The Witness Review (Drex143)
After 6 years I finally dove back into the deep end with some of the remaining puzzles in The Witness.
So, what can I say about The Witness? I struggle to come to a conclusion. I would recommend this to somebody for the experience of tackling each of the game's various puzzles for the first time (Definitely avoid spoilers for this one.) That being said, from a game-design perspective, I have a personal love-hate relationship with this game that I haven't really experienced before. Parts of this game seem to be at odds with itself, not only from a game design standpoint, but even a philosophical one. The game is loaded with gorgeous visual design and inventive environmental puzzles that continued to impress me. From an artistic standpoint, I genuinely feel like I gained something profound from experiencing some of the more "Right-brained" geared abstract puzzles to be found scattered around the world.
So, what's the issue? Well, the reality is that the environmental puzzles that really had an impact on me really only account for around 30% of the gameplay. That is, unless you are absolutely hellbent on 100% completing the game. Around 70% of the content in this game consists of grid-based puzzles that exist entirely on a 2D plane. The game constantly pulls you out of the environment to solve series after series of sterile grid-based puzzles that are hosted on one of the world's literal hundreds of computer terminals strewn about seemingly at random. Many of these grid-based puzzles act as gates to areas who's puzzles are completely removed from the concept you need to solve to access them. In a nutshell, if you aren't particularly adept at solving the 3 or 4 types of grid-based puzzles that are placed to gatekeep nearly every corner of the map, you are going to be missing out on the majority of the more interesting ideas to be found in the game.
For a more right-brained abstract thinker like myself, I personally found this design philosophy to be incredibly frustrating. It was as if the game was stopping me at every turn. For every carrot the game dangled in front of me, some beautiful vista looming off into the distance, the game would lock down, zoom into another terminal... "Oh, you want to explore that area in the distance? But, wait! You haven't finished your grid-based puzzles yet! Only 15 more wacky grid-based brainteasers and you can finally cross this bridge :D"
One portion of this game in particular sticks out to me, where literally every step you take across a swampy forest canopy is made up of a series of 2D grid-based panel puzzles that you have no choice but to solve. The area of the game was shoved off into a corner (perhaps on purpose?) which meant taking a break to look at any of the other puzzles in the game would require a good 5 minute walk to another area.
Going through portions of the game like that, I personally couldn't shake the feeling that this game is completely at odds with itself. It asks the player to look at the world in new and creative ways, and to constantly alter and expand on one's perspective... aaaaand then proceeds to shove your face into yet another wall with yet another panel. You aren't going anywhere until you finish your math homework!
Well evaluated for the sum of it's parts, this probably is one of the most genius games I've ever played. But the truly mind-blowing stuff is gated behind hours of frustrating nonsense. I hate to say it, but that isn't good game design. Not for me. I'm glad I played it, and I wanted to give it another shot. But, if I'm being completely honest, a frightening amount of my experience with this game felt like the same kind of gatekeeping you would experience in your average F2P mobile game...
I recommend this one for the first-time experience. Especially if you can get it on sale. It has some really amazing moments in there, and I love the art direction (When I can actually SEE IT and aren't looking at a grid.) It's the slow-moving 'art house' film of my games library. I'm glad I played it and experienced it's best moments, but I was bored out of my mind for a good portion of this one. If I could give it a number rating on steam, I would rate it a 6/10, based on my own personal experiences, shortcomings, and unique brain chemistry (lol)