The Witness is an elaborate and intricate puzzle experience that while frustrating at times, is immensely satisfying when using the knowledge acquired simply by playing.
The Witness
Developer: Thekla Inc.
Price: $40
Platform: PS4, PC
MonsterVine was provided with a PS4 code for review.
The game immediately places puzzles in front of players in the form of line mazes. A panel on a door, or attached to a post in the ground displays a labyrinth with a start point and an end point. This is the tutorial. There are no text prompts, or UI indicators to push players in any direction. Everything is explained through the act of playing. Rules are established and essential gameplay mechanics are learned all through playing and solving puzzles.
Things might start out super simple but become increasingly challenging. I hit many roadblocks where I shouted “This is impossible!” When I actually knew that I was just not fully understanding a certain mechanic. The Witness is an open world puzzle game, which does a great job alleviating some of that natural frustration of being stumped. Whenever I hit a dead end, I just ventured to an area I had yet to complete, helping to discover new areas with entirely new mechanics to learn and overcome. Sometimes I ran into a situation where all of the puzzles I had discovered were unsolvable to me, this is when the phrase “sleep on it” really came to help. After a good night’s sleep things often became clear. A puzzle that I failed at the day prior I zipped through in less than 10 minutes.
The Witness is not just a game with puzzles, but it also one giant puzzle in itself. The environment offers great mystery. Various structures partially damaged as stone statues decorate the land and profound thought provoking ideas are scattered about. Multiple times throughout the game I was blown away with what The Witness was doing and the more I discovered, the smarter it made me feel.
Not only are the environments essential to the puzzles, but they are also designed in brightly colored, simple art-style that I found to be relaxing. The variety of different ecosystems are visually striking and encourage discovery through exploration. After hours and hours in densely packed areas I still would wander into a new area, or see something from a new angle and wondering “how can I get over there?” The worst part about having the environment play such a pivotal role in the puzzle process is that the game does not give players as much maneuverability as first-person games of a different genre. Directional control of both look and movement are present and so is a much welcomed sprinting mechanic but things like jumping and crouching are absent. I understand why these mechanics are absent, and it doesn’t take long to adapt to the movement, but the frustration of not being able to hop or fall down a small ledge is ever-present.
The Final Word
The Witness is at its best when it is teaching you its mechanics simply by exploring the world and playing the game. It’s frustratingly difficult at times–like beating your head into a wall. But if you take your time, everything you need to know is explained within the game itself. If you enjoy tackling complicated situations and the feeling of accomplishing a difficult task, you need to play The Witness.
– MonsterVine Rating: 4.5 out of 5 – Great
