4.5/5 ★ – SPyKeTGB's review of The Talos Principle.

Scratched an Itch That I Didn't Know That I had. Gameplay I really enjoyed the puzzles. And while they did not do anything nearly as groundbreaking as introduce a mind blowing mechanic like a Portal Gun, you can tell these puzzles were well thought out. Each puzzle has it's own set of rules... until it doesn't. And while following the rules of each puzzle is definitely enjoyable, I was more impressed by how many times you have to "bend" or even "break" the rules to achieve certain goals. There is something about feeling like you are sneaking through the back door to solve something or that you are dipping your toes where you're "not supposed to." To be able to incorporate that feeling into the game by design is possibly the most impressive part of this game. Without dipping into spoiler territory, this game has secrets. LOTS of secrets. I'm talking easter eggs, alternate endings, etc. so if secret hunting is your cup of tea, this game will be a pretty good brew! Story The story can be a little confusing at times, but it is rewarding if you can follow along. It is mostly fed to you in between puzzles via terminals where you are able to view files that basically serve as pieces of lore. The purpose of these terminals extends beyond viewing files, but I won't spoil that here. Ultimately, I can't say that I agree with everything this game is trying to say, but I like that a game decided to tackle some pretty heavy themes. Themes like consciousness and morality. It is stuffed with plenty of Philosophy and even a little Theology to get your gears moving and while I disagree with some conclusions, I think this could make a great table for deep conversation about these topics. Ultimately, I was surprised that a game was the conduit for these thoughts. Thoughts that I would typically get from reading a book, however, experiencing the same thoughts over a more interactive medium like gaming really makes you deal with the subject matter in a different way. This is an experience that has been wholly unique to me in terms of gaming up until this point and something that I didn't know that I wanted. Music The music in this game served it's purpose very well. There are a few varying environments that you will travel to and each track supported that feeling, especially when it comes to the "ethereal" locations. I even added a few tracks to my personal playlist as they really do the job when it comes to promoting focus and concentration. Nothing here that will win a Grammy but that is not exactly what it is trying to do either. It is trying to create atmosphere and promote contemplation and I think it succeeds on both fronts. Graphics This game is nearly a decade old at this point and the graphics hold up pretty well. There are some locations that look great, and with a scale that is surprising for this sort of game, even though not all of the scale is explorable, it no doubt adds to the environments. This would certainly not win any awards today for outstanding graphics, but compare it with it's contemporaries and it would be at the higher end of the spectrum. Overall, this game ticks a lot of the boxes for me. While not perfect, I found very little to complain about. Very rarely a bug or two might have thrown the experience off slightly, but there was so much more positive than negative in my experience with The Talos Principle. I love games that make you think, and this game does that, both in gameplay and in it's story and themes. If the themes of this game sound even remotely interesting to you, then you should definitely dig in and see if this game scratches an itch that maybe you didn't know you had!