After playing The Talos Principle 2, by developer Croteam, and published by Devolver Digital, I was well and truly in love with the game. So much so it made it my game of the year for 2023, and after playing The Talos Principle 2 for 42 hours, I finally concluded all the puzzles and ended the story.

I was so satisfied with everything about The Talos Principle 2 that I was blissfully happy with there being no more content, and hopeful that Croteam would revisit the franchise a third time. When MKAU was offered a preview of the upcoming DLC, Road to Elysium, I was not only surprised, but jubilant that the honour was mine to experience it.

The preview only covered an incredibly small portion of what will be on offer at full release, but this small taste was more than enough to get me salivating for more.

Road to Elysium will include three DLCs which will offer various story expansions separate from the main game, and each will be a standalone experience that will delve deeper into characters and situations experienced in the main game, so I would recommend fully completing the main game before starting any of the DLCs.

The portion I got to preview was called Isles of the Blessed, which has you playing as Yaqut. You want to impress Miranda by solving puzzles set before you by a new puzzle master, Barzai, but of course, this will mean nothing to you if you haven’t played the main game.

Ultimately, the concept from The Talos Principle 2 is the same as what I got to play in Isles of the Blessed, and if you want to know more about The Talos Principle 2, you can read the full review on the MKAU website here.

The only difference is that there are more stories to unpack with the characters and more philosophical discussions to be had. In the Isles of the Blessed, the preview allowed me to explore and solve the red sector of puzzles. There are two other sectors, and with all three solved, the central area should open, revealing more about Isles of the Blessed, or Barzai.

The Isles of the Blessed is set in an environment not dissimilar to the Caribbean islands, and the tropical beaches and jungles make you feel like you’re in a tropical paradise. The audio perfectly matches the setting as well, delivering those tropical beach noises mixed with music to match, all with that familiar twist from The Talos Principle 2.

As mentioned earlier, I am overjoyed with the opportunity to dive back into more of The Talos Principle 2 with the DLC, Road to Elysium. I am not only eager to finish what I have started in the Isles of the Blessed but exhilarated at the prospect of what might come with the other two expansions. If you, like me, loved The Talos Principle 2, then don’t miss out on Road to Elysium.

Written by: Ashley Barnett-Cosgrove