He’s fallen into the trap of thinking his undeniable game dev genius makes him qualified to speak on other topics he has only a vague understanding of.
Many highly intelligent people make this mistake. John Carmack’s tirade against music notation is a topical example.
Braid is the closest I’ve seen videogames come to literature. The best literature is always about something else - not the plot, but deeper themes. And Braid feels like that, to me. Everything in that game, from the story, to the specific mechanics all tie into the greater theme.
When it sunk it that reversing time was more than just a clever puzzle mechanic, I did a lot of self reflecting.
If you haven’t checked it out, I highly suggest the game Disco Elysium. It’s similar in that the more beautifully-written context you learn about, the more it transcends the plot and explores the themes. You can check out a playthrough of the first parts of gameplay to get a taste of its writing style but it continues to evolve as you level up the voices of your own conscience to the point of genuine wisdom or sheer madness (or leave them oblivious which is also fun).
I’m with you. The Witness is still quite possibly my favorite game of all time. One of the few I wish I could wipe from my memory and play again, fresh.
Exactly. I wish someone had told me not to look up answers. I ruined so many ah-hah moments (fortunately not the moment). There’s so much bad advice online about how to approach the game. For anyone reading this who hasn’t played it:
DO NOT browse any related online communities
DO NOT look up answers
DO NOT start a new game until you’ve reached the credit scroll
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