glad that even after watching a video for a piece here and there it did'nt ruin or cheapen the experience for me. I did it right at the time where I needed to progress or I may have been turned off and not finished the game. Perhaps I could have started the game over and been able to figure them out on my second play through? I guess we will never know.
Looking back, I think part of the problem was not fully understanding a few things at the time I needed to. For example, you may come across a puzzle and need to use a technique that was never introduced up to that point. Sure, some people might realize that if you are standing close to the pit of spikes and your shadow jumps across you will be able to get the key like some sort of hand off. But I never even thought that was an option and spent hours trying to figure out how to get the key up on the ledge.
I don't know if I would have ever tried that technique not knowing it was an option.
At the end of the day, I did enjoy the game and would recommend it to anyone who has'nt played it yet and is looking for a challenge.
So, how about you "hardcore gamers"? ;) Did anyone else need help? Don't be shy, for we shall unite and strengthen in numbers. Jk. But seriously, don't be gay. ;)
HAHAHAHAHAHA YOU FUCKING LOSER!!!!!!!!!! AHHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH(I cheated on one piece too)
***SPOILERS?***
I cheated on the one you had to have the guy hit your shadow on the head and then jump on the guy.
I didn't even realize that would happen.
***END SPOILERS?***
@kaciesaurus
That's the only one I had to look up as well...
@kacie
That was the only one I had to look up too. And I felt shitty after I did.
you know why? Because we're so good we never had the little guys hit us on the head. I didn't know they bounced.
i on the other hand am the shit and figured out all the puzzle pieces on my own.
the stars on the other hand are ridiculous and require cheating.
at least you saw the super cool World 1 though right?
That damn key hand-off. That one puzzle took me longer to figure out than any other in the entire game.
I would of cheated to.
On every single puzzle.
@ bottled dark
I did. I actually didnt have to cheat on that one.
@ agent orange
yes! so Im not the only one.
that too is the only one I looked up....
@kaciesaurus
This is the one I cheated on too. Well, I actually got it just screwing around yet had no idea what I did. I stupidly rewound time trying to see what I did and lost the piece, so cheated to get it again.
@bottled dark
Definitely assistance was required for those stars, but I don't feel bad about it. There's only so much time in a day, and formulating ridiculous tasks and combinations everywhere you think there *might* be a star seems like a waste of it. Plus, I don't think I would've gotten the one star no matter how much time I spent looking for it.
Looking up star locations and full walkthroughs for a couple did the trick.
Eh, Anthony gave me a little bit of help with clues for two of the puzzles, and I had a third one quasi-spoilerzed for me. No biggies.
I didn't need help on any of the puzzles, to be honest I did the key hand-off manouver and I thought I was bending the rules by doing it. I didn't think that was how it was supposed to be done. Go figure.
I got every puzzle piece except for two on the first level, the ones where you need to manipulate the painting itself to acquire them. I spent about thirty minutes dicking around until I accidentally moved the painting and discovered it moved the platform. I felt like a total dumbass, but it made getting those pieces all the sweeter.
@Kacie
I totally discovered that by accident!
The only pieces I 'cheated' on was the one that has you move the painting up to extend a platform. I had been doing that anyway but the game required it to be stupidly pixel-perfect. the other one was because I was again doing the right thing but the key kept bugging and going crazy and I had to check a guide to make sure I was doing it right.
On the whole I have to say that the puzzles were impressively logical in their solution, but I found performing the solution more difficult than working it out most of the time.
The one in the screenshot - that's the only one I needed help with, and it was after trying everything I could think of on and off for 2 hours. I know I would have got it eventually, so I wish I had been slightly more patient, but over all, it wasn't diminished very much by this one slip.
What I've also found is that upon repeat play throughs I'm finding better solutions for ones I solved rather akwardly the first time. Two spring to mind: The one in World 6 with the goomba things that have to get past 3 plants in the top right of the screen, and the one earlier on in the game where you need to get the goomba-thing on the high ledge past the cannon fire.
The only one i ever had trouble was in world 6 where there were two platforms, a ladder, and a key too fucking high. I never would have guessed you had to slow time for the platforms.
@Kacie
Also the only one I needed help with. I think it's probably the only "unfair" puzzle in the entire game.
I finished all the puzzles without cheating and a shit load of them were by pure luck. Like the one with the guy jumping off shadow man's head? Pure luck.
I cheated on one, where you have to move forward and backward to advance/retract a platform and have a goomba thing carry the key for you.
@kacie
I got that one by accident. I jumped too early, and the damn goomba landed on my head and bounced. Then the light bulb lit up and I figured it out.
@THEFIL
Yeah that was the only one I had to look up as well
you do realize that until you change your avatar, your clogs are never going to be read :(
boingy boingy
if you right click -> view image, it magically grows!
I am stuck on that puzzle, BUT I WILL NOT CHEAT
I didn't cheat on any of the puzzles, but the bastards in IRC gave a bunch of hints.
I'm the same as Justice, accidentally solved that one.
And that had off you're talking about, I figured it out after I tried to gap across and the key fell. I thought... wow so close, what if only I could throw it across... light bulb moment right there.
Figured all of them on my own. some through trial and error, some thought str8 up luck, most with my sheer genius.
Oh I totally cheated a bit too. That game was awesome but a few points frustrated me to almost the point of tears.