Are you there God?
When the original Talos Principle was released, it really captivated me. I was drawn in by the obtuse narrative and clever puzzle design. It was the type of game that made me feel exceptionally smart and completely brainless at the same time. One of the things that popped into my brain when seeing this remaster was “is this really necessary?” followed up by the realization that this game is over 10 years old. Time really flies. The original game dropped in 2014, which feels like yesterday. Now we get a full collection of the game and its DLC, wrapped in some new visual flair, creating the perfect opportunity to dive in for the first time, or to revisit as I have clearly forgotten all the puzzles.
For those that have never experienced the Talos Principle, the premise is unique. Players are dropped into a simulated space where familiar ancient structures are littered with laser beams and computers, QR codes are everywhere, and it is clear there is some treachery afoot. It has very obvious religious overtones and there is an ominous voice constantly feeding info about what is going on. It does an outstanding job of keeping me engaged in what is happening. I love the setting, and the puzzles are something else.
MSRP: $39.99
Platforms: Xbox (reviewed), PlayStation, PC
Price I’d Pay: $39.99
Each area has a sort of Tetris-inspired lock that players must collect pieces to open. Each puzzle is a quick test of the mind that reminds me of stuff like Portal where players have to figure out how to solve with limited explanation. It is one of those games that make me feel really smart when I figure it out. There are equal parts making me feel completely stupid when I figure out what it wants me to do. It is well-designed and addictive to where I was constantly saying “..just one more puzzle.”
This package contains the original game as well as its follow-up DLC Road to Gehenna. Both are complete stories that really flesh out the world and why it exists. New to this offering though is the In The Beginning DLC. This new set of puzzles was designed in collaboration with fans of the series, and it shows. This new DLC is a sort of brief prequel to the events of the game and contains 18 puzzles. It is a short, but satisfying ride and some of these puzzles are ridiculous brain teasers. There is a ton of content packed in, making this the definitive Talos Principle collection.
Outside of the new expansion pack, there are also some upgrades. The first is of course that the entire game has been remade in Unreal Engine 5. The original already had a really nice, clean look to it, but seeing it in Unreal 5 really makes it shine. The world is just much more detailed. This shines in the new expansion the most as they had the chance to really flesh out the visuals.
They have also added some quality-of-life improvements. The most notable are the pause options in the recorder sections. I won’t go into detail to avoid spoilers but having this saves so much time in the long run towards the end of the original game. For PC players there is also a puzzle editor which is really neat. I imagine the community is going to go nuts with this. The developers have said they are going to try and to bring it to console at some point as well. Finally, there is a developer commentary track, which is really cool for those familiar with the game. Hearing how they came up with some of the puzzles and fleshed out the story are really worth checking out.
There is a lot packed in here, with over 20 hours of brain-bending content, it is definitely worth checking out for both newcomers and returning fans. The upgrades are worthwhile, and the new expansion is extremely fun. I had a blast revisiting this game and it is just as memorable as it was back in 2014. This is a must-play for those that enjoy these types of puzzle games. It really carves out its own niche and executes it extremely well. Hard to believe this game came from the same guys who created Serious Sam.
Review copy of game provided by publisher.
