The Witness Reviews – Page 13
4/5 rating based on 137 reviews. Read all reviews for The Witness for iPhone.
The Witness is paid iOS app published by Thekla, inc.
Good game, awful controls.
Reignhart
Great game, awful controls. Loved it on PlayStation was very excited to get on iPhone but omg the controls are awful. Why not just have virtual joystick? The push to walk is very annoying and makes the game frustrating.
Makes Me Sick
m45jak61
Literally, the way this game moves around the screen makes me feel very ill. My stomach heaves. I’ve tried to play it several times and within minutes I’m in bathroom. I have no explanation that I am photo sensitive. I’ve never been affected by a game this way but I think the problem is 85% me and there’s something in the game programming that maybe different from what my brain can handle.
Disappointing
acharlie212
It had potential, however the developers must have been either drunk, high, spent too much time in philosophy classes, or simply mentally ill. The recordings and videos discussing mainly god, wine, glass and encouraging the listener not to look for things in this level of a game where you are required to look for things, were purely waste of time that a listener will never get back. Developers, why did you bring religion into your game? Gamers do not waste your time with the recordings and the videos. The puzzles were primitive and some did not follow their own logic. A lot of time is lost by simply moving from area to area. I was working on both the main puzzle and the hidden puzzles, however, after taking the ridiculous flying elevator ride, where you were told it was just a dream, it erased my game progress and took me back to the beginning. (Spoiler alert: the flying elevator is the game’s end point, without any warning). There is no way to save the game on the iPad Pro in the settings. It is all gone, as if I have never played it - frustrating. The graphics are mediocre at the best, somewhat outdated. The game was definitely not designed by anyone with the knowledge of modern gaming technology. I was hoping for something more intellectual and entertaining and this game definitely missed the mark. Can you call shadows a puzzle? Drawing of simple figures on a grid resembled the basic computer programming- sad. Not much of a puzzle. Furthermore, what is with the shape of the hidden puzzles? Head and the tail. How is finding a repetitious shape a puzzle? Not to mention, the bird pitch sounds. How are the bird sounds a puzzle? Do you warn hearing impaired people that they will not be able to solve the bamboo forest and an area in the hedge maze without being able to hear? Disappointing and primitive. Why is this game recommended by Apple?
supremely well-designed
80021170ffff
In the beginning, the idea of a bunch of 2D puzzles scattered around an island sounded thoroughly uninteresting. I gave it a chance and this has turned out to be one of my best game experiences; an instant classic, in a very real sense of what that phrase would suggest. The premise is simple. Solve 2D puzzles according to certain rules. The rules range from logic-based to environmental awareness, requiring attention to everything around you. Half of the challenge is just figuring out what these rules are. Add into that aspects of non-linear exploration (“walking simulator”) and you've got this unique work. This is truly among the most thoroughly well-designed games I've experienced, if not topping the list. There's a lot going on here.
Great game but...
Rdunny
I love the gameplay and am slightly addicted. However, its currently unplayable because the game crashes when I reach a certain area of the map, which is also where I need to go in order to progress any further. So I cannot play until fixed via update. Please update soon! Playing on iPhone X.
The controls need some help
JerSings
I adore this game! It would be a complete 5 stars from me if it weren’t for the controls. I hope the developers make an update where the controls are similar to a first-person shooter set up. Where the left side controls movement and the right side controls the direction you are looking. The controls that are set currently make it very difficult to navigate tight corners or get to an area quickly under time constraints. Please update the controls!!!
No way to report an issue, so...
Cause007
“Support website” provides no support, so I’m forced to complain through the review forum: The rail line environmental puzzle in the Quarry is broken on the iPhone 7 Plus. I flat out can’t drag the line along the track (I can activate the start and a short length of the line, but as the elevator lowers, I can’t drag the line any further). Please fix. [Update] The puzzle works, but you have to back-track your line (back to the start) and extend it again at the point when you can extend it beyond the initial length... agitating, considering it’s slow moving to test the puzzle over and over again. Not game breaking, but could still use a fix/optimization.
Absolutely Stunning
**CleverName**
I’ve played dozens of innovative, high-quality iOS puzzle games over the past few years, including many well-known titles such as Monument Valley, The Room, Agent A, and Device 6. And while each game offers its own unique appeal, none has had a greater personal impact than The Witness. I’ll admit, I was a bit concerned that the simple mechanic of drawing lines through a maze would become stale with repetition. But this game has a way of deconstructing all preconceptions to make room for new thoughts and ideas. After a while, I realized that what may have been simple in theory was actually quite challenging and surprisingly engaging. The puzzles themselves were constantly introducing new rules, tools, and clever variations to the same basic concept. Every panel, though often similar in appearance to the previous one, presented its own unique obstacles to the player. It was this constant change of pace that kept the puzzles from becoming repetitive. But The Witness has SO MUCH MORE to offer than just puzzles. Secrets and surprises lurk around every corner, and the island itself rewards persistent curiosity and exploration. The observant player will soon begin to uncover deeper layers of mystery hidden just beneath the surface. The developers have interwoven big ideas and themes in such a way that they become tangible within the context of the island, but stop short of becoming “pretentious.” Every last detail has been meticulously considered, allowing for countless euphoric moments of discovery. I fully completed all content after two months of play, but there’s always more to do and see beyond the puzzle panels themselves. For those of you who want to know more about the technical aspects: The customizable controls are flawless and allow for remarkable precision, my game was saved constantly and consistently, the sound design is subtle yet purposeful, and the graphics are gorgeous. Bottom line: The Witness combines exquisite artwork with a brilliantly crafted puzzle adventure. A TRUE masterpiece. An ABSOLUTE must-play. But don’t give up! Be ready and willing to approach it on its own terms, and listen to what it has to say. You won’t be disappointed.
Flawless. Engaging. Challenging.
Asgannen
The touch controls are intuitive and function perfectly which is of utmost importance with this game, they just may take a moment or so to get used to. The looks and feel is fantastic, seemingly no expense spared porting to iOS. The puzzles themselves are perfect for touchscreen and the overall design of the island, panels, and so forth are really fairly simple which allows an iPhone or iPad to display all that’s necessary without any hitches. The game looks good, performs well, and delivers everything you could want if you’re the right kind of person. It’s an incredibly deeply pieced together experience with expertly crafted puzzles that are taught and conveyed wordlessly and efficiently like I’ve never quite experienced before. There’s an incredible amount of detail placed everywhere you look, secrets and surprises hiding right in front of your eyes or in the most mundane corners and crevices. Don’t be put off by what may look like a strangely minimalistic and silly game full of panels that you simply draw lines on. This puzzler will excite those who love a good brain challenge, with plenty of moments where you’re left banging your head against a wall for a day only to return later to have that glorious “AHA” moment and solve away. It’s arguably one of the best puzzle games every made. It’s filled to the brim with exciting and challenging puzzles that test much more than you expect from the start. I love this game, and I can’t recommend it enough to anyone who loves being challenged by expertly crafted puzzle design.