The Misadventures of P.B. Winterbottom

Winterbottom isn't as clever, challenging, or ultimately satisfying as Braid. But that's really the worst I can say about it. This time-bending platform-puzzle game has some very inventive mechanics, a story mode that doles them out at a perfect pace, and an immersive aesthetic that really brings the whole package together.

There were a few instances where the puzzles felt a little loose. That is, I completed them by the skin of my teeth, and feel like it had more to do with lucky timing than with really understanding the puzzle mechanics. (Specifically, I'm thinking of some of the spotlight puzzles.) But these moments were the exception, not the rule.

My only real grievance is that it's a little on the short side, but that isn't counting the Bonus Shorts, which I haven't touched at all. And likely won't - like Portal's extra challenges, I expect some weight and motivation to be lost without narrative accompaniment.

At any rate, this is a misadventure I can recommend.

Better than: Exit DS
Not as good as: Braid
A little olde-tymey rhyming: goes a surprisingly long way

Progress: Finished the story mode