Quick review of the Talos Principle, a game released in 2014, one I purchased on Steam a few years ago, but only recently actually play. In short its a puzzle game similar to Portal, but with a far greater focus on telling an interesting story about what it means to be a human.

I liked the game a lot, and felt that all of the puzzles were challenging but fair (I finished all non-star/bonus puzzles). The game still looks great, the setting is very attractive, and the two voice actors did a wonderful job. No issues with bugs or anything else.

The story is told via some voiceovers, but mostly through text you read in computer terminals. As mentioned, the central theme is what is a human, and how is a human different from other living beings. As you progress more and more pieces of what happened to the world and why you are where you are is explained, and the ‘good’ ending ties it all together in a satisfying way. I did this all in just under 20 hours, but could have played a bit more to finish all of the bonus puzzles.

A worthwhile purchase if you enjoy Portal-style games, and like a deeper mystery story that challenges you on some basic concepts of humanity.