THE WITNESS | GAME REVIEW
The Witness is a refreshing change to the action heavy games that dominate the market. There are no enemies to defeat, no guns to fire and no characters to converse with. Instead, you awake on a deserted island with a series of puzzles to overcome. At first, these puzzles seem pretty basic, but they soon become more complex as the island begins to blow your mind with the many surprises it has hidden away.
The game’s puzzles take place on the many monitors found throughout the island, on which you are required to find the correct path through a maze. Any concerns that these puzzles could get tedious soon disappear as new rules are frequently introduced keeping every puzzle feeling unique. The learning curve that the player is guided through is one of the game’s strengths, as instead of simply being told how to overcome each puzzle element, you must find out for yourself. Exploration of the open world is key, as dotted around the island are introductory puzzles to each new rule. Again, the rules are never explained to you, but the simplicity of the introductory puzzles enable you to experiment and learn. Rather than gaining experience points or new gadgets, it is knowledge and understanding that you find to progress.
Once you begin to understand a new rule, the game immediately rips you out of your comfort zone and introduces new blends of obstacles that can make your brain melt. Some rules can range from separating the black dots from the white or drawing specific shapes on the labyrinth. At one point, the environment starts to play its part in the puzzles, and so then you begin to realise that the puzzles are not all contained on the various monitors, but overflowing into the world. This realisation comes as quite a shock, as you start to notice aspects of the island that you had never seen before and the more mysteries you solve, the more you find.
While the puzzles are extremely creative, at times they become so complicated that players can become frustrated. While the balancing act between frustration and satisfaction is ever present in the puzzle genre, The Witness handles it well, but leaves behind the more impatient gamers in favour of creativity and complexity. For the best experience, it is suggested that you stay away from any walk-through or guide, but equally, spending hours on one puzzle can understandably give even the most calmest of people a mental breakdown. The Witness will not appeal to everyone, but by ignoring the needs of the majority, The Witness excels with its creativity.
The island is so beautifully made that it feels as if you are exploring a 3D painting. From the blossom of the trees, to the winding rivers, everything looks stunning. The omission of a soundtrack was a wise decision, as the ambient sounds of the island play a big part in creating this immersive world. The serene atmosphere excellently juxtaposes some of the more disturbing mysteries, such as the many statues throughout the island. It is made unclear whether these are sculptures or whether they used to be human, but it is these mysteries that makes The Witness so appealing. The added content that wraps the game in a cloud of uncertainty may heighten the player’s curiosity, but it is the intelligence and simplicity behind the puzzles that captivates the mind.
words RYAN JONES