Storytelling

Storytelling

The Witness a game about puzzles and with almost no narrative. It is a huge interactive explorer that allows you to travel to your hearts content. Although the game has a lot of good aspects to it, its one major downfall in my opinion would be the lack of information. You as a character know absolutely nothing about the world you are thrust into. With no information to go off of you are just wondering around solving puzzles and trying to piece the story together.

I believe that the additional narrative that should be included in The Witness could be at least a bit of an explanation of how or why we are there? In the beginning of the game you start in a hallway with a single puzzle at the end of the hall. Why are you there? Who are you and how did you get there? The game doesn’t really have any explanation to these questions. The game should at least have some type of narration that clues the player into the game.

 The mechanics are basic but take a bit to learn. A little direction to how to move and operate certain puzzles isn’t really required.  It also is a game that can be completed at your own pace type. If you as a player wants to go slow or they can go quickly from puzzle to puzzle it doesn’t really matter. Although the pacing can be slow, but you can also go fast through the puzzles and move onto the other areas.

 As for rewards of the games, the main reward would have to be going to a different area unlocked by the puzzle. The puzzles are simple enough to learn but eventually a player wants some type of narration. As for me narration is one of my favorite parts of games. The Witness doesn’t have much of one, if the game had more of a narration to it. I would enjoy the game much more if there was a plot instead of just wondering aimlessly around the map.

For the 3D map I will be using the template first person shooter. As for the narrative designs of the game, the mechanics are going to be pretty basic. I won’t need to inform the player how to walk and stuff but perhaps to pick up the objects. There won’t be much for narrative spaces for the character will be mainly moving around trying to find the objects they need to move onto the next room.

Pacing is another part of the narrative that isn’t much a big deal. You won’t be timed throughout the game, so the player can take their time finding the objects. The whole game shouldn’t take longer than ten to fifteen minutes, so the pacing will still be faster than normal. As for the rewards of the game, as you collect more of the objects. You will be able to unlock some of the different areas to find the next object.