The Witness and Objective Subjectivity

[@Charcoal190]

OH HELL YEAH, OUTER WILDS MUSIC AT THE END!

[@goshenite1949]

Thanks to razbuten for recommending this channel, your content is great

[@eveningdreamermusic]

wow nice work on the buildup to the "spoiler", I didn't get that far into the game, and uninstalled it years ago. but that reveal was very well done in this video, it almost felt like playing the game and figuring it out on top of that mountain. thanks for the video! and looking forward to that teaser at the end about one of my favorite games :)

[@MasDouc]

The way you speak makes me think I'm listening to a def jam poetry about The Witness.

[@michaelbanks1207]

Wow, hearing you close with the Outer Wilds song really moved me. That song hits me so hard after experiencing that game. Great video!

[@benwaardenburg]

I struggled to do many of the puzzles in The Witness but I love how much you got out of it compared to how little I was able to complete.

[@VZed]

It is a pretty demanding game. I really don't fault anyone for jumping ship when it reached a point of "why am i doing this?" for people.

[@tabeatamm3594]

@@VZed yeah, about two thirds into the game I completely gave up and looked up a tutorial because I felt so stupid. It's sad I wasn't able to get everything out of the game that I could.

[@login0false]

As somebody who only got an understanding of The Witness from this video, the spoiler moment has thrown my mind into about as many explosions as a Michael Bay movie usually contains. And it made me want to play more... except, now I won't have this big moment of discovery, and the game's pacing would probably be broken for me as I'd already know what to look for. Why did I watch the spoiler despite not playing, you may ask? Well, judging by what I saw before the spoiler, and a plethora of other aspects, I have judged that the probability of me playing the game converges to zero.

[@DarkTwinge]

While that major a-ha moment WAS really awesome, the puzzles themselves are very satisfying and challenging without being as ridiculous as the most extreme puzzle games (e.g. Baba is You or Snakebird) - and there are some really great a-ha moments to be found in the puzzles as well.

[@constantchanger]

I think it's possible the only reason I play video games at all is in the constant hope I'll stumble onto the next Riven, The Witness, or Outer Wilds. Maybe I should be concerned this has apparently only ever happened three times.

[@MewMewDerez]

as someone else who played a lot of Myst and Riven when I was younger, but *wasn't* aware of the direct connection they had to The Witness, it was such a *delight* when I was able to determine just what itch The Witness was scratching. And it's really nice to hear someone (and *recently* too) draw the similar connection that I did. I love how the game plays with perspective, and the ideas posed at 27:00 became my mantra for the game, as well as my day-to-day life. it got me past vexing, brain-busting puzzles because I knew, I had all the tools I needed to learn, I just hadn't found them in a way I was able to understand, *yet.* it gave me hope that a puzzle wasn't impossible, that I could *do* it, I just needed to take a step back and reexamine what the game had taught me. and 9 times out of 10, I solved those 'impossible puzzles' (I'm still working on the Challenge Room). My first audio log was about Zen, and so for a while, the game was about finding Zen, and for a while it was perspective, then about human connection, and eventually I came to terms that it was all of these things at once. I found satisfaction and fulfillment in each interpretation I found. I haven't found all the environmental puzzles yet, and I have no idea if I've found all the panels, but I actually like that. I like having reason to come back to this island. Also: Raz sent me. high-five! (sorry for the novel)

[@VZed]

Novels are just fine! Thanks for coming by and i'm glad this game speaks to people like it did for me. Also... i'm still working on the challenge myself.

[@MewMewDerez]

@@VZed solidarity, my dude. solidarity. we'll get there also: am I the only one who just goes back and re-listens to the audio logs sometimes?

[@ottoludewig1244]

I came here due to Razbuten's recommendation and didn't expect a hegelian lecture on The Witness, the coming-to-be of consciousness through the lense of a simple mechanic and its development from and into spirit. This game resonated with me in the same sense that Phenomenology of Spirit did when I first read the Preface, and you just put it in layman's word. Amazing work!

[@VZed]

Isn't Raz just the best? And oh my, i'm not even sure i know how to draw the line you just suggested. Sounds like i've got some reading to do. Sounds exciting!

[@ottoludewig1244]

@@VZed If you're interested in Hegelian studies I hugely recommend the Terry Pinkard's Biography on him and Gregory Sadler's Half Hour Hegel KZbin playlist. There's a lot that can be said here especially your readings on the lines and circles as a way to understand consciousness and the building of "Verstellung" or understanding. Really excited about your channel, I was watching your video on Myst as a game that I couldn't get into, I'll give it another chance. Keep the good work! You are doing amazing!

[@tonimahoni2607]

Instead of Myst, The Witness reminds me much more of the RHEM-Series. And endless amount of puzzles and each one of them sticking out.

[@devanshbhardwaj1601]

Man i never thought about it like this. actually on the symmetry island the reflection panel puzzles show how the world puzzle will work if you know what mean about it and how you look at the puzzle is also different as i thought that the black and white square puzzles were to draw a line so it connects the squares this is the beauty of a game which teaches you through its gameplay its upto you how to interpret it

[@soapmcsoaperson]

I can't believe this video has less than 1000 views. Can't wait for you to blow up, great stuff

[@chaoticgoodra]

I'm rewatching Keith Ballard's playthrough of the witness, and then Razbuten recommends you by showing a video about it!

[@chaoticgoodra]

ahaha, the spoiler warning and talking about "the moment", love it

[@chaoticgoodra]

I'm sad you don't talk about the lake, that was definitely the second major "holy shit" moment in this game for me

[@chaoticgoodra]

ah, the outer wilds music, perfect

[@VZed]

lol, wow. I didn't even know about the lake. See, another reason i'm excited to play this game again.

[@chaoticgoodra]

@@VZed the game trained me to look for non-puzzle related things in the surroundings just 'cause there were sometimes cute easter eggs (Branches that reflect as koi, a harpy woman's hair, two statues holding hands etc) and then I walk out to the lake super late into the game and realised what was up, and i gotta say, it's both a very clever way to help completionists but also a really good second holy shit lmao

[@LB_]

Someone linked this video on r/TheWitness, very glad I gave it a watch, I really like your take on things. And I love that Outer Wilds music in the outro, I'm gonna have to see what other videos you have in store for me :)

[@VZed]

Outer Wilds music you say? hmm... i wonder if it means anything ;)

[@Laezar1]

The witness is one of those games that made me accept not finishing games to 100%. I played it, found some things, missed others and I'm fine with it.

[@JSargeK]

Man something about your videos (or maybe your thought process) hits me right in the part of the brain I want them to. I have a very different taste in games, and would likely have never even heard of this game or the other two you mentioned. However, I can say I gained a really interesting perspective off this video, which btw is how I figured out (in part) what I wanted to study in school, what I enjoyed most about the games I played. So coming from a very very different game genre I got to experience what is, in essence, a similar conclusion, but from a radically different perspective. I likely won't ever play this game, but I have a huge appreciation for it and for your take on it.

[@VZed]

I have always said if a game makes you think, then it's a win, and if there's a strong connection there then so much the better. I'm glad this video reached you and that you enjoyed it!

[@matthewbongart8880]

I’m here from Razbuten’s video and I’m so excited to see you talking about all the little details I loved about the Witness. I go back to it yearly since it came out and just get lost in its world and wander around listening to the philosophical musings from the tapes while I solve puzzles I’ve solved so many times before. It’s nice to revisit because I always end up forgetting enough about the solutions to keep engaged, but it’s the one game I wish more than any other I could experience again with fresh eyes. Really loved your take on this and I think you’ve convinced me to finally get around to giving Myst a go.

[@VZed]

I highly recommend Myst and Riven! Very different experiences but they exercise the same parts of your brain.

[@wolfsraynefan]

You always have an amazing build up to your point, both using the visuals you purposefully edit for the viewer and with your script as you start off very seemingly quick to a point you may be making but then gradually evolving that view outside of its box into a wider understanding of the real point you're making.

[@VZed]

This is what i like about doing video essays. They're a good place to examine thoughts, feelings or ideas but you can structure them much more narratively than an academic paper. I liked writing in university but I always kinda felt like there were angles missing from everything i wrote.

[@alinfriedman8080]

Min 2:30 I'm the guy that recommends the artistic films :)))). Love u guy!

[@DerSpalter]

"Even this guy" absolutely crtacked me up because it was the same for me xD Great video!

[@VZed]

Thanks! Meeting this game half way is integral to the experience, and Rupert Spira doesn't exactly make that easy 😄.

[@JokingThief]

Nice SFX with the clip at 16:20. I'd say that's definitely reminiscent of how finding your first one feels.

[@VZed]

Yup. It didn't feel right to let it happen on screen the way it does. Only problem is now i'm a little disappointed that doesn't actually happen in the game for your first one :(

[@JokingThief]

@@VZed understandable but I really feel like if you're looking for videos on the witness today, you've already played the witness and you're either looking for other opinions on it or for why you really can't figure it out. You also did give a pretty fair and lengthy verbal warning

[@dysectorza]

Another awesome video! Thanks to Razbuten for recommending your channel. I'm always looking for more channels like this that discuss games in depth and how it affected them. I too was a Myst and Riven fan, and was excited for The Witness. Being thrown on a mysterious island with puzzles, what's not to love. But as I played more and more of The Witness the more it didn't feel like Myst and felt like something completely different. I have completed and 100%ed The Witness 3 times since release. It's one of my favourite games to go back to every now and then. When I first played it, it was like I was learning a completely new language. And after playing it, I was dreaming and seeing line puzzles for weeks on end. It felt like the game reprogrammed my brain. It was such a strange feeling. I love games like this. I definitely want to play Outer Wilds, Obduction and Obra Din sometime soon.

[@VZed]

Sounds like we had very similar experiences with the game. These kinds of cerebral puzzle games are among my favourite genres. I'm glad i decided to work on this series. I almost didn't cause i wasn't sure there was an audience for it. I seem to have been proven wrong, though :)

[@edinalewis4704]

Thanks for the great breakdown of your experience with this game. I’ve watched a number of peoples play throughs of this game and it amazes how differently it hits each individual. For me this game was an exercise in the pure joy of obsession without purpose. The further I got through the game the more I realised that the journey so far had been far more satisfying than any kind of final pay off. So much of our media these days is built around building anticipation for the next thing. For me The Witness was a masterclass in engaging in and celebrating the moment. It is by far the closest I have ever come to a truly zen experience.

[@VZed]

Yes, I agree. I think we are definitely conditioned for the payoff in the modern media landscape. The Witness was such a different value structure that it was kind of off-putting at first but it's amazing what there is to find here when you let yourself look. I'm glad you liked the video. I really like having done this video as thinking on it the way I did has helped the game keep ringing in my mind. There's stuff in here that will follow me the rest of my life.

[@jasonlee6062]

Man, if that was a teaser for the next video at the end, I'm psyched for what comes afterwards. I loved The Witness, I loved Outer Wilds and I loved Obra Dinn. Just wondering what other games are in that same vein (other than maybe Heaven's Vault). Anyway, great video. Thanks.

[@VZed]

Teaser? What teaser? I don't remember a teaser! (But in all seriousness... the line keeps going...) (also, yeah Obra Dinn absolutely rocks!)

[@GalGreen]

Consider trying the game "Understand", it's very small and indie, but very Witness-y

[@Lulink013]

Man, I love this game. I miss it now. I could go back to it but it wouldn't be the same. I want another game that makes me feel like it. I don't think there is anything quite like it. I've played a myst game and liked it a little, but found it really tedious to make progress in. I've already plaued the Talos Principle and found some of what I like in it, but not as much.

[@VZed]

Outer Wilds, and Quern: Undying Thoughts come to mind as other games to check out in this genre. Frankly, i'm always on the look out for more as well, so if you find any let me know!

[@DarkTwinge]

I'll add a recommendation for Antichamber, which certainly isn't the same _kind_ of reveals and puzzles, but definitely one I found very satisfying.

[@Lulink013]

@@VZed Update: Trying Quern and it runs really bad on my PC. I'm low key getting motion sickness from the low framerate and resolution. I like the gameplay so far, though. @DarkTwinge Unfortunately it's a game I already know, but I didn't draw parallels with the witness until you pointed it out! Thanks for the recommendation anyway.

[@TheCellCH]

Yesss this video put so much of my feelings about the witness into a video!

[@live_deliuss]

Such a good video!!! The Witness is an utter gem and a breath of fresh air for fans of Myst and Riven. It's not the same, but I think it's very rewarding for players of these kinds of games. The Witness really creeps in on you after a while. Not only do you start imagining circles and lines all around you, but as you mentioned, it makes you want to stop and smell the roses. There is so much to gain from a game like this, personal traits like patience and perspective, but also appreciation. I've yet to 100% the game myself, but I'm glad it exists. Incidentally, have you heard of the Principle of Talos? It seems like a game that you could vibe with. It might be worth checking out if you have the time/funds.

[@VZed]

as in, The Talos Principle? If so, then yes, I have heard of those games, and they have lived on my to-play list for a long time. Perhaps it's time to bump them up a few places.

[@FieldOfViewGameDesign]

Absolutely loved this video. Definitely subbing to your channel. :) I just played The Witness for the first time a couple weeks ago. Myst and Riven are some of my favorite games ever, so I had almost exactly the same journey you did with The Witness. Expectations, mild disappointment, and then revelation. It was really unforgettable, and I also can't wait to get back to it! Also, great choice for the ending music! - Bryan

[@VZed]

ending music? wha... where did that come from? I wonder if it means anything... (but in all seriousness, thanks for coming around. Glad you enjoyed the vid)

[@FieldOfViewGameDesign]

@@VZed Ha, I'm just a sucker for Outer Wilds, particularly that song, so when I heard it, it stuck out to me, and it fit the video well. Guess that was kind of a non-sequitur, though. XD And you're welcome! Looking forward to checking out your other stuff.

[@tabeatamm3594]

Spoilers Oh wow, I never figured out you could track lines in the environment while playing. I saw that panel that looked like the river and tried drawing the line several times, nothing happened. I never even thought about trying it on the river itself. Crazy to see how many there are. Now I feel kinda stupid.

[@VZed]

nah, you're good. This game hits everyone differently, that's what i like so much about it.

[@SETHthegodofchaos]

Wow. This was a great review of the game! Definitely up there with Electron Dance's review. Nicely done :)

[@VZed]

Ah, high praise indeed! I'm glad you liked the video. This game has a lot going on and I love hearing about other people's experiences with it. Really glad i decided to come back to it all these years later.

[@prestidigititis483]

Am I correct in thinking that the music cue underneath "and I have to wonder where it will take me next..." hints at where it actually did take you next?

[@VZed]

oh i dunno... it might could have some to do with a maybe topic i've been spitballing for a bit :)

[@Charcoal190]

@@VZed You gained a new subscriber for that alone. I'm always excited for more Outer Wilds content!

[@michelottens6083]

To me, this game, especially contrasted with Myst, is the epitome of coldhearted silicon valley neo-positivist aspirationalism, and its now global cybernetic rule. Not the Myst style, humane, family and colonial conflicts to resolve, just superfluous collegial disputes over some vague and unfinished software project. No diaries or scraps of hifi rendered lived space, just a cyberspacey lofi-rendered abandoned real estate development prospect, littered with random groundless inspirational tapes, with best practice software industry wisdom tapes, and some rare audio notes on company meetings that went nowhere. No physical hardware mechanisms to puzzle over, just touchscreens and point-and-drag software interfaces. No pretense to bootstrappy colonial adventure, just monotonous power routing and activating survey machinery to find more of the corporate inspirational quotes. And the whole world's a cyberspace playground to paint over as some nameless, alienated cognitive labor figure, with computer system diagrams that some intangible infrastructural higher power eternally prescribes to you. This all's not my negative critique; I think the game's perfect and genuinely brilliant for how it uses the Myst format for something as comprehensively meaningful as that game was, and so comprehensively meaningfully different. Can't quite articulate it, but there's also something to how all the people in this game are stone monuments rather than local villagers or fellow travelers. They're either aspirational tableaux, illusionist, or melancholy, and all disconnected from the abandoned building prospects, but overgrown, zen-like, by the lopoly cyberspacey landscape. Something on how others are inspiring, sure, but we only really need ourselves, because, to this game, any one person can flatten everything, and flatten anyone else's experience, to ultimately comprehend and master everything in the same hyperefficient way. Also the same kind of thematic and narrative-structural comparison to Outer Wilds would be neat to do as well. That one's more about basking wryly in the cosmic grotesque as a chipper science experimentey person? So more like how smart people have learned to cope with current news cycles and the cosmic ecohorror of most contemporary fields of science?

[@TubsO2800]

Wonderful stuff, came from Heavy Eye, happy to be now subbed

[@VZed]

Thanks for stopping by! Glad you enjoyed and happy to have you onboard.

[@CJBooks4]

I couldn't play The Witness. I mean I played it for sure, but I couldn't engage with it on its own terms due to probably having ADHD, even though I don't have an official diagnosis for that but my Mom is convinced and I've been seeing more and more that she may be right, but I digress. Then I played TUNIC after both looking up videos on The Witness thus spoiling The Witness for myself and having the PS4 PlayStation Store recommend it to me after I added something else to my cart that I later removed, no joke, and upon seeing the trailer for TUNIC on the PS Store, I knew it was a game for me: but little did I know just not only how deep of a rabbit hole TUNIC would become for me but also that TUNIC would then bring me back around to The Witness and help me see something in The Witness that had been there for me all along that I didn't see before due to not having the right perspective. And that is how TUNIC helped me appreciate The Witness.

[@bolicob]

Good game, good video

[@Relaxed_Goblin]

If you could just talk in-depth about anything for the rest of time, I'd be real chuffed. 100% worth the wait.

[@VZed]

I will do my best to keep on doing just that.

[@RedPandaSmash]

Here by Razbuten's recommendation. Well put-together video. It got too abstract for me to understand/connect with, so I more or less zoned out in the second half, but I admire your articulation enough to subscribe.

[@Lulink013]

I think it takes having played the game to completion and having reflected on it already to really "get" the feelings he has himself.

[@Letyourheartfly85]

Lovely video my dude!!💗💗👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽 Especially loved the beginning it really touched my heart💗💗💗

[@VZed]

aw well thanks. I just figured it was an artful way to get across the way in which the game entered my life but hey, if it hits people in that way then so much the better!

[@egitosL]

Ok. That was amazing.

[@VZed]

I'm glad you enjoyed it!

[@colstonreese4309]

I have been looking for channels like this! Thanks for the background noise while I work - shame about the algorithm that's done you a nasty. Do you plan to cover all of the Cyan games?

[@VZed]

Glad to have you! The algorithm and I have never been friends but that's not gonna stop me. As far as covering the Cyan games, i'll be honest, Exile, and Revelation never settled in as thoroughly as Myst of Riven, and i haven't actually played End of Ages yet. I may have to give those another go around and then who knows, but I kind of just work on whatever topic floats into my brain when i'm ready to start working. I've got one more video for this puzzle game series i'm doing and then we'll see what happens.

[@AaronBueckert]

New Video Hype!

You rock

[@YouFightLikeACow]

Hello from the end credits. One of my all time favorites. I have jumped around some of your content the past few days, starting from the Firmament video, then to Myst and Riven (my all time favorite), and now here. I haven't explored your catalog too thoroughly, but have you covered Obduction fully?

[@VZed]

I have not. Truthfully I was never struck with things to say about Obduction despite how much I like it. Also the plan was to let the Cyan games lie for a while after the Firmament video, but I've already had people asking about the Riven remake so... I dunno. Glad you're enjoying the puzzle game vids, though :)

[@bartomiejbuller1228]

Great vid! I want to play one of those games, myst, riven or witness. Which one should I start with?

[@VZed]

Myst is kind of where it all starts. It is understood as the originator of this kind of game and The Witness claims Myst as a big influence on it. Riven is the sequel to Myst so if you're interested in the story then that's the order they go in. Thanks for stopping by!

[@bartomiejbuller1228]

@@VZed thank you. Razbuten sent me here and I'm glad he did, cause you're doing great work! Gonna try out myst then. Wish me luck!

[@zh.6795]

You would like Project Nomads a game from 2002. Curious, is your name Zed? If so, we share our first name. Haven't met anyone who does yet.

[@VZed]

I'll keep and eye out for project nomads. As for my name, it is not Zed. My username is a kind of amalgamation of old usernames i had on Battle.net and stuff like that and i was never creative enough to come up with something pithy and original when starting this channel. Having used it for 9 years it's just kind of stuck.

[@zh.6795]

@@VZed XD I'll keep searching,

[@Inspiration_Date]

Do you need more puzzle games to analyze? There are so many really good ones out there.

[@VZed]

I've got the next video in production already and i'm not sure if i'll be analyzing specifically these kinds of games in the immediate future but i'm always excited for recommendations! Who knows, if something speaks to me then maybe this series will continue further than I thought.

[@grey_f98]

I don't see Razbuten in the comments