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The Witness (open-world island inspired by Myst)
Anyone know if there is a way back from the blue lagoon to the red one? I activated the ferry without knowing it was a one way trip and without completing the tutorial, so I’m kind of stuck on the other side. Does the ferry only go one way? It would really suck if there was no way back and I don’t want to go to walkthroughs to get through the gates.
Edit: Gah.. I figured out how to get back. Can’t believe I missed that.
Just to have some discussion, does anyone think the game is maybe a little too big? Don’t get me wrong I love the environments, but I’m only a couple hours in and I’ve noticed some repetition in the puzzles, and while it doesn’t necessarily qualify as “filler” I’m not sure if it will hold my interest for the 80+ hours.
Just to have some discussion, does anyone think the game is maybe a little too big? Don’t get me wrong I love the environments, but I’m only a couple hours in and I’ve noticed some repetition in the puzzles, and while it doesn’t necessarily qualify as “filler” I’m not sure if it will hold my interest for the 80+ hours.
You can finish the game without solving every single puzzle. Many if not most puzzles are optional. My half-educated guess is that you can reach the ending with less than 50 percent of the puzzles solved. Of course you’ll miss stuff that way, like audio logs, videos, all the environmental puzzles, and four lasers. I’m simply not smart enough to solve everything, as I may have mentioned before… 
And [spoiler]I absolutely refuse to run around like mad trying to solve a timed series of random panels, in the hope that if I keep at it long enough Lady Luck will smile on me.[/spoiler] 
I do love The Witness. In fact, more than I thought I ever would after I’d played about a hundred panels. It’s not just the rewarding feeling of accomplishment when you’ve solved another puzzle. There is so much to see and notice on the island and literally changing your perspective may reveal new things. Fortunately for me, you don’t have to be supersmart to pay attention to details. It’s a brilliantly designed game, all about perspective. I’ve read that many players dismiss the audio logs and videos as pretentious or don’t find them interesting. For me, the game would be less brilliant without the logs and their immediate relation to the environment.
See you around, wolf. Nerissa
Ha, I don’t want it to end now. Amazing what a few days can do to you 
It’s definitely not too long. I would be happy to frolic on this island for months. And I think that’s a strong possibility now I’ve discovered what the black pillars are for.
My take on the audio logs is: I hope they tie into the game/story a little more than they have been, because sometimes they come across as scrapbook quotes of a student who has just discovered philosophy. However, I prefer the game with them than without. I notice the areas they are in are relevant and sometimes point you towards certain things, which is sometimes interesting or helpful.
Ha, I don’t want it to end now. Amazing what a few days can do to you
Yes, isn’t it. I know I posted some pages ago about how all the puzzles amounted to drawing lines and that became tedious after a while. Must have been a different me, I don’t feel that way at all anymore.
It’s definitely not too long. I would be happy to frolic on this island for months. And I think that’s a strong possibility now I’ve discovered what the black pillars are for.
Some of those environmental puzzles are very hard too.
See you around, wolf. Nerissa
I just finished reading AG’s review of The Witness. Too bad we can no longer post our comments below the review. So I’ll PM the reviewer instead and post a warning here in the forum that the review contains a big spoiler, which in my not at all humble opinion takes away the joy of discovering that particular game element by yourself. If you’re thinking of buying the game, read the review at your own risk.
See you around, wolf. Nerissa
You should PM it to me, actually. (Or just spoiler tag it here.)
Given that the reviewer already removed some earlier details (not posted) that we felt were too spoilerish, I’m surprised to hear that anything remaining would be considered such.
Jackal, I’d already PMed the reviewer when I read your post. I’ll send you a copy of my PM to him.
See you around, wolf. Nerissa
That’s fine. I just meant it’s a conversation he and I will need to have anyway, and it’s likely I’ll see it far sooner than him. I haven’t looked at your message yet, but I’ll definitely talk it over with Pascal.
Since the reviewer indicates that the game really has no narrative, I guess this can’t be offered as a nominee for any of AGs awards for 2016. By AGs own rules, no story, no Aggie.
If the spoiler is to do with the purpose of the black obelisks I also had concerns about that while reading the review, for the same reason as Karlok.
A note on the desert ruins area: If you are having trouble here and the puzzles seem impossible, it might be that you have graphics card issues. I spent a lot of time here before reading that there is a bug with certain cards, which just happened to include mine.
Well, the overall organisation and layout of the island as well as gameplay, in many ways very much are Myst. Isn’t that obvious? The puzzles themselves reminds more of Rhem, yes. But apart from the very attractive visual production of The Witness I’d say it doesn’ t match up to Rhem in cleverness.
I have to agree with you on that. But I’m rather biased. The Rhem series of games are my all time most favorite adventure games. They resonate with my interest and background in mathematical logic.
Since the reviewer indicates that the game really has no narrative, I guess this can’t be offered as a nominee for any of AGs awards for 2016. By AGs own rules, no story, no Aggie.
It has no “plot”, but the island does have a story to tell, however slight, however obtuse. That’s what the review says.
We’re being charitable in counting The Witness as an adventure, just as we were with the likes of Gone Home and To the Moon in the early days of nearly-pure story games.
EDIT: Regarding the potential spoiler issue, the original reference remains but with less specificity than before, merely teasing at something more to discover.
Since the reviewer indicates that the game really has no narrative, I guess this can’t be offered as a nominee for any of AGs awards for 2016. By AGs own rules, no story, no Aggie.
It has no “plot”, but the island does have a story to tell, however slight, however obtuse. That’s what the review says.
We’re being charitable in counting The Witness as an adventure, just as we were with the likes of Gone Home and To the Moon in the early days of nearly-pure story games.
EDIT: Regarding the potential spoiler issue, the original reference remains but with less specificity than before, merely teasing at something more to discover.
Thanks for the clarification.
But I’m not sure why you added the EDIT to your response to my post. I did not say anything at all about the review containing spoilers in any of my posts. That was someone else.
The “edit” wasn’t directed at you. Just making it clear that I’d added a new point to my post after the fact, in case anyone missed it the first time through.
I felt like this game was more an exploration game, akin to Cosmic Osmo and the Worlds Beyond the Mackerel.. though it did have puzzles. It’s basically “adventure adjacent”. It didn’t hold my interest for too long, though, but I can see how other people would really enjoy it.
I’m sure the ending will be conversed and discussed for a long time to come, though.
Bt
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