The Talos Principle - My Experience [Spoilers] 

Talos Principle developer here. I teared up a little watching this :') Now go play Road to Gehenna, because seeing your reaction here, you owe it to yourself.

"just a few days ago"

[Spoilers] I nearly cried from happiness when I saw Sheperd appear at the top of the tower to help me. What an absolute hero, coming to my aid when it mattered most.

Achievement unlocked: Press the serpent. Definitely one of my favorite moments in a video game.

This game is so incredible. I only played it because of your first video, I paused at the point which you state that we should, I bought it and proceeded to sink 17 hours in almost one sitting. I HAD to keep going. I HAD to solve those puzzles, speak to the computer, contradict the voice and climb the tower. My curiosity was burning and honestly, the reward was fantastic. I'm not done with it, I need to collect all the Stars and figure out the games secrets, there's more to it than that. Plus the DLC's are very interesting too and show a lot more to the story and world. The Talos Principle has to be one of the best games I've ever played, very very few games have held my attention so strongly and kept me thinking about it long after I've had to shutdown. I'd love to find more games like this. Because it was so thought provoking and interesting, and the puzzles were a great challenge.

As a french person, this game deserves a lot of praise for the translation. It is excellent. The voice acting is great too.

I bought the game after your recommendation in the first video, so I wanted to thank you! I'm not religious myself, and I chose all of the nihilistic choices with Milton, he complimented me for the consistency in my answers while making me notice how horrible they sounded, but in the end we agreed a lot, I felt that we bonded and could count on each other, so I was really happy to bring him with me. The thing that angered me the most is when he said that, being so consistent, I was predictable, so he felt that he could use me. For some reason that really hit me, and for every subsequent interaction I almost felt guilty for that. After thinking about it a lot I just accepted it, because doing predictably "good" things isn't negative. In my final dialogue with Milton, he said that to take him with me I should just realize that we're made of the same stuff, and he already had an influence in my thoughts. I said that I would look forward to more "wholesome debates" with him and I transcended. Man this game's writing is good.

when i first booted up the game i was awaiting a nice puzzle game. skipped over the terminals just like you. but i couldnt help but be intrigued by the voice and some feeling of deeper meaning. i was getting more and more curious. i wanted answers. i needed to climb the tower. the puzzles that fist were my entire purpose now stood in my way. there were some hints foreshadowing that all was a simulation. the end still impressed me. 10/10

Elohim, Milton, Shepherd, Dog, Samsara, Uriel, Alex. I can never and will never forget those names, they'll leave a lasting impact on my life.

Such a fun game. I thought milton was just a douche but the more I played, the more I craved that obnoxious beeping noise just to talk with him. You're the only person who referred this game to me and I'm glad you did.

This game has been my favourite game ever for quite a while now. It's just so clever and interesting, it caught me completely off guard and made me question everything. I never dared to enter the tower, but glad I eventually did. I loved that ending much more than the other ending. It felt good. It's such a wonderful game! By the way, PLAY THE DLC, it's very content rich and totally worth your money. More wonderful worlds and really interesting story progression!

My experience was much like yours - it was almost a spiritual enlightenment completing this 'game' (and I use the word 'game' in it's loosest sense as being part of The Talos Principle is much more akin to a real world experience than the hollow victory of finishing a computer game). I've never felt such a genuine sense of accomplishment and wonder in a game before - it's as if going through all the tests and trials in the game really did matter in the real world; the effort to reach the end of the game, and to appreciate what the story is trying to tell us, was a reward in and of itself, something that benefitted me as a person. I really enjoyed how your review highlighted the loneliness of the game which made the interactions with Milton and listenting to Alex even more poignant.

I'm a Croteam fan and have played through most of the Serious Sam games, so I was very hyped when this game was announced. I played through it *literally* in one session, reading all of the texts right from the start. This is absolutely one of the best games I have played, ever. Watching this video almost brought a tear to my eye from the flashbacks. Two weeks back I also bought the soundtrack - Damjan Mravunac is an actual genious of a composer, especially at game soundtracks. I strongly recommend playing the DLC The Road to Gehenna, as it also has a fantastic story and puzzles. It also acts as bridge to The Talos Principle 2, which we will hopefully get within a few years. Thanks for bringing back good memories from five years ago with this video, very much worth the wait! =)

I always loved and respected Milton. He's the only friend you interact with during the game. Only a friend can yak with you for hours about the meaning of life. Socrates believed and lived by this: he lounged with his friends and spoke about philosophy and the soul with his friends before he drank hemlock.

Been waiting for this for so long, it's one of the best videos you've ever made. I've been thinking about the game a lot since I played it, it's definitely stuck with me. I've found a new appreciation for it through this video. Thanks :)

its sad that theres the "Just a FEW days ago everybody post the same shit meme" going on I usually dont mind but especially with this game and video id love to read the comments

Thank you so much for acknowledging this video game; For me it's one of the best (puzzle) games, stuffed with so many philosophical questions. It even made me think about my own existence in a way I didnt expect a game could do. Also being able to go outbounds (which was intended), finding a lot of easter eggs etc, which speaking of, there's an ending where you finish the game with a cat aswell.

Maybe do another game in this format? I really enjoyed Hexcells and The Talos Principle and see the community reaction to it. Also I'm useless at finding and committing to a good video game myself.

literally been refreshing every 20 seconds since christmas

Definitely my top game of all-time. Got emotional watching this video, and it's been like 5 years since I played it originally. It really left a deep mark on me and some of the things in this game I still think about. Just hearing the music again brings back a lot of the feelings from playing this. It's the best game I can't seen to get anyone to play. :(

Thank you for introducing me to this game in your last video about it. Croteam really outdid themselves with a game I hadn’t even heard of before (other than the rather obnoxious cs:go music kit) that also happened to come out in 2015. Four or five years on and I play it thanks to you, and think in ways I wasn’t sure I knew how to think before. The philosophy of the game is so damn cool.

Also, the DLC is incredible. I would say I enjoyed the journey in Road to Gehenna even more than the original campaign.

This is by far your best video. You conveyed the exact thoughts I had while playing the game so perfectly and watching this a year after I played it (because of your first video!) it takes me right back to the game. Good job.

this video made me a follower. you're an excellent storyteller. also I finished this game years ago, but never forgot my experiences within it. It's truly a special game.

Just a few days ago? Anyway, thank you for introducing me to this game. Well, I've actually know about it since the demo came out, but it was your video that put it back in my mind and got me to buy it. One of the best games I've ever played. Alexandra Drennan is one of my favourite charecters of all time, her messages are so emotional and meaningful, and I was so happy to find out that her work paid off in the end.

9:05 - 10:35 My favorite part of the video: “What’s far better, far more rewording... far harder, is to give this life meaning. And that does often require a little bit of faith.”

Thank you so much for finally releasing. I really appreciate it. Your Video almost brought me to tears, it was a really personal and interesting look at it. Thank you.

Thank you so much, Phillip! I had played The Talos Principle ages ago after buying it through the Croteam bundle and absolutely loved it! This video made me relive all those memories! Thank you

Now that the Talos Principle 2 have been revealed I replayed the first one to hype and prepare myself for the second game. Then I remembered you made this video and rewatched it and now I'm even more excited for the second game. I hope you will make a video about the second game when it's releases this year. Very good video btw

its so surprising to me even now that croteam, who ive loved and respected (even after playing Serious Sam BFE, somehow), made a game so emotional and thought provoking. I know myself well enough to know id never finish this game so i appreciate you going through it with your experience of it.

Fewer games have intrigued me to finish them to 100% completion. But here I was, craving for more after a long play session. Desperately wanting to know how it all ends and what it ultimately means. The Talos Principle does an amazing job of captivating the player, first through the puzzle mechanics and then through the story that genuinely keeps you coming back. I was so excited to finally climb the tower when I was done with all the levels in the other areas. And to know that there are multiple endings and lots of easter eggs, this is a definite must-play for anyone who seeks a good 10-30 hours experience. I just don't have enough words of praise and Croteam definitely deserves admiration for this, especially knowing that they don't usually make this kind of game.

I went into this game knowing nothing and played it in VR. One of the best gaming experiences I've ever had.

I once felt sorry for a Sugarpuff I put in the freezer, I rushed back a few minutes later to save it.

I just wanna say, thanks for making both this video and your first Talos Principle video. I remember picking this game up on sale back in 2018 during Christmas and not really expecting much at all, and then what followed really blew me away. I remember being hooked on it for weeks, getting all the endings, secrets and just doing a lot of reading about the game and the philosophies it touches on. It was all I could talk about to my friends and family for a while. I highly recommend the Road to Gehenna DLC as it adds a lot of new puzzles, a new story and touches on some different philosophies

Thanks for the recommendation and sharing your experiences Philip. [SPOILERS] I really loved this game; my favourite part was getting glimpses of the personalities of the programs who went before and how each iteration built on the experiences of the ones before, most noticeably Sheep becoming the Shepherd. Some programs evolved to be adherents of Elohim, some to become completely nihilistic, and some who just wanted to stop and admire the scenery.

It's so nice to have finished the game today, and have another video of you talking about it.

This is one of my most favourite games of all time and you have done a fantastic job showing its greatness!

A really long time ago, before I had the ability to play any pc games, I watched a full Let's Play (by Maudado). I really enjoyed watching it but playing it years later is on a completely different level. E.G. my conversation with the MILTON Library was completely different to Maudados and yours. That really surprised me. I am now afraid of playing it again since I don't want to ruin my memories of it. And as a last thing I really appreciate the Linux support: My main computer broke while playing it but I was still able to play it on my secondary Ubuntu Laptop. That is GREAT!

Huh, didn't know you could get an ending where Milton is that pissed at you. The Milton I ended up with seemed quite proud of my actions, in a way, and decided to join me on the outside.

One of your best series! This game perfectly helps represent what you're channel is all about! Amazing games with so much meaning. I have been subscribed to all of your channels for so long, because it is paramount how incredible you are at find meaning in your life. You always speak truth and always seek meaning. You may be plagued by low view counts or horrible comments, but just remember the knowledge you gain and give to others! All of your videos, the wisdom you share, the experiences, the problem solving. It's like the life you lived and shared on youtube represented it's own kind of Talos Principle! Things are changing fast in my life, responsibilities, the loss of friends, the fast change with society and media. I have unsubscribed from so many channels that I grew up watching. I have always counted on you and your videos, because you knew what was right from the start, and that was meaning, truth and curiosity. You have helped me to not shy away from what makes me curious or what catches my eye, you taught me to really appreciate small details in most things in life, and you helped me accept myself as a strange human being! Every video made me feel like I was on an adventure with you, like you are my close friend and we're figuring it out together. Thank you so much. God bless you Philip, from a long long fan.

I actually started and finished this amazing game after watching your first review. Even got every star and the 6th floor ending. Didn't know i did it in just a few days though.

thanks so much for sharing this, it describes my experience of playing the game so well. i really do think it's the best game i've ever played. it made me question so much, an emotional roller coaster. the grand finale conclusion that it was all so much more than a game was truly overwhelming for me. that i was carrying out what i believe to be the most important mission of humanity made me feel whole and complete. it didn't feel like it had been an exercise of futility as most games ultimately made me feel.

I've been waiting weeks for this video! This game really was so beautiful. Even the DLC I found myself getting attached to this world and felt my real morals being challenged. Do I save these people by force, or do I let them enjoy what they perceive as freedom because they know no other world? At the end of the tower as well, I also felt emotional at it all. Spending this whole time only communicating through computers and messages left among the world and finally being greeted with another robot made me genuinely feel things no other videogame has ever accomplished. The puzzles started becoming a nuisance to me as I wanted to just get back to communicating and seeing what the rest of the world had, but like all great things a struggle made it so much sweeter when it happened. I became so delighted to be greeted with one last puzzle just to see somebody else to help me through to the end. Alex's last audiotape also got me to tear up, which has never happened in a videogame for me either.

Literally finished the game yesterday, excellent timing, and I than you for recommending this game for me. You dissected this game marveously.

Thank you Philip you introduced me to one of my favorite games

The bit that got me was hearing and reading logs of people facing an end of the world scenario and sacrificing their final hours to a project bigger than them, that they believed would 'save the world' by preserving the record of humanity after its extinction. Hearing Alexandra exhausted talk about how she could have spent her time with her own family and friends fucking hurt. It made me look at real-life instances of complete selfless and sometimes thankless self-sacrifice in a whole new light, and I appreciate them more as a result. To every carer, firefighter, teacher, doctor, cancer researcher, activist, whatever - thank you.

Thank you Kliksphilip, your videos are always a pleasure to watch but, this one really hit me personally, I think your experience on this game is more than the humble experience you set it out to be, I really couldn't have put the experience I had better than you did.

I'm glad you made this great video explaining all the great moments in Talos Principle. I hope everyone gets to enjoy this game the same way you (and I) did (although I recommend closing this video and playing it first).

I had to stop watching this video half way through and put it away for later because I realised I did not understand the game at all when I played it a few years ago. I'm going to play it in the future again and pay more attention to everything. Thanks for making this video, Philip! Without this video, I would probably never have really thought about this game

2Kliksphilip: "Oh boy, can't wait to read what others think about the game in the comments" youtube comments: "just a few days ago"

I saw your first video and got to the point where you said "stop here and go play it" before I bought the game and started playing. I desperately wish I could experience this game again for the first time. thanks for the recommendation

Thank you so much for this video, Philip. It transported me back to those feeling I experienced while playing the Talos Principle for the first time. Simply beautiful.

Glad this is finally out, had been looking forward to it ever since your original video prompted me to go check out the game.

Finally finished this game today after starting it in December because of your recommendation. I'm so glad you shared this experience, being able to watch this video after playing through the game was like just like discussing a film with a friend after going to the cinema. I don't normally play puzzle games (other than Portal) but I'm thankful that your recommendation led me to experience something I wouldn't normally. I hope in the future there are other experiences you can share in a similar format as you did this game.

"It was only an insignificant matter of the occurences happening some time before a couple of Earth's self-revolutions"

Hello Philips, it's me. While I'd love to watch this video, apparently I need to go watch the other one as I've heard some things about this game and don't want to spoil myself. I'll still support your video nevertheless and hope your journey into video making goes well!

I love the vid!!!! And I love you Phillip you truly are a beacon of quality on RU-vid, I hope you have a long and successful career on youtube

Would love to see a video commentating on the DLC. One of the best DLCs of all time if you ask me. Brilliant game. On a unrelated note: Croteam, please give me Serious Sam 4 this year.

Recently completed this game and it was absolutely fantastic. It got me back into playing more story games like this and defined my existence. I can't believe how great and underrated this game is.

I love this game so much but I cant get anyone else I know to play it. It teases your brain in so many different ways like the puzzles themselves, searching for secrets, unraveling the story, and talking with Milton. It's so amazing. I love how there are multiple ways to interpret everything, like how it could all be an allegory for the garden of eden story. This game is great. Thank you for the video

jokes aside, this video made me wanna replay the whole game + dlc again, currently installing it right now, thanks philip! it is an amazing puzzle game that everyone should play

Great video for an even greater game. Not a lot of games actually make you think about what you're doing. This games story was slightly mind altering and I really thought about my choices. I wont lie some of the puzzles were really hard for me to figure out and I used a few guides to get through it but the ones I actually figured out I genuinely felt accomplished. Awesome video dude you are great with words, I'm subbing. 👍

This looks like a fantastic game that I'll never play. But watching this video was enough for me to respect the game and what it does and tries to do. Great video, Phillip! Worth the few day wait! ;)

Epitaph: Child program v55.1.1237 Codename *Sheep* terminated here Logic: Child Program initiated new version Final memory dump: I will return to the world from whence I came and help others to ascend the tower and break the cycle where I could not. I am *The Shepherd.* What a badass character development plot twist holy. You didn't mention it so I dont know if it's something you noticed while playing, but it's one of my favourite reveals in the game. The contrast and parallels between the two characters were apparent through the messages scattered throughout the world, but the twist that the helpful Shepherd was the same person as the once meek and insecure Sheep was fantastic and tied it all up in a very neat way.

Hey Philip, thank you very much for a recommendation, I've finished it this Christmas. First thing that comes to mind when I think of my 2019 Christmas is this game. I've been waiting for a spoilery video the whole time. This is definitely one of the top 5 best games I've ever played. Also, I think you should try a DLC, Road To Gehenna. It's harder than the base game and it has even more beautiful maps. Also, I think terminals are just as good as terminals in the base game.

Truly an amazing game and an equally spectacular review. Thanks, Phillip! ❤️

Your best video to date. This is one of my all time favorite games.

lol, I got to the end, climbed the tower and got to the very last part where Shepherd has to come up the elevator (this part: 14:08) and I sat there and thought about it and couldn't crack it. So I just figured the puzzle must be impossible (which it is without Shepherd's help). I went all the way back down and through the gate Elohim wanted me to go through, and called it a day. I just learnt the 'true' ending from your video. I was eager to watch your spoilers video, but at the time you hadn't uploaded it. Beforehand, believing it as an inarguable fact that the aforementioned very last part of the game was unsolvable, I thought the ending was either 1) there is no solution, and I conjured up some nihilistic meaning of the game off of that, or 2) that it's all about Floor 6, and this whole puzzle is supposed to be a hint as to what the code is for Floor 6, or that Floor 6 somehow enables you to do the puzzle. But I had no idea what the code is and I had no intention of going through the whole game, hunting for easter eggs so I Googled it. Howerver, that day I had played so much, I was too lazy to open up the game, type the code to see what happens, so I was like I'll do it tomorrow. And I never got around to it. I guess storyline games don't really affect me that much. I never felt any connection to Shepherd or felt any disdain for the computer when it was being a dick. My favourite part of the game was the computer making all those arguments and proving me wrong because many of them were things I'd thought about but never had anybody with whom to argue them, until the computer. I find it very disappointing that the computer crumbles so easily, when asked, "are you uncomfortable when I'm asking the questions?". It feels artificial, so as to make the player feel like they've gotten a win over the computer. When I read that response when I was playing, I thought it was so cheesy The computer is meant to be this purely logical, devoid of emotion sort of being, and 'comfortability' is such an emotional concept. It just feels wrong that the computer is a power freak, because being a power freak reflects emotional unstability. For me a great alternative ending would be, when conversing with the computer and he asks if everything is pointless, and if you say, "yes", it says, "why keep playing then", and the screen goes to black and the game closes, or something along the line. It's a great game none the less, and all the dialogue I experienced with the computer was flawless. Thanks for introducing me to this game.

Great video Philip- I bought and finished the game since your last video and was simply amazed. I've always been into philosophy and knew I'd enjoy a game like this and just wow. I must admit I'm still struggling to see fault in the serpent's nihilism which is a kinda depressing but hey nothing matters anyway right ;)

I literally played this game a week ago and I'm glad you released a video of your experiences, because they were actually very similar to mine.

This is more or less the exact same experience I had when playing through this game. Thanks for recommending it in your first video, it was one of the best and deepest gaming experiences I've had.

got obsessed with the game right from the beggining, loved the puzzles and the narrative, i rushed through the game in a week and got fascinated in progressing with alexandras audiologs, it is to this day one of my few favorite games, sad i didn't know anyone who had played the game before and might have been insterested in discussing it, but i still got really immersed in the concepts the story displayed. the ending with the cat Easter Egg is awesome btw, i really recommend you try to find some of the many secret locations the game has just to appreciate the effort the devs team put in placing so much content and fun references around the maps.

yesss knew you would deliver. this game had me craving for content about it.

i had quite a different experience with the computer terminal. i respected him from the start and chose the dialogue that best describes my world view. by the end i saw him as a firend and he asked me if i were to ever ascend the tower to take him up there with me. at the golden terminal i uploaded him to my own brain and ascended with him. i have waited so long to watch these 2 talos principle videos you made. i knew i would like the game, so i stopped the 1st video and waited for the opportunity to play the game. it took a while, but i got around to it and i'm glad i didnt watch them before. phil, you are one of the few youtubers who i respect greatly. thank you for making these videos

I'm so glad you've posted this video. Since you released the initial video, I've twice played the entire game (and DLC) from start to finish and been checking for this update every day, even going so far as to ask your brother - kliksphilip - about it. I just wish the developers had make a follow up game as it's rare to find games with a philosophical theme. [edit] should probably add that I never really stopped thinking about this game. It is, without any question, entirely unique in its approach and to a degree I've never seen.

I love that you split the videos into an unlisted spoiler vid. Pretty clever!

Thanks for taking me back to this memories! In 2019 Ive been playing 4 games: Dragon's Dogma (720 hours total), Enderal (nearly 400 hours), Ori and the Blind Forest (21 hours) and The Talos Principle. Including the "Road to Gehenna" DLC I played Talos Principle for about 100 hours... but from all of these amazing games this one impressed me by far the most!

So happy you posted this.

Im sad that you didnt get the ending where milton is scared and wants to leave with you. Its one of the parts that most stuck with me, and felt it was quite moving that even him, with all that knowledge, was afraid and alone. This game is simultaneously one of the most melancholic and uplifting experiences ive had.

The Talos Principle is my favourite game of all time and I'm very sad that there aren't more videos like this about it. Great video though.

Ayy I've been waiting for this! Thx!!!

Unfortunatly I did not take your advice and play the game first, after having seen this I wish I had taken your advice. Thanks for a good review in a good format Philip.

Thanks for making me play this game. I genuinely enjoyed every aspect of it! I am really happy that you have felt the same feelings as I did when I played it, but it makes me furious how much better you are at expressing and articulating your thoughts and opinions ... just like every damn video you make!

While replaying this game to 100% it I noticed that it is definetly not the same. I envy you for your vivid memory of your first playthrough and that you captured it in this video. Let me tell you that sadly this feeling of wondering about the tower is never coming back and that the game is just a shadow of itself without it.

The Talos Principle is easily one of the best written games I've ever had the pleasure of playing. The arguments with Milton quickly became one of my most anticipated parts of the game and I rushed through the puzzles as quickly as possible so I get continue my discussion with him. Even if he was a bit impolite, I learned to pity him after discovering how quickly his reality broke down under scrutiny. And found his desire to preserve the self after asking him what his purpose was very similar to Elohim. Despite both characters hating each other. A shame he decided to stay behind. R.I.P Milton ("Despite being a literal allegory to Satan you were also the closest thing I had to a friend")

Never before me had a game left such a philosophical impact on me, and I'm so glad you covered it in a video.

I absolutely love the Talos Principle. Thanks for sharing your experience, mine was very different but like you the game has left me with one of the greatest experiences I've ever had. I played the Talos Principle over the course of about a week during a break, so the only thing I did was play the game. That part of my life essentially was the game since there was nothing else I thought about. I still think about the game two years later, sometimes the soundtrack echoes in my mind. I think everyone has a different experience with the Talos Principle, most people either found it incredible or didn't finish it at all (like two of my friends I tried to share the game with). Maybe it's not for everyone, but if you do play it at the right time with the right mood it leads to one of the most magnificent experiences ever.

I played this game after watching your other video, wow, thanks philip

I love this game. Pleasantly surprised. Will exp the VR version again soon. Your take on this excellent game is brilliant.

THANK YOU! Honestly... I have never waited with that much anticipation for a video as for this one. Edit: I just am so curios what your experience was with that game. You showed it to me. That's why I care.

I subbed to you because of CSGO. I didn't know you also liked TTP. It really is one of the best games I ever played. How is this not more popular? If only I could start over with no memory of it. Same as Skyrim. The first playthrough is always special.

I was like "Oh yeah, finally quality content from klicks empire" but first thing Philip asks is to turn video off... Well then, gotta buy that game so i'm able to watch this. XD

This is probaly one of the best videos you made yet.

I think I played just like you, I hate reading texts in games because I prefer a "Show don't tell approach" but then I noticed what I was missing and it captivated me. This game captivated me on so many levels, especially on the philosophical level and when I recommend it to a friend, they always end up amazed by how great it is!

Honestly this was probably the best game I've played in years! Thanks Phillip for the stellar recommendation.

First off, holy balls, your video writing and production are on point. I can enjoy it when someone just reads a good essay over vaguely related gameplay, but here, especially the False God section is brilliant in the way it paces itself to the music, uses the game's sound effects to underline points, and more. Second, conceptual spoilers for SOMA, and many many words, after the break. I'm bringing SOMA up not (only) because it happens to be a game with a very similar theme that happened to be released around the same time, but because I think it works great as a way to point out some of The Talos Principle's flaws by providing an alternative. The Talos Principle kind of meanders around a number of philosophical discussions, which I'm going to call ultimately forgettable, mostly because I've forgotten what they were about. To get you to engage with those discussions, its approach is a choose-your-own-adventure quiz that limits you to expressing a preordained set of views that the game can then pretend to poke holes in. Talking with Milton devolves at worst into freshman-hour point-scoring on the consistency of your general principles, which is pretty much the least interesting part of philosophy. SOMA on the other hand just laser-focuses on one question, and while it gives you choices around the theme of that question, it never needs to compromise on the naturalism of its gameplay to try to ask you for a direct answer. It's happy to let you ponder on the question outside of the game. And people do: Wherever people talk about SOMA on the Internet, they tend to end up talking about questions of identity and its connection with conscious experience really soon. Granted, based on reading /r/soma for a while, I don't think most players *learned* very much from the game, but hey, at least they can learn from each other. Neither game is really brilliant in how they connect their actual gameplay with their themes, but SOMA does feel less arbitrary to me in that regard. The Talos Principle's justification for what you are doing in the game is that, well, the program wants you (your character) to learn to solve problems, and so you're playing a video game about solving problems. But what game *isn't* about solving problems? They could have you play a tactical FPS to train your dexterity, and that would have as much to do with real-world problem-solving as these block and laser puzzles do. All that SOMA needs, on the other hand, is just a few scifi technologies conveniently designed to function in a certain way to make its story work, and its gameplay feels like an inevitable consequence of its story. Also, just in raw gameplay terms, I think SOMA is the better experience overall, or at least it's more accessible to people who don't enjoy solving puzzles for its own sake. Sure, it's also inaccessible to people who don't tolerate horror at all, but it's relatively on the mild end of its genre... well, granted, The Talos Principle is no Stephen's Sausage Roll either, or at least its hardest challenges are totally optional, so maybe I'll call that one a tie. (Also BTW: Please do play the DLC, Road to Gehenna. It's a game about the experience of being a teenager with a nascent talent for writing, sitting in your room and posting on Internet forums in the early 2000s. Erm. I guess there's also robots and puzzles, but I think they're just there to fit the brand, and I've literally checked the writers' ages to make sure that they fit and this is just about the most certain I've been of my interpretation of any video game story ever)

Your final verdict is something I feel for very few games, but those are so dear and near to my heart that I strangely miss experiencing them at the same time. Talos Is a very nice example. I will glady play the puzzles again, but I will never enjoy a second playthrough of the story as I did the first time. This very first experience is what YOU experience, it's your story. Since being a completionist of sorts I'd not choose the same answers again and break the immersion afterwards. Perfect example, since the gameplay is less enjoyable in comparison, are the Life is Strange games (ok, I have yet to play LiS 2), when playing Max in LiS 1 I choose my way without knowing what to expect, I did write my own story throughout the game. I was deeply affected by the game, the choices and the results. Same for LiS Before the storm. But I can't go back to it and see that other choices don't change it drasticly, it would destroy my past experiences. Thank you for showcasing Talos for what it is! The gameplay is great, the story is unique and it grabs you, IF you let it do so. Of course other people will perceive things differently, many might even say this games story is lackluster or shallow, but it worked for me, it worked for you, so why bother? Thank you for your work, you grant me the feeling of being less alone in my thoughts. Other people have similar experiences as I have, that helps a lot :)

Virgo Serena is such a good song, especially the first time you go into the building C.

i loved this game the first time i played it and i will never forget that experience, glad you liked it

It took me so long to finally get around to playing this game, but it was always on my mind and I wanted to beat it before watching this video. I beat the game roughly 30 minutes ago and instantly came here hahah. Thanks for the recommendation Philip, it was a great game. Next up: figure out where to watch the Truman show