The Talos Principle

About

The Talos Principle is a philosophical first-person puzzle game. As a sentient AI, you must solve increasingly complex puzzles to unlock the secrets of your own existence. With stunning visuals and a thought-provoking narrative, The Talos Principle offers a unique gaming experience.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player Play through the game's story or campaign solo

+16

96%

Audience ScoreBased on 18,502 reviews

story3.3k positive mentions

grinding311 negative mentions

The graphics are stunning and detailed, with beautiful environments inspired by ancient civilizations, creating an immersive atmosphere.
The gameplay features engaging first-person puzzle mechanics that gradually introduce new tools and concepts, encouraging creative problem-solving.
The story is deeply philosophical and emotionally impactful, with a rich narrative that unfolds through text logs and audio recordings, enhancing the overall experience.

Some players find the gameplay repetitive and tedious, particularly as puzzles become more complex and require extensive backtracking.
The delivery of the story through extensive reading can feel tedious and slow, leading to mixed feelings about engagement with the narrative.
There are reports of technical issues, including graphical glitches and inconsistent performance, which can detract from the overall experience.

story
7,717 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
43%
55%
2%
The story of "The Talos Principle" is widely praised for its depth and philosophical themes, exploring concepts of consciousness, existence, and the nature of humanity through a narrative that unfolds gradually via text logs and audio recordings. Players appreciate the way the story is intricately woven into the gameplay, providing motivation to solve puzzles while also offering a rich backdrop that encourages reflection on profound topics. However, some find the delivery method—primarily through extensive reading—tedious, and the pacing can feel slow, leading to mixed feelings about the overall engagement with the narrative.
- “The story is phenomenal; the way you get information slowly drip-fed to you over the course of the game is super well done, and I genuinely cared to get all the secret stars to get the true ending, which is well worth it; it is awesome.”
- “The story/lore was absolutely amazing to read, and the voice acting was on point as well.”
- “The talos principle has an incredibly unique story and themes for a video game.”
- “The story is fine, but there is so much content to read on the terminals that I became fatigued and just clicked through it.”
- “The background story is philosophical mumbo jumbo typical of westerners who talk too much; pure nonsense.”
- “The story is pretty bare bones and not really that enjoyable.”
gameplay
2,843 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
30%
66%
4%
The gameplay of *The Talos Principle* is characterized by its engaging first-person puzzle mechanics, which gradually introduce new tools and concepts, allowing players to solve increasingly complex challenges. While the game draws comparisons to *Portal* due to its puzzle structure, it distinguishes itself with a deeper philosophical narrative and a variety of mechanics that encourage creative problem-solving. However, some players noted that the gameplay can become repetitive, particularly as the same mechanics are reused throughout the game, leading to moments of frustration despite the overall satisfaction of puzzle completion.
- “The gameplay is very well thought out, yet they still managed to tell an interesting narrative outside of the puzzles, if you choose to pay attention to it.”
- “The puzzles are interesting and gradually become more and more difficult as additional mechanics are added and more and more mechanics get combined within a single puzzle.”
- “The gameplay is simple to understand, only having a few controls to have to worry about.”
- “The gameplay itself is boring.”
- “The gameplay isn't groundbreaking, but the puzzles are fun and creative and provide a nice pace to the game.”
- “The gameplay starts out with extremely easy puzzles with limited mechanics and eventually progresses to a convoluted tedious slog of which the solution relies on 30+ steps with many different mechanics at play.”
graphics
2,085 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
65%
33%
2%
The graphics of "The Talos Principle" have received widespread acclaim for their beauty and detail, with many reviewers noting that they still hold up well despite the game's 2014 release. The game features stunning environments inspired by ancient civilizations, and the use of the Serious Engine allows for impressive visuals and extensive graphical customization options. While some players mention minor graphical glitches and a few dated textures, the overall aesthetic and immersive atmosphere contribute significantly to the game's appeal, making it a visually captivating experience.
- “The graphics are absolutely stunning and I like the music that plays in the tower.”
- “The graphics are fantastic, with detailed ancient architecture and lots of color, from the sandy pyramids of Egyptian themed levels to western styled cathedrals surrounded by trees.”
- “The graphics are beautiful, the voice acting is superb, and the story is slowly unveiled to you through terminals and audio logs found throughout the world, which (initially) gives a strong motivation to explore everywhere in the hope of discovering little secrets about the overarching story.”
- “The game is definitely aging, so the environment design and graphics sometimes were a little rough, but it still served the game well and didn't break too much immersion.”
- “The graphics are a bit dated for 2024, but it was still fine for me.”
- “The graphics, while slightly outdated, are still satisfactory.”
music
1,953 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
61%
37%
2%
The music in "The Talos Principle" is widely praised for its atmospheric and immersive qualities, enhancing the game's philosophical themes and puzzle-solving experience. Many players find the soundtrack to be beautiful and relaxing, although some note that it can become repetitive over extended play sessions. Overall, the combination of serene music and stunning visuals creates a captivating environment that complements the game's narrative and gameplay.
- “The music in 'The Talos Principle' is hauntingly beautiful, perfectly setting the atmosphere for what you're seeing.”
- “The soundtrack is a masterpiece, with tracks that feel large and broad, matching the scope of the concepts and landscape you find yourself navigating through.”
- “The music is captivating and really fits the whole vibe, enhancing the overall enjoyment of the game.”
- “The music can get a bit intrusive.”
- “I found myself turning the music volume all the way down when I was struggling for a long time with a puzzle, otherwise it would wear a groove in my brain.”
- “The music is predominantly the liturgical music (the prayer we hear in the church).”
atmosphere
936 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
67%
32%
1%
The atmosphere of "The Talos Principle" is widely praised for its mesmerizing and immersive qualities, combining beautiful graphics, a haunting soundtrack, and a deeply philosophical narrative. Players appreciate the tranquil yet thought-provoking environment that encourages exploration and reflection, making the game feel like a meditative experience. The blend of serene landscapes and complex puzzles creates a unique atmosphere that captivates and engages players throughout their journey.
- “The atmosphere of the game immediately captivates with its mesmerizing strangeness, offering not just puzzle-solving, but reflection on deeper questions.”
- “The sound design works to create atmosphere: the sounds of nature, echoes, and the light hum of mechanisms create a sense of presence in this mysterious world.”
- “The atmosphere, music, and story come together to create an emotional effect you wouldn't expect from a puzzle game.”
- “The ambient sounds don't give the game an atmosphere that fits and I find the looping audio very annoying.”
- “The puzzles are neat but for me the most important aspect is the atmosphere and the story.”
- “However, skipping these to save time is to lose most of the atmosphere the game aims to create, and would leave you very much guessing at what on earth is going on, so I wouldn't recommend this approach to the game myself.”
humor
354 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
98%
2%
The humor in "The Talos Principle" is generally described as subtle and less prominent compared to the "Portal" series, which is known for its sharp wit and comedic elements. While some players appreciate the clever easter eggs and light-hearted moments scattered throughout the game, many note that the overall tone is more serious and philosophical, focusing on existential themes rather than humor. The game features occasional humorous interactions, particularly through computer terminals, but it lacks the consistent comedic flair that characterizes "Portal."
- “The humor acts as a delightful counterpoint to the serious themes, like finding a spoonful of sugar to help the philosophical medicine go down.”
- “The puzzles are absolutely delightful, the philosophy is on-point, and the terminal is rich with funny and thought-provoking content.”
- “There's a few pop-culture references and computing jokes sprinkled throughout the narrative, and I also found a hilarious easter egg.”
- “It's unfunny, uninteresting, accommodates very poorly with the rest of the game, and will take hours to solve unless you look them up online (which I strongly recommend you do if you want to keep your sanity for the hardest ones).”
- “Your only companions are a big booming Judeo-Christian god voice from everywhere, recordings of the simulation designers, and a sarcastic, unfunny computer AI that likes to ask you philosophical questions.”
- “Nevertheless, I can't get into the story; it's boring and not funny.”
grinding
326 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
1%
4%
95%
The reviews indicate that the grinding aspect of the game is often perceived as tedious and repetitive, particularly in the later stages where puzzles become more complex and time-consuming. Many players expressed frustration with the trial-and-error nature of certain puzzles, as well as the extensive backtracking required to find collectibles, which detracted from the overall enjoyment. While some found satisfaction in completing the puzzles, the general consensus is that the experience can feel like a grind, especially when the gameplay lacks variety and becomes monotonous.
- “You'll need a second life for grinding.”
- “Grinding required.”
- “I have 15 hours in this game and it's 15 hours of puzzles, not tedious walking sim crap or unskippable cutscenes that bore you to tears, but puzzles!”
- “I found most puzzles easy, tedious, and repetitive, while there was nothing entertaining to reward me in-between.”
- “The game starts out with extremely easy puzzles with limited mechanics and eventually progresses to a convoluted tedious slog of which the solution relies on 30+ steps with many different mechanics at play.”
- “The puzzles are often more tedious than mentally challenging.”
emotional
274 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
98%
2%
The emotional aspect of "The Talos Principle" is widely praised for its profound and thought-provoking narrative, which intertwines philosophical themes with a deeply engaging story. Many players report feeling a strong emotional connection to the game, often experiencing moments of sadness, introspection, and even tears, particularly during key story revelations and character interactions. The combination of atmospheric music, well-crafted lore, and challenging puzzles creates a unique experience that resonates on both intellectual and emotional levels, making it a standout title in the puzzle genre.
- “Piecing together the narrative is interesting, the philosophical context is not trivialized, and the last audio recording made me feel deeply sad - and a game that makes you feel something is a rare thing.”
- “The overall plot is heartbreaking but very strong.”
- “The story is emotionally powerful and is something that I will never forget.”
- “Boring game, boring story, boring puzzles.”
- “Really shallow/boring story, but I also wasn't really playing a puzzle game for the story anyway.”
- “Boring puzzles, boring story, limited maze-like maps, uninspiring main character, and just forced gameplay.”
optimization
193 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
54%
41%
5%
The optimization of "The Talos Principle" has received largely positive feedback, with many users praising its ability to run smoothly on a wide range of hardware, including older systems. The game offers extensive customization options for graphics and performance settings, allowing players to tailor their experience to their specific hardware capabilities. However, some users have reported inconsistent performance and occasional stuttering, particularly on certain setups, indicating that while the optimization is generally strong, there are still areas for improvement.
- “The game looks great and runs great, and amazing optimization ensures even lower-end PCs can handle the game.”
- “Graphics and optimization are amazing; even on my laptop’s modest GTX 1050, I rarely dropped below 60 FPS on high settings.”
- “The game clearly puts PC first since the graphics settings are so clearly organized, allowing you to know what to adjust if you're bottlenecked by any of these things.”
- “Beyond disappointed right now and completely lost as to why the performance is so terrible for a game that came out 10 years ago.”
- “The game appears poorly optimized and runs like the flaming fires of hell on my machine, no matter what settings I used, so be aware of heat issues.”
- “It isn't optimized whatsoever and make sure to stay clear of this.”
replayability
157 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
26%
64%
10%
The game's replayability is a mixed bag, with many players noting that while it offers multiple endings and hidden secrets, the core puzzle-solving experience can diminish over time as solutions become familiar. Some reviewers highlight the potential for replaying after a break to rediscover challenges, while others feel that the lack of new content or significant variation limits long-term engagement. Overall, it has decent replay value, particularly for those interested in exploring all narrative paths and achievements.
- “The freedom to choose your path and the consequences that follow contribute to the replayability of The Talos Principle, inviting players to revisit the game to discover hidden secrets and alternate endings.”
- “Surprising amounts of replay value as well, either in terms of trying different solutions or searching for abundant easter eggs.”
- “The game has a lot of secrets adding to replayability options.”
- “The downside is the replayability; I most likely will not replay the game, but am considering scooping up the DLC.”
- “I wanted to do 100% achievements but this game won't let you do that for some achievements unless you replay the whole story again which is not really interesting; the replay value of this game is none.”
- “The only real downside is the lack of replay value (except for achievement hunters).”
stability
106 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
19%
81%
The game's stability is a mixed bag, with many players reporting frequent graphical and audio glitches, some of which are intentional and contribute to the game's atmosphere. While some users experienced smooth performance and minimal issues, others faced significant bugs, crashes, and control problems that detracted from the overall experience. Overall, the stability varies widely, with some players enjoying a seamless experience while others encountered frustrating technical difficulties.
- “The game looks great and runs great, and amazing optimization ensures even lower-end PCs can handle the game.”
- “The game runs great on low spec hardware - Intel 4400HD, Ubuntu.”
- “Great puzzles, great narrative, runs great even on older systems.”
- “The game freezes and after a moment it says 'content server is not responding.'”
- “The game also has a good deal of glitches and too many puzzles had to be reset as a result, which was also a nuisance.”
- “Nothing but crashes and freezes while playing this game, and the way they set full-screen mode prevents multi-tasking, so if the game freezes, the only way to recover is to hard-reset the computer.”
monetization
9 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
22%
78%
While the game is praised for its quality and artistic vision, some users express concerns about the developers' monetization strategies, perceiving them as somewhat exploitative. Despite this, players are encouraged to support the game to counteract the trend of microtransactions prevalent in the industry. Overall, the game's depth and engaging puzzles are seen as justifying the investment, even amidst critiques of its monetization approach.
- “One thing I will say is that even though the game is amazing, I will note the devs seem a little cash grabby.”
- “In today’s world of microtransactions, games releasing before they’re finished, glitch-ridden open world engines, and games that overall fail to live up to their artistic vision, sometimes there will come a game that’s so perfect that it’s hard to believe it even got made.”
- “Support this kind of game so that we may show the digital overlords that not everything needs to be a lifeless looter shooter with microtransactions.”
character development
8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
38%
25%
38%
Character development in the game is described as subtle yet impactful, creating a sense of being observed and adding layers of mystery through the enigmatic character of elohim. Players appreciate the compelling worldbuilding and immersive storytelling, enhanced by audio logs and text artifacts that deepen emotional engagement, despite the overall narrative progression being slow. The character design is also praised for its convincing portrayal, contributing to the game's chilling atmosphere.
- “The character development, although subtle, is chilling and ever-present as if you are being constantly watched, studied by Elohim, whose character is driven by enigma and curiosity, as well as his mundane, repetitive voice which grows progressively desperate.”
- “While the actual story is rather slow, the worldbuilding, character development, immersion, and ultimately enjoyment I got out of the game is beyond the scope of a ten-point scale and really beyond words.”
- “But the story—the character development through audio logs, the slow revelation of the story through classical literature and other text artifacts, the QR codes, and the interactions with the terminals—made it even richer.”
- “The character development, although subtle, is chilling and ever present as if you are being constantly watched, studied by Elohim, whose character is driven by enigma and curiosity as well as his mundane, repetitive voice which grows progressively desperate.”
- “As it stands, the player gets a taste of chilling mystery, but a full helping of character development.”
- “But the story—the character development through audio logs, the slow revelation of the story through classical literature and other text artifacts, the QR codes, the interactions with the terminals—made it even richer.”