Just like Braid that came before it, Jonathan Blow's The Witness has required a great length of development time and care. With work started in late 2008, its release has become elusive with time transpired. But it will not succumb to a vaporware destiny. Instead, it will make a splash early next year.
On January 26th, 2016, The Witness will become available on both PS4 and PC. Both versions are expected to contain the same content, which is said by Blow to be 8 to 12 hours in length with plenty of headroom for side exploration.
The Witness is a puzzle adventure game that takes place on a colorful island. It's been compared to the Myst series for its first-person action-adverse gameplay, although it is set within an entirely 3D space. Along the way the player will be tasked with solving logical puzzles that incorporate mazes, themes, and complex architecture.
Story will be delivered using audio logs scattered around the game world. To this point Blow has been quiet about what the narrative entails.
Judging by early previews, The Witness will be a very artistically-inclined title, not too dissimilar to the minimalist but thoughtful design of ThatGameCompany's Journey. Those who look upon this style of game favorably are likely to get a lot out of it. Its addition to 2016 has made 2016 even stronger, joining elite titles such as Deus Ex: Mankind Divided, XCOM 2, Uncharted 4: A Thief's End, and Quantum Break.
The Witness Screenshots
The Witness September 2015 Screenshots
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The Witness September 2015 Screenshots #1
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