Jonathan Blow, creative mind behind indie darling Braid, has brought an end to the radio silence that had engulfed The Witness, confirming that the Myst-inspired puzzler will be arriving on PlayStation 4 on January 26, 2016.
As one of the titles that helped Sony showcase the technical capability of the PS4, many had assumed that Blow’s long-in-development platform would launch within the console’s inaugural year on the market. Alas, the developer opted to push The Witness from its initial 2014 release date indefinitely, and today’s announcement is the first update released for the unusual title in over a year.
Promising a staggering amount of near-impossible puzzles to solve and lush, autumnal environments to explore, Sony may find Blow’s all-new IP a little difficult to market. But those that have been exposed to the creator’s Braid will need no invitation before diving in at the deep end. According to Blow’s post over on PlayStation Blog, the final build of The Witness will be some 10 times bigger than that showcased a few years back, hinting that there is up to 80s hours of head-scratching gameplay beneath the puzzler’s striking aesthetic.
Making the final preparations before release, Blow notes that the winter period will lend the development team a chance to tighten up all of the game’s loose screws – be it bug-fixing, refining gameplay or adding that extra sheen of polish.
The Witness will launch on PlayStation 4 as a timed-exclusive come January 26, 2016.