The Witness Reviews
The Witness offers challenging, if somewhat repetitive puzzles in a world soaked with unique artistic style. If you like maze puzzles, have the patience of a Shaolin monk and are interested in an experience that can only be described as challenging, repetitive and yet meditative - this game is for you.
Break it down and The Witness is nothing more than variations of the same simple maze puzzle, spread across a gorgeous island setting.
The Witness is an expansive and wickedly smart follow-up to Braid, with puzzles to test even the brightest minds. Its mental gymnastics are well worth the occasional frustration, and you'll come out feeling like a genius.
A daunting, confounding, maddening, and beautiful game
The game allows players to learn and wonder at all the symbolism at their own pace, to draw their own conclusions.
I also can't be upset about how hostile The Witness often felt, because the game taught me a lesson that was worth the pain—about how intimate puzzle games are. I think they represent a more direct relationship between creator and participant than most genres, and that's an aspect of puzzle games that I've never really appreciated before.
The Witness is one of the best exploration puzzle games since Myst.
The Witness is not only a masterpiece of game design, but one that truly inspires and amazes, without relying on traditional tutorials or restrictive hand-holding. It's one of the few games that truly respects the intelligence of those playing, rather than guiding them through each and every step.
Brennan Dyal lives in Baltimore, and actually likes it. When he's not playing games, he's disappointing his teammates on the basketball court, or going to Popeye's in disguise so they don't ask "Weren't you just here yesterday?"
The depth of organic interaction, witnessing the world melt seamlessly into itself, makes for a near perfect experience. The Witness is a constant idea just within reach and then, once you grasp it, a new perspective altogether. It won't be quick nor easy to solve, but you can't help but be enraptured by its beauty through every frustration and moment of clarity.
The Witness is the rare game that boils down to a question of faith. No video, screenshot, or review can really explain why it's such a worthwhile use of your time without spoiling the experience, so you'll have to trust me when I tell you it's worth every second—provided you have a bit of patience and are up for an intellectual challenge.
This review is slightly vague, but that's for the reader's benefit. "The Witness" is at its best when it's discovered within an isolation chamber. It's not going to be a game for everyone. For those who are impatient or who are unwilling to test your mental moxie, then steer clear of "The Witness." If you're looking for a beautiful brain teaser that rewards as well as it punishes, this should be the next game you play. It's unlike anything else out there.
The only question gamers will have to answer is if they're okay with playing the game for its own sake, not necessarily to have their questions answered. Thinking back on those overbearing in-game quotes, perhaps that is the point.
This is an intricate, beautiful, masterfully crafted game that surprises and delights on several fronts. Unfortunately, it also becomes incredibly and relentlessly punishing in a way that could put many off.
Thought provoking and challenging, The Witness is a game that really depends on the player's perspective to reach full enjoyment.
You'll either love or hate The Witness as it will either make you feel smart or stupid. If you don't love puzzles and deep philosophical thoughts, perhaps avoid this one.
Supremely well crafted and challenging
The Witness is perhaps the best example of a puzzle game I have seen yet, and it is also one of the most effective instances of interactive storytelling that I can recall. For this game, I have nothing but the utmost respect.
The Witness has taken hold of my brain, both waking and sleeping. If I'm awake, I'm playing. If I'm not playing (for whatever reason) I'm inking possible solutions into a pad of graph paper. Writing this review I've solved two more puzzles and I think have a lead on a third. It's compulsive. When I'm done and this is all filed away, I'll go right back to playing.
Jonathan Blow's The Witness is an interesting experience, eliciting emotions that push me away yet draw me in at the same time. The Witness exists as a fully 3D open-world, offering mystery and intrigue that is answered only by exploration and solving two-dimensional puzzles. It is both compelling, and incredibly frustrating at the same time.