The Witness: is it predictable?

 The Witness. A game that's been out for 8 years as of writing this.

I'm not, traditionally, a gamer. But I will sit and play games if put in front of one, with exception to arcade games which I will absolutely run my arse over to in an instant.

Anyway...

A friend and his dog have been getting me to play The Witness when I stay around his because quote unquote "it will change your life/mind/world" etc.

Anyway, I start playing and I immediately realise it's a) a puzzle game and b) the artwork is stunning.

And I'm playing the game and doing the puzzles, thinking I'm being really clever. Then I get frustrated, stop answering the puzzles, walk around, find more puzzles, think I'm clever repeat.

And a couple of days later, it hits me.

But I hope I'm not thinking the obvious. Is this obvious? Is the game actually predictable in theory?

So... this game clearly has no actual story. No proper "end game". No actual meaning?

Or so we think.

We're dumped/awoken/born (?) in a cave. Not told to actually do anything. Not even told the controls or instructions. We assume that we have to move forward, because that's the the whole principle of any game (also in life too). We do what we believe is correct. And also, what we believe we have been told to do in life. (Again, comparisons!)

But we do it. Because its instinct. And then we go up to this new shiny object (a big screen) and click on it cos... that's what we do as humans, click, click, click - got to search. Got to do things. Got to do solve the puzzles. (Again, which is what we do.) We solve the puzzle because we we're smart people, but... we (humans) want to be (or at least appear) smarter. (That's why we buy those self help books about "how to become rich overnight", and/or learn magic (this is a self-own) because we all want to be the smartest person in the room at all times - because smart = power = status. Or so we have been told.)

But we start solving the puzzles or at least attempt to because a) oooh I'm smart I get to do something that makes me feel and look clever. B) serotonin (doing things that have an answer/solution to them makes the brain happy) c) its a task. Humans have been built from birth to death that we must work and complete tasks for our lives to have meaning and completed tasks gives us reward (apparently). (Well, you complete your tasks at work and you get your reward - pay. UwU)

However, none of the puzzles, or even solving the puzzles are making me happy or giving me serotonin. I feel like I'm completing tasks for the sake of completing tasks. So far, there's no consequence for completing or not completing a puzzle, (with exception to perhaps a door being opened or two).

So... unless something beautifully spectacular happens at the end of the Game (if I'm shot out into space and become a flying lizard), I don't see the point. There is no indication that anything will happen if I do everything and go everywhere.

Again, we are not told via the game instructions (because there are none) that we even have to complete the puzzles, or why or how. It just assumes that we will and essentially do. (Again, because we have been trained from birth to death to do this.)

So the other part of the game; the exploration. Its beautiful to explore the supposed island that we have arrived/been born on. It gives me something to do when I'm pissed off with the monotonous puzzles that never seem to end or have a point to. The artwork is beautiful and I'm sure that a lot of money and time has gone into it.

The idea that it's giving me is that the "actual" game is this: life. The real game is life. Its to live. Its to go out into the world, (the real world) and explore. See the beauty in the world. Enjoy it. Enjoy yourself. The real wonders are nature. Life is as extraordinary as you want it to be.

The universe is one big puzzle that you can't ever solve. And you shan't. There is too much of it to explore. But explore you must. As humans, we have always just... expanded. Because that's what we always have done. (Again, being the smartest person in the room because we don't highly rate ourselves so we need other people to do it for us.)

This is why Religion(s) exist. To answer all of our questions with "because G-d did it/created it so" etc. (Also, it gives man absolute power over his own kind, but that's another blog post.)

You can not know everything. Nor will you know everything. And that's ok. But learn as much as you need to, why? Because its there and available. (The same was said about colonialism.)

Anyway, The Witness... we are on an island, with supposedly no other life but ourselves, the time doesn't change (allegedly) and noone else apparently lives here, though... there is evidence that there could've been people who've lived here before - I.e. the statues that are dotted around the island.

As beautiful and bliss it all is... it all gives me a sense of unease, and I don't know why? Perhaps it is because there is no sign of time moving or weather changes... it's all just... Still. And I don't like it. As if we're stuck in one moment of time in a sense of purgatory? (Again, isn't life purgatory till proven otherwise? Now thats some deep thinking, big brain shit.)

I like to think that each person there is a statue of is a representation of the person we were once before. Like a reincarnation thing. Because if we're the only life source on this island and its this well built up, where is everyone? Who terraformed this island? Where's the food? Who is this island for? Who built it? Why is it abandoned? Why are we even here?

(Again, all questions that the human race has been asking since we gained consciousness. Both in our own personal lifetimes, and the human race as a whole.)

I like to think that this one person, (us in the game), came to the island and built it for themselves and wired it all up in such a way that the puzzles lead them up to the top of big mountain, just to die, and become reborn back in the cave just to live again and to continue on with the work that they started. And before they die/kill themselves (whatever) they build a new statue to give themselves clues on who they are and were and what the fuck is happening; as it canonically seems to show that we, as the person, have some sort of amnesia of everything prior to "the cave". We have been given no information from anything before then and no information about ourselves after either.

In fact, to my memory, we don't even seem to have a name in this game. (Symbolism? Identity loss and dehumanism in the real world is very common, especially if you become a slave to the machine; i.e. The Stanley Parable/Capitalism.)

In recent Gameplay, I recently discovered that there are eastereggs/hidden items in the game, and I assume that they're all voice recorders but all just have different voice recordings on.

The one we found quoted a philosophist (as memory serves) and I'm guessing they all quote different philosophical works and theorists etc. Talking about the mind, psychology and the universe as a whole - possibly.

As I guessed, the game is more than "just a puzzle game" and it's trying to be deep and meaningful and possibly edgy. (But I'm sure that many people (fanboys) won't like the fact that I've just called The Witness "edgy".)

Its a game that's about life, people, the world and how beautiful it all is. Yet, quite monotonous. However, the secret is to see "past" it all, I guess (?) And to be a Witness to the magic and wonders of the universe - both in and out of game.

But...

Is it that simple? If so... how predictable.

Koschei Rex