Feature: Going Platinum #2: The Witness

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Platinum Trophy #2: The Witness

Date Earned: 21st February 2016

Dopamine Index:

You know, it’s funny, I was just realizing I hadn’t actually unlocked a single Platinum Trophy until I started writing for Push Square. Before that, I didn’t really focus on them much at all. It was joining the team here that really got me into hunting those Platinums!

Interestingly, The Witness was only the twelfth game I’ve ever reviewed. While that number isn’t special on its own, it’s pretty wild to think I’m now approaching my 400th review!

I still think about this game all the time. I genuinely enjoyed every part of it, even the more confusing story elements and long, philosophical speeches. The setting, puzzle design, and overall atmosphere created a really immersive and mysterious world that I couldn’t get enough of.

I’m a huge fan of The Witness – it’s even my profile picture here! I don’t usually replay games once I’ve finished them, but I find myself thinking about diving back into this one. It’s just so cleverly designed, I wouldn’t mind figuring out all those unique puzzle rules all over again.

I ended up spending more time with this game than necessary, purely to earn all the Trophies. Each section of the island has a final challenge where you activate a laser pointing towards the mountain peak, and completing each one unlocks a Trophy. However, you don’t actually need to complete all of these to finish the game.

I’m a completionist at heart, so I really wanted to experience everything this game had to offer. What I loved most was how the game subtly showed me the ropes without any hand-holding – it just trusted me to figure things out. Because of that, I found myself totally hooked on solving as many of those clever line puzzles as possible, just to see how it all worked!

Earning the platinum trophy felt like a natural progression, but like many players of The Witness discover, there’s a final puzzle that truly puts everything you’ve learned to the test.

The game challenges you with a series of difficult puzzles that must be solved quickly. There’s no visible timer, but the music gives you a sense of how much time is remaining.

The pieces Anitra’s Dance and In the Hall of the Mountain King were played back-to-back, and I started using how much of the music had played as a way to gauge how well I was doing in the challenge.

This music is so strongly connected to the game The Witness in my memory that I can practically hear it playing as I write, almost like an inner soundtrack. Is that even possible – to hear music inside your head?

I lost count of how many tries it took, but I’m actually happy I didn’t give up. What matters is I succeeded, and I’ve got the platinum trophy to show for it.

Cheers, The Witness.

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2025-12-06 23:07