The Witness

 PlayStation 4
User Score
7.5

Generally favorable reviews- based on 853 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 557 out of 853
  2. Mixed: 148 out of 853
  3. Negative: 148 out of 853

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  1. xandrucea
    Mar 2, 2016
    7
    The game has beautiful graphics and the world is very big so there should be enough time to play. Furthermore there are more than 600 of these puzzles you already know from the trailer. There are many different puzzles. What I don't like is, that there are just puzzles of that type. If there would be also different kind of puzzles I would buy it immediatelly!
  2. Spidor
    Feb 27, 2016
    9
    A true puzzler's puzzler, The Witness is a gorgeous and ambitious game. If you like cracking clever puzzles and feeling like you're the smartest person alive, have a go. The puzzles may SEEM samey from video reviews, but man oh man - they really maxed out on having the smartest, most intricate puzzles around, without ever escaping into the realms games of yore used to, where solutions wereA true puzzler's puzzler, The Witness is a gorgeous and ambitious game. If you like cracking clever puzzles and feeling like you're the smartest person alive, have a go. The puzzles may SEEM samey from video reviews, but man oh man - they really maxed out on having the smartest, most intricate puzzles around, without ever escaping into the realms games of yore used to, where solutions were completely unfeasible without shelling for a guide. Even the toughest this game has to offer is within the realms of reason for a good, patient gamer.

    The downsides of this games are somewhat moot - the plot is rubbish and pretentious, where the rich vivid world could have accommodated something much more significant. The focus on grandiose and a-morphic concepts is, pardon me, **** instead of focusing on the game's world and charm. The sound puzzles are pretty awful, though doable. If you're good at these types of puzzles you'd be done much faster than what reviews claim; I found it fairly short at around ~20 hours to beat everything. The Challenge included (a final area of extreme difficulty puzzles).

    And one last word of caution Avoid walkthrus AT ALL COSTS - it will demolish your sense of achievement, and there's nothing better than cracking the entirety of The Witness on your own.    … Expand
  3. zkg03mjmk
    Feb 26, 2016
    4
    I have no idea why many critics give this game high score (even 10 out of 10), it is totally overpraised. I bought it at full prize cause of these misleading review. The graphic somehow makes me dizzy which normally won't happen with other 3D games. Dunno if it is because of the color or the lighting. And the puzzles are so repetitive and flat. They are not easy, yes, but only because theI have no idea why many critics give this game high score (even 10 out of 10), it is totally overpraised. I bought it at full prize cause of these misleading review. The graphic somehow makes me dizzy which normally won't happen with other 3D games. Dunno if it is because of the color or the lighting. And the puzzles are so repetitive and flat. They are not easy, yes, but only because the developers hide the rules of the puzzles intentionally. If you know what are those color squares are, they are just repetitive puzzles. I quit the game after 2~3 hours with a bunch of solved puzzles, and find no plotting at all. Disappointed at the game, even more disappointed with those critic reviews.… Expand
  4. MisterBirdy
    Feb 21, 2016
    8
    Slightly down graded my score after finishing the game. The puzzles and the complexity were first rate. They and the stunning use of color in the landscape deserve the highest praise. Indeed the entire game deserves the highest praise for providing a game that takes patience, thought and dedication to complete. It is rare that a game is willing to offer a challenge other than a test ofSlightly down graded my score after finishing the game. The puzzles and the complexity were first rate. They and the stunning use of color in the landscape deserve the highest praise. Indeed the entire game deserves the highest praise for providing a game that takes patience, thought and dedication to complete. It is rare that a game is willing to offer a challenge other than a test of motor skills. Most games reward pattern memorization over pattern recognition and I congratulate the creators on such a fine puzzle. That said I am left empty on completion. No overarching sense of purpose for the puzzles and a fairly flat cheerful ambiance deprived the game of a drama that has made other puzzle games more enjoyable with frankly inferior puzzles. This isn't a condemnation. If you enjoy puzzles and the reward of thinking through some fairly difficult ones this game offers a nice balance of needing to remain aware of the environment, think laterally but also requiring a player to dig in and actually work out the solutions. If you are more given to word puzzles and cryptography than to shape, color and pattern puzzles then this might not be the game for you. The same for the more casual puzzler. If you aren't willing to get out your colored pencils and graph paper you could have a very hard time with this game.… Expand
  5. Bugstaman
    Feb 18, 2016
    6
    Decent game was cool in the beginning but got tired of it towards the end. Got to be very difficult and couldn't wait to beat it and bury it. Kept working through it cause thought there were gonna be some cool secrets and stuff advancing through the game never really found anything interesting about the island. Thought the ending was stupid
  6. Dreizehn
    Feb 18, 2016
    10
    This game is an amazing experience that worth playing for every fan of mystery games and puzzle games. The difficulty is well handle, al the puzzle are interesting and never repetitive and the ambiance and charisma of the world (the island) is incredible well created. This game is a master piece and a piece of art.
  7. zac249
    Feb 18, 2016
    10
    Absolutely brilliant game, intriguing puzzles, beautiful landscapes and just an overall blast to play, the Witness was is easily one of the best games I have played in a long time. It exceeded my expectations and I couldn't be happier. I only wish I could go back in time and not cheat on the puzzles on which I did as solving difficult puzzles by myself was extremely satisfying. TheAbsolutely brilliant game, intriguing puzzles, beautiful landscapes and just an overall blast to play, the Witness was is easily one of the best games I have played in a long time. It exceeded my expectations and I couldn't be happier. I only wish I could go back in time and not cheat on the puzzles on which I did as solving difficult puzzles by myself was extremely satisfying. The "certain" challenge at the end of the game was also extremely fun and satisfying to beat. It was a great game and has plenty of replay value. 10/10 would play again.… Expand
  8. Dawso
    Feb 15, 2016
    5
    Simply put the value for money this game offers is abyssmal. It feels like a well put together phone or tablet game, beautiful world, but one filled with line mazes and puzzles only. Lets face it who wants to pay alot of money for alot of line puzzles that lead nowhere important.
  9. Jovuto
    Feb 14, 2016
    5
    Gameplay: 7/10

    For the most part, the puzzles in this game are pretty entertaining and require the player to think in different ways. However, unlike games of a similar nature (like Myst), the puzzles become really repetitive and boring after a while as all puzzles are solved via the panels (except for one area). The puzzles also become unbearably difficult later on so the gameplay may    Gameplay: 7/10

    For the most part, the puzzles in this game are pretty entertaining and require the player to think in different ways. However, unlike games of a similar nature (like Myst), the puzzles become really repetitive and boring after a while as all puzzles are solved via the panels (except for one area). The puzzles also become unbearably difficult later on so the gameplay may not be accessible to some.

    Controls: 4/10

    If you're planning on playing this, play it on PC because the controls on the PS4 are dreadful. Moving the camera is unbearably slow and what's worse is that there's no setting to change the camera's speed. The lack of camera sensitivity settings is unacceptable in a game like this.

    Aesthetic: 10/10

    This game is gorgeous and what's surprising is that everything seems to be low poly to some degree. Jonathan and his team did a great job.

    Sound and Music: 10/10

    When I heard that this game would have more than a thousand footstep sound effects, I was blown away and I still am. You can just tell that a lot of care and attention went into making the game sound just right. Usually I'm a fan of games with great soundtracks but The Witness doesn't have one. But that's because it simply doesn't need one. The sound design in this game is enough to win me over.

    User Experience/Tutorials: 9/10

    Apart from telling the player how to move, how to activate a panel and how to run, the game tells the player nothing in terms of how to play the game. The game shows the player instead. Each area of the island is a tutorial for a puzzle mechanic and each area (minus a few) does such a great job in teaching the player how a certain mechanic works.

    Story: 0/10

    Ooooh boy.... this fell apart really quickly. So, there's two endings. One that happens when you get to the end and one that happens when you discover a secret after getting the normal ending. The first ending simply puts the player back to the beginning of the game, resets the puzzles whilst some people say some meaningless quote on quote "deep" drivel. This honestly feels more like a troll ending than anything. Like, did Jonathan Blow just waste a good chunk of my time with this game just for it to be reset? The secret ending is even worse than the first. It's basically an "it was all a dream" ending. The worst and laziest kind of ending to any story. Except this time, it was all just a crazy VR game. The ending is complete and utter **** and I'm so glad that I used a walkthrough for the last segments of the game because I would've felt so defeated if I had wasted my time actually solving the last few puzzles.

    Price: 1/10:

    After an ending like that, I can't help but feel ripped off by the shocking £30 price tag. I would probably give this section a higher score but after all the "don't pirate our game" drama I can't help but be even more annoyed by the price tag. Hey... if you want to pirate The Witness, go right ahead because it is no way worth £30.

    Overall: 5/10    … Expand
  10. MrNalle
    Feb 14, 2016
    0
    I hated this game so much that I created an account here in the sole purpose of reviewing it. After solving puzzle #2 it was already boring, but I heard good things about this game so I gave it a real shot. However, after solving the same kind of puzzle about a hundred times more surrounded by horrible graphics it was clear, this is the most boring game ever. Might be suitable as a phoneI hated this game so much that I created an account here in the sole purpose of reviewing it. After solving puzzle #2 it was already boring, but I heard good things about this game so I gave it a real shot. However, after solving the same kind of puzzle about a hundred times more surrounded by horrible graphics it was clear, this is the most boring game ever. Might be suitable as a phone game for people with absolutely no life or suffering from Alzheimer's.… Expand
  11. eys
    Feb 13, 2016
    10
    CURRENTLY 35 HOURS ON PS4, NOT COMPLETED.

    400 puzzles completed so far (PS4), so still have much to do, but I absolutely love The Witness. Some people may be turned off by the "line puzzles," wondering the need for the world itself around them. But for many, there are reasons. Big reasons. Here the environment is the puzzle, the panel is where you put your answer. Explaining any further    CURRENTLY 35 HOURS ON PS4, NOT COMPLETED.

    400 puzzles completed so far (PS4), so still have much to do, but I absolutely love The Witness. Some people may be turned off by the "line puzzles," wondering the need for the world itself around them. But for many, there are reasons. Big reasons. Here the environment is the puzzle, the panel is where you put your answer. Explaining any further would spoil them.

    There are also puzzles that don't use the environment, teaching you many of the rules of this game that will be used and built upon in the future. It won't tell you how to do them though, this game is as much about learning the puzzle as it is about solving the puzzle. But the answers are there. It can be a very hard game when it wants to, but it's never unfair. If you're stuck, the open world is great to look around and solve other puzzles.

    And the art direction is just incredible, sometimes I'll just stare at how pretty everything is. You'll quickly notice the amount of detail put into it and how much thought was put into where and how everything was placed. I mean, look at this small blog post:

    http://the-witness.net/news/2015/06/polishing-the-architecture/

    Don't expect much story, though you can piece some together. This game is pure puzzle. No hand holding and no "Good jobs." A game about observation, epiphany and logic that wants you to learn instead of being told. If you like puzzles, especially difficult ones, play it.    … Expand
  12. plotlesviolence
    Feb 13, 2016
    8
    OVERALL = 2
    A puzzle game
    PRESENTATION = 8 There's no story or plot, which is fine, since they would only intrude on the gameplay (other reviewers have said there is a plot and I don't know what they're talking about, unless they mean it's the story of a guy solving puzzles). Graphics are gorgeous, with overlapping low-textured shapes that makes everything look painted. No physics    OVERALL = 2
    A puzzle game

    PRESENTATION = 8
    There's no story or plot, which is fine, since they would only intrude on the gameplay (other reviewers have said there is a plot and I don't know what they're talking about, unless they mean it's the story of a guy solving puzzles). Graphics are gorgeous, with overlapping low-textured shapes that makes everything look painted. No physics to speak of, no music.

    GAMEPLAY/MECHANICS = 8
    All puzzles are solved by drawing a line from a starting circle to its corresponding finish line. You can press a button to start drawing anywhere in the game world, which is necessary because many of the hidden puzzles aren't on the obvious puzzle panels. The trick to each puzzle is that your line must obey certain rules, like separating certain shapes on the panel, etc. Typically the challenge is figuring out what the rules are. Often the hint that drives the solution is found in the game world, or you need to be standing at a certain angle to align shapes properly, which is why you can walk around the world (and why only showing you puzzle panels wouldn't have worked).

    DESIGN = 6
    The game is open-world, which is a massive mistake. Often times you will encounter puzzles in the wrong order. In the right order, you get smaller puzzle panels that make it easy to guess what the rule is for a certain type of puzzle, and then the panels gradually get more complex. In the wrong order, you get puzzle panels that combine several rule types you have not encountered yet (especially the central town area, which you get to early on), or puzzle panels so large it becomes impossible to guess what the rule is by trial and error.
    Worse, it is not obvious when a puzzle panel is enforced-ly inaccessible to you. Most puzzle panels have a glowing cable that lights up to let you know that the next panel in sequence is available, but many don't. Sometimes there's a white barrier hinting that you cannot complete the panel, but sometimes there are absolutely no visual clues. So I've spent several hours, combined, trying over and over to complete puzzles before giving up, not knowing if my failure was because I couldn't figure out the rule or if the panel itself was incomplete until another nearby panel was solved. That's a significant design flaw, and better worldbuilding might have cut out 5 out of the 15 hours it took me to beat it.
    That said, I appreciated its singular vision. The Witness never takes detours into minigames with other half-baked mechanics. It is a rarity, a genuine puzzle game that has you use your brain rather than complete fetch quests, and I enjoyed it.    … Expand
  13. Dionysus_Jones
    Feb 11, 2016
    9
    All of these "the game gets boring after a couple hours" reviews are hilarious -- and a little bit sad to be honest. Anyone that feels this way is likely going to miss out on the excellent "second layer" of the game, and undoubtedly some of the best puzzle mechanics & level design that we'll see in this console generation. Nothing is on this island by accident... and once you realizeAll of these "the game gets boring after a couple hours" reviews are hilarious -- and a little bit sad to be honest. Anyone that feels this way is likely going to miss out on the excellent "second layer" of the game, and undoubtedly some of the best puzzle mechanics & level design that we'll see in this console generation. Nothing is on this island by accident... and once you realize that (and you will), this game will consume your free time & occupy your every thought -- whether awake or asleep.… Expand
  14. IslingtonA
    Feb 10, 2016
    10
    This is the best puzzle game ever made. It is also one of my top 5 games of any genre. It is absolutely *not* the same puzzle over and over, as others have said. I guess they just didn't play far enough? The environment and the "maze" puzzles are bound to and inseparable from one another. Neither could exist or would make sense without the other. This is increasingly true the further intoThis is the best puzzle game ever made. It is also one of my top 5 games of any genre. It is absolutely *not* the same puzzle over and over, as others have said. I guess they just didn't play far enough? The environment and the "maze" puzzles are bound to and inseparable from one another. Neither could exist or would make sense without the other. This is increasingly true the further into the game you get. If you like puzzles you really must play this game. The Witness is a true classic. People will still be talking about and playing this game ten years down the road. How many games can claim that?… Expand
  15. Jackrov
    Feb 10, 2016
    9
    The Witness is a very well designed puzzle game. The game design, the art and the engine have all been very polished. It makes for quite a unique and engrossing experience. Out of the 10ish sets of puzzles you can encounter, I found a couple less inspired than the others, but another couple stood out for their cleverness.
    I found the best part to be figuring out the rules of the puzzles,    The Witness is a very well designed puzzle game. The game design, the art and the engine have all been very polished. It makes for quite a unique and engrossing experience. Out of the 10ish sets of puzzles you can encounter, I found a couple less inspired than the others, but another couple stood out for their cleverness.
    I found the best part to be figuring out the rules of the puzzles, a required step for solving them cause the rules are not told trough text, but via a series of little initial puzzles that open each series in a clever way.
    I can't speak about the finale resolution (if any) of the mistery of the island, because I want to complete every puzzle before moving through the final gate. I am getting strong vibes from the immobility, the bright colors that permeate everything, the frozen time and the statues, all of which reminds me of the "Invention of Morel" by Alfonso Bioy Casares. If the final resolution is half as riveting as the one found in that novel, I'll change my score from 9 to 10.    … Expand
  16. GamingNinja
    Feb 9, 2016
    7
    A pretty good puzzle game with loads to uncover. Problem is all puzzles are kinda the same but different.
    The world itself really shines, with beautiful graphics and intelligent level design. A great game for anyone wanting to challenge his mind but I would wait for a price drop because this is not worth the 36 euro's price tag unless you are the biggest puzzle enthusiast.
  17. Noahsmith37
    Feb 9, 2016
    7
    To start off, I simply want to say that I beat the game and I earned the Platinum trophy, so I did give the game time. However, I just feel that it was way too pretentious.

    The world is gorgeous, with an incredible art style, and I would love for another game to come out looking the same. However, The Witness just felt kind of empty. Also, I can understand treating gamers like they are    To start off, I simply want to say that I beat the game and I earned the Platinum trophy, so I did give the game time. However, I just feel that it was way too pretentious.

    The world is gorgeous, with an incredible art style, and I would love for another game to come out looking the same. However, The Witness just felt kind of empty. Also, I can understand treating gamers like they are smart, but giving absolutely no direction in 2016 isn't pushing boundaries, it's antiquated.

    In the end it is a puzzle game, if you love the puzzles then by all means, play the game. However, the story is almost non-existent within the game and you have to dig really deep and even then it still just gives off that same "holier than thou" feeling, like they knew they were making some that is just "different" than other games. In comparison Bloodborne had little storytelling, but the rest of the game blew me away, so I loved it. I'd give The Witness a 7.5 but I had to choose so I went lower rather than higher.    … Expand
  18. claytastic
    Feb 8, 2016
    9
    So far I've put about 10 hours into The Witness. That's right. I've put 10 hours into a game primarily about solving mazes. And you know what? I have no shame in saying that. Because that's not why this game is amazing. The beautiful art-style, the near endless exploration, the satisfaction you get from solving one of it's many complicated enigmas. Those qualities are what make this gameSo far I've put about 10 hours into The Witness. That's right. I've put 10 hours into a game primarily about solving mazes. And you know what? I have no shame in saying that. Because that's not why this game is amazing. The beautiful art-style, the near endless exploration, the satisfaction you get from solving one of it's many complicated enigmas. Those qualities are what make this game amazing. While I won't deny I got tired of the same mechanic over and over again, it felt right. I feel that if The Witness was some action adventure game or first person shooter, that would ruin it. Coming from Johnathan Blow, the guy who made Braid, I know he wouldn't do something like that. The Witness, in a way, feels like Braid (and a Johnathan Blow game). You're dropped into a random setting where you have no idea whats going on or how your character got here, but something about it feels right. That all sounds weird, but if you saw it from my perspective, you'd know what I'm talking about.
    The Witness is one of the freshest experiences I've seen in years. It's a simple concept which then turns into the difficulty of say Dark Souls. This is an experience unlike any other which I still would've bought, even if it was more that it's $40 asking price. 9/10.    … Expand
  19. KB5K
    Feb 8, 2016
    5
    I really wanted to play this game, but after purchasing and within 5 minutes of playing it made me incredibly motion sick to the point where the game is unplayable. Apparently this game causes simulation sickness for a lot of people who don't typically suffer from it, and the dev is working on a patch.

    Making a game comfortable to play and knowing how to make a 1st person game have the    I really wanted to play this game, but after purchasing and within 5 minutes of playing it made me incredibly motion sick to the point where the game is unplayable. Apparently this game causes simulation sickness for a lot of people who don't typically suffer from it, and the dev is working on a patch.

    Making a game comfortable to play and knowing how to make a 1st person game have the correct FoV to keep the player from barfing - this falls under design competency. Until this is fixed, the game is literally unplayable for about 33% of gamers.

    Once it's patched, I'll update my review.    … Expand
  20. SirYakalot
    Feb 4, 2016
    6
    Some of what is done with the puzzles is extremely clever, though you do have to get past the first hour of the game which can be tedious and confusing. It's nice to play a game that expects you to work out how the rules of the puzzles work before you can then solve the harder puzzles.

    Unfortunately the problem is a lack of editorial - for every good puzzle type or element, there is    Some of what is done with the puzzles is extremely clever, though you do have to get past the first hour of the game which can be tedious and confusing. It's nice to play a game that expects you to work out how the rules of the puzzles work before you can then solve the harder puzzles.

    Unfortunately the problem is a lack of editorial - for every good puzzle type or element, there is another whole section which is tedious or frustrating. Frankly the creator needed someone there to tell him not to include every last idea he came up with. Sadly it's the puzzles that could simply have existed on a phone screen that hold the greatest intruigue with what little is done in the environment feeling like a shallow attempt to make the 3D world more relevant.

    This is another main downside for me - although the style and colour of the world are beautiful - the design is not. It's a static, sterile feeling world, reminding me of an American theme park version of a beautiful island deigned by someone who's never actually travelled. There is an artificial boat reck you can take a little ride though. There is an Asian zone, a forest zone and so on. In the end it feels more like some sort of awful theme park prison than anything enjoyable.

    As a last point - it's a real shame more was not done with audio, portal 2 did incredible things with ambient soundscapes and the silence does not help the atamosphere. Foley is, frankly, too realistic for the style (this is not Dogville), and the recordings you find are meaningless and frankly, incredibly pretentious (and this is coming from someone who liked Dogville!).

    I did enjoy it, but if you only play one 70 hour game this year, choose another. I would recommend waiting for a sale and then playing it but by bit. Hopefully the creators will focus more on their craft next time around, and less on their own image as intelligent, artistic 'auteurs'.    … Expand
  21. broyds
    Feb 3, 2016
    10
    I cannot believe the amount of bad reviews this game is getting from user reviews on this site. Personally it is a well deserved 10/10. Don't let the bad reviewers put you off this game, they are idiots plain and simple. Rant over lets start this review!

    From the moment I stepped out of the opening cave and saw the island for the first time, my jaw dropped, the colour palette and    I cannot believe the amount of bad reviews this game is getting from user reviews on this site. Personally it is a well deserved 10/10. Don't let the bad reviewers put you off this game, they are idiots plain and simple. Rant over lets start this review!

    From the moment I stepped out of the opening cave and saw the island for the first time, my jaw dropped, the colour palette and setting is absolutely gorgeous and this stays true throughout the entirety of the game.

    As for the most important part, the puzzles, they had me hooked from the very beginning, the vast majority of the puzzles are mazes and require you to start at a certain point and end at a certain point, but the mechanics are always changing the further you get into the game, so the puzzles always feel different and exciting.

    This game is not for those who get frustrated easily, it is challenging and on several occasions I felt totally stumped as to what on earth I had to do. But sometimes the best solution is to leave the puzzle behind and come back to it at a later date, I usually found that by doing this the solution came to me a bit easier when I came back to it. The feeling of absolute elation you feel after solving a puzzle that has been causing you a lot of difficulty is absolutely immense and on quite a few occasions felt just as rewarding as beating the difficult bosses on Bloodborne!

    This is by far the best puzzle game I have ever played. I literally can't stop thinking about it and when I leave the game, I instantly want to start playing it again. If your into puzzle games and don't mind getting frustrated at it's difficulty you should definitely pick this game up!    … Expand
  22. rez
    Feb 2, 2016
    10
    The Witness is a masterpiece, though it's not for everyone. If you enjoy games which reward exploration and experimentation, there's a lot to love here - but even then, the game asks a deal of patience of its audience. You will often come across puzzles which you are ill-equipped to solve. The brilliance in the design is that all of the puzzles are entirely solvable with the mechanicsThe Witness is a masterpiece, though it's not for everyone. If you enjoy games which reward exploration and experimentation, there's a lot to love here - but even then, the game asks a deal of patience of its audience. You will often come across puzzles which you are ill-equipped to solve. The brilliance in the design is that all of the puzzles are entirely solvable with the mechanics available to players from the start of the game; the only real limit on the player is their knowledge of the rules. There are no explicit tutorials, but the knowledge is available to be discovered across the game's beautiful island setting.

    If that sounds a bit vague it's only because I want to respect readers in the same way that the game respects its players, allowing them to explore and discover for themselves the many secrets of the island.

    As you might expect in a game from the designer who brought us Braid, the narrative is very much open to interpretation. This is a game wherein nothing is explicit, and if you require that external drive you may feel rather lost. It helps a great deal to to come into this game with a willingness to think, to be confused, and to keep exploring all the same.

    It's worth noting that colourblind and/or hearing impaired players may have difficulty with some of the game's puzzles, as they rely on an array of sensory clues. I encourage those affected to do more research before diving in.

    It took me about 25 hours to reach the end of the game, completing a fair deal of the optional puzzles along the way - though I suspect the remaining ones could easily take another 5-10 hours to get through, if not longer.

    I abstained from turning to the internet for advice the entire way through, and I strongly recommend that other players do the same. The game tells you everything you need to know if only you persevere - and the sense of achievement that comes from overcoming these challenges alone is great. Trust the game; it is fair, and it does want you to succeed.

    All in all this is one of the most impressively designed games I've ever had the pleasure of playing. There is sharp intent behind every aspect of its construction - to a level that often feels absurd - and the result is an incredibly unique and fulfilling experience.    … Expand
  23. Euknowia
    Feb 2, 2016
    5
    The Witness markets itself on being, at least somewhat, a stereotypical Brainiac’s game. It seemed tailored to meet a debatably naïve and rather pretentious misconception of intellect, though even in that delusion I thought it to be lacking. Apparently it takes several easy ten second puzzles to convey rules that could be derived from one mildly challenging puzzle, which I think wasThe Witness markets itself on being, at least somewhat, a stereotypical Brainiac’s game. It seemed tailored to meet a debatably naïve and rather pretentious misconception of intellect, though even in that delusion I thought it to be lacking. Apparently it takes several easy ten second puzzles to convey rules that could be derived from one mildly challenging puzzle, which I think was either an implementation arising after speculating it’s audience's assessment capabilities and measuring their enjoyment accordingly, or filler. For me, it was failure either way. If the puzzles were intended to be rewarding in and of themselves, or if they were to spark my curiosity, then a good portion of them needed to be much more challenging (i.e. cut out the redundancy). On the other hand, some of the more “challenging” puzzles were only tedious- and did not require any pragmatic definition of the term “critical thinking” to be solved. That said-- there were a few puzzles (mainly near the end) that I did enjoy and which also felt interactive enough to justify its placement within a virtual world as opposed to belonging in an amateur made puzzle book. Difficulty levels might have addressed some of my dissatisfaction with this.

    Aside from the graphics, this game was unexceptional as “art.” Ignoring the necessary discussion at properly identifying my interpretation of the term “art” because that dives deep within the whirlwind of philosophy of aesthetics- I will note briefly that the game had no music (which I think it desperately needed), poor voice acting, and both the dialogue and story was dripping in purple prose. It was the kind of thinking conveyed from the cliché art student poorly illustrated in your general cheap comedies (i.e. like wearing a GoPro and pretending to do strange things). Though I don’t think the game took itself that seriously, mocking those typecasts hardly makes for an engaging story.

    Overall- the game had pretty graphics, and a few of the interactive puzzles were genuinely fun. Aside from that a good portion of puzzles were redundant (refinement problems), a few others were unnecessarily tedious (interactive problems), and the story was rather shabby. I’d wait for the price to drop on this one, even if you are a bit of a sucker for puzzles.    … Expand
  24. teflonminne
    Feb 2, 2016
    10
    I've had my mind blown to shatters more times than i can count playing through this absolute, undeniable MASTERPIECE that is The Witness. This is THE best game i've ever played, and i've been a heavy gamer since -89. The staggering amount of love and attention to detail that is present is simply... amazing. I'm at a loss for words, and i get more and more sad that i'm getting closer andI've had my mind blown to shatters more times than i can count playing through this absolute, undeniable MASTERPIECE that is The Witness. This is THE best game i've ever played, and i've been a heavy gamer since -89. The staggering amount of love and attention to detail that is present is simply... amazing. I'm at a loss for words, and i get more and more sad that i'm getting closer and closer to finishing everything that is known to exist within the game.

    I cannot find one single tiny thing wrong or bad with it, not a one. This is a unique, singular experience that i wished i could experience again, and again.

    I would even venture so far as to say that this game has made my life better just by me playing it, listening to all audio logs, experiencing this multitude of awakenings when i reveal a new pattern, learn a new rule, figure out a new puzzle just to find another treasure trove of complexity inside. And throughout the experience i'm constantly reminded in various subtle forms to take it slow, be patient, appreciate the journey more than the goal, which is exactly what i hold most dear after all of this..

    Some has expressed a disliking of the end (even the "secret" end), i on the other hand found it to be EXACTLY what it should have been. The goal was never the ending, if you stared at the goal the entire time you missed the whole thing. If you failed to experience the now, each moment, you actually missed out.

    I tip my hat in deepest thanks to Jonathan and the rest of the team at Thekla. Thank you for this amazing journey. 10/10.    … Expand
  25. Roagie
    Feb 2, 2016
    4
    Puzzles become quite tedious after a while and become more of work and less fun. Figuring out the mechanic or gimmick of an area's puzzles is fun, but once you do you must then solve MANY of them and it becomes work. After about the 3rd puzzle in an area, I find myself repeatedly saying 'what a pain in the ***'. That is not my idea of fun nor a good game.
    On the plus side, the game is    Puzzles become quite tedious after a while and become more of work and less fun. Figuring out the mechanic or gimmick of an area's puzzles is fun, but once you do you must then solve MANY of them and it becomes work. After about the 3rd puzzle in an area, I find myself repeatedly saying 'what a pain in the ***'. That is not my idea of fun nor a good game.
    On the plus side, the game is beautiful and has interesting environments and intriguing structures, nooks, and crannies to explore.
    Final verdict, this is basically Myst 2016, but much more tedious and dredging.    … Expand
  26. soccerzz5
    Feb 1, 2016
    0
    Worth $10 and no more, bored after 3 hours playing, a regular world full with regular puzzles doesnt worth the money those guys are asking for, for that money you can buy almost every AAA game at retail.
  27. extremeprey
    Feb 1, 2016
    8
    THI- The Witness

    When I first heard of this game I was generally excited. It was meant to be a sort of spiritual successor to Myst however in the end it didn’t really come off as that but rather a sort of fan boy waving his no. 1 foam hand at Myst’s general direction. Whilst it manages to pull a few brownie points here and there it still suffers from trying to be something that it’s    THI- The Witness

    When I first heard of this game I was generally excited. It was meant to be a sort of spiritual successor to Myst however in the end it didn’t really come off as that but rather a sort of fan boy waving his no. 1 foam hand at Myst’s general direction. Whilst it manages to pull a few brownie points here and there it still suffers from trying to be something that it’s not.
    The Witness takes place on a mysterious island with various sections you can go over to and explore. Sound familiar? Well here’s the problem: whereas Myst had the advantage and amazing idea of making each section the puzzles The Witness falls flat on its arse and cracks the ground. All of the puzzles consist of line mazes on monitors scattered about the place and the only variation between each section are the environments and the symbols used in the puzzles. You see depending on the symbols shown in the mazes the rules of the maze change e.g. if there’s a tetris like block then you have to go around the block in the shape of the tetris image on it. After solving the first 12 you begin to wonder what over exciting puzzles there are on the island and stat exploring to find some only to be brought with the unfortunate car crash that is reality. All the puzzles are the same. The map is fairly large and beautiful to look at but it doesn’t make up for the lack of other types of puzzles making the game more comparable towards the talos principle. The main objective is to complete seven major areas in order to unlock the area’s beacon. With this the beacons’ rays point towards a central mountain which you climb up to reveal a small box with seven locks on it. So your objective is to complete required amount of puzzles to unlock the final area of the game which fair enough is better safe than sorry territory.
    One of the things I was looking forward to most is the finding out this game’s story as Myst had quite an inventive one which you have to read up on or look at things with more detail in order to theorise what could have happened to the island’s inhabitants. The Witness does gain some points by giving you bonus puzzles you can complete in order to find a puzzle solution. You can take these solutions to a windmill in the game and underneath it there are a series of vaults. Each vault has a video and in order to get in you must apply the solution to a puzzle acting as a lock. The reason why I like these videos is because they don’t actually give you lore but rather suggestions on how to see the island. Using the first video as an example it tells you task questions and not theorise until you are sure about your answer. As far as I can tell all of the inhabitants haven’t left but rather were turned to stone. Why? No idea but I would think that it would have something to do with the windmill due to several statues across the island seem to be facing it. I haven’t finished the bonus puzzles yet but this idea that the truth is in there has enticed me to continue playing.
    With lots of hours put into the game I can say that it’s meant to played in sessions rather than in one go which to be honest goes against my code for this sort of game. You see I expected to be captivated by the game and whilst the graphics alone do this it doesn’t take long for boredom to kick in. I got pissed at a few puzzles for not introducing the rules in a simple manor but rather throwing one at you and seeing how long it takes for you to look up the puzzle rule online.
    Overall I was disappointed but not unhappy with the game. Let’s just say it underperformed.    … Expand
  28. ODM
    Feb 1, 2016
    7
    OK.. so.. I very possibly jumped the gun with my early review on this game and feel I need to amend and append now that I've played the game almost to the end.

    I'd initially called the game out for various reasons a bit too soon; I'm not afraid to admit this, which considering my background as a lifelong gamer and veteran game developer I'm slightly ashamed of.. schoolboy error in    OK.. so.. I very possibly jumped the gun with my early review on this game and feel I need to amend and append now that I've played the game almost to the end.

    I'd initially called the game out for various reasons a bit too soon; I'm not afraid to admit this, which considering my background as a lifelong gamer and veteran game developer I'm slightly ashamed of.. schoolboy error in truth.. anyway..

    I went back to the game after my initial review which I scored the game a 4, mainly for the art (I'd just like to say that No game is worth zero or a 1 and anyone scoring a creative work, lower than a 2 imo just isnt worth listening to regardless how bad it might be.. just my view), the reason I went back to the game was a bit of a mystery to me, was it the draw of the challenge of the puzzles, was it to fully explore the rest of the island or was it simply to try and get my £30 worth out of it..

    For some unexplained reason I was drawn back and soon started to 'lock in' to the experience whereas previously it felt sterile I was now feeling more at home on the island and was being pulled along.

    I still have issues with the variety of puzzle types but I was starting to enjoy the quirky nature and the way that JB was asking me to observe all around me in order to solve some of the islands puzzles.

    I was already in love with the art from before even playing the game and was also beginning to enjoy the exploratory nature of the game; even the puzzles themselves were starting to become less irksome now that I'd discovered the primer..

    So this is a follow up to put the balance straight and give a fairer score (all subjective of course and some will still hate this game).

    If I have learned anything.. and I already knew this so was learning it all over again.. it's to play a game through before jumping in with an opinion.

    The Witness is one of those games that you need to first overcome a few obstacles and then it begins to make a bit more sense.

    Having said all of that I still find certain things about the game to be a bit pretentious, such as the videos that you can find as puzzle rewards as well as the audio log tapes. I can listen to Feynman all day, but I don't want to have his philosophies thrust in front of me as a conduit for someone else's views on life and the universe.    … Expand
  29. GreenMachineG
    Jan 31, 2016
    9
    Amazing game! Puzzles galore, if you aren't patient or determined I would not advise playing, but this game is so deep and complex that you can't stop playing. Beyond a masterpiece! So many secrets!

    10/10
  30. MNecromancer
    Jan 31, 2016
    10
    This is the best designed puzzle game I've ever played. There's no nonsense in this game, just a very complete experience.

    For me, the best puzzles can't involve rote memorization or having to backtrack to a different area to get a key or something. The best ones just give you all of the tools you need and then you need to stare at it for a few minutes to work it out. If a game's really    This is the best designed puzzle game I've ever played. There's no nonsense in this game, just a very complete experience.

    For me, the best puzzles can't involve rote memorization or having to backtrack to a different area to get a key or something. The best ones just give you all of the tools you need and then you need to stare at it for a few minutes to work it out. If a game's really good, I might even pull out a notebook to work on a serious business puzzle. That's the type of puzzle that The Witness offers.

    If there's a puzzle you can't figure out, try exploring a bit more, you'll get it eventually. I just beat it and the only times I got stuck were because I had made some random assumption about how a puzzle worked. The only ones I didn't like were the tone puzzles because I can't hear tones worth a damn.    … Expand
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Awards & Rankings

14
#14 Best PS4 Game of 2016
24
#24 Most Discussed PS4 Game of 2016
23
#23 Most Shared PS4 Game of 2016

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
87

Generally favorable reviews - based on 82 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 71 out of 82
  2. Mixed: 9 out of 82
  3. Negative: 2 out of 82
  1. GameSpew
    Apr 15, 2016
    80
    The sound from completing a panel is extremely satisfying, and I’ve followed it with a victory dance more times than I’d like to admit.
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  2. IGN Denmark
    Apr 6, 2016
    85
    Built immensely smartly, the puzzle elements are both captivating and creepily addictive.
    Read full review
  3. Playstation Official Magazine Australia
    Mar 31, 2016
    90
    A best-in-class puzzler that in no way caters to the lowest common denominator. Punishingly difficult. Extremely rewarding. [April 2016, p68]
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