The Talos Principle is by far one of the most brain-melting First-Person puzzle games I’ve ever played. Not out of its puzzle difficulty, though it does have some difficult puzzles, but out of the philosophical and psychological topics it covers. What makes us human? What is the nature of life? The Talos Principle’s sequel tackles these topics again and offers even more philosophical questions.

Set after the events of The Talos Principle, The Talos Principle II puts you in the role of 1K, the 1000^th artificial human created after the events of the first game. Without going into too many details, the storyline goes into a philosophical debate over the ethical consumption of resources, the human urge to explore and create, and more. However, this time around gameplay takes place in a sort of “Open-world” puzzle environment.

I can hear you saying already “How the heck does that work?” well, the puzzles are scattered around gorgeous open-world environments that also contain various secrets, hidden puzzles, lore, and collectibles. This time around the developers at Croteam opted for a story/narrative focus as well. You aren’t just going from puzzle to puzzle. You are exploring gorgeous, elaborate environments, solving puzzles, interacting with characters, making choices, and experiencing a mystery.

Everything that The Talos Principle did well, this sequel turns up to 11 and then some. The characters and story offer interesting philosophical questions, but The Talos Principle II itself doesn’t come off as pretentious. Instead, I found myself examining my beliefs to answer questions as truthfully as possible. Some of the puzzles are familiar challenges, while others are entirely new mechanics that are tightly designed and expertly executed.

Breaking The Talos Principle II down, I have difficulty finding anything to complain about. The puzzles are fantastic, the voice acting (and character writing) is exceptional, and the visual atmosphere is exquisite. To add icing on the cake, all sorts of accessibility features really make The Talos Principle II more palatable for people who are colorblind or have other visual impairments.

If you loved The Talos Principle then the sequel is more of what you would want. If you haven’t played the first game, I’d recommend playing it first just to get the vibe of the story, but you could easily play The Talos Principle II without problems. It is difficult to make a First-Person Puzzle game with a visual (and mechanical) identity these days, and Croteam has managed to exceed my expectations.

To make things even better, not only is The Talos Principle II priced reasonably, but it is also compatible with the Steam Deck. Personally, I think The Talos Principle II would be an exceptional game at double its $30 purchase price, but with it being priced so well, there’s more than enough content for any avid puzzler out there. If you want to really challenge your view of what it means to be human, The Talos Principle II will definitely work your brain.

A PC Review Copy of The Talos Principle II was provided by Devolver Digital for this review.

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The Talos Principle 2

$29.99 USD

10

Score

10.0/10

Pros

• Intriguing, Philosophical story
• Engaging, challenging puzzles
• Tons of accessibility options
• Lots of lore and secrets
• Gorgeous visuals