Game: The Talos Principle 2
Genre: Adventure, Puzzle
System: Steam (Windows) (also available on Xbox One & Xbox Series & PS4 & PS5)
Developer|Publisher: Croteam | Devolver Digital
Controller Support: Yes
Price: US $29.99 | UK £24.99 | EU € 28,99
Release Date: November 2nd, 2023
A review code was provided with many thanks to Thinky Games.
The Talos Principle 2 is a 2023 puzzle game developed by Croteam and released by Devolver Digital.
Premise
The Talos Principle 2 is set years after The Talos Principle, and it can be considered a direct sequel. While you do not have to play the first game to understand what’s happening with the second, it would certainly help you enjoy it more.
The Talos Principle games are set in the future after humankind has died out because of a deadly virus released from the permafrost due to global warming. Some scientists set out to create sapient androids to preserve human knowledge and civilization. The first is Athena, the playing character from The Talos Principle, and the game is about their adventures and explorations.
The second game is set years after the first. We play as 1K, the 1000th android, who is sent on an expedition to investigate a massive energy surge far from the android city. Along the way, 1K finds mysterious structures, new technologies, and secrets about the past, the future, and Athena.
The Gameplay of The Talos Principle 2
The Talos Principle 2, much like its predecessor, relies on logic puzzles and exploration to move the story along. There are no enemies here and no timers anywhere. Still, beware of deep waters and high falls. The world is primarily peaceful, if a little empty. However, there is still a lot to discover for a curious android.
The controls are minimal: movement with WASD, space for jump, shift for run, and E for interact. The mouse controls the camera view.
Like its predecessor, The Talos Principle 2 is a first-person puzzle game where the main goal for the player is to press a button or collect a part by overcoming different obstacles within a puzzle. The central part of the game consists of 12 areas, each with eight puzzles. Each of the regions contains optional puzzles as well.
On the upper part of the screen, we have a compass, showing us some points of interest. There needs to be a map, which, I admit, I missed a little. Exploring is strongly encouraged by the game; you can find sparks, which can then be used to skip a puzzle, that is, to “clear” it without solving it.
The puzzles mostly overcome obstacles such as barriers or walls, elevation, opening doors, etc. At the beginning of the game, we have a short prologue, which introduces us to the main types of puzzles. We have to move boxes around, which can be used as weights or to stand on. There are different barriers – purple, which we can pass through, or blue, which needs to be “jammed.” We have fans and laser beams to turn off and on and sometimes even move.
Jammers, also found in the first game, can disable some powered devices from a distance. You can also place them on pressure plates. We also have drillers, which are a new addition and can be used to drill holes in some of the walls for a limited time. Another new addition is the option to transfer the consciousness of 1K into blank android bodies, leaving the original behind.
In each area, besides the eight puzzles, we also have two “lost” puzzles, which are optional. Collecting all lost puzzles gives us the ability to unlock the Golden Gates, which we find in some of the areas behind which we can see even more challenging puzzles. If we solve all of those, we can affect, to some extent, the game ending we get. Yes, in The Talos Principle 2, we have multiple game endings. We can also collect stars, two per area, and collecting all of them unlocks additional cutscenes.
The puzzles in The Talos Principle 2 are creative and engaging. They make you think, look around, wonder, and marvel. Sometimes, you need to jump, and sometimes, you’ll find that you can walk vertically up the wall. You have to try.
The Lore
The Talos Principle games are steeped in lore and mythology. The title Talos is a direct reference to a giant bronze automaton, Talos, said to have been made by Hephaestus at the request of Zeus to protect Princess Europa in Crete from pirates and invaders. There are quite a few references to Greek mythology besides Talos- we also have meetings with Prometheus and Pandora.
The game intertwines natural philosophers and authors with texts by in-game writers like Straton of Strageira, emails, diaries, memories from the long-lost human civilization, and even Athena, the first android. Those pieces of lore are the real draw in The Talos Principle 2. I love games with a good story that forces you to think and dwell on it long after you’ve finished the game, and The Talos Principle 2 is one of those.
The game constantly and elegantly poses the question of what it means to be human, how we coexist with each other, how we relate to the world around us, and what will be left after us. While there are probably plenty of more recent and visually close examples, what I kept thinking of while playing was Clifford Simak’s City, admittedly one of my favorite books ever, about a civilization of sentient dogs long after humanity is gone, living and telling tales of the ancient humans. In The Talos Principle 2, in the abandoned labs and ruined structures, on the Golden Gates and giant monuments, in diaries and audio logs, you’ll hear tales about humanity like this.
The World
Visually and esthetically, The Talos Principle 2 is simply gorgeous. From the moment you start the game during the prologue in an Egyptian garden to all the places you’ll go, you can only marvel at the vistas. The way the story is told, through what we see and experience and read, the language used, the music, the visuals; everything compliments each other perfectly.
For me, movement was snappy; there were no bugs and no lagging. There are plenty of options to adjust and make the best out of the game – for video; we have options and settings for basically everything from effects to sharpness, reflections, textures, motion blur, frame rates, and so on. We also have options for color blindness, which I’ve rarely seen.
We have audio options for music, dialogue, effects, ambience, etc. It allows you to customize the game perfectly for your needs. We can toggle off and on subtitles and adjust their size, thickness, and opacity. We can change the size of the compass, choose whether or not to have hints and controls on the screen, and so on. We also have options for people with motion sickness, turn off or lower motion blur, and bobbing of the camera. It is rare to see such extensive options, especially for a puzzle game, but it shows great care for the players.
Some Side Notes
The Talos Principle 2 has Steam Achievements but no Trading Cards yet. There are also no difficulty settings, but the controls are easy to get the hang of. The puzzles are far from easy but not unsolvable and are undoubtedly worth it. Since there is no timer, you can take your time and look around. While you can use sparks to skip a puzzle, keep them and use them only if you’re really stuck. They are hard to find.
Conclusion
The Talos Principle 2 is one of the best puzzle games I’ve played recently. It is also one of the best and most thought-provoking sci-fi stories I’ve had the pleasure of experiencing. I can’t recommend it enough.
Final Verdict: Two Thumbs Up: 