Review of "The Witness" (indie)

"The Witness" is a puzzle and exploration game for the PS4. The main objective is to walk around, finding puzzles to solve, solving them, and taking in the view.
The game is set on an island devoid of people, except you.

Grade (for those that do not want to read the entire thing and just want to know whether or not the game is any good. Why are you here if you do not want to read the review?):
A solid

Plot:
The plot of "The Witness" is quite obscure. There is commentary on a variety of subjects, but there seems to be no main plot. The main theme seems to be "solving problems", but a lot more can be gleaned from this experience.

Gameplay:
Gameplay is the meat of "The Witness". The game has a very minimalistic approach. You are supposed to find out everything by yourself, including the rules of the puzzles. The only instructions you get are how to move, how to start a puzzle, and how to sprint.
The beauty of this game's gameplay is the fact that you will almost never get blocked out of an area because the game does not want you there. Instead, it is your own lack of knowledge that keeps you out.
The puzzles themselves are maze puzzles. You start at the big round spot and go to the tiny outcrop at the end, while following the rules the board sets for you.
One of the first puzzles you will find is like this:

Saving is done automatically after every puzzle. It can be a bit confusing at first, since there is no indication of the game saving your progress, but it does not break the immersion either.

Graphics:
The graphics have a rustic charm to them. It is not quite real-looking, but the environment fills you with awe, nonetheless. People who enjoy just looking at a beautiful game will not fail to meet their needs here.
The majority of the beautiful areas can already be reached very early on, so if you want to explore and take in the view, you are free to do so.
Taking in the view is not only nice, it is sometimes necessary to solve some of the puzzles as well. The game incorporates perspective and the environment in its gameplay incredibly well.

Music:
Just like the gameplay, the music is very minimalistic as well. The background music is basically non-existent, which is a rather bold decision to make. It fits incredibly well though, as the (lack of) music will not distract you from the beauty of the game either.
Music, or more specifically, sounds are sometimes very important. You can hear where you are when you are close to a waterfall and some puzzles require you to use your ears.
If you are tone-deaf, you can skip these puzzles, but if you are not, figuring them out feels great.

Endings:
Discussing endings can not be done without spoiling the game, except for the fact that they fit incredibly well with the themes of the game.

Tips and tricks:

• If you do not know the rules of the current puzzle, look around the island. There are introduction puzzles for every type of puzzle that will ease you into that particular type. There are 2 of those "tutorials" right outside the starting area.
• If you have no idea what the rules are for a puzzle, come back later or look at it from a different perspective. Coming back later will only give you a fresh mind and possibly more knowledge on the different puzzles. It will not change the puzzle itself.
• The lake is your friend, if you know how to use it.
• The town is probably the last area you want to go to, as it incorporates all the other types of puzzles on the island.
• Taking in the environment can be quite important.
• There is an end to the game, but make sure you have done everything you wanted to do before ending the game.

Good points:

• The minimalistic approach
• The insane cleverness of the puzzles
• The visual beauty of the environment
• The clever perspective-based puzzles and "easter eggs"

Bad points:

• The shortness of the game (would have loved to see more)
• The sound-based puzzles (why?)
• The difficulty spikes

Conclusion:

This is one of the best puzzle games I have ever played. It is ingenious and fresh and keeps you on your (mental) toes at all times. I highly recommend this game for those who like intelligent games that really require you to think and for those that love to explore beautiful environments.

SPOILER content (i.e. Do not read this if you mind being spoiled or want to experience everything yourself first!):

There are two endings that I know of, and they are both beautiful in their own right. The second one can be found within 5 minutes of starting the game, but without the knowledge you get while playing the game, you will most likely completely miss it.

The first ending is a bit bittersweet, as it resets all your progress that you worked so hard for, but it allows you to start over with a fresh look on your face and more knowledge than you know what to do with.

One of my favorite mechanics of this game is the environmental puzzles. It makes you look at the environment in an entirely different way once you find out about them.

To my dismay, I have had to look up a couple puzzles because I could not figure it out for the life of me, especially the sound-based puzzles (the ship one in particular).