Things take a frigid turn on the Desolate Island, which is as expansive as it is… well… desolate. Not only should you explore every nook and cranny for some secrets off the beaten path, but you should also take the time to appreciate the two clifftop statues: one of a Sphinx and the other of Prometheus. This guide will help you solve the Sphinx’s riddle and find Prometheus’s spark, so that they can both give you a Star to keep you warm.
The Star Statue Puzzles in The Talos Principle 2 are puzzles dotted throughout the 12 regions of game, with 2 Statues in each region. Solving them allows you to acquire Stars, and once you have them all, you’ll be able to enter the Astronomical Temple near the Megastructure.
There are 3 different kinds of Star Statue Puzzles: Prometheus Puzzles, which require you to chase his sprites through the region; Pandora Puzzles, which require to you connect her box to a beam to activate; and Sphinx Puzzles, which require you to solve a key placard.
Desolate Island (North 1) Sphinx Puzzle
To solve the Sphinx Puzzle on the Desolate Island, start by locating the statue itself, which will be on the far west side of the map (Image 1). Once you are there, look at the key (Image 2) in order to see what you have to do. You will see 3 locations marked (“A”, “T”, and “C”), which are where you’ll need to go to complete this puzzle. Note that the Sphinx statue itself is below the bottom of this key, closest to the location marked “T”.
Image 1Image 2
The closest of the 3 marked locations to the Sphinx statue is around the back side of Puzzle 7 (Image 3). Look against the outside wall of the Puzzle for a 3×3 grid of golden buttons (Image 4). Since the Key shows a “T” shape for this configuration, depress the 3×3 grid in a T shape. If you have done so correctly, “Pattern is already solved.” will display over the grid (Image 5).
Image 3Image 4Image 5
The next marked location is between Puzzle 8 and the Bonus Puzzle to the west of the tower. To find it, go right past Puzzle 8 (Image 6), and then work your way around the Bonus Puzzle (Images 7, 8, and 9) until you round an alcove, where a 4×3 grid of golden buttons will be. Depress the 4×3 grid in a roughly “A” shape (Image 10), until you get the message “Pattern is already solved.” (Image 11)
Image 6Image 7Image 8Image 9Image 10Image 11
The third and final marked location is on the other side of the map, to the east (and on the path to the Prometheus statue). It is around the side of the Bonus Puzzle to the east of the tower (Image 12), which you should circle around (Image 13) in order to find a 3×3 grid of golden buttons (Image 14). Depress these in a “C” shape in order to get a “Pattern is already solved.” message (Image 15).
Image 12Image 13Image 14Image 15
Once you’ve activated all 3 of the golden-button grids to the point a message displays, an audio cue will play, and you can go back to the Sphinx statue to collect your state (Image 16).
Image 16
Desolate Island (North 1) Prometheus Puzzle
To solve the Prometheus Puzzle on the Desolate Island, start by heading to the statue, in the far East of the map (Image 1). Once you are there, you can find a placard that reads “Find my sprite and follow it until it leads you back to me.” (Image 2)
Image 1Image 2
The Sprite in question is actually visible from the Prometheus statue (if you have high enough resolution). It can be found sitting on a ledge attached to the Tower structure itself, and can easily be spotted heading up the west stairs (Image 3). In order to reach it, climb the stairs and then jump off the platform where some signage is (Image 4) in order to get onto the landing where you can touch the blue Sprite (Image 5).
Image 3Image 4image 5
Follow the Sprite down the stairs until it enters Puzzle 4 (Image 6). It will be sitting on top of the riser where you originally accessed the platform to complete the level (Image 7). What comes next requires you to jump up there the same way you used to complete the regular puzzle.
Image 6Image 7
Start by placing the box against the riser, then grab a platform and stand next to it (Image 8). Switch bodies and grab another platform, and stand next to the box. Then, switch to the body not carrying a platform, jump onto the box, and then jump onto one of the platforms (Image 9). From here, look down and switch to the body below you, then jump onto the box and then onto the other platform (Image 10). Finally, look down and jump onto the box (Image 11), then look up twice and swap (Image 12) until you are face-to-face with the Sprite (Image 13).
Image 8Image 9Image 10Image 11Image 12Image 13
After touching the Sprite, it will leave the puzzle and head to the intersection down the path (Image 14), and then after that it will go up to a concrete wall just in front of the Bonus Puzzle (Image 15).
Image 14Image 15
The Sprite will go straight through the Bonus Puzzle (Image 16), but will actually come out on the opposite side, requiring you to work your way around the Puzzle to touch it from the back (Image 17).
Image 16Image 17
After that, you simply need to start heading back toward Prometheus. The Sprite will stop along the path there (Image 18), and then one last time just in front of the Prometheus Statue (Image 19). After touching it in this final location, the Sprite will go into Prometheus’s cup, completing the puzzle.
Image 18Image 19
Once you’ve chased the Spirte all the way back to Prometheus, grab the Star from underneath the Statue (Image 20).
Image 20
Collecting both Stars in the region will make progress toward opening up the Astronomical Temple outside the Megastructure, but you will need all 24 Stars from each of the 12 Regions in order to do so. Check out our other Star Statue guides for information.
Graves is an avid writer, web designer, and gamer, with more ideas than he could hope to achieve in a lifetime. But, armed with a mug of coffee and an overactive imagination, he'll try. When he isn't working on a creative project, he is painting miniatures, reading cheesy sci-fi novels, or making music.
