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Amongst the First-Person puzzle games that were released in the wake of Portal and other such titles, nothing was quite like The Talos Principle. With a mix of philosophy and questions about humanity, its puzzles were more than just fun play. The development team at Croteam has returned after the success of The Talos Principle, but this time they’re bringing us back to where it all began…sort of.

You might think that The Talos Principle: Reawakened is just a simple remaster done in a better engine, but you would be far from the truth. This is an expanded version of the original game that not only looks beautiful in Unreal Engine 5, but also adds more to the original experience.

There are new puzzles, expanded elements that were cut from the original game, and reimagined ideas from things that the developers wished they could have done differently the first time. Reawakened is not just a remake containing the content of The Talos Principle and its Road to Gehenna DLC. In addition to the elements I already mentioned, there is also a new chapter of brand-new puzzles and story content developed just for this game.

Truthfully, I think that The Talos Principle: Reawakened should be treated as a new experience, despite puzzles from the original game and its DLC returning. There are more story elements that connect it to the plot of The Talos Principle II, and overall, it feels like an even better experience than before.

On a technical level, aside from the graphical enhancements, there are a host of accessibility features as well. Not only are there colorblind adjustments, but you can also play in Third-Person, adjust your FOV (in either mode), adjust how hints are distributed, and more. There are adjustments for subtitles also, including the size, background, and opacity of the background.

It really feels like Croteam went out of their way to provide an expanded experience that can be enjoyed by as many people as possible. It is even better that Reawakened plays very smoothly and is full of things to discover and explore. They have even added a Puzzle Editor, allowing players to create content for the game.

There are many who might overlook The Talos Principle: Reawakened assuming that it is a simple graphical remake or that it wouldn’t offer anything exciting for them. I hope that people take the time to look deeper because the name suits the experience perfectly. The Talos Principle: Reawakened is a revitalized, reimagined, awakening of ideas and elements that make it stand out from the already stellar experience that came before.

I was unsure after enjoying The Talos Principle II how Croteam could continue with this concept, but they have proven their ingenuity and skill. If you love puzzle games, this is a beautiful experience packed with content. If you played the original and enjoyed it, this is a perfect opportunity to revisit The Talos Principle in its definitive form, with new content and a beautiful presentation.

A PC Review Copy of The Talos Principle: Reawakened was provided by Devolver Digital for the purposes of this review.

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15

The Talos Principle: Reawakened

$39.99

10

Score

10.0/10

Pros

• Great Expanded Puzzles
• Puzzle Editor for User-Created Content
• Gorgeous Visuals
• The full game and DLC plus 6 hours of new content
• A Variety of Accessibility Features