The Talos Principle 2 /IMPRESSIONS
Has it really been nine years since The Talos Principle? Seems like it, if the calendar is to be believed. Just like it seems that Croteam hasn’t lost its touch when it comes to making great philosophical puzzle games, if my first 20 or so hours with The Talos Principle 2 are anything to go by.
Just like in the original, here you will embody a conscious and intelligent robot, tasked with solving dozens and dozens of puzzles while thinking about life, the universe and everything. But, unlike in the original, this time you won’t be alone — now you are a member of a society of robots following in the footsteps of The Founder (a.k.a. the protagonist of the original game) and building their own civilization along the way. With that come some new philosophical topics and ideas to consider — and discuss with others, in many optional dialogues that could easily eat up hours of your free time, especially in the early game.
If that sounds like a potential pacing issue, that’s because in some ways it can be, depending on your curiosity and patience. Luckily, all those conversations, along with many text and voice logs found in the game, will not only deepen its lore, but also make you think about your own life and society that surrounds you, as well as humanity as a whole, and things that would otherwise never cross your mind, like ethics of extinction.
Of course, philosophy is only one half of The Talos Principle 2, with puzzles being the other one. And that’s something where the game shines even more.
If you have played the original, you will know how it works — most of the puzzles, at least in the beginning, will involve differently coloured lasers that you have to position and line up to unlock new doors. Sometimes you will also use different gizmos that will help you with lining up the lasers — like drills that make portal-like holes in specific walls, or RGB converters that will combine two different colours to produce a third one. And other times you will be using robot body doubles that you can transfer your mind to, making them carry you around on portable platforms, or positioning them so they can stand on pressure plates that open new doors for you.
And the best thing about the game is the simply sublime way it introduces new puzzle elements and gadgets all the time, letting you get to grips with them before presenting you with puzzles where you have to combine them with others that you have used before. All that results in an amazing experience that will flow beautifully, with you solving some puzzles, and then getting stumped by others before your efforts culminate in one of those “a-ha!” moments that make you feel like the smartest person around.
With evolving puzzles like that at every corner of its sprawling and beautiful environments, and deeply interesting and thought provoking philosophical story, The Talos Principle 2 is one of those puzzle games that we could have only wished for. So thank you Croteam and Devolver Digital for making it a reality, and I hope we won’t have to wait another decade for something like this again.
The Talos Principle 2 | developer: Croteam | publisher: Devolver Digital | platforms: PlayStation 5 (played), Xbox Series, PC
