The Talos Principle 2 PC Preview @TalosPrinciple
Honestly… I didn’t know this one was coming. But when the opportunity to have a look at The Talos Principle 2 came along… I grabbed it like a first year Philosophy student grasping at their concept of reality.
The same striking visuals are back (this time with more vibrant colour) and the deep questions of meaning and what it means to be “human”.
You begin by “waking up” and discovering that you are the 1000 of your kind… a milestone that many believe deserves celebration as it marks the end of a goal that was set long ago. But others believe there is more to life than following plans set out many many years ago.
As with the first game, the core mechanics focus around puzzle solving and indeed many of the same items are back to challenge players… but there are (as could be expected with a sequel) new items and prominent among these is the use of colour via lasers, RGB changers and other tools to help solve puzzles. There is more exploration of who you are and where you fit in the world… though that world may just be one aspect of reality and much as the first one involved trying to discover just who or what you are… that theme is taken to another level here.
Architecturally, there are plenty of classical sculptures, traditional building styles and lush green lands to explore, but there is a more communal aspect to your explorations this time as you are actually investigating as part of a team (though working on your own within that team). The interplay between your fellow explorers providers further philosophical debate about purpose in the world and what your society should be doing and what it perhaps shouldn’t. There are some very clear parallels with religious dogma and room to decide if you should question that or not.
The series retains it’s fascinating look at what it means to be human and some of the challenges facing society… all through the finely crafted lens of an android and their explorations of a wonderous world.
Final Thoughts
I was certainly curious where this was going to go and I’m certainly keen to see where it heads. From the portion I’ve played so far, the puzzles are still progressively more challenging… but once you take a step back and think about things, you can generally work it out. The banter between your colleagues provides some interesting insight into where you came from and what might lay ahead.
If you enjoyed the first game I suspect this will also be right up your alley. Keep an eye out and grab a copy when available.
About the Author
Chris O'Connor Father of four, husband of one and all round oddity. Gaming at home since about 1982 with a Sinclair ZX Spectrum. Moving on to the more traditional PC genre in the years that followed with the classic Jump Joe and Alley Cat. CGA, EGA, VGA and beyond PC's have been central to my gaming but I've also enjoyed consoles and hand helds along the way (who remembers the Atari Lynx?). Would have been actor/film maker, jack of many trades master of none.
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