The Talos Principle 2

If I were the type to really care about the VGAs and other video game awards, I would probably be annoyed at how robbed this game was to not even be nominated for GOTY. As it stands, I do believe it was robbed, I just don't see enough value in those awards to care: just a foolishness to have snubbed such a gem of a game. This game right here is the single best experience I have had gaming in all of 2023 and is a strong contender for one of the best ever. If it wasn't for the fact that puzzle games are not a gametype everyone would like, I would be giving this game a 10 out of 10 without a second thought, it's that good. But seeing how some people just will not enjoy it for the nature of what it is, that is not possible by my own rules. But know this, miss out at your own loss. This is something special like we almost never see.

I never suspected this to be such a beauty and an expansion of the world of the 1st episode. 80GB, I was like yeah, they cranked up to textures big deal, new color big deal... NOPE! This is an immense adventure, with text choices, incredible graphics, exploring and excitement. This isn't just a puzzle game anymore, and if the 1st was a bit... well let's say it ugly, the esthetics in this one are A-MA-ZING. Definitively would recommend, I'm just astonished I haven't heard about this game at all. How?? PS playing the first is still recommend for the Aaaah ond Oooh's of the story

Talos 1 was an amazing game that I didn't think needed a sequel, but here we are. If tp2 is like Portal 1, than TP2 is like Portal 2. And like Portal 2, it expands on and in many ways, completely outdoes the first game. To start off with, TP2, much like TP1, is a puzzle game that is story heavy and very rooted in philosophy. While the first game was about the human mind, this one centers around the ideas of civilization and advancement. It can be a bit on the nose at times, like when it brings up environmentalism, but it isn't hamfisted and is as deep, if not deeper than the first game. The new cast of characters are also very likeable and interesting. Each with their own quirks and interpretations on what is going on. I have to say, the writing is excellent. The world building is also excellent. Unlike the first game the areas are open to exploration. Each main area is crafted quite well and the visuals are outstanding. This may not be the most impressive game technologically, but the assets and the way they are used... well let's say that right now this may be the most beautiful game I've seen. Now on to the puzzles. Well its more of the same basic flow. Lasers and switches, but with double if not more the amount of objects and gimmicks to keep it from being stale. And that's a good thing because the game is probably twice as long as the first, though it could do with a little less bloat in certain areas. There were a few puzzles that kinda made me think "developer logic" and I had to look up, but most of them you will find the solution staring you in the face with enough time. Oh, and they thankfully got rid of the mines outside of 1 specific area. As for the dlc, its hit and miss. The main focus, Isle of the blessed, is worth playing as it is a great epilogue and gives the characters closer. The other 2 are side stories, one of which is only worth playing if you are a puzzle master. All in all, Talos Principal 2 is probably the best puzzle game to date.

The original Talos was a brilliant little game. Over 100 puzzles, some truly clever hidden stars which required moving parts in multiple areas, and a decent story which didn't get in the way. The sequel... is not. I'm around 3/4 of the way through. Of the 80 'base' puzzles I've done only 2 or 3 required any significant thought. 1 or 2 felt "cheap", doing things that don't work elsewhere but magically do there. The stars have been pitiful ("go find X and follow it" is not a puzzle). The puzzles in the Megastructure are extremely basic. The Tetromino placement to build bridges is less of a puzzle and more of simple trial and error with horrible controls. The lack of controller support is infuriating and reinforces the clunky controls throughout the game. And then there is the absolute slog from the NPCs. 90% of the time I have no interest in what they are saying, I'm playing a puzzle game for the puzzles and to get away from reality, not to have NPCs give a constant reminder that humans destroyed the world and to play political simulator. Once my fiancee and I finish, I don't see us returning to 100% the achievements. It simply isn't worth the hours of clicking through dialog and redoing trivial puzzles.

It's an amazing game. A bit too much chatting with characters for my taste (I want focus on the beauty of the world and its puzzles). The puzzles are a bit easier than in Talos 1, but they have some new intelligent and thought provoking mechanics (like color mixing with the lasers, up-side-down-gravity areas). The 12 puzzle worlds are gigantic compared to Talos 1, lots of stuff to explore, plus the Hub zone with additional puzzles. As I am a Mac gamer on a Mac mini M4 Pro (24 GB Ram, 16 core GPU), I want to add my 2 cents for others who are interested in this game, but don't own a Windows Machine. Officially, it's a Windows-only game, but it can run on Mac: - With the current version of Crossover (24.0.5), the game is playable with some graphical glitches (trees not rendering correctly, some walls are invisible / oddly shaped). This is a bit of distraction and takes some of the immersion into the world, but the puzzles are playable. - With the latest preview version of Crossover (2024-12-20), all the glitches I saw are gone. I.e. I believe we can expect full Mac compatibility with Crossover 25 and have the "original" game experience. I can play Talos 2 lag-free on medium to high graphics settings at around 50 FPS with my Mac mini M4 Pro on a 4K display.