• Hey, guest user. Hope you're enjoying NeoGAF! Have you considered registering for an account? Come join us and add your take to the daily discourse.

The Witness |OT|

V

Vorheez

Member
Haha, that first one xyla posted is the one I was stuck on for hours. I finally figured it out though and it was a huge moment of relief.

The second one is the one I'm currently stuck on, which is funny considering the obvious difference in difficulty between the two. The second one is fucked though. My solution makes perfect logical sense, but it doesn't accept it, and it throws my brain for a loop. Pisses me off. I won't let it defeat me!
 
R

Remembrance

Member
Vorheez said:
The second one is the one I'm currently stuck on, which is funny considering the obvious difference in difficulty between the two. The second one is fucked though. My solution makes perfect logical sense, but it doesn't accept it, and it throws my brain for a loop. Pisses me off. I won't let it defeat me!
Click to expand...

I think this might be possibly the greatest puzzle in the game in terms of how many people it has stumped despite being so elegantly simple.

Keep at it!
 
D

deoee

Member
I just finished The Witness for the first time and there's still so much left to do.

Awesome experience
also found the Credits and VR easter-egg right in the beginning area after the game restarted

Also where does the cable at the deactivated panel at the base of the mountain lead? someone in here mentioned it...
 
R

Remembrance

Member
deoee said:
I just finished The Witness for the first time and there's still so much left to do.

Awesome experience
also found the Credits and VR easter-egg right in the beginning area after the game restarted

Also where does the cable at the deactivated panel at the base of the mountain lead? someone in here mentioned it...
Click to expand...

It goes back up.

Specifically,
it leads back to the box that you used to open the mountain.
 
D

deoee

Member
Remembrance said:
It goes back up.

Specifically,
it leads back to the box that you used to open the mountain.
Click to expand...

That's what I thought
but I need all lasers to do so, right?
Also is there any point in restarting from the beginning or should I just load the save?
 
R

Remembrance

Member
deoee said:
That's what I thought
but I need all lasers to do so, right?
Also is there any point in restarting from the beginning or should I just load the save?
Click to expand...

Yes,
you need all lasers.

Just load your save and continue. The only reason to restart is to find the other ending (which can also be found without restarting), and you've already done that.
 
S

Sir Griffith

Member
Been playing this game since the 1st, and man this is a super great game. Hadnt been having too many issues until I got to the Marsh.... my head just cant wrap around Tetris shapes and the combination of them with other puzzles. I've solved all the ones I've found so far, but they always take 5-6 times longer to do than any other gimik.

I have a few questions:

1. The last "Island" symmetry puzzle, where you have to line up the formations in the panel. What does it do? I completed it and it didn't seem like it did anything. I have the laser activated for the area

2. How do I activate the environmental puzzle on the windmill blades? I cant seem to find the right angle.

3. There's a complex panel in the quarry where there are 3 different solutions for the puzzle. I've solved 2 of the 3. Does anything happen when you solve all 3?

4. The color puzzles in the town. I have tried solving both puzzles upstairs after the sound puzzle, and cant do it in any of the 3 lights. Does this activate anything?

5. Does solving the apple tree puzzles near the start of the game do anything? I got past the gate which only seemed to have led to some mildly disturbing branch art

6. Fuck that 6th sound puzzle in the jungle. I knew which part I needed to listen to and tried like 100 different solutions and I ended up having to look it up. Solution still doesnt make sense to me.
 
R

Remembrance

Member
Sir Griffith said:
Been playing this game since the 1st, and man this is a super great game. Hadnt been having too many issues until I got to the Marsh.... my head just cant wrap around Tetris shapes and the combination of them with other puzzles. I've solved all the ones I've found so far, but they always take 5-6 times longer to do than any other gimik.

I have a few questions:

1. The last "Island" symmetry puzzle, where you have to line up the formations in the panel. What does it do? I completed it and it didn't seem like it did anything. I have the laser activated for the area

2. How do I activate the environmental puzzle on the windmill blades? I cant seem to find the right angle.

3. There's a complex panel in the quarry where there are 3 different solutions for the puzzle. I've solved 2 of the 3. Does anything happen when you solve all 3?

4. The color puzzles in the town. I have tried solving both puzzles upstairs after the sound puzzle, and cant do it in any of the 3 lights. Does this activate anything?

5. Does solving the apple tree puzzles near the start of the game do anything? I got past the gate which only seemed to have led to some mildly disturbing branch art

6. Fuck that 6th sound puzzle in the jungle. I knew which part I needed to listen to and tried like 100 different solutions and I ended up having to look it up. Solution still doesnt make sense to me.
Click to expand...

I'm going to make this quick: there's no known effect for doing 1, 3 (after you've already solved 3 the first time), 4, or 5.

Keep 1 and 5 in mind for later in the game.

2 requires
the windmill to be turning
.

For 6, the simplest way to understand it is to
compare all the pitches to the long howl.
 
S

Sir Griffith

Member
Remembrance said:
I'm going to make this quick: there's no known effect for doing 1, 3 (after you've already solved 3 the first time), 4, or 5.

Keep 1 and 5 in mind for later in the game.

2 requires
the windmill to be turning
.

For 6, the simplest way to understand it is to
compare all the pitches to the long howl.
Click to expand...

Thanks!

For the windmill, I have it turning. Is the endpoint on the right side and then up? Every time I try to guide it, the path breaks.
 
S

sackboy2197

Member
Sir Griffith said:
6. Fuck that 6th sound puzzle in the jungle. I knew which part I needed to listen to and tried like 100 different solutions and I ended up having to look it up. Solution still doesnt make sense to me.[/SPOILER]
Click to expand...
I recently started the game as well and I agree wholeheartedly. Also, it took me way too long to find the laser in the bamboo labyrinth after that. I'm pretty sure I wouldn't be able to go back there.
 
C

CHC

Member
Trying to decide if it's cheating to use a guide for the
birdsong
puzzles. I've figured out what to do, it's fairly obvious, I'm just literally almost tone-deaf. I have no idea which sound is high, mid, or low..... Really, really frustrating me.

Edit: Oh I see some other people are talking about this too. Really good idea executed in a really, really stupid way.
 
C

Chris R

Member
CHC said:
Trying to decide if it's cheating to use a guide for the
birdsong
puzzles. I've figured out what to do, it's fairly obvious, I'm just literally almost tone-deaf. I have no idea which sound is high, mid, or low..... Really, really frustrating me.

Edit: Oh I see some other people are talking about this too. Really good idea executed in a really, really stupid way.
Click to expand...

If you are tone-deaf, don't feel bad if you look up the solutions. It's easily the weakest of the zones in the game.
 
R

Ryo Hazuki

Member
CHC said:
Trying to decide if it's cheating to use a guide for the
birdsong
puzzles. I've figured out what to do, it's fairly obvious, I'm just literally almost tone-deaf. I have no idea which sound is high, mid, or low..... Really, really frustrating me.

Edit: Oh I see some other people are talking about this too. Really good idea executed in a really, really stupid way.
Click to expand...

These were by far my worst and most difficult puzzles to get. Honestly for me it came down to trial and error guess work and they took me a lot longer than I'd like to admit by the end of it. I've definitely seen people say the same too so I'm glad I'm not the only one. Different people struggle with different things I guess.
 
C

CHC

Member
Chris R said:
If you are tone-deaf, don't feel bad if you look up the solutions. It's easily the weakest of the zones in the game.
Click to expand...

Yeah, like in real life, I can not hear the difference between musical notes, can't sing, absolutely no ear for anything musical or auditory whatsoever. Can't tell the difference between different bitrates, etc. It sucks and this puzzle is really just bad for that. Going to look up the solutions because I get the gist of what to do, I just can't execute it.

Sucks to break my guide free streak but whatever, shoulda used different sounds.
 
M

Mistle

Member
Remembrance said:
I think this might be possibly the greatest puzzle in the game in terms of how many people it has stumped despite being so elegantly simple.

Keep at it!
Click to expand...
Yeah for real! Is this the first puzzle to introduce this certain rule of tetronimos? If so I'm pretty sure I had my mind blown when first realising what it wanted me to do. You said it best, such elegant design considering the puzzle is a cakewalk once you understand the rule.
 
R

Remembrance

Member
Mistle said:
Yeah for real! Is this the first puzzle to introduce this certain rule of tetronimos? If so I'm pretty sure I had my mind blown when first realising what it wanted me to do. You said it best, such elegant design considering the puzzle is a cakewalk once you understand the rule.
Click to expand...

Well, it's the first if you happen to stumble onto the quarry before the marsh. If you do the marsh first you'll probably learn this rule from the red puzzle further up on this page.

I've seen someone figure it out from the painted container in the town, of all places.
 
C

CHC

Member
Oh man anything with sound just SUCKS.

The
shipwreck door
, pretty bad too.

The game is so frequently genius though, it's forgivable. But some of the ideas don't always come across in a 100% fair or clear manner. It's rare, but sometimes it happens.
 
S

sackboy2197

Member
Could someone give some hints for the transparent simmetry puzzle in the town/hall?
I did line it up with the trees in the background, but I'm not sure if that helps or where to go from there.
WPDz0Q1.jpg
 
G

GreyOcelot

Member
sackboy2197 said:
Could someone give some hints for the transparent simmetry puzzle in the town/hall?
I did line it up with the trees in the background, but I'm not sure if that helps or where to go from there.
WPDz0Q1.jpg
Click to expand...

I haven't played the game in months but I'm 99% sure that the solution is found in the environment somewhere
 
D

Deleted member 30609

Unconfirmed Member
sackboy2197 said:
Could someone give some hints for the transparent simmetry puzzle in the town/hall?
I did line it up with the trees in the background, but I'm not sure if that helps or where to go from there.
WPDz0Q1.jpg
Click to expand...
You're nine tenths of the way to solving it
 
L

llehuty

Member
Doesn't that puzzle work like the other trasnparent puzzles? Have you done the similar ones in the small island in the opposite direction from the mountain next to the dessert?
 
S

sackboy2197

Member
llehuty said:
Doesn't that puzzle work like the other trasnparent puzzles? Have you done the similar ones in the small island in the opposite direction from the mountain next to the dessert?
Click to expand...
I thought it was just a symmetry puzzle, I'll have to check the ones you're mentioning. I think I might have missed something in the Symmetry Island.
EDIT: I managed to do the one in town, I'll go have a look for the other transparent ones near the island.
EDIT2: Should I have seen something similar to this one as well?
I thought it had something to do with the windmill but they aren't that similar after a closer look.
tAOmz1D.png
EDIT3: Nevermind, I figured it out. This area is pretty interesting thus far, though maybe I should come back later and leave it as the last one.
 
S

sackboy2197

Member
Sorry for the double post, but my last post was quite a mess. Didn't even realise that the town was in fact the last puzzle I needed. Now I'm stuck on the top of the mountain.
Is there some new rule I'm missing here? I'm pretty sure I solved it more than once on each side but it didn't count even though the black and white squares were separated.
 
R

Remembrance

Member
sackboy2197 said:
Sorry for the double post, but my last post was quite a mess. Didn't even realise that the town was in fact the last puzzle I needed. Now I'm stuck on the top of the mountain.
Is there some new rule I'm missing here? I'm pretty sure I solved it more than once on each side but it didn't count even though the black and white squares were separated.
Click to expand...

There are no new rules there.
If nothing happens then the black and white squares haven't been separated.
 
C

CHC

Member
Finished this last night - amazing game. Really, really smartly made, sometimes mind-bogglingly so. I don't think the idea of every puzzle's gimmick necessarily connected 100% of the time (I'm looking at you, bird songs and branch alignments) but very few were outright frustrating.

I wish I had played it a little slower, though. By the end I was really plowing through the puzzles and feeling a little burned out and eager to finish.

Ashamed to say I used guides for 4 or 5 of the ~480 puzzles I solved - in the case of the bird songs I just outright looked up the solution out of frustration, and then I used hints for two bunker doors. I could have done it with more time but I was not really enjoying those mechanics so I just wanted to get on with things. The game is, however, surprisingly doable without any assistance, even for non-puzzly type players. There as almost nothing in the game that was illogical or random feeling - you were taught everything you needed in order to succeed, fair and square.

Also have to applaud the AMAZINGLY smooth difficulty curve. I have no idea how they could have gauged the difficulty of every puzzle so perfectly but they were almost flawlessly paced in terms of challenge. No mean feat in a game with so, so many takes on the line puzzle mecahnic.
 
C

Chris Metal

Member
sackboy2197 said:
Could someone give some hints for the transparent simmetry puzzle in the town/hall?
I did line it up with the trees in the background, but I'm not sure if that helps or where to go from there.
WPDz0Q1.jpg
Click to expand...

You still stuck on this? From what I remember think of
following the top of the lighter trees as a guide
.
 
M

Mindlog

Member
CHC said:
Finished this last night - amazing game. Really, really smartly made, sometimes mind-bogglingly so. I don't think the idea of every puzzle's gimmick necessarily connected 100% of the time (I'm looking at you, bird songs and branch alignments) but very few were outright frustrating.

I wish I had played it a little slower, though. By the end I was really plowing through the puzzles and feeling a little burned out and eager to finish.

Ashamed to say I used guides for 4 or 5 of the ~480 puzzles I solved - in the case of the bird songs I just outright looked up the solution out of frustration, and then I used hints for two bunker doors. I could have done it with more time but I was not really enjoying those mechanics so I just wanted to get on with things. The game is, however, surprisingly doable without any assistance, even for non-puzzly type players. There as almost nothing in the game that was illogical or random feeling - you were taught everything you needed in order to succeed, fair and square.

Also have to applaud the AMAZINGLY smooth difficulty curve. I have no idea how they could have gauged the difficulty of every puzzle so perfectly but they were almost flawlessly paced in terms of challenge. No mean feat in a game with so, so many takes on the line puzzle mecahnic.
Click to expand...
Did you do the thing after you do all the things?
That was my favorite thing.
 
R

Remembrance

Member
CHC said:
Are you talking about the
underground area
? If so, not yet. I'll probably come back later and do the optional stuff.
Click to expand...

Part of the reason for the smooth difficulty curve is that
some of the overly hard puzzles were cut and placed down there, so the whole area might go over better while the mechanics are still fresh for you.

Also,
the final challenge in the game is down there and it definitely helps to be in the right frame of mind for it.
 
L

llehuty

Member
Remembrance said:
Part of the reason for the smooth difficulty curve is that
some of the overly hard puzzles were cut and placed down there, so the whole area might go over better while the mechanics are still fresh for you.

Also,
the final challenge in the game is down there and it definitely helps to be in the right frame of mind for it.
Click to expand...

Is it intuitive
finding the entrance?
One of the reasons I began a new game froom scratch after finishing is that I think now I will be more open minded to hidden areas or
environmental clues. I think I found 4 different doors that could lead up to there, but with pannels on the ther side of the door.
 
R

Remembrance

Member
llehuty said:
Is it intuitive
finding the entrance?
One of the reasons I began a new game froom scratch after finishing is that I think now I will be more open minded to hidden areas or
environmental clues. I think I found 4 different doors that could lead up to there, but with pannels on the ther side of the door.
Click to expand...

Those doors are only openable from the inside and don't really help you get in.

The entrance will not become evident until the endgame - even your first time around you must have noticed something at the end that didn't come into play.
 
S

sackboy2197

Member
I have just finished it as well. Have a couple of small questions.
Firstly, am I supposed to have an idea of the "story" of the game? Because i have none.
Secondly, and most importantly, if my most recent save is inside the final elevator, there's no way to get out and go to the challenge area, right? I'll probably load the second to last save and quickly go through it with a guide.
 
R

Remembrance

Member
sackboy2197 said:
I have just finished it as well. Have a couple of small questions.
Firstly, am I supposed to have an idea of the "story" of the game? Because i have none.
Secondly, and most importantly, if my most recent save is inside the final elevator, there's no way to get out and go to the challenge area, right? I'll probably load the second to last save and quickly go through it with a guide.
Click to expand...

There's no story, but you can learn more about what the island is.

You can open the elevator from the inside.
 
C

CHC

Member
Remembrance said:
Part of the reason for the smooth difficulty curve is that
some of the overly hard puzzles were cut and placed down there, so the whole area might go over better while the mechanics are still fresh for you.

Also,
the final challenge in the game is down there and it definitely helps to be in the right frame of mind for it.
Click to expand...

Started doing that area tonight. Honestly debating whether or not I like the game enough to spend the time getting through that place, considering I've already finished the main sequence. It's very time consuming and I'm kind of rolling my eyes at some of the puzzles because they feel more obnoxious than clever.
 
R

Remembrance

Member
CHC said:
Started doing that area tonight. Honestly debating whether or not I like the game enough to spend the time getting through that place, considering I've already finished the main sequence. It's very time consuming and I'm kind of rolling my eyes at some of the puzzles because they feel more obnoxious than clever.
Click to expand...

Only a few puzzles there unlock anything, including
the ones on doors and the pillar. At the very least do the pillar, open the door behind it, and see if you want to do what's beyond that.
 
C

CHC

Member
Remembrance said:
Only a few puzzles there unlock anything, including
the ones on doors and the pillar. At the very least do the pillar, open the door behind it, and see if you want to do what's beyond that.
Click to expand...

Yeah the whole
timed
thing just sucks honestly, kind of fun the first few tries but it's just awful after that, especially in that stupid
labyrinth with the slamming doors
.

I think I've had my fill here.

Edit: HAH! H-a-h! Did it
 
M

Mindlog

Member
CHC said:
Yeah the whole
timed
thing just sucks honestly, kind of fun the first few tries but it's just awful after that, especially in that stupid
labyrinth with the slamming doors
.

I think I've had my fill here.
Click to expand...
You know how the
labyrinth works right?
I really really enjoyed that whole area.
 
B

Blizzard

Banned
CHC said:
So uhhh this
Radio Shack speech
is pretty long huh? Wow.
Click to expand...
Some of the videos are REALLY long. I didn't watch them all.

I thought the game was great and was super well designed, but a few things were weak points for me:

1. Any puzzle with
sound, though of course color blindness could hinder certain puzzles as well
.
2. Any puzzle that depends on screwing up your vision by flashing seizure-inducing colors or scrolling, rather than involving pure logic.
3. The Braid-esque bonus puzzle(s) that involve
waiting a very long time for something to happen
.
 
C

CHC

Member
Blizzard said:
Some of the videos are REALLY long. I didn't watch them all.

I thought the game was great and was super well designed, but a few things were weak points for me:

1. Any puzzle with
sound, though of course color blindness could hinder certain puzzles as well
.
2. Any puzzle that depends on screwing up your vision by flashing seizure-inducing colors or scrolling, rather than involving pure logic.
3. The Braid-esque bonus puzzle(s) that involve
waiting a very long time for something to happen
.
Click to expand...

Other than what I just mentioned, I haven't really encountered much of 3. Totally, totally agree with 1 and 2, however. Puzzles of those type were the only ones I looked at a guide for because they were just too grating to take the time and figure out myself, plus I'm totally tone-deaf anyway. I think like 4 or 5 of them I just couldn't deal with and looked straight at the solution, unfortunately. Otherwise a very fun and manageable game to figure out on your own.
 
S

sackboy2197

Member
CHC said:
Just beat it now. Amazing how frustration completely transmutes into satisfaction when you overcome this game's challenges.... Haha.
Click to expand...
It's funny how pretty much the whole time I'm playing this game I'm like this. I keep finding something that seems utterly impossible only to solve it a bit later. It's really great.

Couple of thoughts/questions about the actual end-game:
I expected to find a lot of puzzles, but definitely not so many puzzle. I'm happy there's a lot more to do. Is the series of puzzles that start by operating an LP-player the infamous timed section that changes everytime? Also, should I worry about those three puzzles on top of (what i believe to be)
the last bunker (aka the small temple), or will those black dots disappear as I progress in the area?
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

Devolver Digital Announced Children of the Sun
News Trailer
8
925
VeganElduderino replied
Can Breath of the Wild work with a linear story?
23
1K
ByWatterson replied
THE LOOKER - A Fantastic "The Witness" Parody Game with Creative Puzzles & Excellent Gags
Trailer Indie
4
936
The Cockatrice replied
Botany Manor | Review Thread
Analysis Review
9
1K
Magic Carpet replied
Dyschronia: Chronos Alternate Dual Edition on PC Launches Free Demo Featuring Prologue; VR and Non-VR Mode Support
News Trailer
4
820
Heimdall_Xtreme replied
Top Bottom