The Witness

15 Hours?

Not properly finished, as the game still refuses to offer up any firm solutions to its mysteries, but I suspect it's all just a meta-wank at its core. Ultimately, I've had my fill of line puzzles, at least for now, no matter how attractive the wrapper that surrounds them or how many variations (some subtle, some radical) there are in the mix. As a primer in in-game tutorials, this is some sort of achievement, to be sure, but it too often substitutes aloof frustration for reinvention. Even after I'm done, I feel like I'm stumbling through the dark...

Oceanhorn

8 Hours

Not terrible by any means, but certainly derivative. This unabashed Wind Waker clone even copies an unwelcome late-game fetch quest from its predecessor. Ultimately, the gameplay is close to sufficient, but there is absolutely none of the charm that Nintendo's games are known for (e.g. an attempt at an in-game romance is absolutely cringe-worthy). As a result the game is at once impressive (to think it started on iOS!) and wearying, since it hits familiar beats without much of the impact of even the worst entries in the Zelda franchise. Despite it all, since this is an undernourished genre, it's worth a look, but it's hardly the stuff of which Legends are made.

Dead Space

10 hours

Third time through. Holds up surprisingly well in 2016. Strikes a nice balance between puzzles, action and one-off set pieces. A series that would do well to return at some point. Not "scary" per se, but packed full of jump scares. One of the better examples of AAA gaming.