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Painting-World-2

World 2's painting

World 2, Time and Forgiveness, is the first World in Braid. Although this is unusual, it is explained later on in the game, albeit vaguely. It takes place in a vast and bright grassy meadow. As the first World, it introduces the game and Tim's ability to reverse time, and various uses of it. It also introduces the player to obstacles found commonly throughout the game.

World Mechanic[]

World 2 has no mechanic. It plays like normal and time flows normally. Tim can reverse time when he makes mistakes or miscalculations, but he can do nothing beyond that. Most of the levels are achievable without this power, but some levels, most notably Level-Small-2-4Leap of Faith, are practically impossible without rewinding time.

Levels[]

Level-2-12-1: Three Easy Pieces
Level-2-22-2: The Cloud Bridge
Level-2-32-3: Hunt!
Level-2-42-4: Leap of Faith

Storyline[]

      Green-Book

      Tim is off on a search to rescue the Princess. She has been snatched by a horrible and evil monster.

      This happened because Tim made a mistake.

      Green-Book

      Not just one. He made many mistakes during the time they spent together, all those years ago. Memories of their relationship have become muddled, replaced wholesale, but one remains clear: the Princess turning sharply away, her braid lashing at him with contempt.

      Green-Book

      He knows she tried to be forgiving, but who can just shrug away a guilty lie, a stab in the back? Such a mistake will change a relationship irreversibly, even if we have learned from the mistake and would never repeat it. The Princess's eyes grew narrower. She became more distant.

      Green-Book

      Our world, with its rules of causality, has trained us to be miserly with forgiveness. By forgiving too readily, we can be badly hurt. But if we've learned from a mistake and become better for it, shouldn't we be rewarded for the learning, rather than punished for the mistake?

      Green-Book

      What if our world worked differently? Suppose we could tell her: “I didn't mean what I just said,” and she would say: “It's okay, I understand,” and she would not turn away, and life would really proceed as though we had never said that thing? We could remove the damage but still be wiser for the experience.

      Green-Book

      Tim and the Princess lounge in the castle garden, laughing together, giving names to the colorful birds. Their mistakes are hidden from each other, tucked away between the folds of time, safe.


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