Years ago, when Valve launched Portal as a fun Half-Life 2 mod, everybody was thrilled with the concept of the game. Portal 2 didn't just live up to the expectations I had, it slammed them harder into the ground, than I could have ever imagined. If this is no game of the year, I don't know what is... Portal 2's plot reaches much deeper into the history of Aperture Science, revealing new characters and shining a light on the events of Portal 1. Of course the humor most certainly made it to Portal 2 and I want to say, this game is even funnier than its predecessor. The new characters and the deeper plot make this game a must-buy, but that's not good enough for Aperture Science, I mean Valve: A co-op mode was the only thing missing from Portal 1, and they included it in this gem of video games. Challenging test chambers and hours of brain explosions await you and your partner in the Aperture Science Co-Operative Testing Initiative. If you liked Portal, you'll love Portal 2. And if you've never played Portal... do it now!
30 Reviews
Wow.
chrislanotte2 December 2011
Warning: Spoilers
I expected this game to be good.
Boy was I wrong.
This game took my definition of good, gave it steroids, and halfway through the game had permanently heightened the bar at which I considered a game "perfect." From the halfway mark, it continued to raise that bar, and in the end, still managed to jump miles above it. Portal 2 is easily my favorite game of all time.
When I started, I was just so amazed that I was freaking playing a sequel to my ex- favorite game of all time (the original Portal). But as I went on, I was just MAYBE starting to get ever-so-slightly bored of it, when BAM! The game took me, threw me against the wall, and yelled at me to never, ever, think those thoughts again.
The ending was just so awesome in how- I'm not going to give away anything- in how you just KNEW what you needed to do.
I laughed at the top-notch humor, I cried at the sheer beauty of the ending, a got goosebumps when *SPOILER REDACTED*, and for the first time ever, for the first time EVER in a video game, I felt like I was actually living through this as the character, and not just playing a game.
Buy this game. Play this game. LOVE THIS GAME.
You won't regret it.
Boy was I wrong.
This game took my definition of good, gave it steroids, and halfway through the game had permanently heightened the bar at which I considered a game "perfect." From the halfway mark, it continued to raise that bar, and in the end, still managed to jump miles above it. Portal 2 is easily my favorite game of all time.
When I started, I was just so amazed that I was freaking playing a sequel to my ex- favorite game of all time (the original Portal). But as I went on, I was just MAYBE starting to get ever-so-slightly bored of it, when BAM! The game took me, threw me against the wall, and yelled at me to never, ever, think those thoughts again.
The ending was just so awesome in how- I'm not going to give away anything- in how you just KNEW what you needed to do.
I laughed at the top-notch humor, I cried at the sheer beauty of the ending, a got goosebumps when *SPOILER REDACTED*, and for the first time ever, for the first time EVER in a video game, I felt like I was actually living through this as the character, and not just playing a game.
Buy this game. Play this game. LOVE THIS GAME.
You won't regret it.
We are not worthy! We are not worthy!
ltadams224726 April 2011
They have done it again. After Portal, which was more of a fun game teaser really, they have finally made the concept into one hell of a game.
First of all, it now has the proper length of a full game (6-8 hours for the single player campaign on your first run). Secondly, the creative puzzle solving from the first part is not only back, but improved with many new gadgets that make you wonder how they come up with that stuff. Find me more creative game play in the industry, I dare you.
The single player campaign is now filled with even more hilarious dialog and characters (the old ones are back of course), a better story line and what i thought to be a jaw dropping finale. That's the scale the concept is made for, well done! The game now features a co-op version where you go through a different set of levels which you can only solve through teamwork. Those will puzzle you even more than the single player campaign (in total the game is about 3 times as long as the original by the way). Before they send you out to places where you have to really rely on your partner to, say, not fall into the abyss, they send you through a course of team building exercises so you can get used to how things work now that you're not alone any more. Extremely well thought out. Solving those puzzles is even more gratifying when you do it as a team, or so i have found.
Last but not least a little shout out to the group of actors voicing the various characters in the game. Good voice acting is something we have come to expect from Valve games but those guys and gals really know how to deliver comedy. At point I had to stop playing for a minute to wait for the laughing to stop ;-) How often do sequels let you down. Not this one. It's longer, bigger, funnier. Now you will see why the people at Valve took so long to make it. Instead of rushing the game and get something half finished *cough* Dragon Age 2 *cough*, they took their time to get it right.
Hats off, Valve, hats off.
First of all, it now has the proper length of a full game (6-8 hours for the single player campaign on your first run). Secondly, the creative puzzle solving from the first part is not only back, but improved with many new gadgets that make you wonder how they come up with that stuff. Find me more creative game play in the industry, I dare you.
The single player campaign is now filled with even more hilarious dialog and characters (the old ones are back of course), a better story line and what i thought to be a jaw dropping finale. That's the scale the concept is made for, well done! The game now features a co-op version where you go through a different set of levels which you can only solve through teamwork. Those will puzzle you even more than the single player campaign (in total the game is about 3 times as long as the original by the way). Before they send you out to places where you have to really rely on your partner to, say, not fall into the abyss, they send you through a course of team building exercises so you can get used to how things work now that you're not alone any more. Extremely well thought out. Solving those puzzles is even more gratifying when you do it as a team, or so i have found.
Last but not least a little shout out to the group of actors voicing the various characters in the game. Good voice acting is something we have come to expect from Valve games but those guys and gals really know how to deliver comedy. At point I had to stop playing for a minute to wait for the laughing to stop ;-) How often do sequels let you down. Not this one. It's longer, bigger, funnier. Now you will see why the people at Valve took so long to make it. Instead of rushing the game and get something half finished *cough* Dragon Age 2 *cough*, they took their time to get it right.
Hats off, Valve, hats off.
Hilarious, engaging, intelligent and brilliantly scripted and cast – just a joy to play
bob the moo5 June 2011
It was only recently that I discovered what has been public knowledge for a long time – that Portal is a great game. I decided to jump into Portal 2 recently on the basis of enjoying the first game so much. True to form, Portal 2 does not disappoint and everything good about the first game is present, polished and improved here – well, pretty much everything.
The game begins the same as the first one did, with levels that introduce you to the world of portals gradually so that you get the basics before the puzzles start getting a bit harder. This is normal with sequels because the makers cannot assume players are familiar already but at the same time have to try not to bore old hands who have seen this all before. Here there is no such problem because while I was already familiar with the ideas I was being introduced to, I was not familiar with Wheatley. At first Wheatley (voiced by Stephen Merchant) is your guide and he is hilarious and he makes the introductory levels a lot of fun to play with his comments and advice: this is a game that tells you which button is "jump" by getting you to push in to "speak" and then judging your character for jumping. It is hard to describe but fans of the first game will know the style of humour at play here and indeed fans of Stephen Merchant should also know, since he is doing his usual stuff here (most notably like he did in Extras – the cheerful numpty).
The single player game takes you through the same sort of test rooms as before but plot developments see you exploring different areas in the facility as well. These areas tend to be more broken down and the differences in them does serve to rather break you out of autopilot to a point. At times it is too easy to solve puzzles by simply observing the room and recognising the process rather than solving the puzzle, the change in location made me have to pay attention more. Also in addition to the varied locations we also have substances added which have particular properties and play a role in solving puzzles – these also serve to break up the "routine" of knowing where to put the portals and makes for some nice puzzles. There are also laser and other new things but rest assured that the trusty companion cubes remain. I still didn't find it particularly hard but I do think it was a little tougher at times than the first game – the makers said the focus was to make the game bigger but not necessarily harder and they did do that.
Of course bigger does make it better and I think the single player game was about 10 hours which, considering it is very similar throughout, it is testament to how engaging it is that it never gets boring. The story helps as we have great characters in GlaDOS, Wheatley and Cave Johnson, all of whom are really well written and hilarious but yet also charm and engage – they can be tragic, threatening, cruel or insane but the player always likes them and is entertained by them – like the turrets, even when they are trying to kill you, you always feel bad about knocking them over! The dialogue is key in making this work and it is really well written. Johnson's dialogue is funny and also informative in terms of back-story, while GlaDOS is as evil as ever harbouring a massive grudge from the last game and constantly making lots of little digs at the player about their weight or about their parents not loving them. Again, it is hard to explain how funny it is but my girlfriend (a hater of video games) loved watching me play – although was always impatient for me to solve the puzzle so she could get the next piece of dialogue from GlaDOS etc. It is hilarious and it is this way throughout – the final song is not quite up to the standards of "Still Alive" but to be fair – what is? The delivery of the lines is near-perfect. McLain returns as GlaDOS and various other voices, while JK Simmons (yes, Schillinger from Oz etc) is really great as Cave Johnson. Standout though is the cheerful little bumbler Wheatley as played by Merchant. A great character and Merchant totally fits, delivering by far the funniest performance I have seen him give.
The graphics are not amazingly stepped up from the original game but some of the areas outside of the testing rooms are impressive in their complexity and detail. However those looking to be wowed by technology will not be here but in fairness it isn't what I came for and it did still look good. The addition of the co-op may only add another 4 or 5 hours to the game but they are great addition. The use of four portals and two players means that the dynamics are really well changed and they worked my brain a little harder because I had settled into a rhythm with the main game. It also features a nice little plot and loads of the usual humour.
Overall Portal 2 is a brilliant game. The puzzles are good without being really difficult – I still found it a bit too easy to solve but many did give me pause and made me think for a minute before sorting it out. The humour is key though and this game is hilarious and engaging at the same time. The characters are brilliant in the writing, the dialogue and the delivery and I have (and will) replay parts just to hear the lines again. A great game – clever, engaging, funny, exciting and with twists and turns in the plot. Buy it now.
The game begins the same as the first one did, with levels that introduce you to the world of portals gradually so that you get the basics before the puzzles start getting a bit harder. This is normal with sequels because the makers cannot assume players are familiar already but at the same time have to try not to bore old hands who have seen this all before. Here there is no such problem because while I was already familiar with the ideas I was being introduced to, I was not familiar with Wheatley. At first Wheatley (voiced by Stephen Merchant) is your guide and he is hilarious and he makes the introductory levels a lot of fun to play with his comments and advice: this is a game that tells you which button is "jump" by getting you to push in to "speak" and then judging your character for jumping. It is hard to describe but fans of the first game will know the style of humour at play here and indeed fans of Stephen Merchant should also know, since he is doing his usual stuff here (most notably like he did in Extras – the cheerful numpty).
The single player game takes you through the same sort of test rooms as before but plot developments see you exploring different areas in the facility as well. These areas tend to be more broken down and the differences in them does serve to rather break you out of autopilot to a point. At times it is too easy to solve puzzles by simply observing the room and recognising the process rather than solving the puzzle, the change in location made me have to pay attention more. Also in addition to the varied locations we also have substances added which have particular properties and play a role in solving puzzles – these also serve to break up the "routine" of knowing where to put the portals and makes for some nice puzzles. There are also laser and other new things but rest assured that the trusty companion cubes remain. I still didn't find it particularly hard but I do think it was a little tougher at times than the first game – the makers said the focus was to make the game bigger but not necessarily harder and they did do that.
Of course bigger does make it better and I think the single player game was about 10 hours which, considering it is very similar throughout, it is testament to how engaging it is that it never gets boring. The story helps as we have great characters in GlaDOS, Wheatley and Cave Johnson, all of whom are really well written and hilarious but yet also charm and engage – they can be tragic, threatening, cruel or insane but the player always likes them and is entertained by them – like the turrets, even when they are trying to kill you, you always feel bad about knocking them over! The dialogue is key in making this work and it is really well written. Johnson's dialogue is funny and also informative in terms of back-story, while GlaDOS is as evil as ever harbouring a massive grudge from the last game and constantly making lots of little digs at the player about their weight or about their parents not loving them. Again, it is hard to explain how funny it is but my girlfriend (a hater of video games) loved watching me play – although was always impatient for me to solve the puzzle so she could get the next piece of dialogue from GlaDOS etc. It is hilarious and it is this way throughout – the final song is not quite up to the standards of "Still Alive" but to be fair – what is? The delivery of the lines is near-perfect. McLain returns as GlaDOS and various other voices, while JK Simmons (yes, Schillinger from Oz etc) is really great as Cave Johnson. Standout though is the cheerful little bumbler Wheatley as played by Merchant. A great character and Merchant totally fits, delivering by far the funniest performance I have seen him give.
The graphics are not amazingly stepped up from the original game but some of the areas outside of the testing rooms are impressive in their complexity and detail. However those looking to be wowed by technology will not be here but in fairness it isn't what I came for and it did still look good. The addition of the co-op may only add another 4 or 5 hours to the game but they are great addition. The use of four portals and two players means that the dynamics are really well changed and they worked my brain a little harder because I had settled into a rhythm with the main game. It also features a nice little plot and loads of the usual humour.
Overall Portal 2 is a brilliant game. The puzzles are good without being really difficult – I still found it a bit too easy to solve but many did give me pause and made me think for a minute before sorting it out. The humour is key though and this game is hilarious and engaging at the same time. The characters are brilliant in the writing, the dialogue and the delivery and I have (and will) replay parts just to hear the lines again. A great game – clever, engaging, funny, exciting and with twists and turns in the plot. Buy it now.
for science...
borkoboardo27 April 2011
"You are now thinking in portals..." - this used to be the tag line for an underdog game-project which completed the Orange Box. While most of the people bought this product because of Half Life 2 - Episode 2 the main feature only had limited playtime. After exploring the game set of the the Orange Box players were stunned by "Portal", an ego-shooter with no shooting and parallels to the Half Life universe.
In fact it was only a matter of time until the huge testing facility of Aperture Science got revived for the next run - and story.
While Portal 1 was pretty much done within 3 hours its successor waits with 7-8 hours of fun. It appears a little short - that's where the co-op mode comes in, adding almost a new dimension to the game's paradigm. Solving puzzles, mazes and riddles with a partner not only opens up possibilities of creating problems to solve - it also enhances one's horizon of thinking. The co-op mode does not really develop a story, but just for the fact that after solving some puzzles ("tests") the player is left with an unique impression, this games deserves a huge credit.
The story picks up where its predecessor left off - but digs way deeper into the history and structures around Aperture Science. It's a delight to move through very different environments solving unique puzzles which are created with a particular love for details. After some rooms the player occasionally feels like a genius because the presentation of problems are extremely unusual. The voices you are accompanied by dramatically raise the level atmosphere as the voice actors do (typical for Valve) an exceptional job. The whole flow of the game grants a fluid game-play and hardly ever comes to halt.
To me personally the main point of praise is the fact that Valve manages to send you through approximately 8 hours of the same game-play without making it boring. The story is appealing, unique and weaves in seamlessly into the Half Life universe.
Two things that I thought were not quite state of the art: 1. The graphics engine is out of date, no doubt. For this game it isn't THAT important to have the latest graphics, still it's very apparent at some point and very untypical for Valve. 2. Many aspects are almost too familiar from part one. The showdown, the credits, some monologues and game-plays, etc...
BUT, some other aspects would receive more than just 10 points and that's why Portal 2 still deserves a solid score of 9 points.
Let's face it: Valve produces games which are far more than the average assembly-line-games pumped out every year. The love for detail, interaction, presentation of problems, dialogs, story and game-play clearly stands out in comparison to even major game developer studios. And Portal 2 continues this tradition seamlessly - yes, I may have expected "a little" more but in the end it's still another magnum opus which will be talked about for a long time. No doubt, this game is already one of 2011's highlights and even though other games have way better effects, graphics, models or realism - Valve draws a very clear line: While other studios produce games, they craft art!
In fact it was only a matter of time until the huge testing facility of Aperture Science got revived for the next run - and story.
While Portal 1 was pretty much done within 3 hours its successor waits with 7-8 hours of fun. It appears a little short - that's where the co-op mode comes in, adding almost a new dimension to the game's paradigm. Solving puzzles, mazes and riddles with a partner not only opens up possibilities of creating problems to solve - it also enhances one's horizon of thinking. The co-op mode does not really develop a story, but just for the fact that after solving some puzzles ("tests") the player is left with an unique impression, this games deserves a huge credit.
The story picks up where its predecessor left off - but digs way deeper into the history and structures around Aperture Science. It's a delight to move through very different environments solving unique puzzles which are created with a particular love for details. After some rooms the player occasionally feels like a genius because the presentation of problems are extremely unusual. The voices you are accompanied by dramatically raise the level atmosphere as the voice actors do (typical for Valve) an exceptional job. The whole flow of the game grants a fluid game-play and hardly ever comes to halt.
To me personally the main point of praise is the fact that Valve manages to send you through approximately 8 hours of the same game-play without making it boring. The story is appealing, unique and weaves in seamlessly into the Half Life universe.
Two things that I thought were not quite state of the art: 1. The graphics engine is out of date, no doubt. For this game it isn't THAT important to have the latest graphics, still it's very apparent at some point and very untypical for Valve. 2. Many aspects are almost too familiar from part one. The showdown, the credits, some monologues and game-plays, etc...
BUT, some other aspects would receive more than just 10 points and that's why Portal 2 still deserves a solid score of 9 points.
Let's face it: Valve produces games which are far more than the average assembly-line-games pumped out every year. The love for detail, interaction, presentation of problems, dialogs, story and game-play clearly stands out in comparison to even major game developer studios. And Portal 2 continues this tradition seamlessly - yes, I may have expected "a little" more but in the end it's still another magnum opus which will be talked about for a long time. No doubt, this game is already one of 2011's highlights and even though other games have way better effects, graphics, models or realism - Valve draws a very clear line: While other studios produce games, they craft art!
Portal 2 is Still Alive!
NWOWWE24 July 2011
Portal 2 is the much anticipated follow-up to 2007's Portal which Valve released as an extra game on their Orange Box compilation. Although short, Portal's innovative game-play and memorable cast captivated players and made it a runaway hit. Calling Portal 2 a sequel would only be partially correct since the first game was more of an appetizer with Portal 2 being the main course. Does Portal 2 live up to the expectations? Let's take a closer look and find out.
Portal introduced us to our silent protagonist Chell and her fight to escape the deserted Aperture Science facility controlled by the insane AI GLaDOS armed only with her portal gun. Portal 2 picks up roughly 300 years after the first game where Chell has been recaptured and placed in cryo-storage and is woken up by Personality Core Wheatly so that they can escape the run-down facility before the reactor core melts down. Chell is once again forced to use her portal gun to navigate the ruins of the facility and deal with the resurrected GLaDOS. The story takes some very interesting twists and turns along the way and the terrific dark humor of the first game remains intact. The voice acting in the game remains top-notch. Ellen McLain returns as the voice of GLaDOS and as the voice of the polite and cheerful attack turrets. Joining the cast are Stephen Merchant who gives hilarious life to Wheatley and the always entertaining J. K. Simmons features as the voice of Cave Johnson, the eccentric founder of Aperture Science.
The game-play from the original game returns in all of its mind-bending glory. Players use the portal gun to shoot blue and orange colored portal holes onto walls to traverse over deadly pits, transport Weighted Storage Cubes to switches to open doors and lower elevators and redirect lasers (or Thermal Discouragement Beams if you prefer). Additions to the game-play include the propulsion and repulsion gels (in keeping with the Portal color motif they are orange and blue respectively) which do pretty much as they describe either sliding the player off at great speed or sending them bouncing high into the air. In addition, players must redirect light bridges and conveyor beams with portals as well. Perhaps one of the most exciting new features in Portal 2 however is the inclusion of co-op game-play. Co-op game-play gets its own storyline and characters, Aperture Science robots ATLAS and P-Body, each armed with their own portal gun and even more challenging puzzles for the gamers to solve. You can either play with a friend (split-screen or online) or team up with a random player. Good communication is vital to success however, and the co-op interface has several helpful tools to communicate with your partner including a small pop-up window to see their viewpoint though you may want to use a microphone as well. Portal 2 even features a commentary mode (a returning feature from the first game) where you can play through the game with speech bubbles placed throughout the levels which, when activated, trigger audio files of various production members discussing the creation of the game often relative to where the player happens to be at the time. This feature really shows off the amount of effort that went into creating this game.
In general the game-play is challenging, but never really frustrating. The game does a good enough job of teaching players the basic mechanics as new elements are introduced that even newcomers will be able to pick up the nuances of the game fairly quickly but has enough challenge to it that even veteran Portal players won't be able to just breeze through it. Some of the achievements/trophies are centered around players having to solver certain puzzles either in quick fashion or in different ways then they normally would. Exploration and experimentation is highly encouraged in game. In short, there is plenty of content to keep veteran Portal players on their heels and dazzle newcomers with all the possibilities.
Visually Portal 2 holds up pretty well considering it's running on Valve's somewhat dated Source engine. The environments are much more expansive and dynamic than in the first Portal and the visuals are much sharper. Some may lament the change from the cold and sterile look of the test chambers from the first game, the change in style suit's the story well. While it may not quite hold up to some contemporary major releases, it is by no stretch of the imagination ugly. The background score does a good job of reinforcing the tension and isolation of the game's story. All this really comes together to bring an enjoyable experience to the player. Portal 2 delivers in all aspects. Fun and challenging game-play, engaging characters, and the ability to play with friends make this a can't miss title, unless your only system is the Wii, in which case you're out of luck.
Portal introduced us to our silent protagonist Chell and her fight to escape the deserted Aperture Science facility controlled by the insane AI GLaDOS armed only with her portal gun. Portal 2 picks up roughly 300 years after the first game where Chell has been recaptured and placed in cryo-storage and is woken up by Personality Core Wheatly so that they can escape the run-down facility before the reactor core melts down. Chell is once again forced to use her portal gun to navigate the ruins of the facility and deal with the resurrected GLaDOS. The story takes some very interesting twists and turns along the way and the terrific dark humor of the first game remains intact. The voice acting in the game remains top-notch. Ellen McLain returns as the voice of GLaDOS and as the voice of the polite and cheerful attack turrets. Joining the cast are Stephen Merchant who gives hilarious life to Wheatley and the always entertaining J. K. Simmons features as the voice of Cave Johnson, the eccentric founder of Aperture Science.
The game-play from the original game returns in all of its mind-bending glory. Players use the portal gun to shoot blue and orange colored portal holes onto walls to traverse over deadly pits, transport Weighted Storage Cubes to switches to open doors and lower elevators and redirect lasers (or Thermal Discouragement Beams if you prefer). Additions to the game-play include the propulsion and repulsion gels (in keeping with the Portal color motif they are orange and blue respectively) which do pretty much as they describe either sliding the player off at great speed or sending them bouncing high into the air. In addition, players must redirect light bridges and conveyor beams with portals as well. Perhaps one of the most exciting new features in Portal 2 however is the inclusion of co-op game-play. Co-op game-play gets its own storyline and characters, Aperture Science robots ATLAS and P-Body, each armed with their own portal gun and even more challenging puzzles for the gamers to solve. You can either play with a friend (split-screen or online) or team up with a random player. Good communication is vital to success however, and the co-op interface has several helpful tools to communicate with your partner including a small pop-up window to see their viewpoint though you may want to use a microphone as well. Portal 2 even features a commentary mode (a returning feature from the first game) where you can play through the game with speech bubbles placed throughout the levels which, when activated, trigger audio files of various production members discussing the creation of the game often relative to where the player happens to be at the time. This feature really shows off the amount of effort that went into creating this game.
In general the game-play is challenging, but never really frustrating. The game does a good enough job of teaching players the basic mechanics as new elements are introduced that even newcomers will be able to pick up the nuances of the game fairly quickly but has enough challenge to it that even veteran Portal players won't be able to just breeze through it. Some of the achievements/trophies are centered around players having to solver certain puzzles either in quick fashion or in different ways then they normally would. Exploration and experimentation is highly encouraged in game. In short, there is plenty of content to keep veteran Portal players on their heels and dazzle newcomers with all the possibilities.
Visually Portal 2 holds up pretty well considering it's running on Valve's somewhat dated Source engine. The environments are much more expansive and dynamic than in the first Portal and the visuals are much sharper. Some may lament the change from the cold and sterile look of the test chambers from the first game, the change in style suit's the story well. While it may not quite hold up to some contemporary major releases, it is by no stretch of the imagination ugly. The background score does a good job of reinforcing the tension and isolation of the game's story. All this really comes together to bring an enjoyable experience to the player. Portal 2 delivers in all aspects. Fun and challenging game-play, engaging characters, and the ability to play with friends make this a can't miss title, unless your only system is the Wii, in which case you're out of luck.
Tops Its Predecessor In Every Way
FilmFreak942 January 2012
Portal was an already excellent puzzle game. Portal 2 however expands everything from the first game and makes it eleven times better. The puzzles are bigger, the stakes are bigger, the Enrichment Center is bigger. But let's not get ahead of ourselves.
Chell has been kept in stasis for a long time since the first game ended and is awoken when a tiny personality core named Wheatley tries to break them out of the facility. Chell and Wheatley pass through a few test chambers before accidentally reawakening GLaDOS, who has many more tests for you. You have to get out of the facility and finally escape GLaDOS and Aperture Laboratories... at least at first.
Portal 2 is one of the most fun games I've played all year. The puzzles have the same basic formula of portal shooting as the last game but there's a lot other stuff thrown in as well. New gels that propel you and increase your speed and a lot harder puzzles that will keep you guessing.
Not only does Portal 2 increase the puzzles, it also goes deep into character development. When you go deeper into the facility you find out the truth about Aperture's origins and also the origins of GLaDOS.
Portal 2 is one of the best games of the year. If you haven't played it, I strongly suggest it. You'll laugh, you'll get frustrated, and you will be heavily engrossed in this amazing game.
Chell has been kept in stasis for a long time since the first game ended and is awoken when a tiny personality core named Wheatley tries to break them out of the facility. Chell and Wheatley pass through a few test chambers before accidentally reawakening GLaDOS, who has many more tests for you. You have to get out of the facility and finally escape GLaDOS and Aperture Laboratories... at least at first.
Portal 2 is one of the most fun games I've played all year. The puzzles have the same basic formula of portal shooting as the last game but there's a lot other stuff thrown in as well. New gels that propel you and increase your speed and a lot harder puzzles that will keep you guessing.
Not only does Portal 2 increase the puzzles, it also goes deep into character development. When you go deeper into the facility you find out the truth about Aperture's origins and also the origins of GLaDOS.
Portal 2 is one of the best games of the year. If you haven't played it, I strongly suggest it. You'll laugh, you'll get frustrated, and you will be heavily engrossed in this amazing game.
Exceeded my expectations
morkulv_athferion7 May 2011
I never expected a sequel to the first-person puzzle-game Portal to be any good, but they actually managed to create a very well-produced game that relies on great voice-acting and creative level-design. Its clear that Valve is pushing their aging Source-engine to the limits with Portal 2, but they still manage to create some of the best looking levels I've seen in a good while. The game involves a more active story-line then in the first game, but it never distracts too much from the brain-twisting puzzles. And yes, the puzzles are harder then in the first game in my opinion, although they are never near impossible if you know where to look and pay attention to the level. It also features more levels then the original I think. The first Portal took me only a few hours to beat, while Portal 2 took me two days.
A couple of new elements are introduced this time around, to keep the game refreshing and preventing the levels of getting too predictable. This is done in the form of different gels (liquid substances that either make you jump high, or run fast on contact). There's also a white gel that allows you to shoot portals on whatever surface it is spilled on. Regular water allows you to wash either one of the gels off. Besides that, there are also light-bridges that allows you to portal a walkable bridge to otherwise unreachable places, and some kind of anti-gravity beam that propels either you or objects like turrets and boxes into the direction it faces (which can sometimes be altered by pressing a button in the room).
Last thing I have to mention is the music. The music ingame, as well as the ending-music (which was particularly popular in the first game) called 'Want You Gone' by Jonathan Coulton are great. It all fits the game's robotic atmosphere perfectly as well as the ingame glitch-beats that you can hear mostly when the action intensifies.
As you can already make out, Portal 2 allows for some very diverse puzzle-elements, and this together with the already established portal-gun makes it a lot of fun and challenge to play. The story isn't too exciting, but the witty humour and overall superb voice-acting makes it worth while (kudos to Stephen Merchant for providing his voice-talent for such a funny villain). Its a bit early to say with such a long time ahead of us, but I wouldn't be surprised if Portal 2 would end up on many people's lists of best games of 2011. Go play it, you won't be disappointed!
Now, if Valve Software would only get some information out the door regarding Half-Life 3, I would be their number one fan!
A couple of new elements are introduced this time around, to keep the game refreshing and preventing the levels of getting too predictable. This is done in the form of different gels (liquid substances that either make you jump high, or run fast on contact). There's also a white gel that allows you to shoot portals on whatever surface it is spilled on. Regular water allows you to wash either one of the gels off. Besides that, there are also light-bridges that allows you to portal a walkable bridge to otherwise unreachable places, and some kind of anti-gravity beam that propels either you or objects like turrets and boxes into the direction it faces (which can sometimes be altered by pressing a button in the room).
Last thing I have to mention is the music. The music ingame, as well as the ending-music (which was particularly popular in the first game) called 'Want You Gone' by Jonathan Coulton are great. It all fits the game's robotic atmosphere perfectly as well as the ingame glitch-beats that you can hear mostly when the action intensifies.
As you can already make out, Portal 2 allows for some very diverse puzzle-elements, and this together with the already established portal-gun makes it a lot of fun and challenge to play. The story isn't too exciting, but the witty humour and overall superb voice-acting makes it worth while (kudos to Stephen Merchant for providing his voice-talent for such a funny villain). Its a bit early to say with such a long time ahead of us, but I wouldn't be surprised if Portal 2 would end up on many people's lists of best games of 2011. Go play it, you won't be disappointed!
Now, if Valve Software would only get some information out the door regarding Half-Life 3, I would be their number one fan!
Portal's unique puzzle-solving gameplay is remarkably upgraded in Portal 2.
vininesto28 October 2012
Portal 2 is an unique game, as It's successful predecessor. It's filled with incredibly clever puzzles. And it has a fantastic story, with unforgettable moments. It's cleverly done in singleplayer, but the multiplayer co-op is even better, because, having a partner when you solve puzzles is rewarding, and enjoyable at the same time. Visually is nothing special, but Source Engine did It's job very well, and the soundtrack is great. The voice acting is extremely good. The replay value may not be very high, but with a great plot, enjoyable puzzles, outstanding character and a fantastic co-op, there's probably a reason to come back and to play. I recommend this game to everyone, especially the people who love puzzle games!
Thinking With Portals
FilmGamer9 July 2012
"Aha!" that is the word you will be saying most to yourself as you progress through Portal 2's nine chapters in the single player campaign. These test chambers or individual puzzles you progress through are so cleverly designed, that once your about to give up you find the perfect piece of information you were missing in order to solve the puzzle.
The game starts off as you awake from suspended animation, several hundred years after the events of the first game. You play as the same silent protagonist "Chell", and are broken out of containment from an artificial personality core named "Wheatley" in an attempt to escape the Aperture Science facility while accidentally awaking GLaDOS (Genetic Lifeform and Disk Operating System), the chief antagonist of the franchise in the process. Eventually your put through another series of test chambers but things take an interesting turn in the second act which I won't spoil.
The gameplay from the first installment remains mostly the same with developer Valve adding several new elements to freshen things up. First off, the art style has changed with the setting of the Aperture Science Facility having been dilapidated for so many years. Overgrown vegetation and ruined architecture freshen up the scene as well. Tools such as Repulsion and Propulsion gels, Excursion funnels, Aerial Faith Plates, Thermal Discouragement Beams add a new level of complexity to the puzzles, but the development team does a really great job of introducing you to these new elements, allowing you to master them before they hand you a new thing to play with. It's all great fun!
Graphics wise, the eleven year old source engine that the game is powered on continues to be updated with some great lighting effects and animations with a mostly steady frame rate, but the loading zones should definitely be trimmed, especially for a game this late into the console life cycle. The audio work is fantastic helped by the hilarious dialogue voiced by Stephen Merchant, Ellen McLain and J.K. Simmons. This is truly the funniest game I've ever played!
The game is well worth its sixty dollar retail price with an equally long two player Co-operative mode (which wasn't available at the time of this review due to PlayStation Network being down) and developer commentary throughout the single player story mode. The PlayStation 3 version (which I recommend over the Xbox 360 version) comes with Valve's SteamWorks support, a popular service on computers which allows for cloud saving and automatic updates not previously available on consoles. Two people are able to play with each other cross-platform from the PS3 over to PC or Mac, which is a fun bonus.
The take away from this experience is the atmosphere of the world you are re-introduced to. The game trains you in solving puzzles based on the physics of forward momentum allowing you to walk away from this game feeling smarter than before. The themes of isolation and science as a main priority above all else, are minor messages scrolled into the background, similar to the environmental storytelling you will find written on the wall of the game world, in one of the best games of this year.
Rating: A
The game starts off as you awake from suspended animation, several hundred years after the events of the first game. You play as the same silent protagonist "Chell", and are broken out of containment from an artificial personality core named "Wheatley" in an attempt to escape the Aperture Science facility while accidentally awaking GLaDOS (Genetic Lifeform and Disk Operating System), the chief antagonist of the franchise in the process. Eventually your put through another series of test chambers but things take an interesting turn in the second act which I won't spoil.
The gameplay from the first installment remains mostly the same with developer Valve adding several new elements to freshen things up. First off, the art style has changed with the setting of the Aperture Science Facility having been dilapidated for so many years. Overgrown vegetation and ruined architecture freshen up the scene as well. Tools such as Repulsion and Propulsion gels, Excursion funnels, Aerial Faith Plates, Thermal Discouragement Beams add a new level of complexity to the puzzles, but the development team does a really great job of introducing you to these new elements, allowing you to master them before they hand you a new thing to play with. It's all great fun!
Graphics wise, the eleven year old source engine that the game is powered on continues to be updated with some great lighting effects and animations with a mostly steady frame rate, but the loading zones should definitely be trimmed, especially for a game this late into the console life cycle. The audio work is fantastic helped by the hilarious dialogue voiced by Stephen Merchant, Ellen McLain and J.K. Simmons. This is truly the funniest game I've ever played!
The game is well worth its sixty dollar retail price with an equally long two player Co-operative mode (which wasn't available at the time of this review due to PlayStation Network being down) and developer commentary throughout the single player story mode. The PlayStation 3 version (which I recommend over the Xbox 360 version) comes with Valve's SteamWorks support, a popular service on computers which allows for cloud saving and automatic updates not previously available on consoles. Two people are able to play with each other cross-platform from the PS3 over to PC or Mac, which is a fun bonus.
The take away from this experience is the atmosphere of the world you are re-introduced to. The game trains you in solving puzzles based on the physics of forward momentum allowing you to walk away from this game feeling smarter than before. The themes of isolation and science as a main priority above all else, are minor messages scrolled into the background, similar to the environmental storytelling you will find written on the wall of the game world, in one of the best games of this year.
Rating: A
Challenging, funny, non violent!
justinmb159826 April 2011
After playing Call of Duty, Homefront, and other first person shooters, I got very bored with video games. Portal 2 changes that boringness. First off, Portal 2 has no violence besides a little bit of red when you get shot by a robot. Other than that, no shooting "guns" and no killing. Instead of weapons, you use wits. The puzzles start off easy in the beginning, but as the game progresses, it gets difficult, but without getting you aggravated. You can explore easter eggs, secrets, and other ways to solve puzzles. The story is great, and there are some pretty surprising character developments throughout the story. Graphics are 100% amazing. It gives you a rusty, beaten down feel, which is what the developer's goal was. Add in the non stop humor said by several characters, and you got yourself a game! 10/10 for me, and the best video game in a while!
Starts high and keeps soaring
TBJCSKCNRRQTreviews10 January 2014
Chell wakes up again, albeit in different(yet the same setting, and this time, we get to explore far more of it, and learn its rich and bizarre history, at the hands of Cave Johnson(Simmons as the charming and... let's go with "eccentric", science-enthusiastic and not entirely responsible-minded CEO)) circumstances than last time, and learns that GLaDOS(McLain, with her snarky wit, though not without other emotion or expression) was not completely destroyed. In the time passed, the area has fallen into disrepair, adding "color" to the neat, Spartan look of the original, and with plant-life having spread. With the... help(?) of your new buddy Wheatley(Merchant as a nervous, not-too-bright Hugh Grant-ish British Personality Core that you carry, insert into machines, etc.), she is accidentally re-awakened, ready to attack you with petty insults. Oh, and, y'know, by forcing you through brand new Test Chambers. Those, too. She also starts bringing the facility back to its prime, and we get to see how vast it is. How will you take her down?
Thus, this directly follows the first one, retells what happened in it and also trains you in the mechanics again. You can start with this one, and some will favor that. It can be, and has been, said that the first was a prototype, not a "full game". Due to its success, the decision was made to give it the treatment of such, with this full-scale sequel. More happens, the "behind the scenes" areas are expanded upon(those can get confusing and harder to find your way through, with their, shall we say, "outside of the box" design), there are characters(all with separate personalities to them, they're explored by being placed in different situations, and it's usually one-on-one relationships), dialog, plot twists, everything is properly set up and paid off on, it all moves fast and it's tremendously well-written and, yes, hilarious(without losing drama and threat). From the few aspects, such as "no safety" and "personal remarks", they come up with a ton of inspired material(and the occasional bit that falls flat). With these additions, the isolation and loneliness is no longer so present. One wouldn't have thought they could accomplish it from the 2007 one, and this is more than a little impressive.
One of the most worthwhile parts of this is the co-op. With its own plot, tougher(!) puzzles that require co-ordination(you both have the "gun", and you'll need all four "gateways"!), communication(aided by pin-point signals available to both, sharing view with the other person and, of course, full support for voice chat) and skill(it's the best of its kind, and that is not something I say lightly; satisfying, genuinely collaborative... if you and a friend want to play through something, make it this. You can thank me later), the two(customizable!) characters of Atlas and P-Body that both very clearly belong in this universe(one is the egg-shaped sentry body, both with Battle Droid style legs and arms; a running gag is their easy reassembly, making "death" a very temporary setback, allowing higher complexity), it's compelling throughout. It stores your progress, down to which specific area you got to. Off-line split-screen is possible. It ties into SP, without knowledge of either being necessary to appreciate the other. Nothing will be spoiled by the order in which you complete them, or even whether you only get through one of them.
This builds on the base already set, going bigger. Of course the titular invention wouldn't be enough to sustain the full length - that is, 7 hours for single-player and 7 and a half for online. Light bridges, air funnels, different types(speed, jump, etc.) of gels(rendered using amazing fluid dynamics) etc. All of these can of course interact with each other, and the teleportation Portals(their outlines are visible through walls and obstacles). You get tutorials for all, which does lead to a number of linear, one-solution portions. The minimalist look peals back(via panels instead of tiles, allowing for more variety, making the world feel alive(it reacts organically to you), and whenever they aren't seen to move at all, it feels like something is now "missing") to reveal a much grander scope, and the state of the place is rendered gorgeously, with some forest having grown on/around it, and you can see far beyond the edge of some areas because of holes in walls and the like. This is polished, extensively tested.
The graphics, as already suggested, are great. Water is realistically rendered using technology also used for Left 4 Dead 2. This thankfully does away with the infuriating "look reset"! There is some eerie mood, sometimes replacing jokes - it would be excessive if it was constantly making you laugh. The hints at a post-apocalyptic world outside, and we can guess and theorize about the time(when did the 1st one take place? How long has passed since then?). I hear that it's answered elsewhere; I prefer to think about it for myself. Every so often, this gives you a break(with "experiences") from puzzle-solving, advancing what's going on and letting you recharge, and this leads to a number of unforgettable moments. This comes with a level editor(for both modes) and the option of sharing them with anyone, anywhere, and the leaderboards add a competitive edge.
This comes with an interesting developer commentary, a cool comic(read any time, it doesn't give anything away), the trailers for this and an interactive(!) teaser for Super 8 - why aren't more movies advertised like this?! If I wasn't fairly thoroughly inoculated(Lost went off the rails with the mysteries, in Mission Impossible III he channeled the wrong "strong female protagonist" show(Felicity rather than Alias), and it appears that his ST is too action-driven) against J.J.(his Star Wars might still be good... right? What's with the blank stare?) by now, I'd be there! There is a lot of darkly comical disturbing content in this. I recommend this to anyone who enjoys brain-teasers and has hand-to-eye coordination, yes, that's whether you're a gamer or not. 9/10
Thus, this directly follows the first one, retells what happened in it and also trains you in the mechanics again. You can start with this one, and some will favor that. It can be, and has been, said that the first was a prototype, not a "full game". Due to its success, the decision was made to give it the treatment of such, with this full-scale sequel. More happens, the "behind the scenes" areas are expanded upon(those can get confusing and harder to find your way through, with their, shall we say, "outside of the box" design), there are characters(all with separate personalities to them, they're explored by being placed in different situations, and it's usually one-on-one relationships), dialog, plot twists, everything is properly set up and paid off on, it all moves fast and it's tremendously well-written and, yes, hilarious(without losing drama and threat). From the few aspects, such as "no safety" and "personal remarks", they come up with a ton of inspired material(and the occasional bit that falls flat). With these additions, the isolation and loneliness is no longer so present. One wouldn't have thought they could accomplish it from the 2007 one, and this is more than a little impressive.
One of the most worthwhile parts of this is the co-op. With its own plot, tougher(!) puzzles that require co-ordination(you both have the "gun", and you'll need all four "gateways"!), communication(aided by pin-point signals available to both, sharing view with the other person and, of course, full support for voice chat) and skill(it's the best of its kind, and that is not something I say lightly; satisfying, genuinely collaborative... if you and a friend want to play through something, make it this. You can thank me later), the two(customizable!) characters of Atlas and P-Body that both very clearly belong in this universe(one is the egg-shaped sentry body, both with Battle Droid style legs and arms; a running gag is their easy reassembly, making "death" a very temporary setback, allowing higher complexity), it's compelling throughout. It stores your progress, down to which specific area you got to. Off-line split-screen is possible. It ties into SP, without knowledge of either being necessary to appreciate the other. Nothing will be spoiled by the order in which you complete them, or even whether you only get through one of them.
This builds on the base already set, going bigger. Of course the titular invention wouldn't be enough to sustain the full length - that is, 7 hours for single-player and 7 and a half for online. Light bridges, air funnels, different types(speed, jump, etc.) of gels(rendered using amazing fluid dynamics) etc. All of these can of course interact with each other, and the teleportation Portals(their outlines are visible through walls and obstacles). You get tutorials for all, which does lead to a number of linear, one-solution portions. The minimalist look peals back(via panels instead of tiles, allowing for more variety, making the world feel alive(it reacts organically to you), and whenever they aren't seen to move at all, it feels like something is now "missing") to reveal a much grander scope, and the state of the place is rendered gorgeously, with some forest having grown on/around it, and you can see far beyond the edge of some areas because of holes in walls and the like. This is polished, extensively tested.
The graphics, as already suggested, are great. Water is realistically rendered using technology also used for Left 4 Dead 2. This thankfully does away with the infuriating "look reset"! There is some eerie mood, sometimes replacing jokes - it would be excessive if it was constantly making you laugh. The hints at a post-apocalyptic world outside, and we can guess and theorize about the time(when did the 1st one take place? How long has passed since then?). I hear that it's answered elsewhere; I prefer to think about it for myself. Every so often, this gives you a break(with "experiences") from puzzle-solving, advancing what's going on and letting you recharge, and this leads to a number of unforgettable moments. This comes with a level editor(for both modes) and the option of sharing them with anyone, anywhere, and the leaderboards add a competitive edge.
This comes with an interesting developer commentary, a cool comic(read any time, it doesn't give anything away), the trailers for this and an interactive(!) teaser for Super 8 - why aren't more movies advertised like this?! If I wasn't fairly thoroughly inoculated(Lost went off the rails with the mysteries, in Mission Impossible III he channeled the wrong "strong female protagonist" show(Felicity rather than Alias), and it appears that his ST is too action-driven) against J.J.(his Star Wars might still be good... right? What's with the blank stare?) by now, I'd be there! There is a lot of darkly comical disturbing content in this. I recommend this to anyone who enjoys brain-teasers and has hand-to-eye coordination, yes, that's whether you're a gamer or not. 9/10
Poor-tal 2
Joeyistheman21 June 2011
Warning: Spoilers
Here we go another poor game developed by valve,the games produced by them are just poor,before i start to criticise this 'game' i will start off by saying 'its not that i couldn't play it i just did not like it'.the game starts off fun but 5 Min's later it gets boring 3o Min's later and i have completed it the lasting appeal of the game is ridiculous,multiplayer is boring,i don't understand the good reviews this is getting it is just making a portal and walking through it over and over again,i would rather watch paint dry than play this game again. 1/10.it is poor save yourself the time and hassle and but something else.
Valve's Final Masterpiece
o-4981624 December 2018
This game is truly magnificent. The game's atmosphere is amazing. Valve really nailed the mysterious abandoned laboratory feel this time around. They knew they couldn't just rehash Portal, so they tried something new and it really paid off. The puzzles are fun and challenging, but not infuriating, and the way that the game chooses not to have any cut scenes breaking up the game play makes the game much more immersive. It's easy to get lost in this game for hours. The story is wonderful, and the ending is powerful. I would highly recommend this game to anybody who likes puzzle games, story telling in games, or games in general.
Surpassed The First One!
Xarx1174 June 2023
The first entry in the Portal franchise was neat in all aspects, and the second entry is just as neat, only its even better. Everything that they added made an already neat game even better. The dialog is really funny and the plot is more engaging than in the first game. The characters are given some meaning and the simple story is wonderfully wrapped up in a very satisfying ending. The gameplay was as amazing than in the earlier game but there are a few things that made it even better. The fact that there is a solo story mode and a co-op story mode that each have two completely different stories is very nice. Both gameplays and stories are very good in both of these modes. I also really enjoyed the community made maps and the possibility to create your own.
To quickly summarize, Portal 2 is an amazing game that even surpasses its predecessor. Both gameplay and story and highly enjoyable. If ever, you've played Portal but haven't played Portal 2 I hurge you to do so. And if you havent played the first one, you should play it to see if you want to play this one too. I consider this game to be perfect, and so its one of the best games ever made.
To quickly summarize, Portal 2 is an amazing game that even surpasses its predecessor. Both gameplay and story and highly enjoyable. If ever, you've played Portal but haven't played Portal 2 I hurge you to do so. And if you havent played the first one, you should play it to see if you want to play this one too. I consider this game to be perfect, and so its one of the best games ever made.
I found some bird eggs up here. Just dropped them into the... AAAH! BIRD! BIRD! BIRD! BIRD!
Ryan_MYeah7 September 2012
Warning: Spoilers
I don't pretend to be an expert on Valve software, or their video games. I've never played a half-life game, never played counter strike, I've never even played the first Portal. But what I have played has been undeniably fun, inventive, and just plain addicting. Left 4 Dead is one of my top ten favorite video games ever. Left 4 Dead 2 is a ridiculously fun and worthy sequel. And now, I've played Portal 2, but maybe I should have played the first game before this to better understand the workings and characters in this world. Regardless, Portal 2 is still pretty great.
Waking up in a mysterious and creepy looking hotel room, the player controls Chell, the mute protagonist of the game. After receiving a wake up call from a rambling A.I. sphere named Wheatley (voiced by the hilarious Stephen Merchant), we discover that this hotel room is actually part of Aperture Science Laboratories. What is the purpose of this facility? We still have yet to find out. First we must locate a gun that creates portals on specific surfaces. The portal gun is such a good mechanic. I certainly got hooked on creating portals (even in nonsensical places that don't move me through the game whatsoever) quite often.
But, while trying to escape, the player and Wheatley are captured by the psychopath security core GLaDOS. Ellen McLain voices GLaDOS with such chilling menace and dry humor that it's easy to become both terrified and tickled at the same time. GLaDOS puts the player through a series of tests involving the portal gun. These puzzles challenge both reflex and intellect. You may spend half an hour in a few of these puzzles, trying to navigate the maze of turrets, switches, leaping pads, light bridges, and lasers, but the payoff is well worth it.
Once we finally get out of testing, it's time to shut down GLaDOS' defenses, and take her out of control. Which leads us into the most fascinating aspect of the game, Wheatley's transformation, the point where Merchant truly shines. Wheatley is placed in control as a substitute core, but power quickly goes to his head, and corrupts him. It's a surprising and almost tragic kind of evil. Wheatley is built up as such a goofy, lovable and quirky sidekick, that even when he becomes a tyrant, he's still a likable character. Give credit where it's due, because Merchant is easily the cast MVP for giving this metal ball sincerity. Of course, he's not a very bright robot (as GLaDOS, now powered by a potato battery, explains), and we are sent down an elevator shaft in accidental anger.
Here's where things get interesting. We're now paired up with GLaDOS (in an odd buddy cop kind of way), and it's time to explore the facilities of Aperture Science. In its prime, Aperture was founded by the eccentric Cave Johnson, a Walt Disney like pioneer voiced by J.K. Simmons. Exploring the facilities, an origin story begins to unfold, and we see the offices of Aperture through different time periods that each establish their own specific atmosphere and visual motifs that help us imagine what the company must have been like in these old days. The puzzles here are just as fun to solve as the testing chambers, and now make use of different kinds of gels that can make you run faster, can create new portal surfaces, and allow the player to jump to higher platforms. Simmons, whose character provides messages through prerecorded tapes, is non-stop in his dark comedy, highlighted by a powerful final monologue.
Now it's time to take Wheatley out. The labs are going critical, but we still have new testing chambers that need to be completed. They make use of every established element used thus far in the game, but they also introduce gravity lifts. You're getting ever so closer to the finale, but Wheatley still has some surprises in store. I won't spoil the ending, but I will say it's unforgettable.
In short, what we have is a game that features a strong story that mixes dark humor, satisfying character development, and mystery with surprising finesse, while still managing a consistent tone and keeping to a unique sense of quirk. The visuals are appropriately dazzling and atmospheric, the gameplay mechanics are addicting, and the voice overs - specifically of Stephen Merchant - fit the characters like a glove. The only downside is that the single player mode is quite short, but at least it's plenty replayable.
Besides, we still have co-op mode to explore. Two robots built specifically for testing, Atlas and P-Body, fill in for the role of Chell. The tests that these two are subjected to are even more challenging than single player mode at times, and it doesn't have as much of a story here, but the dark humor and charming goofiness are still every bit as enjoyable. Just take a break every so often. The puzzles challenge you in such a way that you may not want to sleep until the game is finished. I learned that the hard way...
Waking up in a mysterious and creepy looking hotel room, the player controls Chell, the mute protagonist of the game. After receiving a wake up call from a rambling A.I. sphere named Wheatley (voiced by the hilarious Stephen Merchant), we discover that this hotel room is actually part of Aperture Science Laboratories. What is the purpose of this facility? We still have yet to find out. First we must locate a gun that creates portals on specific surfaces. The portal gun is such a good mechanic. I certainly got hooked on creating portals (even in nonsensical places that don't move me through the game whatsoever) quite often.
But, while trying to escape, the player and Wheatley are captured by the psychopath security core GLaDOS. Ellen McLain voices GLaDOS with such chilling menace and dry humor that it's easy to become both terrified and tickled at the same time. GLaDOS puts the player through a series of tests involving the portal gun. These puzzles challenge both reflex and intellect. You may spend half an hour in a few of these puzzles, trying to navigate the maze of turrets, switches, leaping pads, light bridges, and lasers, but the payoff is well worth it.
Once we finally get out of testing, it's time to shut down GLaDOS' defenses, and take her out of control. Which leads us into the most fascinating aspect of the game, Wheatley's transformation, the point where Merchant truly shines. Wheatley is placed in control as a substitute core, but power quickly goes to his head, and corrupts him. It's a surprising and almost tragic kind of evil. Wheatley is built up as such a goofy, lovable and quirky sidekick, that even when he becomes a tyrant, he's still a likable character. Give credit where it's due, because Merchant is easily the cast MVP for giving this metal ball sincerity. Of course, he's not a very bright robot (as GLaDOS, now powered by a potato battery, explains), and we are sent down an elevator shaft in accidental anger.
Here's where things get interesting. We're now paired up with GLaDOS (in an odd buddy cop kind of way), and it's time to explore the facilities of Aperture Science. In its prime, Aperture was founded by the eccentric Cave Johnson, a Walt Disney like pioneer voiced by J.K. Simmons. Exploring the facilities, an origin story begins to unfold, and we see the offices of Aperture through different time periods that each establish their own specific atmosphere and visual motifs that help us imagine what the company must have been like in these old days. The puzzles here are just as fun to solve as the testing chambers, and now make use of different kinds of gels that can make you run faster, can create new portal surfaces, and allow the player to jump to higher platforms. Simmons, whose character provides messages through prerecorded tapes, is non-stop in his dark comedy, highlighted by a powerful final monologue.
Now it's time to take Wheatley out. The labs are going critical, but we still have new testing chambers that need to be completed. They make use of every established element used thus far in the game, but they also introduce gravity lifts. You're getting ever so closer to the finale, but Wheatley still has some surprises in store. I won't spoil the ending, but I will say it's unforgettable.
In short, what we have is a game that features a strong story that mixes dark humor, satisfying character development, and mystery with surprising finesse, while still managing a consistent tone and keeping to a unique sense of quirk. The visuals are appropriately dazzling and atmospheric, the gameplay mechanics are addicting, and the voice overs - specifically of Stephen Merchant - fit the characters like a glove. The only downside is that the single player mode is quite short, but at least it's plenty replayable.
Besides, we still have co-op mode to explore. Two robots built specifically for testing, Atlas and P-Body, fill in for the role of Chell. The tests that these two are subjected to are even more challenging than single player mode at times, and it doesn't have as much of a story here, but the dark humor and charming goofiness are still every bit as enjoyable. Just take a break every so often. The puzzles challenge you in such a way that you may not want to sleep until the game is finished. I learned that the hard way...
Just the Right Amount of Challenging and Completely Hilarious, Portal 2 is an Excellent Game
CANpatbuck36644 December 2016
Warning: Spoilers
I'm really late in getting to play Portal 2. I never played Portal and this game came out years ago. Puzzle games usually aren't my thing either but with the reputation that this game had, plus I loved GLaDOS in another game I played (Poker Night 2). So I decided to play it with a good friend of mine. Very few games, movies, T.V. shows that are universally beloved live up to the hype. Portal 2 is one of those rare exceptions, I loved this game completely and I can't recommend it highly enough.
Chell is our hero again and she has to take on GLaDOS (Ellen McLain) who is unexpectedly re-awakened but there are a couple of new variables. First of all is Wheatley (Stephen Merchant) a personality core who is friendly to her and tries to help her escape GLaDOS' clutches and the voice over of Apeture Sceince founder Cave Johnson (J.K. Simmons) who helps guide her when she happens upon some of the original tests that existed during Cave Johnson's tenure.
The style of this game wasn't familiar to me but luckily after a few tests, I picked up the gist of it. It would have been easy to turn this off if this was too challenging, as I said I'm not a puzzle games guy but this game seemed to know what the players could and could not handle. Working with my friend, we got tripped up a couple of times but it never got to the point of throwing controllers or firing up IGN to find a walk-through so we could cheat. The other thing was the game-play was so much fun, the physics of the game were cool to work with and Valve did a good job of introducing new elements in the game to keep things fresh.
The story doesn't delve terribly deep into Chell and while there is development, this game isn't as plot-driven as other titles. That doesn't mean the plot is lacking however. They take it in exciting directions and they throw several twists at you. I found them to be exciting and it kept the game from going stale at any point. The new characters were great though, I was immensely impressed by both Wheatley and Cave Johnson. So while I can't call Portal 2 perfect, even things that could have been described as weaknesses are compensated by even greater strengths.
Next is the great voice acting. It's some of the best I've seen in a video game. Ellen McLain is wonderful as GLaDOS, I'll get to the dialogue and the jokes later but GLaDOS is such a great character and Ellen's voice is the right mix of soft yet threatening. I also loved the new additions to the cast. Stephen Merchant is so funny as Wheatley, his quirky interest in Chell is endearing and his naivety is ridiculous in the best way. J.K. Simmons is also hilarious as Cave Johnson. Simmons' voice is perfect for the over-the-top authoritative Johnson who provides a lot of needed levity in the middle of the game.
There are three big reasons to play this game. The first is the inventive and challenging puzzles. The second are the unique characters that are fun to bounce off of. The third is the sharp comedic dialogue which almost had me crying I was laughing so hard. It was something I appreciated because the game would have still been really good without it but instead of just leaving you to wander around the empty halls of Aperture Science, the game developers threw it in and it really spices the game up.
I don't know what else to say about Portal 2... bottom line is that it's awesome. I had high expectations after reading reviews and looking at comments about it and they were met. Its easily among the best games I've played over the past couple of years (It's up there with Borderlands 2 and Heavy Rain) and if they get around to making a Portal movie, I'll line up on opening day to see it because of this game.
Chell is our hero again and she has to take on GLaDOS (Ellen McLain) who is unexpectedly re-awakened but there are a couple of new variables. First of all is Wheatley (Stephen Merchant) a personality core who is friendly to her and tries to help her escape GLaDOS' clutches and the voice over of Apeture Sceince founder Cave Johnson (J.K. Simmons) who helps guide her when she happens upon some of the original tests that existed during Cave Johnson's tenure.
The style of this game wasn't familiar to me but luckily after a few tests, I picked up the gist of it. It would have been easy to turn this off if this was too challenging, as I said I'm not a puzzle games guy but this game seemed to know what the players could and could not handle. Working with my friend, we got tripped up a couple of times but it never got to the point of throwing controllers or firing up IGN to find a walk-through so we could cheat. The other thing was the game-play was so much fun, the physics of the game were cool to work with and Valve did a good job of introducing new elements in the game to keep things fresh.
The story doesn't delve terribly deep into Chell and while there is development, this game isn't as plot-driven as other titles. That doesn't mean the plot is lacking however. They take it in exciting directions and they throw several twists at you. I found them to be exciting and it kept the game from going stale at any point. The new characters were great though, I was immensely impressed by both Wheatley and Cave Johnson. So while I can't call Portal 2 perfect, even things that could have been described as weaknesses are compensated by even greater strengths.
Next is the great voice acting. It's some of the best I've seen in a video game. Ellen McLain is wonderful as GLaDOS, I'll get to the dialogue and the jokes later but GLaDOS is such a great character and Ellen's voice is the right mix of soft yet threatening. I also loved the new additions to the cast. Stephen Merchant is so funny as Wheatley, his quirky interest in Chell is endearing and his naivety is ridiculous in the best way. J.K. Simmons is also hilarious as Cave Johnson. Simmons' voice is perfect for the over-the-top authoritative Johnson who provides a lot of needed levity in the middle of the game.
There are three big reasons to play this game. The first is the inventive and challenging puzzles. The second are the unique characters that are fun to bounce off of. The third is the sharp comedic dialogue which almost had me crying I was laughing so hard. It was something I appreciated because the game would have still been really good without it but instead of just leaving you to wander around the empty halls of Aperture Science, the game developers threw it in and it really spices the game up.
I don't know what else to say about Portal 2... bottom line is that it's awesome. I had high expectations after reading reviews and looking at comments about it and they were met. Its easily among the best games I've played over the past couple of years (It's up there with Borderlands 2 and Heavy Rain) and if they get around to making a Portal movie, I'll line up on opening day to see it because of this game.
So much fun
jdthird15 July 2022
My son and I loved Portal 1, and Portal 2 was an out of the park home run for a followup.
Gameplay still fun, but what really makes this game SO enjoyable is the voice acting and the dialog. There are just so many lines in here that are absolutely hilarious that my son and I throw them at each other randomly elsewhere in life.
Smooth gameplay, but man, the writers of the dialog in this game are the REAL winners...
Gameplay still fun, but what really makes this game SO enjoyable is the voice acting and the dialog. There are just so many lines in here that are absolutely hilarious that my son and I throw them at each other randomly elsewhere in life.
Smooth gameplay, but man, the writers of the dialog in this game are the REAL winners...
Informatic Pop Culture that amuse any Geek
matteogevi18 November 2019
Confronting yourself with machine is hard. But what then when are the machine who elaborate rooms to entertain human brain activities and the machine yearn to see you treated as a laboratory pet? This is the game and the plot that the boys of Valve pictured in one of the most stimulating puzzle game ever produced. If you have appreciated the culture of retro games and Half-life you will find a peacing sequence of both astonishing and relaxing time. A must have
...Are You Still There?
megan_chatterton23 July 2022
Continues your journey at Aperture Labs. Such a unique experience. Funny and interesting! More story in this one than Portal, but I liked it just a little less because it went in a different direction than expected. Definitely worth your gaming time!
GLaD I played it
Jerg3n31 July 2023
The first Portal game did a decent job showcasing the potential of it's core mechanics whilst also doing some fun things with its worldbuilding. Portal 2 expands upon it's predecessor in every possible way and fully utilizes the groundwork that the first game laid down. The strong kit of new mechanics makes for more elaborate and at the same time more fun puzzles.
Also the game is really funny. The new characters are very entertaining and paired with the old faces from Portal 1 we've got a small but an extremely well developed and likeable cast. The interactions between GLaDOS and Wheatley had me laughing out loud all the time.
The visual gags and dark humor make this game ooze with so much personality and it is just really fun to go through well crafted puzzles while a killer robot monologues about something stupid.
Also the game is really funny. The new characters are very entertaining and paired with the old faces from Portal 1 we've got a small but an extremely well developed and likeable cast. The interactions between GLaDOS and Wheatley had me laughing out loud all the time.
The visual gags and dark humor make this game ooze with so much personality and it is just really fun to go through well crafted puzzles while a killer robot monologues about something stupid.
They've done it again
filthyfrank-6504515 June 2020
Valve's Masterpiece
Dragoneagle14430 July 2020
One of the absolute best games ever made. An extremely well written story that is extremely funny while also having real stakes. The story is simple but also complex. The game upgrades off of the original games mechanics by adding new items to be used in puzzles that change momentum, altitude, and speed making for an extremely engaging game play experience. An absolute masterpiece in every regard and shame on you if you haven't played it.
AMAZING!!
mhtmi10 September 2023
Maybe the best video game I've ever played. Brilliant story and unique gameplay. Every puzzle is engaging and after you become acquainted with the main story you will become shocked. Really enjoyed playing this game and it was one of my best experiences ever. Maybe the best video game I've ever played. Brilliant story and unique gameplay. Every puzzle is engaging and after you become acquainted with the main story you will become shocked. Really enjoyed playing this game and it was one of my best experiences ever. Maybe the best video game I've ever played. Brilliant story and unique gameplay. Every puzzle is engaging and after you become acquainted with the main story you will become shocked. Really enjoyed playing this game and it was one of my best experiences ever.
Absolutely amazing
ihauntu18 September 2020
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