A Legacy of Thought-Provoking Puzzles
Over the last couple of decades, we’ve been lucky to have been rewarded with some great puzzle games that have an interesting narrative packed into them as well.
The forerunners that started this trend were Portal, the sequel in Portal 2, and The Witness where you were solving some hefty puzzles but with a great story playing out underneath.
In 2014 another contender appeared in the form of The Talos Principle which got some great reviews and became a fan favourite leading to some DLC and a sequel a few years ago.
And now that game has had a remastering in the form of The Talos Principle: Reawakened, as they provide that decade-old game, some DLC and a new prequel chapter.
Androids, Gods, and Existential Questions
If you played the original game, then you won’t be surprised with what you find in Reawakened, apart from the graphical updates which we will talk about shortly.
The story deals with themes of life, god, and philosophy, putting us into the being of an android waking up in a world of Roman pillars and serene landscapes. You are tasked to complete several puzzles across a series of different areas, collecting sigils, unlocking progress and new abilities.
As you go on through The Talos Principle: Reawakened you hear more of the story told in a ‘godlike’ voice, talking about being a creator of this world. But moving through the world sees you unlock other stories from human voices and scientists who talk about humanity and everyday life. There are also chats about science experiments and AI. What has happened?
Progress and the story will gradually unravel itself to you. I liked, as I did originally, the story and atmosphere of this game. It’s a puzzler first, but the added story gives life to the game, ensuring you will want to progress to learn its secrets.
Without spoiling anything, the DLC chapter and new additions add more to the excellence of this world and are very enjoyable, narratively speaking. I really liked what they have done with the new chapter and how it builds on the world and gives some answers to the story.
First-Person Philosophy
The Talos Principle: Reawakened is played in the first person, allowing you to go and move around the space freely, with a little jump to get up to certain areas. The initial puzzles are straightforward, introducing electronically locked areas guarded by robot mines and turrets that block the path to a signal. Players begin by collecting signal jammers to disable these threats and progress.
Some puzzles require strategic thinking, using multiple jammers, demanding careful sequencing of actions. Later, new mechanics such as differently coloured light beams and connector devices are introduced, requiring players to align beams to open doorways.
As you progress more elements are added, as The Talos Principle: Reawakened starts to become a clever and addictive puzzler. It does get very challenging in the latter moments, but once you are hooked, you’ll discover that you are fully invested and can’t go back.
A Visual Upgrade
The Talos Principle: Reawakened was pretty good looking initially, with its different historical landscapes and ruins dotted around the AI world. But now it’s had an Unreal Engine 5 upgrade, which gives some rather lovely lighting effects and improved textures on everything you can see. This is a very pretty upgrade and you’ll certainly notice the visual work done in this remaster.
Audio-wise and it feels the same as before, which isn’t a bad thing because the soundtrack has an otherworldly quality to it; something that is perfect for this type of game. The voiceover is excellent and there is a great mixture of voices from the god-like narrator to the human scientists you might hear from occasionally.
A Must-Play Puzzle Experience, Enhanced
If you loved the original and got on well with the sequel, then you will enjoy the visual improvements made to The Talos Principle: Reawakened. The puzzles and narrative will draw you in, whilst the DLC and new chapter works nicely to add content and story to the world.
There’s no doubt that this is a great package for fans of the series, but even if you haven’t dipped in before, The Talos Principle: Reawakened comes highly recommended.
Important Links
The Talos Principle: Reawakened Brings Definitive Philosophical Puzzles to Xbox Series X|S, PS5 and PC – https://www.thexboxhub.com/the-talos-principle-reawakened-brings-definitive-philosophical-puzzles-to-xbox-series-xs-ps5-and-pc/
Buy The Talos Principle: Reawakened on Xbox – https://www.xbox.com/en-gb/games/store/the-talos-principle-reawakened/9nt7q3cb5n9t
