While the base game of Talos is very bland, empty, and disconnected beyond the puzzles, it's surprising that the Gehenna DLC actually does so much more with so much less.
If you enjoyed the puzzling from the base game (or simply want the 100% achievements) the DLC is well worth a play as you're getting a heaping spoonful of extra puzzles, some of which explore the mechanical nuances in more detail. It doesn't introduce any new obstacles or tools and all the artwork is recycled from the first game but it's all used to a much greater effect.
Gehenna is essentially a prison and you play Uriel (an AI mentioned in the first game) who is challenged with breaking them out. Despite being imprisoned the characters have a rich presence in the message boards of Gehenna's terminals creating art, discussing philosophy, and creating games for each other. This small touch gives the puzzles more purpose as they now function as locks to prison cells. Even the level design is more interesting despite how much smaller the world is.
It's a shame they didn't reverse the roles and have this as the premise for the core game and leave the lonely testing to the DLC. It's amazing how just this touch of extra depth, having a mysterious premise, playing a named character, and having a cast of characters adds so much that was missing from the first game - or maybe it's a case of something is better than nothing. Either ways I'd recommend this over the base game but I don't know if it's worth $10 extra to make an okay game good.
If you enjoyed the puzzling from the base game (or simply want the 100% achievements) the DLC is well worth a play as you're getting a heaping spoonful of extra puzzles, some of which explore the mechanical nuances in more detail. It doesn't introduce any new obstacles or tools and all the artwork is recycled from the first game but it's all used to a much greater effect.
Gehenna is essentially a prison and you play Uriel (an AI mentioned in the first game) who is challenged with breaking them out. Despite being imprisoned the characters have a rich presence in the message boards of Gehenna's terminals creating art, discussing philosophy, and creating games for each other. This small touch gives the puzzles more purpose as they now function as locks to prison cells. Even the level design is more interesting despite how much smaller the world is.
It's a shame they didn't reverse the roles and have this as the premise for the core game and leave the lonely testing to the DLC. It's amazing how just this touch of extra depth, having a mysterious premise, playing a named character, and having a cast of characters adds so much that was missing from the first game - or maybe it's a case of something is better than nothing. Either ways I'd recommend this over the base game but I don't know if it's worth $10 extra to make an okay game good.