karlpopper
Level: Master Delver

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I'm shocked that there isn't a thread on this. If you liked The Second Sky you'll love this.



Just released by Thekla on Steam for PS/4 and PC a graphical puzzle game that is absolutely fantastic. Why are you still reading this? Go. Download it. It's incredible and brain-busting and beautiful, and the last level is a thing of genius.

I'll start this thread off with an excellent extended interview with Jonathan Blow. Be careful, it has big spoilers after the first 2 minutes.



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76th SkyWatcher
When the only tool you have is a Really Big Sword, all problems start to look like Giant Roaches

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[Last edited by karlpopper at 02-25-2016 05:29 AM]

xpym
Level: Delver
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Well, I wouldn't say it's quite on the TSS level. The puzzles and visuals are good, but I didn't like random disjointed clips in place of a real story and, most of all, timed challenges, those have no place in a puzzle game in my opinion.

Hikari
Level: Smiter

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Perhaps not on the same level as TSS, but it's also not really trying to be. TSS builds on a skillset developed over multiple earlier games in the series, and quite honestly, isn't really approachable on its own to a DROD outsider.

The Witness, on the other hand, teaches you how to play itself using its own systems, with the exception of the prompts in the starting tunnel for how to move and what to press to interact with the panels. It assumes you're coming in with no prior knowledge of how to play the game, and lets you figure out how its systems work on your own. It's much more about the 'Aha!' moment than any other game I've played in recent years.

That said, TSS does story far better. It did perhaps bother me a little bit that the entire actual story of The Witness, what story there was, was hidden in the two secret areas, and not once made an appearance in the easily-accessed parts of the map.

I didn't really mind the timed puzzles, though. The one in the jungle was less a timed puzzle than an indication that I was missing something about the systems in that part of the map, and the post-game one was positioned as more of a 'prove your complete mastery of the game concepts' than anything else. Yes, it was a little obnoxious at first, but I found it to be a fun challenge at the end, especially once I had the 'aha' moment about it.

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Caravel Official Holds Progress:

xpym
Level: Delver
Rank Points: 87
Registered: 03-28-2010
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Hikari wrote:
The Witness, on the other hand, teaches you how to play itself using its own systems, with the exception of the prompts in the starting tunnel for how to move and what to press to interact with the panels. It assumes you're coming in with no prior knowledge of how to play the game, and lets you figure out how its systems work on your own.

True, but this is also one of the things I've felt DROD as a whole did in it's better moments. I've always thought that its tutorials were out of place, just being there by tradition or for continuance sake or whatever.

Hikari wrote:
The one in the jungle was less a timed puzzle than an indication that I was missing something about the systems in that part of the map.

Yeah, that one was pretty neat, no complaints there. The truly annoying for me were the godawful blinking ones and those where you had to catch upside-down reflections in the moving water. And on the final one I've given up after a couple of tries, too much of not my kind of thing.

mrimer
Level: Legendary Smitemaster

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Hikari wrote:
The Witness, on the other hand, teaches you how to play itself using its own systems, with the exception of the prompts in the starting tunnel for how to move and what to press to interact with the panels. It assumes you're coming in with no prior knowledge of how to play the game, and lets you figure out how its systems work on your own. It's much more about the 'Aha!' moment than any other game I've played in recent years.

This sounds a lot like the feeling in classic Myst. How would you compare the two?

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Gandalf? Yes... That's what they used to call me.
Gandalf the Grey. That was my name.
I am Gandalf the White.
And I come back to you now at the turn of the tide.

karlpopper
Level: Master Delver

Rank Points: 263
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I agree about the 'aha' moment joy: from memory of Myst, I'd say that the difference here between The Witness and Myst is that Myst puzzles weren't about teaching you a language.

Witness has philosophical aspirations to teach about how the scientific method operates, and builds on previous knowledge in a a very strict way. Puzzles which use language elements you don't yet know about are really tough until you've encountered the isolating laboratory for that element.

As usual, Alex Diener's Let's Play is a delight; he captures the aha moments nicely.

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76th SkyWatcher
When the only tool you have is a Really Big Sword, all problems start to look like Giant Roaches

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[Last edited by karlpopper at 03-01-2016 07:59 PM : grammar]

mrimer
Level: Legendary Smitemaster

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Ah, yes, that makes sense.

karlpopper wrote:
Myst puzzles weren't about teaching you a language.

I recall Myst 2 had that.

As usual, Alex Diener's Let's Play is a delight; he captures the aha moments nicely.

Looking forward to watching more of that.

____________________________
Gandalf? Yes... That's what they used to call me.
Gandalf the Grey. That was my name.
I am Gandalf the White.
And I come back to you now at the turn of the tide.

CrazyDiamond
Level: Delver

Rank Points: 38
Registered: 06-27-2004
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I created a new thread since the dev of this game is giving financial aids for other devs working on grid based games, maybe it could be of interest to someone on the forum, especially I hope DROD devs will give it a try:

http://forum.caravelgames.com/viewtopic.php?TopicID=43151

Trickster
Level: Smitemaster

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Late to the party, but this game is one of my faves. Spent forever trying to find everything. Only thing left is I've found 664 puzzles and it's clear there should be 666.

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Trickster

Official Hold Progress
Favorite Unofficial Holds (I need to play more!)
My Holds

ErikH2000
Level: Legendary Smitemaster

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You know I gave up on this game, because I was irritated that the rules of the panels weren't explained and needed trial and error to discover.

But then I "cheated" and looked up the rules on the Internet. And the game got really fun after that.

-Erik

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The Godkiller - Chapter 1 available now on Steam. It's a DROD-like puzzle adventure game.
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