The Talos Principle: Deluxe Edition

 PlayStation 4
User Score
8.3

Generally favorable reviews- based on 256 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 203 out of 256
  2. Mixed: 28 out of 256
  3. Negative: 25 out of 256
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  1. drlowdon
    Oct 11, 2017
    7
    The Talos Principle is a story driven first person puzzle game that tasks the player with completing a series of challenges in order to collect the puzzle pieces required to progress through the game.

    The puzzles themselves, obviously the most important element in this genre, are (with a couple of exceptions) more logical than many other similar titles I’ve played but by about the    The Talos Principle is a story driven first person puzzle game that tasks the player with completing a series of challenges in order to collect the puzzle pieces required to progress through the game.

    The puzzles themselves, obviously the most important element in this genre, are (with a couple of exceptions) more logical than many other similar titles I’ve played but by about the half-way point virtually all the new elements had been introduced and they started to become a little repetitive. Fortunately the central story, which I won’t spoil here, is interesting and told in a non-intrusive way that allows the player to delve as into it as much or as little as they want and this helped keep me playing to the end when I might have otherwise given up.

    The Talos principle is certainly no Portal beater but if you’re a fan of the puzzle genre this is well worth checking out.    … Expand
  2. alailama
    Nov 18, 2015
    5
    You like the puzzles at first, but the poor graphics and background music makes it hard to play for few hours. The gaming sessions are shoert as you get easily bored. Original concept tho.
  3. VDS
    Feb 10, 2017
    7
    The graphics are nothing special, and as Portal seems to be often referenced in previous reviews, I'd say that game (even on an older console) looked much better than this one. The booming god voice left me cold, and the repetitive conversations with the little computer screens became quickly irritating, so I ignored that part of the game.
    But the puzzles I liked a lot, which I guess is    The graphics are nothing special, and as Portal seems to be often referenced in previous reviews, I'd say that game (even on an older console) looked much better than this one. The booming god voice left me cold, and the repetitive conversations with the little computer screens became quickly irritating, so I ignored that part of the game.
    But the puzzles I liked a lot, which I guess is the point. So, 10 out of 10 for the puzzle creators. 3 out of 10 for the rest of it (graphics, sound, story etc.). Meet those two somewhere in the middle with a 7 overall.    … Expand
  4. SplitMind
    Jul 20, 2018
    6
    This game hooked me immediately, but unfortunately by the end of the game this had transitioned into boredom and resentment.

    The graphics are excellent and the environments are visually immersive just to walk around. On the downside, some of the levels have limited options for exploration. The gameplay and story are where this became a massive love/hate relationship between myself    This game hooked me immediately, but unfortunately by the end of the game this had transitioned into boredom and resentment.

    The graphics are excellent and the environments are visually immersive just to walk around. On the downside, some of the levels have limited options for exploration.

    The gameplay and story are where this became a massive love/hate relationship between myself and the game. I absolutely loved the existential themes and philosophical questioning of areas such as morals, reasoning and consciousness, and it is these that give the game three stars for me.

    The two missing stars are a result of the gameplay, which perhaps ultimately suffered from a lack of pacing. The sheer volume of puzzles at first makes the game look heavy in content, yet the repetitiveness and frustration to be found within make me wish there was actually less content. The puzzles became tedious for me around halfway through the game, and I spent the last quarter of them looking up online video demonstrations just to speed up my progress through the game so I could find the ending.

    POTENTIAL SPOILERS: The ending/s is where I was also very disappointed. Two options are obvious, but my biggest gripe was that the game restarted after I witnessed one ending, meaning I'd have to replay the entire game to watch a different ending. Again, thank God for online videos, but I had no motivation to replay any of the game, and when I discovered the expansion looked to be more of the same, I decided to give that a miss, too.

    If you're a die-hard puzzle fan with even a slight interest in philosophy, then this game could be 5 stars for you. The concepts and visuals are excellent, but the repetition and monotony spoiled the experience for me somewhat. Also, I shopped around and got it for less than £15.    … Expand
  5. HonestReviews66
    Jun 26, 2023
    5
    Clearly a decent game. I'm obviously just crap at puzzle games. As much as I enjoy solving some of them, after a while it becomes repetitive and monotonous. But if puzzle games are your thing, then this does look great.
  6. ShermanSays
    Jun 12, 2020
    7
    The Talos Principle is a very engaging game that respects the intelligence of the player.

    Pros: Great puzzles that build off of previous knowledge, Thought provoking narrative, Rewarding pay off for committed players, Quality of life options Cons: 100% Completion has some unfair challenges, some of the dialogue is reiterative, Early puzzles were too easy There are three worlds each    The Talos Principle is a very engaging game that respects the intelligence of the player.

    Pros: Great puzzles that build off of previous knowledge, Thought provoking narrative, Rewarding pay off for committed players, Quality of life options
    Cons: 100% Completion has some unfair challenges, some of the dialogue is reiterative, Early puzzles were too easy

    There are three worlds each with sub-areas containing puzzle rooms. Puzzles are good, a little too easy at first but ramp to difficult puzzles with many different interacting pieces. These were the most enthralling to me. Where all the rules were understood and smart solutions had to be found. This was not the case with the extra stars that are hidden in each sub-area, while some of the realizations to get these are amazing, more than a few felt unfair and not sign posted well enough. If puzzles were all that there was to this game I think it would be a solid game, but there is another aspect that this game does well, a narrative.

    I never would have expected the people who make Serious Sam to be good at writing a deeply person exploration of the player's feelings towards humanity. While the dialogue can range from thought provoking to esoteric, it all fits within the narrative, and holds significant weight. The topics covered are done well, for the most part, so that almost every person who plays this game can understand.

    I have some minor gripes with this game, but this is outweighed by what it does correctly. I think this is a great puzzle game for those who enjoy that experience, and I am anticipating the sequel that has been announced. More could have been done with the project and there is still so much potential.    … Expand

Awards & Rankings

10
#10 Best PS4 Game of 2015
78
#78 Most Discussed PS4 Game of 2015
31
#31 Most Shared PS4 Game of 2015

Critic Reviews

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Metascore
88

Generally favorable reviews - based on 31 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 31 out of 31
  2. Mixed: 0 out of 31
  3. Negative: 0 out of 31
  1. GameOver.gr
    Dec 11, 2015
    80
    The Talos Principle is one of those rare masterpieces of indie writing that play with your mind and your beliefs to such extent that you are no longer the same after you finish it.
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  2. Push Square
    Nov 11, 2015
    90
    If you're in the market for a fulfilling, well-paced puzzler on the PS4, look no further than this one.
    Read full review
  3. GameCrate
    Nov 2, 2015
    83
    The Talos Principle has made an effective jump from PC to PlayStation 4, thanks to the addition of expansion levels and a presentation that really makes use of the hardware at hand. While it's not quite a perfect transition, it remains a very applicable one, as the level design and snowballing level design continue to keep their momentum. Even if you're not entirely a fan of first-person games, Talos is worth a look, if only for the story alone.
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