The Witness - Noclip Documentary

Another excellent documentary Danny. Your new direction is exactly what I have been wanting from the gaming media for a very long time. Keep up a great work.

Love the doc but how long do we have to wait for the extended cuts? Doesn't exactly seem like a time-intensive thing to upload...

The doc was great. Looking forward to the extended cuts!

Really enjoyed watching this one!

mcwizardry

Hey Danny, Enjoyed the doc. Intro was different than what you've previously done, which I think you mentioned that you were hoping to do so that everything didn't seem like you were sticking to a formula. I liked the jazz and the imagery used in the intro. As someone unfamiliar with Mr. Blow's story, it was nice to hear a bit about him and how he's become the figure he is within the gaming industry. Also enjoyed hearing about how he came up with the Witness and the development of the game. Also glad that you didn't go to spoilery with the different puzzles as now this video has made me want to go play the game. Cheers

Could be good stuff for in the extended interview!

Bavo Debraekeleer

Oh no... I simultaneously loved this episode and was more disappointed by this episode than I've been for anything you've made Danny. I understand of course that you have to make choices about what to include and what to cut, but I would have loved more discussion about the audio clips... and the video clips... and... well, so much more. There is a facet to this game in terms of perspective on life that wasn't discussed at all; the philosophical discussion about faith and science. And the self-referential audio clips very late in the game. In any case, this is small stuff, because I felt compelled to become a patron because of this series. Your work is outstanding, simple as that.

Yeah, I think it's dangerous to assume that everyone "knows what it's all about" before it's begun. The first stab at a conventional game overview is 35 minutes in. Was this a deliberate attempt at heightening the "mystery". If so I'm not sure it worked.

Very interesting to hear the thoughts behind the design and also more on his background. Speaking of thoughts behind, what's the jazzy intro all about? I'm guessing it's a sort of foreshadowing of what he talks about and that you have to look at the environment and nature and stuff? But I'd like to hear your thought process behind it. And now for some constructive feedback! I fear you might loose viewers on the intro. I have the feeling it's a bit to long before you say what the doc is about. It's a long doc though, so if you invest 50min into it you probably already know what it's about and don't mind a long intro? Next, I like that you do a little info screen of a game that's being talk about, like with Scramble (3:20), but you don't do it consistently. So when I'd like some more info, and half expecting it, I don't always get it. I get that it's a bit much if the games go in fast succession though, so not sure what the best thing to do is there. And last, at 3:06 you do this effect. It's a cool effect, but I watched this first thing in the morning and, let's just say it was less cool for my waking brain! That's it! Another great doc, congrats! Have an awesome time in Japan! ;)

Bavo Debraekeleer

Expertly crafted! I love the variety in these docs, keeping me on my toes waiting for the next surprise. Great job man!

This was so good. Thanks for putting this together! Loved all of it as the time flew by.

Brandon K Gann

Another great one! I love the fact that video gaming industry has this kind of nuggets. And I appreciate the fact that you shared your passion and love for them through this video!

Tohir Tillyaev

I love the longer format and to hear about the creators. That's what I love most about these documentaries.

Fantastic documentary - and the game of that year, in my opinion. No other game had the simple, complex depth of The Witness. It was one of the most frustrating, annoying, and limiting games I have ever played. It was one of the most amazing, deep, fun, and amazing games I have ever played.

"Hard to say why it's exciting without spoiling it" "It's hard to communicate what is interesting about it" Hmm, certainly didn't make life easy for yourself with this one did you Danny! :-) Again I feel like there's a much tighter 20 minute documentary in here somewhere. Do we need to hear the life and times of Mr Blow before discussing the game? For anyone unfamiliar with The Witness there's a lot to wade through before the game emerges from its shroud of, er, mystery. When relying this heavily on interview footage there's a danger that it predetermines the structure of the documentary itself. For that to work requires a lot of pre-interview prep work and I didn't get the sense that you were overly familiar with the game from the questions you asked. The intro and outro sequences are visually interesting but a bit indulgent maybe? The transition to the main doc was jarring. What's with the jazz? Some minor whinges: that lapel mic seems to pick up a lot of echo to begin with. How about a second camera angle for the talking heads to add some variety? The persistent background music gets a bit irritating after a while. Again, you've been blessed with a great interviewee here. Must be tempting to just let them talk.

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Love Jonathan Blow. This was worth all the money that I have given and will be giving. Thank you Danny.

Another top notch doc! The Witness was my 2016 game of the year and I'll cherish my notebook full of crossed out line puzzles for a good long while. The first revelatory moment in this game where you get to the second layer of the onion, if you will, is unduplicated in modern games. This project remains my favorite spending money every month. Keep on doing exactly what you are doing, Danny.

Brett Geiser

Easily the most profound game I have ever played. Well done Danny!

Tory Thompson

Can't wait to watch Danny. Safe travels!

Josh in Tampa

This was the one of these 4 docs I've been most excited for. The Witness was my favortie game of last year. Excited to start once I get home!!!

Kevin O'Neil

That sexy jazz intro...

NotYurRealDad