It’s a moody, unsettling game where you play a boy on the run from something, jumping and solving simple puzzles like a brainy Super Mario, but far more macabre. It would be a disservice to say much more than that the game is stunning, and we encourage you to go in cold and avoid looking up so much as a synopsis. That’s what makes The Witness so good: As difficult and obscure as it may be, its zenlike, razor-sharp focus on distilling its world to this seemingly simple yet astoundingly complex form of expression is fascinating, and stays with you long after you’ve left it behind. Spend a few more hours with the game and you’ll be interpreting and articulating complex ideas in this weird, line-drawing language, its puzzles and mysteries lingering in your brain. Then they get much harder, tucked away in even more fascinating parts of the island, too complex to solve without a notebook. These puzzles, like your first words, start extremely simply, and link together in a way that encourages you to explore. It’s a game that strands you on an island with no explicit goal or narrative, just hundreds of puzzles that must all be solved the same way: by drawing lines on grids.
Playing The Witness is a lot like learning a language. Expect the game to get a second wind this fall when it comes to consoles like Xbox One and PlayStation 4 - and good luck resisting its charms. It’s not a thrilling game to describe, yet it quickly shot up sales charts to become a veritable sleeper hit, hooking players with the romance of its tedium and simplicity. The work of a single man, young developer Eric Barone, Stardew Valley is an homage to old-school games like Harvest Moon, casting players as a character who left the big city to work in the titular farm town and turn your grandfather’s neglected farm into a bountiful plot of land. Stardew Valley (PC, Consoles later this year) While the jury’s out on what’s to come, the bar has been set pretty high: Midway through 2016, the best games of the year are a diverse set, spanning a wide array of genres and aesthetics, presenting a comprehensive picture of the myriad experiences video games have to offer. Not so in 2016 (or maybe ever again) - this year has already been terrific for games. The first half of a given year is typically barren when it comes to video games, as publishers prefer to drop their best, buzziest games in the fall, just as the holidays start to extract dollars from pockets. Yesterday, we took stock of what has been an especially strong six months for music. Follow him on Twitter or subscribe to Seth Macy's YouTube channel.This week, Vulture is looking back at the best entertainment releases so far in 2016. Seth Macy is IGN's weekend web producer and just wants to be your friend.
And if you're a fan of both? You're in for a very good time. And the finished product delivered on the promise.Įnter the Gungeon: Great pacing, great style, and near-infinite replay value combine to make Gungeon a must-play for fans of dungeon crawlers or twin stick shooters. Total War: WARHAMMER: The bloody fantasy Warhammer universe is a perfect fit for Total War's hybrid strategy. Stardew Valley: When a one-man indie studio makes what might just be the greatest farming simulation ever made, it's nothing short of a monumental achievement. The game deserves a lot of credit for its crazy action, intense boss battles, and surprisingly rewarding exploration. Honorable Mentionsĭoom: Our Doom review was positive, but we didn't quite give the game the glowing praise that some others awarded it. It strikes a wonderful balance between abstraction and a sense of purpose, making it one of 2016's best reviewed games for any platform. The hard puzzles don't feel unfair, and cracking the nut of a particularly onerous puzzle is fantastically satisfying. Along with the increasing complexity comes the understanding of the context of the puzzles. At first, the puzzles are light and fun, but as you work your way through the game, the complexity ratchets up. Its 3D world can be freely navigated and appreciated, but the world is merely window dressing for The Witness' clever and ingenious puzzles, of which there is no shortage. Despite also releasing on the PS4, few games feel at home on PC as The Witness.
0 kommentar(er)
