If you like a good puzzle game, then look no further. The Talos Principle: Reawakened is a satisfying puzzler that has no stressful time limit and nothing is actively out to kill you. Although you do die, and in my case that is a lot.
Accompanying you along your way is the voice of Elohim, God and creator of the world you now walk through and who promises you eternal life if you solve his puzzles. On one condition: you must not climb the Tower. Put your faith in Elohim and resist the temptation, or let your curiosity take over? I won’t spoil the story too much for those who wish to play. Your character explores the purpose of life and death, what it means to be human. It is thought-provoking and a few other things you can find out when you play.
The only other puzzle game I have played that was actually based on puzzles was Portal 2, and The Talos Principle wins for me in so many ways, even with the continuous dying, which is due to laser jammers or just blowing up. You can’t swim, yes, I tried.
The puzzles made me think and wait and strategize with limited resources to achieve what seemed to be impossible things to begin with, but with each step you learn new ways to work the problem presented before you. You are given tools to use, and with each new stage, you learn new ones and combine them. Several times I was left with an unfinished puzzle and moved along to the next. After completing a different puzzle or taking a break, I’d go back to the unsolved challenge and often complete it straight away.
At one point I thought the puzzles were all of a sudden getting too easy; that thought didn’t last long at all. I found the puzzles interesting and clever and always applying the previous skills you have learned to later problems. It’s also nice to tackle the puzzles in any order. I especially love the wee signs that signal when puzzles are complete. They have an X over them like someone has come along with a can of paint and a brush and just slapped it up.
The music throughout the game is calming and well suited to the beautiful set of worlds. With stunning views, wildflowers, shimmering ponds and creative architecture, it’s a welcoming place to be immersed in.
As I have not played the original game, I cannot compare the improvements that have been made with this release, but I can say that this is a beautiful game; it ran extremely well on my older PC, which I built in 2017.
Pros
- Immersive world.
- Amazing soundtrack.
- No stressful timer and moving at your own pace with each puzzle.
Cons
- At the start, puzzles felt quite similar. This levels out as the game went on.
For anyone looking for something stress free and a bit of a brain teaser, this just may be the one for you. I will definitely be playing any other Talos Principle additions released by Croteam.
A review code was provided by Devolver Digital for Steam.
