The Talos Principle appears to be more than just a visually appealing puzzle game--it's a title with interesting influences that asks some worthwhile questions. Now that reviews are in around the web, we can see that critics have responded well to the rather unique combinations. What is it that makes Croteam's game so good? Read these excerpts to find out:
Eurogamer, 9/10: "The Talos Principle is a game of challenges and conundrums and philosophical wonderings, filled with logic puzzles and cerebral mysteries. Its chunky mechanical processes are underpinned by a compelling breadcrumb-trail narrative that tackles the intangible notion of humanity and consciousness. Consequently, despite playing a robot that interacts with computer terminals and takes instruction from a disembodied voice in the sky, it exudes personality and charm; its mechanical precision complementing its aesthetic qualities. For an experience bereft of human contact it boasts a very big heart indeed."
Polygon, 8.5/10: "But The Talos Principle's success comes from its execution and its premise as much as the quality of its puzzles, which generally provided enough challenge to make me feel smart for solving them (but sometimes felt too dependent on over-specific positioning of tools). I won't spoil what The Talos Principle's premise or story are, because at first, it doesn't tell you. It would be easy to make comparisons to Valve's Portal games, as The Talos Principle eschews traditional narrative for a God voice, computer terminals and audio journals. But there are major tonal differences that setThe Talos Principle apart."
Game Informer, 9/10: "While you could argue that all narratives strive to deliver some kind of moral, social, or psychological message, most games are more concerned with empowering the player or delivering an awe-inspiring spectacle than they are communicating any meaningful message. The Talos Principle, on the other hand, is a piece of art that manages to entertain while it challenges you to think introspectively about the world and your place in it."
Destructoid, 8/10: "Both the puzzles and the philosophical dialogue require deep thought, but one disappointment in The Talos Principle is that the two are not connected in a meaningful way. Sure, the playable character is an artificial intelligence and a lot of the philosophy centers on whether an artificial intelligence can be considered a person. Sure, completing the puzzles means obeying Elohim (at least to a point). One of the ending sequences introduces a new mechanic that is enhanced for those who have been carefully following along. But for the most part, the puzzles and the philosophy are independent of one another.
"The Talos Principle has some important things to say, but more thoughtfully, it wants the player to have important things to say as well. Even those who do not bother to think about the philosophical topics can find a smart, sometimes frustratingly difficult puzzler here. It really shines for those open to both."
