I like this game and admire its success. I'd cautiously recommend everyone to check it out. But there's a HUGE "however". The puzzles are extremely uneven, and often punishing without being challenging. This isn't Portal 2. The game isn't half as accessible and smooth as Valve's title to which it's often compared.

Apart for a few standouds, most of the puzzles fall into one of these categories:

1. Good: Puzzles which are clean cut, make you go "a-ha" and don't stand in your way to achieve the solution. High points of the game, both stimulating and satisfying.

2. Meh: Puzzles which are a variation of previously tackled problems. In those, you're fighting with the level layout more often than looking for the solution. But it's still fun.

3. Bad: Puzzles which rely on you perfectly comprehending the game's internal logic. The game never explains its rules to the player, and in many cases these rules don't subscribe to common sense or rules of physics. Why do boxes perfectly stick to violently moving spheres?

4. Bad: Puzzles which are punishing for no reason at all, requiring of player to do the same thing 10 times in a row, sometimes with a perfect timing (the "recording device" will make you angry at some point, guaranteed).

If I were to judge it just by puzzles, I'd say that you're going to have fun 50% of your time with the game. But for the rest of your time you won't be solving puzzles - you will be solving developer's weird decisions.

To be frank, it shows that The Talos Principle was tested by tireless bots who were well-acquainted with the game's logic beforehand.

Seeing that this is a common criticism, yes, the philosophy in the game might be a bit blunt at times, but it serves its purpose, boldly exploring ideas which might not be common knowledge.

Overall: play this game, you're probably going to enjoy it when it's good. It will make you feel smart, it will make you feel dumb. But please keep in mind that it's an indie title with wonky-to-bad game design at every corner.

I like this game and admire its success. I'd cautiously recommend everyone to check it out. But there's a HUGE "however". The puzzles are extremely uneven, and often punishing without being challenging. This isn't Portal 2. The game isn't half as accessible and smooth as Valve's title to which it's often compared. Apart for a few standouds, most of the puzzles fall into one of these categories: 1. Good: Puzzles which are clean cut, make you go "a-ha" and don't stand in your way to achieve the solution. High points of the game, both stimulating and satisfying. 2. Meh: Puzzles which are a variation of previously tackled problems. In those, you're fighting with the level layout more often than looking for the solution. But it's still fun. 3. Bad: Puzzles which rely on you perfectly comprehending the game's internal logic. The game never explains its rules to the player, and in many cases these rules don't subscribe to common sense or rules of physics. Why do boxes perfectly stick to violently moving spheres? 4. Bad: Puzzles which are punishing for no reason at all, requiring of player to do the same thing 10 times in a row, sometimes with a perfect timing (the "recording device" will make you angry at some point, guaranteed). If I were to judge it just by puzzles, I'd say that you're going to have fun 50% of your time with the game. But for the rest of your time you won't be solving puzzles - you will be solving developer's weird decisions. To be frank, it shows that The Talos Principle was tested by tireless bots who were well-acquainted with the game's logic beforehand. Seeing that this is a common criticism, yes, the philosophy in the game might be a bit blunt at times, but it serves its purpose, boldly exploring ideas which might not be common knowledge. Overall: play this game, you're probably going to enjoy it when it's good. It will make you feel smart, it will make you feel dumb. But please keep in mind that it's an indie title with wonky-to-bad game design at every corner.