It’s not often when the gaming community is taken by storm with a game that seems to be beloved by critics. Jonathan Blow, the creator of the hit puzzler Braid, has done it again with his latest masterpiece, The Witness. A game so enlightening and entertaining, every gamer should give The Witness a try.
First, let’s set the record straight. The Witness is a huge puzzle game.
There are no other gameplay mechanics. You don’t go around killing monsters, or shooting enemies, or build settlements, or what-have-yous. You are placed on an island where you walk around and solve puzzles. While that doesn’t sound all too exciting for the average gamer, the puzzles in The Witness are so engaging, that you’ll find yourself engrossed in trying to solve all of the 600+ puzzles.
Yes, the puzzle-solving is the only gameplay in The Witness but it’s the only gameplay you’ll need. Of course, there’s more to The Witness than that, but the star of the show is, without a doubt, the brilliant puzzles that Jonathan Blow has managed to conjure up.
For each puzzle you face, you are being taught a new language, a different perspective, a new way to approach a puzzle, and The Witness does so by being both opaque and clear at the same time. It starts easy, with answers coming to you as naturally as the basic arithmetic of one plus one equals two.
Using that foundation, The Witness escalates by adding more to the established rules. What was once a simple basic solution can be as complicated as an advanced calculus equation. This can lead to some challenging puzzles that will truly test your cognitive thinking and understanding of the game’s rules. Despite that, The Witness is fair with its puzzles. If you take the time to learn and understand it, the answers will be as clear as day to you.
And that, is when the magic happens. That “Eureka!” moment when a puzzle that seems beyond your reach suddenly becomes clear to you. It’s an achievement that goes beyond discovering a powerful sword or a new gun and The Witness has that in spades. That’s not to say you won’t suffer some frustration in the game. More often than not, you’ll find yourself stuck on a puzzle for days before suddenly seeing the solution.
It’s a good thing that The Witness is also visually compelling and packed with storytelling that delves deeper into the mysteries of the island to keep you occupied.
On the offset, it seems like The Witness barely has any narrative to compel you forward, but dig a little deeper and you’ll find revelations strewn across the mysterious island. While there are hidden audio logs and quotes to be found, it is the environmental storytelling that shines in The Witness.
Exploring the island, you’ll find statues that eerily resembles people stuck in moments, mysterious corporate logos, and hints of past civilizations with the island’s architecture. More often than not, this raises more questions than answers but the open-ended nature of it fits well with The Witness.
There is no “real” storyline objective to complete in The Witness. You are there to complete the puzzles and get to a proverbial “end-game”. But the story peppered throughout the island is not there to lead your experience of The Witness, it is there to enrich it if you choose to pursue it.
It doesn’t hurt that The Witness, both on Playstation 4 and PC, looks absolutely stunning with its art design. From the sandy beaches to the luscious forests, The Witness‘ beauty shines through on current platforms.
The Witness does not conform to the standard gaming tropes. It asks its players to engage and think about the puzzles that Jonathan Blow and crew has created in this digital playground. For that, it gives players a rewarding experience that is not often found in today’s video games.
Some might love the deep puzzles and obtuse story-telling while some might just give up in frustration after attempting a puzzle for the fiftieth time. One thing’s for sure, The Witness is an experience that a gamer should try as there are no other like it.
The Witness is available on Playstation 4 and PC. Pick up PSN Gift Cards or Steam Wallet Codes from OffGamers and receive your codes instantaneously!
Tags: Jonathan Blow, PC, Playstation 4, Puzzle, Puzzle Games, Puzzler, Steam, The Witness, Thekla Inc.