supremely well-designed – The Witness Review

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.
Review by 80021170ffff on The Witness.