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The Witness - Reviews Thread
- Thread starter Kenzodielocke
- Start date
D
Deleted member 30609
Unconfirmed Member
No it isn't.
So you haven't played it and have no idea what you're talking about basically?
I watched the reviews and listened to the Bombcast. The puzzles don't sound all that diverse. In difficulty, maybe.
OrbitalBeard
Member
The game makes it fairly obvious early on through some "tutorial" puzzles that panels without symbols are likely based on
the environment.
tree
environmental
observe your surroundings if you don't see a clear symbol on a panel
If you don't grasp that concept after it being handed to you on a silver platter, that's not the game's fault. And to be clear, I'm not saying I'm smart or anything. In fact, I failed to grasp that concept entirely myself at first. But that's not an issue with the game.
The only explanation I have for this is that you haven't played too far? The environment plays a huge and integral role to many of the puzzles.
Also, the game actually will be out on iOS
Also have to disagree with this one. The game has an insane amount of completely different mechanics. Yes, you use the panels as an input most of the time, but that's exactly that: Your input device to solve the puzzles. Just as much as you use jumps in Braid to execute the puzzle's solutions, you use the panels in The Witness - and they allowed Blow to implement an insane amount of completely different puzzles that worked in completely different ways.
There are several, but there are literally hundreds that could be in a matte grey room and still be solvable.
My favorite moment in the game was seeing a circle and a line that wasn't on a screen, so I know they exist.
cr_blah_blah
Member
So you have no idea what you're actually talking about but still wanted to get in a half-assed hot internet take?
They're very diverse imo. Using shadows, reflections, sounds, shapes, colours, new routines, rules, environmental elements, everything. I can't really picture a line based puzzle game being any more diverse.
Look at the title. It's the REVIEW THREAD. If I had the game I would be in the OT. What are you doing in here anyway besides preying on people with differing opinions.
So you haven't played the game?
The reason nearly all reviews aren't showing the diversity of the puzzles is because it directly spoils the game.
I mean, if you're not interested, you're not interested. But the puzzles are enormously varied. The logic, rules, constraints, etc., keep changing and evolving. Saying that the puzzles aren't "diverse" is like saying all card games are the same because they use the same deck of cards.
Okay, point taken. Just wish it had a more Myst-y approach to atmosphere and having the environment as a character on its own.
Hah ok, maybe don't post inflammatory (and wrong) BS if you don't want people who know better to reply.
Ok, this is much better. Can you give a fuller explanation of what you're looking for because I'm not sure if the game has what you're looking for but I think it does?
cr_blah_blah
Member
What are you doing here making claims about something you know nothing about? You're perfectly capable of containing your ignorance but actively choose not to. Snarky comments about sudoku books isn't an opinion. It's you being stupid for attention.
Come on, drawing trees in a sudoku book as a comparison to this game was funny.
OrbitalBeard
Member
This game shits all over every Layton title. And I like that series.
The environments reflect directly on the puzzles you solve them in.
Not really? This game is nothing like a sudoku book. Maybe if sudoku books had like 10 different kinds of puzzles and then sections where each of the puzzle types interacted? It's a really bad comparison.
What made Myst so great to me (and sir Blow has stated it's supposed to be a modern day Myst) is the almost surreal environment that constantly made you eager to go around the next corner. A constant amazement of "holy crap what is this place and why is it here?". A game where the puzzles are so aesthetically pleasing, so diverse and so surprising in approach, you can't help but wonder what's next.
The reviews didn't give me even the slightest feeling resembling that.
That's literally exactly what the Witness is about. GB mentioned this several times in the podcast even.
The game you say you want is the game that The Witness is. It's Riven meets The Talos Principle. I mean, $40 is a lot to take a gamble on if you're not willing to give it a fair shot, so I get it. Why not just wait until it's closer to $20 and call it a day? But my two cents is that if you want a modern-day Myst with much richer, more engaging puzzles and environments, you won't find anything closer to it than The Witness.
InaudibleWhispa
Member
You just pretty much described The Witness. I can't recall the last time a game gave me such an eager need for exploration. The detail in the world is incredible, there are secret passages and doors and hidden puzzles you'll walk straight past everywhere. It feels like every inch of the island has been meticulously designed to have a purpose, and in many cases it does.
OrbitalBeard
Member
Do you honestly think people would be raving about this game if it simply consisted of puzzles you could find in a newspaper with nothing but a pretty environment surrounding them?
It doesn't take eight years to make something like that.
That's pretty much exactly what this game is though.
The reviews intentionally only showed you the opening puzzles to avoid spoilers. You really have no idea what this game is.
It's not his fault he did not get that from reviews though. I actually agree with him - critics didn't do a great job of actually advising customers on a purchase. Articles about the game mainly consist of phrases describing how awesome the game is, without ever getting into specifics or examples out of the fear of spoiling anything.
It's great they actually care about not spoiling their customer's experience, but in this case it went way too far in my opinion because interested customers just aren't told WHY the game is actually great. They are just supposed to believe that, yeah, sure, it's great but we really can't tell you why, sorry! I wasn't interested in the game at all just from reading about it but still ended up playing (and loving it) because I got a PR code. If I had to shell out 40 bucks I probably would have thought about it twice, simply because all I have been told about was "No, no, it's not about line puzzles, we swear!", without ever having been told about anything else.
OrbitalBeard
Member
I think most reviews did a pretty good job of explaining that the game is more than simple line puzzles. It's unfortunate that some people need to be explicitly told anything more than this.
Now, if that means you'd like to wait on impressions from the community or even a price drop, I totally get that.
Which ones did you read? Grabbing a few from the OP:
IGN:
IGN said:
Giant Bomb:
Giant Bomb said:
Destructoid:
Destructoid said:
OrbitalBeard
Member
GhaleonEB, please tell me you didn't officially give up on this game.
I did. The direction the puzzles went after ~150 or so were such that I couldn't progress at all, in any region. I stopped having fun and felt stupid and frustrated, for hours on end. But I also can't stop thinking about it, because above all else the game is just fascinating, so I might revisit in small doses now and then down the road. But for now I'm onto other things.
OrbitalBeard
Member
Hopefully you come back to it. No harm in taking a break, as the game can be really exhausting.
Fabien Giesen posted some thoughts on the game that deftly address what this game is, and I believe unintentionally addresses many of the complaints.
https://fgiesen.wordpress.com/2016/01/30/thoughts-on-the-witness/
https://fgiesen.wordpress.com/2016/01/30/thoughts-on-the-witness/
Jack The Nipper
Banned
It wasn't funny to me at least. I don't think this is one of those games you can get much out of by videos. Even Even though most games you can.
I haven't played it yet nor watched videos.
I only felt braid wasn't that great and the hype for that was high. I can't say anything in this game but I understand it could end up liking or disliking it.
Feel like the game may have too much and wouldn't finish it anyways. So I haven't bothered to try.
Think the game would have been better suited shorter, cheaper with a sequel and different world coming
In the end I'll wait for a sale but interested to try.
I didn't really get it until I watched a lets play. Then I impulse bought it because I really wanted to test myself.
I thought this was a pretty cool Lets Play - the guy is pretty good at being in the moment and describing stuff
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=kk_Kd1yJPx4
Really enjoying it at the moment.
Bought the game. Played for an hour or two with my girlfriend ... got through the puzzles we came across.
Became really bored and googled if every puzzle would be the same sort of style as I had been coming across.
Got my refund from Steam.
Just not diverse enough for me. Same for my girlfriend who owns, operates and maintains an Escape Room ... she loves her puzzles.
Became really bored and googled if every puzzle would be the same sort of style as I had been coming across.
Got my refund from Steam.
Just not diverse enough for me. Same for my girlfriend who owns, operates and maintains an Escape Room ... she loves her puzzles.
bender
What time is it?
While I appreciate how the game tries to teach you mechanics, some of the tutorial puzzles do a poor job of giving you enough information to succeed going forward. It's easy to feel stuck with what is presented to you and my only advice would be to try to brute force the puzzle and decipher the mechanic you aren't understanding from the solution.
I finished earlier this evening and my enjoyment definitely took a hit during the last leg of the game. I think the game crossed the line from difficulty to annoying in a few spots but luckily it is just a few spots. I'll probably take a break before going back and tackling the optional puzzles.
Let me suggest something with which you may disagree violently: that at best, the opinions on the Giant Bombcast, are interpretations of the world, that tell you more about the guy who's talking, than about the world he's talking about.
orthodoxy1095
Banned
I don't even know what these kinds posts really are trying to say. Every puzzle is the same in that it's input onto a line panel, sure. That doesn't mean they're all the same "style." The solutions can vary from sound cues, visual cues, shape-based logic or otherwise.
By your logic, every puzzle your girlfriend runs is just the same right, because it's just in a room?
It's amazing how silly reductive summarizations of "games" can be.
MegaSackman
Member
Let me suggest something with which you may disagree violently: that at best, the opinions on the Giant Bombcast, are interpretations of the world, that tell you more about the guy who's talking, than about the world he's talking about.
Second hand interpretation, made third hand.
I don't agree. To be honest, the environment is largely ignorable in most cases. You wouldn't loose much puzzle wise with just a series of panels in simple rooms. There really isn't a sense of discovery of the different places of the island since you can almost access all of it from the beginning. The lore is basically non-existant, the audio logs are rare and are, again, obtuse. The world building is a missed opportunity. Something like Lost would have been more interesting.
Really good article. Especially this part:
I simply think that playing and solving the actual puzzles is inherently more fun and rewarding than learning the rules of a game.
Caipirinha
Member
Two quick questions:
1) Does progression in this game tend to come in eureka moments or gradual learning? After breezing through the first couple of sub-regions I got completely stuck and now I'm wandering the map able to do the first 2-3 puzzles of each sub-region before again, getting stuck. I'm taking breaks from the game and coming back still non-the-wiser.
Should I just keep at it in one place and hope to "eventually get there" or should I just move around trying different areas until suddenly something clicks?
2) Right now I see a beautiful environment but the game still feels to me like "just puzzle", the game around the game hasn't revealed any of itself to me, at least not enough to immerse me. I mean I found
near the start and I've found a few audiotapes, I sort of get that
but I still don't feel like I have anywhere near enough context to feel like I'm a part of a narrative. Does that come eventually?
1) Does progression in this game tend to come in eureka moments or gradual learning? After breezing through the first couple of sub-regions I got completely stuck and now I'm wandering the map able to do the first 2-3 puzzles of each sub-region before again, getting stuck. I'm taking breaks from the game and coming back still non-the-wiser.
Should I just keep at it in one place and hope to "eventually get there" or should I just move around trying different areas until suddenly something clicks?
2) Right now I see a beautiful environment but the game still feels to me like "just puzzle", the game around the game hasn't revealed any of itself to me, at least not enough to immerse me. I mean I found
that little too with the S shaped drawing
I'm part of some kind of experiment
At ~18 hours in and about 300 solved puzzles, I'm done with this game I think.
I like puzzle games, but this doesn't really do it for me. The game throws in a few neat tricks and moments of realization, but after a certain point it just becomes frustration. Sure, there's many ways to make a line puzzle... But they're still just line puzzles (for the most part anyway). To be honest I don't really know if I enjoyed all that much of it, aside from how good looking the island is. The Talos Principal had (in one way or another) a similar simplicity to it, but it did a much better job of keeping my interest.
I understand that I've done less than half of the puzzles, but I do regret buying it. I had hoped that there would be more depth to it than what I experienced.
I like puzzle games, but this doesn't really do it for me. The game throws in a few neat tricks and moments of realization, but after a certain point it just becomes frustration. Sure, there's many ways to make a line puzzle... But they're still just line puzzles (for the most part anyway). To be honest I don't really know if I enjoyed all that much of it, aside from how good looking the island is. The Talos Principal had (in one way or another) a similar simplicity to it, but it did a much better job of keeping my interest.
I understand that I've done less than half of the puzzles, but I do regret buying it. I had hoped that there would be more depth to it than what I experienced.
eot
Banned
I don't agree that those puzzles have a strong correspondence, which is why I didn't mind one of them. It's fine if you liked the desert puzzles and it's also fine if I or others didn't. I didn't say the game doesn't give you the proper tools to figure that area out, I just don't think it's something that is satisfying to figure out.
D
Deleted member 30609
Unconfirmed Member
A good way of learning the mechanics might be to review other puzzles in the region that you've already solved and seeing if there's anything about them you may have overlooked. Try other solutions for simpler puzzles, and see if your previously held assumptions still hold up under scrutiny.
Don't expect a movie-style narrative, or even a typical book drama or something. It is never that, although it does feel dramatic and there are peaks and valleys and all of that, but it's all derived from the puzzles and their relationship to one another. There isn't a twist to spoil, so don't expect that.
Oh sure there's always going to be some personal bias. But a good reviewer in any medium will seek to temper it and aim to bring their general appreciation of the medium into play.
It's just particularly obvious when you get a situation with a couple of extremely against the grain reviews as the very fact they're so out of alignment renders them suspicious. Of course equally you need to be wary of the opposite: glowing reviews for big franchises that seem to be given as a matter of course vs a smaller number of less hype infested critical reviews.
On the whole though I think with respect to The Witness it's pretty obvious it's a pretty fantastic puzzle game that is very well made technically hence reviews should be good to great. Anything less is likely more than a taste based "I didn't like it". For that kind of review you're better simply looking at average spread of user reviews instead.
hydrophilic attack
Member
Fuck, wrong thread. Sorry
LordOcidax
Member
After playing the whole day yesterday, i can say is a really good game, not a 10 or a 9 game but a really good one.