The Talos Principle: Reawakened

Following the success of The Talos Principle 2, Croteam and Devolver Digital are bringing back the first game as a Definitive Edition. The Talos Principle: Reawakened is the classic philosophical puzzle game with improved visuals, new content, and meaningful quality of life updates.

Just over ten years ago, Croatian developers Croteam (part of Devolver Digital), best known for the not-so-serious FPS Serious Sam, created an exceptional game with The Talos Principle - a first-person puzzle game in the tradition of philosophical science fiction. The game was very well received by both critics and gamers. It became a multi-million selling title. In November 2023, The Talos Principle 2 was released, expanding on the philosophical themes and environments of the first game - and the visual leap from the first (Serious Engine) to the second (Unreal Engine 5) is particularly striking. This is also one of the reasons for the new edition of the classic in The Talos Principle: Reawakened - both games look as if they were cast from the same mould. The simulation world of the original is more immersive and detailed, especially when it comes to lighting and textures. The environmental design is more nuanced and detailed than before.

The game, which Devolver Digital describes as the Definitive Edition, is more of a remake than a remaster, the visual improvements being far too great for that. The developers haven't changed the basic gameplay, puzzle design, or philosophical elements (and how they are presented), but they have added some modernised quality-of-life features that maintain the vision of the original classic. These include a hint system similar to that in the second game. Found tokens allow players to get hints or solve a puzzle completely. There's also the ability to rewind during gameplay (it's even possible to specify how far you can rewind), and in the recorder puzzles, players can set checkpoints so they don't have to re-record everything. A developer commentary is also new, but you have to enable it in the game options.

The Talos Principle: Reawakened includes content from the main game and the "Road to Gehenna" expansion. New is "In the Beginning", which explores the origins of the Simulation. This new chapter follows the story of Alexandra Drennan as she confronts profound existential questions while orchestrating the Simulation's first critical test - this time told less through text panels and more through voice-over dialogue.

It consists of 18 puzzles in total - 16 of which were created by these modders/contributors, including Mauritsio, Innocentive, Renan 'RFC' Cavalieri, Ana 'Phoenix' Messina and Adrià Valls Puig. It should be noted, however, that In the Beginning is aimed at experienced players and features really tricky and difficult puzzles, while the main game, with its clever difficulty progression, is easy in comparison. The PC version also includes a puzzle editor that allows players to create their own levels and share them via the Steam Workshop.

"After the success of The Talos Principle 2, we have some very cool projects going on, so why go back? There are many reasons, but the biggest one is simply that we love this game and while the original version is admittedly still pretty awesome, we wanted to create a definitive version that will keep the game fresh for years to come and allow a whole new audience to explore the Simulation. (...) Let's talk philosophy for a moment. We don't just think of games as products. These are the works that we will leave behind for future generations. The Talos Principle: Reawakened will both refresh and preserve this wonderful game that means so much to us." - Croteam

The Talos Principle: Reawakened is available for PC, PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S for €39.99. Compared to The Talos Principle 2, which costs €28.99, Devolver Digital is charging a higher price for Reawakened, but those who already own the previous games should receive a (limited time) discount of between 15% and 40%.

Conclusion

Reawakened: The excellent The Talos Principle returns in a meaningful revised and expanded form. This is what a Definitive Edition should be!

Features

• A striking graphical overhaul in the style of The Talos Principle 2
• Useful quality-of-life updates with the hint system and rewind; core gameplay remains the same
• New (difficult) chapter "In the Beginning"