Played: The Talos Principle 2 is a completely different game away from the puzzles

The brand new first-person puzzler from Croteam seems nice and makes improbable complications in three colors. We performed a sophisticated preview model.

Because the puzzles actually get going, I turn into a canine once more. That is what good puzzle video games really feel wish to me: I need to get via the door with a protracted stick in my mouth, get caught on the body and really feel infinitely silly.

First I don”t perceive why the stick doesn”t simply match via the door. Then I perceive that it”s too large. Then I despair. The puzzle is unimaginable! I can”t make the door wider! After which, after 1 / 4 of an hour of brooding, once I flip the stick sideways and get via easily, I really feel just like the very cleverest.

That is how The Talos Precept 2 performs out in my head. It was related with the predecessor.

Each video games depend on logic puzzles by which I deal with switches, cubes, stress plates and lightweight beams. Simply discovering my approach round a spatial puzzle turns into a problem for me from the first-person perspective.

However as soon as the answer is known, it feels easy. Just a few puzzles turn into cumbersome to execute.

Ready for the flash of inspiration

In The Talos Precept I solved about half of the puzzles on the primary strive. The second half falls into the dog-eat-dog class. I doubted myself, the sport, the method, and racked my brains for days. Every flash of inspiration gave me minutes of elation. Nevertheless it might take hours to come back.

Usually, I don”t final lengthy in video games like this. However Talos 1 managed to do one thing that often solely distinctive video games like Portal do for me: it had such an unique and well-told story that I used to be dying to know what would occur subsequent. I might usually go the time till the subsequent brainwave by chatting with the pc terminals.

The multiple-choice dialogues between philosophy lesson and textual content journey had been the true foremost attraction for me. They appeared to me like a recreation in their very own proper. However in addition they related every thing collectively and offered the explanation why I used to be wandering as a robotic via a world stuffed with absurd logic puzzles within the first place.

Little occurring within the new world

The Talos Precept 2 is a sequel, however makes a giant time bounce and tells a standalone story. Relating to puzzling, it seems like Talos 1 – solely newer and extra stunning.

The Unreal Engine 5 recreation flaunts atmospheric lighting results and a excessive stage of element, proper right down to the weeds sprouting between the stone slabs. On my older PC, I used to be solely capable of strive it out within the second highest stage of element and was nonetheless impressed.

Away from the puzzles, Talos 2 is a very completely different recreation. In Talos 1, I used to be wandering lonely via weathered ruins. Talos 2 begins with my delivery in a robotic metropolis as particular person no 1,000.

The situation is uncommon and it appears incomparably extra elaborate than in Talos 1. The robots communicate and transfer alive. Their world is filled with contradictions. They reside in a supposed utopia metropolis that appears extra like a semi-abandoned vacation resort.

The open however empty metropolis will not be a technical flaw, however a part of the story. The museum particularly is filled with good gags and intelligent particulars. I discover: little is occurring within the supposed capital, there may be tense boredom.

The clever laptop beings of New Jerusalem see themselves as descendants of the extinct human race. They need to do higher than their organic ancestors. However once I arrive within the metropolis, there may be already strife.

Riddle Expedition

This is absolutely the starting of the story; I don”t need to inform way more as a result of I favored the surprises within the recreation. The robotic ensemble appears nicely written and loves heated discussions, and the English script and voice appearing win me over. The expansive multiple-choice conversations shortly result in political black ice.

After the quick prologue, Talos 2 despatched me on an expedition. It appears to make up the principle course of the sport. I journey with my robo-group to a mysterious island the place mighty futuristic ruins stand round. Who constructed them? How lengthy have they been standing there? These are thrilling questions. However earlier than any clues, the designers have first laid down puzzle routes.

New color concept

And right here it’s all over once more, identical to in Talos 1. A handful of latest recreation mechanics is sufficient to give me brutal dog-stick moments. The primary new toy is colors: Blue, pink and inexperienced spotlights hold on the partitions within the puzzle rooms once more.

They must be correctly redirected to activate switches and open doorways. However this time I don”t simply must redirect the rays, I even have to combine the colors appropriately so {that a} door opens. By the best way, those that see colors in another way will discover numerous methods to vary them within the choices. Respect!

No sooner have I internalised the subtleties of color mixing and redirection than the subsequent machine comes alongside: It might probably open round holes in partitions – and hair-raising new potentialities.

The puzzles within the Talos 2 preview are didactic. First, I’ve to know a brand new technique to resolve a puzzle – like redirecting beams throughout two flooring so that they don”t cross and block one another. After which later puzzles require me to make use of the brand new data.

That is presupposed to be so laborious

In precept, not all puzzles must be solved to be able to proceed within the recreation. Smarter folks than me look ahead to a couple non-compulsory head-scratchers hiding away from the mandatory puzzles.

Additionally, whereas exploring, I discovered methods to skip a minimum of a couple of puzzles. However that didn”t persuade me. If I merely skip an answer path, then I haven”t discovered something. After which the missed lesson may fall on my ft in a later puzzle.

The Talos Precept 2 – View screenshots of the puzzle recreation sequel

I might have favored a mild trace or two once I”ve fairly clearly been up the creek in the identical puzzle for 1 / 4 of an hour. However that can be a query of recreation philosophy. This recreation needs to interrupt my head. And once I lastly get it, the elation is all of the better.

I”m wanting ahead to the headache. The Talos Precept 2 can be launched on November 2, 2023 for PC, PlayStation 5 and Xbox Collection X/S.

Editor”s Verdict

The standard of video games this yr is making my backlog develop alarmingly. Nevertheless, The Talos Precept 2 feels to me prefer it”s working out of competitors. Presentation and puzzles attain a really excessive stage, not solely in comparison with its predecessor. Above all, the story captivates me. The robots are deeper and their issues extra attention-grabbing than something I”ve performed or seen lately. I”ll find time for this one.