Usually, I’d say puzzle games aren’t “my sort of thing” – but after getting my hands on The Witness, I find myself spending time with it often, in a space of my own while I solve the game’s puzzles.
But what even is The Witness? Well, it’s a game that originally came out for PS4 and PC in January of this year. A first-person puzzle game that features a unique art style, and suspiciously little dialogue. The game was originally announced back in 2009, and has gone through several design changes. The team over at Thekla Inc have been taking their time in order to make sure we get a polished final product.
The game boasts 650 puzzles, scattered around 11 distinct ‘zones’ in the game world, that can be completed in any order, at any point. The game doesn’t give you any written or verbal hints about each puzzle’s “language”, and encourages you to use sight and subtle sound clues in order to figure out solutions. In a modern gaming world where verbal instructions and exposition is given constantly to us during games, it makes for a refreshing change of pace.
After its release on PS4 and PC earlier in the year, The Witness has been received well critically, and so it’s no surprise that the game will also be coming to iOS devices down the line as well.
When I think back on all of my favorite games series, I think of Metal Gear Solid, Resident Evil, Mass Effect, and Fallout. I love all of these series for different reasons, but what if I had never played any of them?
Some of these games have introduced me to new genres, like stealth in Metal Gear Solid, or survival horror thanks to Resident Evil. And both games I originally played because a friend in school recommended them to me back in the 90s.
All of these games have one thing in common. At some point or other, I’d never played them yet.
Now, one of the big things that gets mentioned alongside The Witness is that it’s from Jonathan Blow – the guy who have us Braid, a massively successful indie platform game… which I’ve not played. Now, having not played it means that I’ve no expectations or hype going in to The Witness, and what immediately intrigued me was the world.
You’re left alone, on an island, without context. You’re shown the basics of the game’s maze-like puzzle mechanics and let loose. There’s an eerie calm and quiet to the game as you solve problems, but even the game’s environment is pleasant to wander around and explore.
You can go anywhere, at any time, right from the word go, as long as you can solve the puzzles you need to in order to actually get there. There are no instructions, no objectives, and no missions. Everything you need to figure out is done by looking, and getting a feel for certain types of task.
Even if you take away all of the puzzle aspects, I find it relaxing to be able to just wander around the island and look at stuff.
Traditionally, large open worlds appeal to me in games because I like to be able to explore, wander, get lost, and take time away from my stresses in both the gaming world and my real life. And taking an aimless wander around the island in The Witness and solving a few puzzles here and there, as I go, is an experience that has quickly grown on me.
Peoples’ taste in the genres of games they enjoy vary from person to person. Some people will dabble with shooters and sports games, others prefer role playing games, and others still will enjoy other types of games – either exclusively, or alongside other genres, and our uniquely grown gaming palettes are something that defines our gamer identities, our individuality.
Originally, it would have been easy for this article to take on the form of a review for The Witness’ release on Xbox One consoles, but we’ve already done that here. Instead, I thought I’d share an honest and blunt take on why The Witness has grown on me, and become a game that I think I’m going to be enjoying for some time as I figure out and explore the island in the game.
As much as I’m enjoying my time with The Witness, it’s also gotten me to thinking: What other games am I missing out on due to my pre-determined idea of whether it’s “my sort of thing” or not? Is it time to broaden the horizons of my gaming taste?
In order to find out, I’m going to do something a little different. I’m going to go out there and spend some time playing games that are part of a genre or ‘type’ that I normally wouldn’t go near. I might even discover that I really enjoy something within a certain genre, or a game that I would have otherwise written off. I may even discover a new series to get involved with.
I’d encourage you, not only as a reader of Nerd Reactor, but as a fan of video games, to do the same. Go out there and find something you wouldn’t normally play, and challenge your gaming palette. Challenge yourself.
Let us know in the comments below what you try out, how you get on, and what you find out. Alternatively, let me know directly on Twitter.
So, with homework set, I hope you find something that you fall in love with. As gamers, we owe ourselves that much.
from Nerd Reactor
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