How do you build on a success that took a good part of the gaming world by storm? In theory, it’s the most straightforward of things: by potentially delivering a game of such scope and creativity that it makes the original pale in comparison. Putting that into practice is where the true challenge lies, but our first impressions from The Talos Principle 2 are exceptionally reassuring and exciting, not to mention nerve-wracking and filled with brilliant eureka moments.
A Portal Into a Brave New World
The influences from writers such as Isaac Asimov may not be intentional, but are nonetheless visible in many facets, namely the automatons that star in this mind-bending puzzle adventure where controversial and perpetual subjects go hand in hand, testing both your skills and your ability to question the information around you. It’s a deeper dive into the philosophical aspect brought forward by the first game, with dialogues that are often food for thought, with no right or wrong answers to an endless array of questions and existential doubts.
It’s a finicky balance for sure, creating a puzzle game with such a thoughtful theme and sustained by a narrative driving the game forward and encouraging exploration. The Talos Principle 2 manages to avoid the pitfall of pretentiousness by pacing progress in a way that doesn’t overwhelm you with its themes, nor does it force you into a certain train of thought. You will be taken in this journey of intrigue and mystery, that’s a given, but the way it’s done feels satisfying and almost like a colonist, exploring new and awe-inspiring places and structures.
You begin in this Egyptian-themed tutorial area with minimal context and a succession of puzzles that is nothing but a smoke curtain for what’s to come, deliberately hiding the scope of the game that will expand before your eyes about one hour later, when you awake to a new and surprising reality. As the thousandth and final robot to reach this futuristic settlement, you quickly discover that you in fact harbor the consciousness of a human, created after a plague erased humanity and organic forms as we know them. Known by your new peers as 1K, visiting the city quickly segues into exploring unknown regions, often comprised of stunning sights, jaw-dropping structures, and mind-bending puzzles.
The way your team of explorers discuss their approach and findings is akin to an adventure game, with reasonably sized areas to wander about freely. There’s lore to be found, PDA conversations to have, some of them of intriguing metaphysical depth, but locating the puzzle sectors is your goal, clearly signposted so that you know where to go to put your brain cells to the test. The light beam puzzles are just the entry point for a world of head scratching, now bolstered by the introduction of RGB convertors, where two colored rays will be converted into a differently colored one, a process that needs to be carefully thought out to activate receivers and unlock barriers.
Since colors play a huge role in the puzzles, accessibility options are crucial to help a segment of players who are color-blind and still want to enjoy this experience. Thankfully, there’s a dedicated mode with various settings and strength so that anyone can tweak it to their liking.
This Is Not a Drill
The Talos Principle 2 comes with a lot more options than light beams. Due to the nature of the gameplay and the barriers that you will eventually stumble upon until you finally hit that craved eureka moment, we couldn’t deeply examine all the new possibilities, but they sound fascinating and properly diabolic. We managed to experiment the new driller tool, however, opening holes in walls of a specific type and expanding the possibilities – you can move an object or send a light beam through the hole, but there’s no way for you yourself to pass through it. This goes further into Portal territory, despite the differences, and there are more gadgets waiting for you later on in the adventure.
Puzzles can be challenging when we’re simply playing with light beams and converters, but as soon as drillers and jammers join into the mix, it may descend into intimidating territory. However, there’s a palpable difficulty curve, and it goes without saying that one more advanced puzzle may click with you faster than an earlier trial, as you adjust your mindset, and everything seems to fall into place.
You can use a token to skip a particular puzzle that is giving you a troublesome time, but first you must discover them. Luckily, you’ll come to certain parts where new sites open without forcing you to fully complete the previous one, each featuring eight puzzles, giving the game a less restrained approach and offering players some deserved respite to try new puzzles, instead of pushing them to the point of breaking in a specific trial.
Brain Matters
For a game that requires you to use your brain to its full potential, it’s so obvious that The Talos Principle 2 is a no-brainer. The matter at hand is even more exciting than before to delve into, with amazing presentation and renewed scope, and the puzzles become more complex thanks to the introduction of various new tools.
As far as puzzle games go, they rarely come with such ambition and care, almost an adventure game that just happens to have several enigmas thrown in to test your intellect. There are few things as rewarding as watching all the pieces fall together, and The Talos Principle 2 is the kind of work that not only tests your wits but also makes you question some of your beliefs, and nearly a decade of waiting will surely be worth it in the end.
MP1st was given access to a preview build of The Talos Principle 2 for our hands-on session. The Talos Principle 2 launches on November 2, 2023 for PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X|S.