Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Going by way of the remake guidelines
I become old, The Talos Principle stays the identical
In search of perspective
At face worth, The Talos Principle: Reawakened has all the things {that a} good remake wants. Updated graphics, high quality of life enhancements, and a wholly new companion story ought to breathe new life into the unique 2014 title, extensively thought of among the best puzzle video games ever made. And but Reawakened suffers solely as a result of context enjoying The Talos Principle in 2025 brings.
While its puzzles stay simply as expertly designed and delightfully difficult as they did 11 years in the past, the identical can’t be mentioned of its techie narrative. A narrative about humanity getting ready to environmental catastrophe, and the way synthetic intelligence is its saving grace, rings hole in an age the place AI’s ethical, moral, and environmental harms are on fixed show.
That isn’t the fault of developer Croteam, accountable for the unique Talos Principle and Reawakened, however a reminder how a narrative’s energy is a fragile factor consistently in flux. There is one thing becoming in how the sport’s themes of legacy apply to this remake, although not all the time in flattering methods. Still, as a puzzle recreation The Talos Principle: Reawakened delivers some really creative challenges value experiencing.
Going by way of the remake guidelines
Let’s start with what’s new in Reawakened. Rebuilt totally in Unreal Engine 5, this remake boasts “better” graphics that carry the unique visuals extra in step with what a contemporary viewers may anticipate. That principally means a number of foliage, detailed stonework, very reflective water, and a lot gentle all through the beautiful landscapes of the Talos Principle. While these are all good it feels considerably pointless, although graphics aficionados may balk at this sentiment.
11 years may sound like a longtime however when placing the 2014 model of The Talos Principle in opposition to Reawakened, I’m reminded simply how little graphics have actually improved in that point. The further element is good nevertheless it comes throughout extra like Croteam checking a field on the compulsory options of a online game remake to-do checklist. None of the graphical constancy or set dressing provides to my understanding of the setting.
Reawakened additionally brings tweaks to gameplay meant to easy out tough edges of the 2014 launch. These are present in a rewind button, the connectors, and a time document mechanic. Each change or addition is supposed to make the puzzle fixing extra incremental and forgiving of errors. For instance, I can now rewind a couple of seconds at will, making it so I can’t delicate lock myself and need to restart a puzzle from scratch (as is the case within the authentic).
The time recorder, which lets me document my actions for a set time frame after which replay them, has a brand new checkpoint system that makes the as soon as tedious mechanic extra forgiving. Connectors, posts that may redirect gentle beams in puzzles, additionally get a top quality of life increase by taking a web page out of The Talos Principle 2 and making every node simpler to attach and disconnect individually. Together, the adjustments make The Talos Principle rather more forgiving of the participant experimentation required to progress by way of its many challenges.
I become old, The Talos Principle stays the identical
The puzzles themselves stay unchanged and are simply as engaging as in 2014. That’s as a result of good puzzles are timeless. They depend on a strict inside logic to be solved, equalizing the sphere between each potential solver no matter when they’re making an attempt to crack it. The means The Talos Principle units up its puzzles, slowly introducing mechanics and logic issues to the participant after which throwing twists and mixtures as time goes on, is nothing in need of sensible. It’s a case examine in distinctive puzzle design to today, and the physics based mostly nature of it reminds one of many Portal sequence.
Moving blocks, redirecting beams of sunshine, studying the right way to correctly make the most of the time recorder, and different small epiphanies by no means really feel in need of revelatory. The Talos Principle typically left me sitting for stretches of time not sure of what to do, mulling it over in my thoughts, solely to come back to an answer and really feel that scrumptious sense of accomplishment.
Devolver Digital
The narrative, nevertheless, has not stood the take a look at of time in addition to the mechanical facet. Reawakened doesn’t change the story of the 2014 authentic, however enjoying it immediately brings a lot extra baggage. Perhaps it’s the pessimist in me however I discover it a lot tougher to swallow the grand philosophizing about AI and human sentience within the background of an environmental disaster given our present world. AI won’t be our savior, neither is it our equal, however fairly the newest rip-off from tech executives seeking to minimize corners and steal labor. On high of that, AI instruments equivalent to ChatGPT are dangerous to the atmosphere resulting from their giant use of vitality and excessive output of emissions.
I can at occasions separate myself from the present local weather and respect the craft of The Talos Principle’s narrative. The writing is superb, and the best way the bigger story is slowly revealed to me by way of pure exploration and curiosity does feed again into themes of questioning what it means to be aware. But each time I come again to the sport’s fixed uplifting of an imagined splendid of AI I can’t assist however scoff at how silly all of it is.
There is a parallel to be drawn between the mechanical great thing about The Talos Principle and the prevalent want in some circles to offer extra which means to AI than it deserves. These puzzles I’m fixing in The Talos Principle make me really feel sensible, however on the finish of the day they’re designed to be solvable. Croteam doesn’t need me, or any participant, to be too challenged. This is about participant gratification, even when it’s a nicely executed instance of it. Similarly, there’s a fixed need to say AI is extra clever and human-like than it truly is. This bias, desirous to see clever AI, covers up the snake oil salesman actuality behind the know-how. None of that is as sensible as they need you to consider.
In search of perspective
The most important function of Reawakened is In the Beginning, a wholly new story that serves as a form of prologue to the bottom recreation. This comes packaged alongside the bottom recreation and the “Road To Gehenna” DLC, all of which could be chosen from the title display without having to play the others first — a transfer that lets returning gamers dive proper into the brand new content material. Without going into the main points of this new chapter, because it does give perception right into a a lot talked about period of The Talos Principle’s world lore hounds will enjoyment of, there’s something lacking.
Devolver Digital
It’s not that In the Beginning isn’t nicely made. The puzzles really feel contemporary and thrilling, harder than the bottom recreation or Road To Gehenna, it’s a real problem meant for specialists. The narrative is equally nicely constructed, with the identical consideration to element within the prose that the remainder of the sequence shows. Yet the story itself doesn’t carry a lot new to gentle, as a substitute giving a distinct perspective on data realized within the base recreation.
That isn’t a nasty factor in itself, because it is a chance to say one thing contemporary, even perhaps tackle how time has modified the affect of the sport’s themes and narrative. Instead, In the Beginning doubles down on what reads as a misplaced optimism. It’s a narrative about discovering hope even in essentially the most miserable of circumstances. That may sound topical nevertheless it’s too broad, and the 5 to 6 hour runtime of the enlargement doesn’t give it time to come back to some extent.
More perception into The Talos Principle is given by way of the developer commentary included in Reawakened. These audio logs that really feel proper at house subsequent to the in-game logs that dole out the story, provide an thrilling look into how a recreation like this will get made. Croteam can be wanting again on The Talos Principle in these logs, which means we do get a few of that reflection that I used to be itching for in the remainder of Reawakened.
Players who’re simply within the mechanical points of The Talos Principle will discover extra enjoyment within the new chapter, in addition to a brand new puzzle creator. This consists of the flexibility to add designs to the group and play folks’s takes on the physics based mostly mind teasers. It’s expansive and clearly one other function meant to make Reawakened a definitive model of The Talos Principle that provides loads of replay worth. And Reawakened largely is “definitive” in that it provides essentially the most full package deal nevertheless it can’t account for the adjustments that point brings. Let’s all see the way it festivals in 11 extra years.
The Talos Principle: Reawakened was examined on PC.