The Talos Principle 2

The Talos Principle 2 is a puzzle-adventure video game developed by Croteam and published by Devolver Digital. A sequel to The Talos Principle (2014), the game was released for Windows PC, PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X and Series S in November 2023 to generally positive reviews.

Gameplay
Similar to its predecessor, The Talos Principle 2 is a first-person puzzle game. In addition to the mechanics from the first game, the game introduces new gameplay features such as gravity manipulation and mind transference. To complete the main story of the game, the player must complete 8 different puzzles in each of the game's 12 main areas. The game also features optional puzzles in the game; completing them unlocks additional secrets. Players can find "sparks" hidden in different parts of the game. Utilizing a spark allows players to clear a puzzle without solving it.

Plot
The Talos Principle 2 takes place some years after the first game, which occurred after humanity was wiped out by a virus released from the permafrost due to global warming; to salvage their knowledge before they died, a group of humans established a project to create sentient artificial intelligence by solving puzzles within a virtual space, with those that succeed inhabiting android bodies and continue to extend humankind.

The game starts with the awakening of the one thousandth android, named "1K". 1K is brought to New Jerusalem, a city created by the androids, and welcomed as having achieved the goal of having one thousand androids. During the celebration, a holographic figure of Prometheus appears to the androids warning them of more challenges for them to face, while simultaneously, sensors detect a massive energy surge far from the city. 1K is brought on an expedition to this location, discovering a pyramid-like megastructure, as well as several outlying areas that tie into it. These new areas are found to have similar puzzles as from the virtual space, and 1K is assigned to solve them. When 1K completes a set, they are able to enter a central structure within each area, where they discover further holograms of Prometheus, Pandora, and the Sphinx, causing them about the follies of humankind and their quest for knowledge. On completion of this discussions, the structure launches a laser beam towards the megastructure, soon allowing the expedition to enter it.

In addition to these messages, 1K encounters recordings and echoes of Athena - the first awoken android - and other early founders of New Jerusalem. Shortly after New Jerusalem was established, Athena had gone missing, troubling some of those. Through these recordings, 1K learns that the megastructure and the surrounding areas were likely built by Athena after she and Cornilius, another founder, had attempted to create their own android Miranda in their image but ultimately Miranda broke down.

Development
Developer Croteam announced that they were working on a sequel, The Talos Principle 2, in May 2016. On September 23, 2020, one day before the release of Serious Sam 4, Croteam writer Jonas Kyratzes confirmed that The Talos Principle 2 was still "definitely happening." Kyratzes explained that The Talos Principle 2's story was "challenging" to create due to the original's plot having "wrapped up so well". Kyratzes also explained that work on the game had been slow due to the development of Croteam's other two games: the aforementioned Serious Sam 4, and The Hand of Merlin. He also stated that The Talos Principle 2 would be the company's next focus following Serious Sam 4's release.

In May 2023 at the virtual PlayStation Showcase livestream event, it was announced that the sequel will be released by the end of the year. The sequel builds on the first game's origin story of robotkind by exploring the newly emerged robotic civilization. It was showcased at Gamescom 2023. The sequel was released on 2 November 2023. It is powered by the Unreal Engine 5, as Croteam decided to move away from their in-house engine following the release of Serious Sam 4.