While, in a sense, Milton is successful in tempting us to sin, the act is for different reasons than Milton made apparent. This leaves only Elohim left to confront, with The User climbing the tower - with the assistance and hindrance of some other characters - and exiting the illusory world. With the correct choices, The User is able to see through Milton’s illusory language and expose his attitude as “absence of evidence” mistaken for “evidence of absence”, thus causing him to regress into an infinite logic loop. In these conversations, the only position Milton will side with The User on is one of nihilism any other beliefs, in its view, are contradictory and, therefore, without merit. He is a pure nihilist, with nothing to believe in except constant critique. Throughout the game, Milton functions as a sort of philosophical critic, inviting The User to explain their views of the world such that he can pick them apart. The Talos Principle wastes no time in letting you know that Elohim is a God figure and Milton is a Lucifer figure, tempting your curiosity to disobey God and commit sin. Upon death, both self-inflicted and otherwise, these AIs are reborn, with a new version number, sometimes as a new line of AI in specific cases. In this simulation, The User and other AIs solve various logic puzzles, possibly dying in the process. The world itself is a computer simulation created by the last members of humanity to allow for the emergence of an AI sentient enough to comprehend humanity’s former existence, such that there will always be someone who remembers humanity, indirectly keeping them alive. The other goal is to disobey his only order: climb the massive tower at the center of the game’s hub world, as encouraged by Milton, an AI overseeing a vast-but-shrinking library of humanity’s works. Initially, the goal given to The User (the player character) is to attain all the “sigils” - i.e., solve all the main puzzles - such that Elohim may unlock the doors to eternity, where The User is granted eternal life. The two primary characters in The Talos Principle are the almighty Elohim and the nihilistic Milton. It is non-dual in both structure and content. The Talos Principle presents a non-dual allegory while presenting an application of that allegory within its own narrative. By combining this allegory with this self-awareness, Croteam produced something wholly unique. What sets The Talos Principle apart is that, while it presents a great non-dual allegory in its narrative, it is also heavily aware of the non-dual nature of play, the interaction between the virtual and real, and the possibility for personal development that comes out of that interaction. Instead I was treated to a solid puzzle game with one of the best uses of environmental storytelling I’ve experienced. Thanks to a recent Steam sale, I picked up Croteam’s The Talos Principle, expecting a solid puzzle game with some decent philosophical ideas in the background. Samsara & The Shepherd: The Talos Principle as Non-Dual Allegory
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |