I just finished braid. it was ok, but dissatisfying. I'm at a point where I'm not really sure if that's my problem or the game's. the game has plenty of stuff wrong with it but I feel like I should have been able to enjoy it anyway. it never got me engrossed and I think that might be because I've got a bad computer setup right now. awhile ago I played machinarium on a laptop with a dim, low-contrast screen and I'm pretty sure that game was ruined too. this time I've got a tiny old monitor and a chair that's too low for a desk that's two feet wide
i've only played the demo for braid, but i kinda felt like it would be the sort of game that would be a lot easier to really dig into if there hadn't been such an absurd amount of hype surrounding it. i kinda went into it thinking SO THIS IS THE GAME EVERYONE IS TALKING ABOUT HUH and i ended up finishing the demo, being pretty underwhelmed, and not really thinking about it again. i think i might feel differently if i blindly stumbled onto this game and went into it with no expectations.
of course i'm a curmudgeon and look for ways to dislike the games that i'm supposed to like(and usually don't have a lot of difficulty doing so).