Much has been written about the brilliancy of the puzzles, but I wanna talk about the artistic side of The Talos Principle. Specifically, I wanna write about the juxtaposition of the themes this games throws its arms around. There are two sides to this game; the religious treatment and the philosophical experience. Both are respectively symbolized and communicated to the player through a "higher voice" that questions your free will at every step and computer terminals that pound the significance of your being and actions. You see, both are at opposite ends of the spectrum but they discuss the very same thing; the meaning of your existence. The higher voice tells you what to do exactly to attain paradise while the terminals guide you to question everything around you to gain "independence" (i.e., individuality). These two sides of the same coin are spectacularly presented to you in a game with an atmosphere that feels extremely lonely and melancholic so the player has no other choice but to make the time spent on it personal and really give some thought to what's being preached at him. The guys at Croteam nailed every aspect to make this work; music, art direction, pacing, symbolism and gameplay. It is such a missed opportunity for somebody who hasn't played it, and it makes you wanna preach the game to anyone who will lend an ear. Unfortunately, the game does require a level of maturity to fully appreciate it that not every gamer has. If anyone at Croteam reads this, however unlikely that is, thank you for making such a great game.
This is my first review ever of a video game. I've been gaming for almost 30 years of my life, and with the advent of this digital age allowing us all to write our thoughts for the rest to read, you might wonder, why start now? I'm a firm believer that reviews are almost never good for the video game industry. What's the best method then (apart from downloading a demo) to see if one would potentially like a game? Go to YouTube, watch somebody playing the game for a few minutes and if you like what you see, trust your guts. But I wanna write this as a letter of appreciation for the devs of this game (hope one of them reads it). This game is a breath of fresh air amid the overly complicated mechanics of the gazillion RPGs churned out every year. This game felt to me like a very atmospheric walk in the woods where you feel every step and enjoy every gaze of the environment. No need of 100+ hours of game time, no need of ray-tracing or multiple g-buffers and shaders to show something nice, no need of complicated tutorials to teach you the ins and outs. Just you, your laptop and a mouse. Are you still reading and haven't bought it. Ok, here's more: killer atmosphere, moody music, engrossing story, beautiful art, excellent pacing, relaxing puzzles and excellent price. Wait until night, pour yourself a glass of red wine and let the game take you down the role of a forty-something year-old female detective in a supernatural adventure. You won't regret it. The only complain I have is that this game hits so much perfection in its genre, that I'm almost sure it'll be very difficult to replicate in their upcoming outings. Hope they can prove me wrong.
