Remakes and remasters make up a large amount of the video games that release each year, ensuring that future generations get the chance to play those special games we know and love. For the most part these remakes are of AAA games that were beloved by millions, like Final Fantasy VII or Resident Evil 4. There are some exceptions to this rule though, where those special indies get to come back for another moment in the spotlight. I’m especially glad of this right now, because it meant I got a chance to experience the masterpiece that is The Talos Principle: Reawakened.
This first person puzzler puts you in the role of a consciousness inside some sort of simulation. In this digital domain you’re tasked with solving puzzles, in order to escape and gain access to some sort of everlasting life. This is all told to you by a slightly suspect god-like voice, but alongside this you’ll also interact with terminals which make you answer the big questions about what being a human means. The Talos Principle’s incredibly intriguing philosophical discussion is as taxing on your brain as the puzzles themselves, but is well worth enveloping yourself in.
Each puzzle of The Talos Principle Reawakened has a collectible Tetris block at the end of it, but reaching it is rarely easy. There are explosive orbs, force fields and turrets standing between you and victory, and you’ll need to use a variety of gadgets to handle them. You’ll start out with hacking tools that will turn off any of these elements, but with a limited number you’ll have to find clever ways to use them. Even in these early puzzles I felt like a genius when I figured out how to manipulate all the elements in my favour, and it only got better from there.
After a few stages you’ll be guiding lasers around corners to activate switches, using blocks to guide drones out of your way, and using powerful fans to your advantage. None of the single puzzle elements alone are particularly impressive, nor would they feel out of place in a run of the mill adventure game, but when combined with the masterful level design they really sing.
Once you’ve collected enough of the different coloured Tetris blocks you’ll be able to open gates in the hub world to new areas, and to do this you’ll have to solve an extra block based puzzle. This basically just entails rotating and placing blocks so they all fit in a small square, but some of these actually took longer than the main puzzles so certainly aren’t just an afterthought.
If you played The Talos Principle when it originally came out, none of this will shock you, and you’ll probably want to know what’s new for those returning fans. There are quite a few things really, such as the inclusion of the Road to Gehenna expansion and the all new mini campaign titled “In The Beginning”. This follows some familiar characters as they go through the very first test of the simulation, and is rather fiendish in the puzzle department as you’d expect.
A more obvious improvement in The Talos Principle: Reawakened is that of the visuals, which are absolutely gorgeous. Using the power of Unreal 5, the Roman gardens you’ll be solving puzzles in are frankly spectacular to look at. The lush trees and vibrant colours really bring the game to life, and make this feel like a full blown 2025 title. The photo mode helps you appreciate these visuals even more too, and will be appreciated by many.
There’s also a very small mechanical addition to the game that’s worth mentioning, the ability to rewind a few seconds when you die. In the original release you had to fully restart a puzzle if you made a mistake, but now this quality of life feature ensures you can just correct yourself and get back into the action immediately. I can’t imagine how much more frustrating it would be to have to go through all the steps of a puzzle again on death, and was particularly thankful I played this remaster because of this.
For the most die hard puzzle fans, there’s another feature that could steal dozens of hours away – a custom level editor. Now I’m not somebody who would ever have the brain power to use something like this effectively, but for us not built for creation this at least means there will be plenty of fan made content to enjoy down the line. The game originally had an impressive modding community (some of whom were hired to create the new campaign) so I imagine this creation tool will be pretty popular.
The Talos Principle is a truly special game, but there are a few things that hold it back. It often feels like you spend too long away from the puzzle solving, and instead interacting with terminals and reading or listening to messages. Whereas a lot of the messages are very interesting, some really didn’t engage me. Lengthy text walls about mythology just don’t do it for me I suppose.
The Talos Principle Reawakened is a sensational puzzle game, with a meaningful and thoughtful narrative throughout. The actual puzzles are incredibly well designed, and always make you feel like a genius for solving them. Returning fans will be impressed by the additional content and gorgeous new visuals too, which are truly impressive. If you haven’t played a Talos Principle game before then this is the perfect way to fix that, as long as your brain is up for the challenge.
