The Witness Review | USgamer

Bob Mackey: "It's easy to fall in love with The Witness, and even easier to have your heart broken by the callous indifference of Jonathan Blow's beautiful island. A healthy challenge is good for any game, but the puzzles on display here offer few inroads to understanding for those who can't think exactly like their creator."

[TwoForce]

Wow, that's low !

[goathouse774]

It's also complete drivel.

[fei-hung]

Yup, someone has insecurities about their intelligence. Game made them feel a bit stupid probably so as revenge wrote a stupid review. Obviously it's just my opinion, just like the review is.

[thekhurg]

So wait - you're trying to claim if people don't like the game, they have insecurities about their intelligence? AKA, you're saying they're literally dumb?

[fei-hung]

Dude, you need to read in context of the situation. My point was very simple and clear. The reviewer made out the game is very complex and only by thinking like the developer can you get through it. I've seen so many people play it and simply get it without any issues. None of them have dramatised it the way this reviewer has.

The reviewer made himself look insecure, nothing to do with what I wrote. Nor does it mean everyone who doesn't like the game as not everyone who dislikes the game dislikes it and writes about it the way this individual has done.

[joab777]

How do write an in progress review without finishing. I've talked with various ppl who have finished this, and they adore this game, b/c of its complexity and philosophical nature, apart from the scientific approach. I'm not a huge IGN fan, but I liked their comparison of learning a new languange.

[TwoForce]

Yeah ! I know. This review is just try to want to be click.

[DashArrivals]

"the puzzles on display here offer few inroads to understanding for those who can't think exactly like their creator" ... like for example if you happened to be a complete moron.

Just because a game is hard doesn't mean it is not a good game. Just because you get stuck doesn't mean it's broken. All the information is right there for you. I got stuck at the Tetris Pieces puzzle for over an hour, but it turned out that I didn't understand the rules of that set of puzzles at the time.

2 out of 5 implies that it's a broken game or quite terrible. But it just isn't. It's really really good. I won't read this trash review because it just can't be correct and I don't care, because it's the opinion of an imbecile... in my opinion.

[KiRBY3000]

Bingo!

it really saddens me to see this game getting such a low score (even though its just one review) because i played it for hours and hours already and it is so well made.

every puzzle is beautifully crafted, in a clever way. everything you need to understand the world and solve it is there for you to find.

thinking, observing and questionning things are what The Witness is all about. of course, you have the right to not like it. but to suggest that this game deserve such a low score because you have to think, now thats just plain stupid.

[FlexLuger]

Its not that the game is hard...its that certain reviewers obviously cannot think while playing a game, so asking them to play a game where using your brain might be a bit much.

I give the review 1/100. How you like that USgamer.com or .net or whatever....

MasterCornholio + 1h ago

"Did the writer give it a low score because he's not intelligent enough to play the game?"

Basically yes. Just feel sorry for him, man! we all know better.

[MasterCornholio]

Did the writer give it a low score because he's not intelligent enough to play the game?

I really can't agree with those types of reviews especially since its a puzzle game.

[DashArrivals]

Who knows? I never read it. But it absolutely does not deserve that score in any way shape or form. It's just false. It's like someone giving a game like The Witcher 3 a 2/5... it's just not warranted in the slightest. I could care less if it's his opinion or not.
My opinion could be that the world is flat, but that doesn't make it so. People will choose not to agree with that opinion, and it would also mean (if I believed it) that I'd be a complete moron and way off the mark.

[Thatguy-310]

Exactly! Hints and small clues are around the areas where the puzzles need to be solve. The game is amazing in starting off simple and slowly becoming more complex. The puzzle I loved was the one in the desert where you have be at a certain angle to see the trace of the path on the puzzle boards. It's all of a matter of thinking straight and out of the box when you need to.

[Corpser]

Somebody is bad at puzzle games

[mushroomwig]

I get that feeling too, they gave Grim Fandango 3/5 because of the puzzles.

[TKCMuzzer]

When a review stands out for the wrong reasons amongst all the others, sometimes the reviewer has to ask themselves "Is it really the game that's bad?"

A 2/5 represents the difficulty of the game and not the quality which is what your readers are after.

[SaveMeJebus]

Wow, I was going to buy this game, but now I think I won't!

[TheOneWhoIsTornApart]

You see one review that gives a shi**y score so that means you won't buy it?. Did you not see the overwhelming majority of reviews that were 9's and 10's. It is an absolutely amazing game. Go buy it.

[kraenk12]

He was most likely being sarcastic...or he really resembles Homer in more than a profile pic ;)

[2cents]

This review just makes me want to try it more... I think I might just.

[Grievous]

Funny as hell though. USgamer, puzzles too hard.

[GrmpyolGamer]

Sick of puzzle games

[yay111]

*Can't beat game* gives low score, gaming journalism my friends

[GetSomeLoGiK]

It's his opinion, it's really sad that people are calling him names just because he didn't like it. I got news, not everybody is going to like it hence why the user reviews on metacritic are kind of low for The Witness.

[AgentSmithPS4]

Yeah it's their own fault for leaping into the game without knowing exactly what the game is, how hard it is, etc. If they don't like a challenge, have worries about intelligence, etc then don't buy it.

Those people are like the SJWs, expecting the game to be made exclusively for them, forcing their delusions on everyone else. Extreme example, you wouldn't go into a mental asylum and have those people make laws for your country. Otherwise you'd be eating poop fresh out of the toilet at least once per day, and worse.

It's time we save the mollycoddling for those that really need it.

[GetSomeLoGiK]

You can't expect a reviewer to like every genre of game. It's not his fault for sticking his toes in the water. He didn't like it so he gave what he thought was the right score. It doesn't deserve the bashing you're giving him right now, calm down.

They are called opinions for a reason because not everyone has the same taste.

[rainslacker]

He reviewed it low because it was hard. He didn't write his review based on the quality of the game. If one found it hard, then that's on them, and has no bearing on the quality of the game. Challenging is the proper word to use for a review, as it means it goes beyond the typical mentality of easy to beat based on the norm.

If the reviewer didn't get the game,then he shouldn't be reviewing it, because it's up to the reviewer to figure out the game for his readers, so they can decide if it's a game that they will get or not.

It's just another lazy review, which goes against the overwhelming majority of positive reviews. While not liking the game due to his stated reasons is fine for a review, scoring it so harshly does not endear him to anyone because the score indicates the game is broken or bad....which from what I've seen said elsewhere, and even hinted at in this review, just isn't the case.

[AgentSmithPS4]

While it's not surprising that I wasted time reading that "review," it definitely isn't a fair review. The game isn't broken or bad, it's just not done in a way he likes. He's viewing it through "butthurt colored glasses." I won't waste more time philosophizing about what makes a good review, but this isn't one.

There are different kinds of intelligence, some people are naturally good at puzzles, others have to learn the skill, others may never be good at something (like many BF players ;), it's tough being human.

Some people, whether they know it or not, have ADHD (or other) and may need a stimulant like Ritalin or even a natural herb/supplement alternative like gotu kola, l-phenylalanine, l-tyrosine, etc. One study of a seemingly retarded boy that had a lower than normal IQ was given a stimulant and it made his IQ go up to about average. Unfortunately there are many things that can go wrong and be wrong with the body/brain, not to mention all the doctors with conflicting opinions, billion dollar drug industries, etc. So good luck out there.

[goathouse774]

Nice. Very snarky. I like it.

[dillhole]

On the front page of N4g because it's such a bad review. Negative clickbait.