Deputy Dangle
Member
It's a case by case thing. Since The Witness doesn't have a preorder option on PSN, I get the feeling it'll launch along with the steam release around 1pm EST.
-
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 - Release Date Trailer, coming 26th January 2016
- Thread starter Kenzodielocke
- Start date
It's a case by case thing. Since The Witness doesn't have a preorder option on PSN, I get the feeling it'll launch along with the steam release around 1pm EST.
Not only does it not have a pre-load, it has fuck all for information.
Blow can't really blame consumers if he's not actually interested in promoting the damn thing.
More_Badass
Member
https://twitter.com/georgeb3dr/status/690593820354879489
And holy fuck, it's gorgeous. Here's a new 10 second clip
http://i.imgur.com/10fSmPd.gif
The Witness starts off easy & peaceful, then it turns into “FUCK YOU - NONE SHALL PASS!”It’s for obsessive types who won’t give up.
And holy fuck, it's gorgeous. Here's a new 10 second clip
http://i.imgur.com/10fSmPd.gif
piccio_ssl
Member
hhhhhnnngggg
Remembrance
Member
I'm waiting to see when the trophy list goes public.
I mean, it won't reveal anything, but it's something else to look forward to.
The Illiterati
Member
I'm so excited for this game. I refuse to start anything else in the meantime. I just beat Yakuza 1-3, so I'm pushing off 4 and 5....also have Xenoblade X just sitting there unopened.
More_Badass
Member
Playing Riven, and I could totally see the spots where you'd expect a Witness panel to be. Open a door there, activate a tram here, start the minecart, etc
The area I think the Witness will be better, at least for me, is that it seems like it will have a greater sense of direction. As much as I love seeing what new wonders await in Riven, it feels kind of aimless. In the Witness, I think the distinct biomes and shared puzzle structure will make it easier to focus and have a general idea of what you need to be doing even if you don't know where to go.
The area I think the Witness will be better, at least for me, is that it seems like it will have a greater sense of direction. As much as I love seeing what new wonders await in Riven, it feels kind of aimless. In the Witness, I think the distinct biomes and shared puzzle structure will make it easier to focus and have a general idea of what you need to be doing even if you don't know where to go.
Totally. It takes a while to even find the first major puzzle in Riven (or, at least, where to input its solution).
Remembrance
Member
I guess this is exactly what he was talking about in the September Polygon interview, about establishing a "flow" to adventure games. So that you know the thing you should be doing.
The closest that Myst ever got to this kind of focused puzzle presentation was the Kadish Tolesa age in Uru, which was nothing but a sequence of very prominent puzzles. The scenery was deliberately kept minimal as a result, and the clues were very abstract - a "puzzles for puzzles' sake" kind of design.
The Witness might be the next logical step to that kind of idea. It's a more middle-ground compromise - the puzzles a little simpler, the scenery a little more detailed but still with a minimalistic artstyle.
The closest that Myst ever got to this kind of focused puzzle presentation was the Kadish Tolesa age in Uru, which was nothing but a sequence of very prominent puzzles. The scenery was deliberately kept minimal as a result, and the clues were very abstract - a "puzzles for puzzles' sake" kind of design.
The Witness might be the next logical step to that kind of idea. It's a more middle-ground compromise - the puzzles a little simpler, the scenery a little more detailed but still with a minimalistic artstyle.
Chezzymann
Member
Ehhh, I was hoping for more challenging than portal, but not dark souls challenging. I'm not that good at puzzle games and will probably just get frustrated and consult a guide or something if its really brutal.
More_Badass
Member
I guess the nice thing is that you can always move onto something else. That's the beauty of the open world. If you're stumped, you're not stuck, and maybe moving on will help because you might learn something new
I figured out what I'm going to work on until the 26th. I'm going to crack open my new heavyweight graph paper pad and draw out a map of the island on the first page, referencing this map from the dev blog (WARNING, possible area spoilers!). I will label each area and leave lots of room to annotate with footnotes, areas of particular interest or things I want to come back to.
I will then dedicate two pages in the pad to each separate area. There I will detail everything I come across in the areas like locked doors, mysterious devices, log entries, write/sketch out new puzzle mechanics I learned for future reference, work out some puzzles on paper, etc. I will always try to know what area I'm in and have that area's page open in my pad so I can record my findings.
It might be interesting to share all of my notes when I'm finished with the game, in the thread.
I am so excited for this game I can't even believe it. I haven't anticipated a game in this way since Myst III: Exile, a game I went on to keep very detailed notes for as I played. I really soaked up every ounce of the worlds in Myst III and it remains one of my top gaming experiences of all time. I have a feeling that The Witness will fall on the same list for me.
It's interesting, being about to embark on a game that you know down the road will be one of those games you wish you could rewind time and experience again like it was your first time. That's why we need to savour The Witness, because it's going to be one of those games.
I will then dedicate two pages in the pad to each separate area. There I will detail everything I come across in the areas like locked doors, mysterious devices, log entries, write/sketch out new puzzle mechanics I learned for future reference, work out some puzzles on paper, etc. I will always try to know what area I'm in and have that area's page open in my pad so I can record my findings.
It might be interesting to share all of my notes when I'm finished with the game, in the thread.
I am so excited for this game I can't even believe it. I haven't anticipated a game in this way since Myst III: Exile, a game I went on to keep very detailed notes for as I played. I really soaked up every ounce of the worlds in Myst III and it remains one of my top gaming experiences of all time. I have a feeling that The Witness will fall on the same list for me.
It's interesting, being about to embark on a game that you know down the road will be one of those games you wish you could rewind time and experience again like it was your first time. That's why we need to savour The Witness, because it's going to be one of those games.
If anyone is tempted into purchasing Myst, I'd suggest getting RealMyst instead - the slideshow interface of the original Myst feels quite awkward in 2016, and RealMyst replaces it with a fully realtime 3D world and FPS controls.
(There's also RealMyst Masterpiece Edition which might be better but I've never played that version)
(There's also RealMyst Masterpiece Edition which might be better but I've never played that version)
Deputy Dangle
Member
This is the vibe I've been getting ever since they revealed that 2013 trailer. I think a lot of people are sleeping on this in a big way. But at the same time, I kinda love that a game with such lofty goals and a reputation behind it is about to arrive in such a low-key fashion.
I should start setting up some graphing paper materials...
FYI The Witness is really hard - you will be frustrated, lost, think something is too obtuse, etc. And then that might happen 4-5 times in a row. It's tough enough to bash your head against a puzzle for a long time and not solve it. But even harder is not knowing what you're even trying to do. And then it can sometimes feel like that for 4-5 puzzles you come across in a row. This can be that kind of game.
It's a big, pretty island. Wander somewhere else. Get up and get something to drink. Turn the game off and go outside. Just don't consult a guide.
It's a big, pretty island. Wander somewhere else. Get up and get something to drink. Turn the game off and go outside. Just don't consult a guide.
How would you say your experience, in a very broad level, compares to The Talos Principle? I found that Talos starts of very strong, but somehow loses a lot of steam near the middle and end, since the puzzles seem more and more derivative, like reusing old ideas without requiring you to have some new insight. Does The Witness do this better? Do you ever feel like "man, these few puzzles really feel like the same thing".
WordsintheWater
Member
Damn, I was excited about this, but not must buy material. After reading impressions through this thread, I don't think I can pass it up on Tuesday.
Wok
Member
I had the same question too after reading the impression. I am currently playing through Talos (I stopped playing after I bought the game a year ago because I hated the visuals, I felt they looked random and too complicated for this kind of game) and I feel like I skim through the puzzles quite easily, some of them having almost the same solution (do not cross lasers, use height, etc.). I won't talk about the stars, because I feel this is way too hidden.
Sutton Dagger
Member
Just bought The Witness on Steam from someone in the B//T/S thread for $35. I'm all set.
As long as it's not obnoxiously obtuse.
I'm playing through Grim Fandango right now, and aside from the characters and setting, I'm having a hard time actually enjoying it.
Ryo Hazuki
Member
Had a dream I was on the island from The Witness last night solving puzzles... Tuesday can't come soon enough.
At present, the PC version unlocks at the default time (10am PST the day of release, or 3 days and 6 hours from now). That's unlikely to change.
toythatkills
Member
Please spoiler-tag any further information about your dream
Is there a clear rule set so solving puzzles isn't hard in the sense that the solution is something really "stupid" like in some P&C adventures?
Visualante2
Member
Blow's appreciation of 2013's Starseed Pilgrim is concerning me a little. It was notoriously difficult.
Jonathan Blow said:
The more I read about the game here, I'm getting closer and closer to buying it. But I'm very scared of the difficulty, because I've been getting increasingly stupider as years go by.
I had some promise, but then I got a couple of kids, and now Elmo and Peppa Pig are the most intelectually chalenging activities in my life.
I had some promise, but then I got a couple of kids, and now Elmo and Peppa Pig are the most intelectually chalenging activities in my life.
Depending on how old your kids are, they might be some of the best at these types of games.
I have only the wife to take advice from since we're gonna be playing it together. Should be a real relationship-tester!
Ughhhhh. I hate that feeling. Especially the part about not knowing what you're doing. Not understanding clearly what is expected of me in a puzzle is the shittiest feeling ever and can make something fun and simple turn into a huge waste of time. :/
Nope, I know what I'm like with puzzle games, I give up too easily. It's a shame because I love the idea of this, but I don't want to spend £30 on being frustrated. These early impressions are scaring me. I'll be keeping a close eye on the OT though. Think I'll skip this and wait for Unravel/Firewatch instead.
OrbitalBeard
Member
Remember guys. The game apparently gives you quite a few puzzles to tackle at any given time . You're unlikely to hit a roadblock that completely halts progress.
Granted, this is all from stuff I've read. Someone correct me if that's not the case in the final game.
Granted, this is all from stuff I've read. Someone correct me if that's not the case in the final game.
Messofanego
Banned
I feel for critics playing puzzle games when there aren't no solutions up yet on the Internet. They really gotta earn it.
Although it makes it easier if the developer gives them the answers or some guide
Although it makes it easier if the developer gives them the answers or some guide
Belgian Dude
Member
From what I heard too, you apparently only need to beat 7 out of the 11 areas to beat the game so yeah, besides the initial part, you're free to explore and go back and forth.
Yeah, I don't mind so much as long as it isn't a brick wall. If it's feeding me drips of information to help me slowly figure stuff out, that's ok. But that can be a very fine balance to try and judge what is enough information and what is just frustratingly obtuse.
I feel the opposite actually. Genuinly being stumbled by something can be a great thing, if you can assume the reason for it is that there is some interesting non-obvoius idea that you need to understand. Of course, often enough in video games, it turns out that the solution was very obvious, like some sort of technical failure on part of the game. That is super frustrating, but only in hindsight. In a puzzle game, as long as I know where the puzzle, and what I would need to do in principle, the only stumbing block can only be your own lack of understanding. Therefore, getting stuck and trying out different ideas is a engaging process, in theory at least. Good puzzle design is quite an art.
One thing is also, the need for patience: You don't need to finish everything on the first try. Same as with life itself.
show me your skeleton
Member
I can't afford to pick it up until the week after so i shall ride out the opinions and see if it is my kind of thing. i really hope so because it looks quite the experience.
hey_it's_that_dog
benevolent sexism
I wouldn't take that comment too seriously. A puzzle game can't actually be hard in the same way dark souls is hard. He's just speaking of the relationship between frustration and eventual satisfaction, which could be true of any game, depending on your skill level.
If it really is too much for you, I bet gaffers would be happy to give you hints rather than outright solutions.
Messofanego
Banned
Can someone give me a definitive answer whether there will be a physical edition? If so, should I wait to buy that instead of double dipping on digital and physical?
If not, that just makes my decision easier.
If not, that just makes my decision easier.
I like getting stumped by puzzles, I don't like getting stumped by interaction. If a puzzle is presented in a way where it is clear what I need to do but not how I can do it, that's great. I'm a sucker for logic puzzles and figuring out how something works. What I hate is not knowing what the game even expects of me and not having a clearly defined understanding of a rule set of boundaries of play. Being obtuse is a good way to turn me off because I don't like wasting my time figuring out how a game expects me to interact with it. Software should always communicate clearly to not waste the user's time.
I wonder what those Germans are playing there. ;-) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YJL3qg2Msqw [German, obviously]
But isn't this part of the point of the Witness? You essentially won't understand the language of some of the puzzles specifically because you won't understand the rules for some without information and understanding from others. I'd suspect this is why you have a large island and nonlinear progression. You get stuck, you move on to other puzzles, from those you might get new ideas for the puzzles you didn't understand, you go back and figure it out. Ultimately without linearity and instruction, some player may find some route of progression easier than others through combination of logic and the order they play the game
I don't know what the point of The Witness is, I haven't played it and I haven't really wanted to look at people solving puzzles in a puzzle game because that defeats the purpose. I was just responding to someone expressing that sort of frustration in the game, and then expanding on my point of what I find particularly frustrating in some adventure games and poorly designed puzzle games.