Platonic Puzzler: The Talos Principle

The Talos Principle is an attractive first-person puzzler from Croteam. The short trailer contains lasers bouncing off mirrors, crates being shifted around and Tetris blocks locking togeter in a pictureless jigsaw. These are the puzzle game equivalents of zombies, terrorists and Nazis. It really is a handsome thing though and there are two intriguing writers on board. Tom Jubert, of The Swapper and FTL, and Jonas Kyratzes, whose Lands of Dream games have been occupying a unique space in gaming for years. They're writing "a metaphysical parable about intelligence and meaning in an inevitably doomed world" so I guess there might be a conversational potato?

I reckon it's likely to end up more like Jonathan Blow's The Witness than Portal. That said, I'm still not entirely sure if The Witness has one or two unexpected tricks up its sleeve that might make it a little bit unlike just about anything else. I look forward to finding out.

As for The Talos Principle, the following press release quotes explain what the game contains quite neatly:

Complex Conundrums: Overcome more than 120 immersive puzzles through the eyes of an advanced artificial intelligence construct and unveil your significance at the behest of your creators.

Anachronistic Juxtaposition: Deploy sophisticated technology furnished by the creators to unravel each predicament entombed within digital recreations of humanity's ruins. Divert drones, disable turrets, and even replicate time to prove your worth beneath an ancient sky.

Croteam Technology: The Talos Principle is built on Croteam's Serious Engine 4 technology, the next advancement in the engine behind the Serious Sam series, and a new proprietary method to scan real world locations and historical elements into the game world.

That's all clear, yes? Apart from the bit about 'replicating time'. Not sure about that. Probably involves a laser and a mirror though, or maybe clones. Out later this year.