The Talos Principle

As a straight puzzle game The Talos Principle is very solid, but the setting and narrative really elevate it into something special. It reminded me a lot of how I felt when I was finding all of the glyphs in Assassin’s Creed II – I enjoyed the main game, but I wanted to go the extra mile and dig deeper to understand everything I could.

It’s a game that aspires to be more than what we traditionally expect, and one that has an intangible quality that makes it more than the sum of its parts. It’ll stay with you after you’ve completed it and call you back to explore its hidden corners to see what else you’ll uncover there.

You’ve got to be in the mood for Talos. It’s demanding of your time and attention, especially if you’re the type that wants to finish most things you start. And you’ve got to have a love affair with words. But if that describes you … this game can be magical. The result is a little melancholy, a little melodramatic, but one of the better puzzle game presentations I’ve ever played.

All in all, this is another hit for Croteam after a long absence. They’ve done it again, and created something that is truly impressive. If you enjoy puzzle games, pick this up. If you want a deep and meaningful story, you can also get that here as you can plod along at your own pace, stopping at all of the terminals.

The Talos Principle’s controls are simple and effective, utilizing basic WASD movement with lots of left-clicking, so it’s easy to pick up and play regardless of your skill level. ...Though many games simply contend themselves as being great time-wasters, The Talos Principles manages to be both a great game and a contemplative piece of art, and the world is a richer place for it.

The Talos Principle is a lofty and intellectual game, requiring dedication and attention to see it through to its fullest rewards. A person could play through just doing the puzzles, skipping the many logs and audio recordings, and enjoy the game well enough. But the weight that comes from understanding the narrative is more than worth the effort. Games that are this thought provoking and enjoyable are rare. Rarer still are those that imbue this level of pride and honor upon completion.

With its relaxing atmosphere, pretty environments and interesting theological dilemma, The Talos Principle is PS4's best puzzler to date.

The Talos Principle is a meaty puzzle experience that will take you over a dozen hours to complete and then leave you chewing on some of life’s greatest mysteries for weeks. You might not be able to solve the nature of humanity, but the rest of this game’s puzzles will leave you feeling brilliant enough to try.

This is a game with things to say – or more importantly, things to ask - and it gets to be one of the few existing videogames out there that can give your brain a complete workout in more ways than one. There’s enough to satisfy those looking for either puzzles or an interesting story, but if you’re searching for both, then The Talos Principle is going to be something very, very special for you.

The Talos Principle joins an unlikely pair of creative forces in a way that succeeds far beyond my expectations. It's a smart game that doesn't punish you for it, a puzzle game that allows a sense of creativity. And while it isn't the most upbeat thing out there, there's a vein of hope that runs through it — and ties it all together neatly at the end.

The large, beautiful worlds of The Talos Principle are filled with lovely ruins and pretty weather effects, making the time you’ll spend ramming your head against its stone walls and locked energy-doors a pleasantly relaxing experience despite its many periods of momentary frustration. ...The Talos Principle expects you to be smart and knows you’ve got the brain to figure it out, and the reward for it being right is the a sense of satisfaction at solving something properly tricky.

The Talos Principle is a good world to get lost in. The strong, heady philosophical focus isn't as integrated into the puzzles as it initially suggested, but for those of you who like to flex your minds by action rather than heavy reading or contemplation, the puzzle sections deliver just as well. Much like Portal, The Talos Principle makes you feel smart just by playing it, as the bulk of the puzzles hit that sweet spot between too easy and near-impossible.

The Talos Principle is an absolute joy to play, packed to the gills with expertly designed puzzles and enough ancillary content to make any history of philosophy buff salivate. But all of that is almost beside the point in the face of the game's thematic ambitions. ...It serves as a fantastic representation of the human condition, complete with curiosity, speculation, wonder, fear, and a yearning to know the unknowable. But most importantly, it nails the role that isolation plays in the human condition.

The feeling of accomplishment from solving The Talos Principle's puzzles is almost like a high, and the game does a mostly great job of guiding you in the beginning and then letting you figure things out for yourself. Some hiccups near the end drastically change the pace of problem solving for the worse, but it's a game that will seriously challenge you to think and to reason.

In another game I'd write that line off as overthink. Chances are, nine times out of ten, that art that says nothing was trying to say something and failed. I don't think that's true for The Talos Principle. ...The game is clever enough to pull something like that off, and generous enough in its puzzle design to make you feel clever into the bargain. If you're actually a person, that is. There's still some doubt on that front.

The Talos Principle has some important things to say, but more thoughtfully, it wants the player to have important things to say as well. Even those who do not bother to think about the philosophical topics can find a smart, sometimes frustratingly difficult puzzler here. It really shines for those open to both.

With regard to its technical aspects, the visuals are somewhat mediocre and not fully optimised as yet. The music is fairly simple, yet it's effective in creating a suitable atmosphere and it doesn't distract the player. The controls are responsive and extremely simple, using only movement keys and the mouse for almost the entire game.

If none of that sounds like your cup of Earl Grey and you just love 3D puzzle games then The Talos Principle will be worth the price of entry as you can ignore most of the musings on offer here. But I feel you’d be missing out on what makes The Talos Principle so interesting. It’s an experience that truly stretched different parts of my mind in more satisfying way than Portal.

The Talos Principle is a game of challenges and conundrums and philosophical wonderings, filled with logic puzzles and cerebral mysteries. Its chunky mechanical processes are underpinned by a compelling breadcrumb-trail narrative that tackles the intangible notion of humanity and consciousness. ...it exudes personality and charm; its mechanical precision complementing its aesthetic qualities.

The Talos Principle es una aventura de puzzles que atrapará a todos los jugadores aficionados al género y a todos aquellos que disfrutasen en su día con Portal o Portal 2. ...El juego de Croteam nos da una libertad apabullante para resolver los acertijos prácticamente en el orden que queramos y, gracias a ello, podemos alternar con facilidad con otro de los rompecabezas que encontraremos en este precioso y detallista mundo.

No es único, de acuerdo, pero tiene suficiente carácter y personalidad para ser una propuesta innovadora, y su inyección filosofal está algo fuera de lugar con respecto a la experiencia jugable, pero le da un toque fenomenal a la experiencia. Si te apetece pensar y, al mismo tiempo, superar ligeros desafíos de habilidad, el sorprendente cambio de tercio de los creadores de Serious Sam es para ti.

Si te gustan los juegos de rompecabezas que sean largos, complejos, llenos de secretos y con una gran libertad para jugador, que nunca sean frustrantes, y que además cuenten con una historia misteriosa y elaborada, que toca temas interesantísimos de la ciencia ficción y la filosofía, te va a enamorar este juego.

Schade ist nur, dass die beiden hoch interessanten erzählerische Ebenen nicht noch besser in das Lösen der Aufgaben integriert wurden. Aber auch so wird man mit drei möglichen Enden sowie einem Sammelsurium an cleveren Logik- und Physikaufgaben über mehr als ein Dutzend Stunden sehr gut unterhalten.

Schön, dass Croteam sein Puzzle-Highlight auch noch für Rift und Vive umgesetzt hat, denn das enstpannte Knobeln passt hervorragend zu VR: Wenn man verwundert durch die geheimnisvollen Tempel schreitet, fühlt man sich beim Umschauen mit dem Headset wie in einer fremdartigen Welt.

Das bedeutet nicht, dass The Talos Principle einfach wäre. Sondern nur, dass es eines dieser seltenen Knobelspiele ist, bei denen man manches Mal in diesen fast magischen, Zen-artigen Zustand kommt, der fast schon einem Rennspiel gleicht. Man weiß instinktiv, was zu tun ist und nutzt seine Systeme mit höchster Effizienz.

The Talos Principle spielt gekonnt mit seinem philosophischen Unterbau und verwebt ihn clever mit der eigentlichen Geschichte. Deswegen bleibt uns die Thematik auch über das eigentliche Spiel hinaus präsent. Immerhin behandelt es im Zeitalter der Technologie höchst spannende Fragen. ...Die Rätsel sind knackig, aber nie unfair. Besonders schwere Puzzles belohnen uns mit einem grandiosen Glücksgefühl.

Sacré revirement pour Croteam qui, après des années passées sur une série de FPS drôles et bourrins, se risque avec brio sur un genre radicalement différent. The Talos Principle est à la fois un puzzle-game d'une grande efficacité, offrant en option des énigmes d'une envergure impressionnante, et une réflexion maîtrisée sous une forme étonnante.

Virage à 90 degrés parfaitement négocié de la part des créateurs de Serious Sam, qui présentent ici une formule dosée juste comme il faut. Entre un récit atypique sur fond de questions existentielles et des puzzles bien sentis, cette production parvient sans mal à susciter l'intérêt, l'envie. Le besoin de progresser et de découvrir le fin mot de l'histoire s'avère constant.

Vraie bonne surprise, The Talos Principle fait preuve d'une intelligence de conception rare, aussi bien dans sa progression que ses défis et son écriture, toujours en accord quasiment parfait. Jeu de réflexion mécanique pure autant qu'interrogation sur la condition humaine et sa possible extension, le titre de Croteam ne pêche que sur un petit nombre de détails mineurs pendant la bonne vingtaine d'heures requise (en moyenne) pour découvrir les différentes fins possibles.

The Talos Principle è una delle più belle sorprese del 2014. Quest'anno abbiamo visto molti giochi intelligenti e sperimentali, dove però la narrazione imponeva pesanti compromessi al gameplay. Croteam è riuscita a dare vita a un gioco emozionante e inquietante, capace di raccontare e parlare anche a suon di enigmi. Non vedo l'ora di scoprire il prossimo progetto dello studio.