At first glance, The Witness by Thekla, INC, may not seem like much of a Myst clone, but once you start the game you begin to see how much it truly does share with Myst. Not only does it share a puzzle formula like Myst, but it also shares things that infuriate players as well. This game definitely had its high points and low points.
When it comes to the high points, the first that stands out is how colorful and vibrant the game is. Not only does this provide for some great scenery, but also when coupled with water reflections, the colors truly pop. As you can see in this accompanying picture(captured in PS4 Pro), the colors vary but play really well with the water, angles, and reflections. The next area that the game excels in is the puzzle difficult. The puzzle do get more difficult as the game progresses. Each area has its own type of puzzles, from solving a puzzling by looking at the landscape itself, to using puzzles to navigate a labyrinth.
There are two low points to the game which can be infuriating. Every puzzle has its own specific way it can be solved. In some cases, the puzzles are clear cut on how to solve them, as seen in the puzzle picture shown. However, there are puzzles that could be solved multiple ways, but it will not give the player credit for them unless its the very specific solution. This can be infuriating, especially when you are trying to solve puzzles under a time limit. The other low area, which is a bit of a nitpick is that you are unable to go back and finish off some areas if you have already beaten the game. Once you watch the ending of the game, it simply displays “Start New Game”. If you want to go back to other areas, you will need to load a save file that could be dozens of puzzles back in your quest.
Overall, for a brain strengthening type game, The Witness is fantastic. There are enough hidden items that keep you exploring sprinkled throughout. Even with the infuriating puzzles, I still think the game is worth a play through all the way to the end. I thoroughly enjoyed my play through on the game and would recommend it for anyone looking for a Myst clone to play on current consoles.
