The Witness
Overview -
'The Witness' was developed by Thekla, a small team led by Jonathan Blow. Blow’s last game was 2008's 'Braid', a heartfelt puzzle platformer that was a resounding hit on Xbox Live. The setting for 'The Witness' is a strange island full of puzzles where the player wakes alone. 'The Witness' is currently available for PC and PS4, with a planned iOS release. The PS4 exclusivity is limited.
Video Review
'The Witness' doesn't have the most advanced visuals from a technical standpoint, but that’s not to say it’s not beautiful. The environment has a moderately cel-shaded look that is lovely. It has an ethereal, otherworldly quality, but doesn’t go into the realm of the cartoon or science fiction. Lavishly colorful forests are joined by desolate deserts and austere underground passages. Ponds of strangely colored water dot the landscape - some blue, some purple, and one blood red. Some parts of the island are natural, with few man-made features, while others are constructed. There are no platforming aspects of any kind, and no way to die, as I learned when I tried to jump from the mountain in frustration after getting the cold shoulder from a set of puzzles.
Audio Review
This is a very quiet game, with no music. Exaggerated ambience has been exchanged for a much more serene and isolated soundscape. The only sounds are my footsteps and occasionally the ocean or a bird. Picking up an audio log plays a bored woman’s voice as she reads an abstract, nearly nonsensical passage.
Final Thoughts
Video games are unequivocally a form of art. But like all art, the beauty is in the eye of the beholder. With 'The Witness' I feel like I’m in an art gallery watching a gaggle of admirers who are looking at a piece together, commenting on its style and how it makes them feel. I’m the guy standing off to the side, not with them but looking at the same painting. I can admit that it’s pretty, but it doesn’t really evoke a significant response, and so I shrug and move on to the next.