The Witness - PS4/PC

A week off work has actually turned into a week of working. Not on the laptop, but playing The Witness on PS4. 

I was drawn in by the visuals, and have stayed on Jonathan Blow’s virtual island for the mind-bending assortment of line puzzles. Who’d have thought there were so many ways fresh ways to present drawing a line between A and B? I certainly didn’t - and now my brain hurts. But it’s just so compelling.

I’ve been slowly rewiring my shattered brain to solve seemingly impossible conundrums. I’ve had to walk away for several hours just to try and forget about it - but The Witness, with its endless snaking lines and multi-coloured boxes, is now starting to invade my dreams.

But I’m moving forward and some of my successes have matched the sheer joy of besting gargantuan beasts in Monster Hunter or seeing the credits roll in Dark Souls.

The island Blow has spewed forth from his devilish mind is a truly stunning creation - and it’s an area ripe for exploration. There’s a run button for the impatient - but I’ve steered clear. After all, what’s the rush? There so much to see around the island that giving the puzzles a body swerve just to stroll around this virtual paradise has been, at times, just what my tired mind needed.

Paying attention to the world around you isn’t a pursuit only to solve some of the riddles - although it has to be said that the work that’s gone into fusing the puzzles with the environment is truly inspired.

There’s loads of amazing little touches scattered around the island. It might be the shape of a rock, a submerged surprise, a shadow depicting a monochrome picture… and there’s more - but go see for yourself. And if the mental gymnastics are getting too much, head down to my favourite spot by the river near the bamboo forest and unwind for 10 minutes. The splashing water soothes the soul. Trust me.

What an amazing experience - and I still have hundreds of puzzle panels still to solve.

Braid - Xbox 360

This evening I have been engrossed in the fabulous Braid on Xbox 360. Created by Jonathan Blow, Braid could be mistaken for yet another run-of-the-mill 2D platformer, but after just a few minutes play, it becomes apparent that Braid is much more than that.

Braid plays like an old school Mario side-scrolling platformer, however the real gameplay twist in Braid lies with the ability to rewind time. Each level has jigsaw pieces scattered throughout, which must be collected and assembled. Some lie in easy to reach places, while others initially seem impossible to attain.



Rather than use time travel to simply correct your mistakes, it is instead central to Braid's gameplay and is used to alter the gameworld. Most objects and enemies in Braid follow the natural flow of time, so rewinding time affects them too. But there are certain objects which have a green glow around them. These objects remain constant even when you rewind time, and are the key to solving the puzzle set before you.

For example, in one early level you are faced with a locked door. Unfortunately, the key to the door is at the bottom of a pit with no way out. But by dropping into the pit and collecting the key, you can then rewind time to just before you leapt down, but you'll still be holding the key, allowing you to escape.



Each level throws up ingenious gameplay mechanics, and seemingly impossible situations become clear with a little lateral thought. I'm currently working my way through World 4, where the gameplay has just been turned on its head - moving right forwards time, while walking left rewinds it! I sense many headaches to come!

I've also gone back and collected all 12 jigsaw pieces in the opening world - strangely, named World 2. I was stumped for a while, but the feeling of accomplishment when things fall into place is incredible and some moments will have you grinning like an idiot.

While the gameplay is spot on, the graphics in Braid are equally special, with artist David Hellman creating a beautiful watercolour effect that shifts and changes hues. From gorgeous golden backgrounds and gentle falling rain, to lush green foliage, Braid is simply breathtaking.



To round off an already incredible experience, the soundtrack is outstanding, and possibly the best I've heard all year. Tinkling pianos, gentle string arrangements, calming violin and cello pieces and folk driven scores - it's spellbinding and sets the atmosphere perfectly.

Initially the 1200 point price tag seemed a little on the steep side, however, it has taken Jonathan Blow three years to create this masterpiece, and as a result this is a small price to pay for something as magical as Braid.

Everyone with a 360 owes it to themselves to play this incredible game. Whatever you do, though, don't use a walkthrough - that would spoil everything. Just be patient and everything will become clear in time.

A magnificent achievement.