Portal 2

Portal 2 review by Raquay Holland

Portal 2 is a first-person action puzzle game for the Xbox 360, PS3, and Windows. This is the first stand-alone game in the series for the Xbox 360 and the PS3, what with the first game being featured in Orange Box, and it being released stand-alone for Windows. Portal 2 successfully remakes what you probably did in 2007, plus adding a lot more materials to make this game a must-buy for Portal fans or puzzle fans.

In Portal 1, all you did is acquire the portal gun, solve 19 test chambers, and “kill” GLaDOS. For story fans, it was a bit confusing, and it did not have that much of a story. Portal 2 somehow answers the questions “What happens after Portal 1?” and “What’s the story behind Aperture Science?” So, in Portal 2, it starts off with Chell waking up in some hotel room, with a recording saying that she has been asleep for 50 days. Then you meet a spherical AI named Wheatley, and attempts to make a manual override to Aperture Laboratories. You survive (achievement unlocked), and then solve a couple simple tests. You find the portal gun, and then you awaken GLaDOS, who is not really happy to see you. Your reunion is bittersweet, but GLaDOS is still making the satiric remarks to make you laugh out loud. Wheatley also shares some of the remarks in the game.

In the game, there is also a co-op mode where you can play locally or online. The story here is that GLaDOS invents the cooperative testing initiative, and builds two robots: Atlas, and P-Body. Atlas can make a light blue and a dark blue portal, while P-Body can make orange and red portals. Not really all that much story for co-op, however (spoiler alert), you meet them in the single player campaign.

One of the good things about Portal is that the game-play is original. Portal 2 continues to use that original game-play engine in this awesome sequel. Sure, you have the same portal gun that can make a blue and an orange portal, with one being an entrance and the other being an exit. And also, sure, you have the same objective: get from point A to point B while avoiding C, D, E, etc. Portal 2 adds some gameplay elements such as light bridges, mobility gels, lasers, excursion tunnels and conversion gels to help you solve some of the more difficult levels. Each puzzle deals with some momentum, gravity, and physics to really tickle your brain. Also, when you solve difficult levels, it is either immensely satisfying and making you feel smart, or immensely satisfying and making you think “Why didn’t I think of that before?” The co-op isn’t all that different, it uses the same elements, and the puzzles just require two people. Also, Portal 2 has its own “emoticons” for co-op. You can select one of eight gestures to do anytime you want, from dancing, to laughing, to high-fiving, it’s all there. There is a feature where you can tell your partner where to put a portal or where to go. This is especially useful for people who don’t have a headset or playing the PC version and can’t talk or don’t feel like talking.

The game-play makes Portal 2 a unique game, and also the fact that it makes you think in ways you probably never thought of before. With Wheatley and Cave Johnson, the game has more personality in it. The new game-play mechanics make the game much more fun. And, killing turrets is also fun, too. If you’re a fan of puzzle games and don’t mind first person games, then I would definitely try this game out. This game is sure to appeal to 13 out of every 10 people.

The good: you think with portals, you can kill turrets, co-op can keep you busy, distinct personalities, epic ending, funny AI’s, SPAAAAAAAACE!, gels, bridges, tunnels,  longer than the first game, and another credits song, defective turrets.

The bad: co-op is a little short, and the cake actually was a lie.

Score:

9.5

Second Opinion: 10. For some people, the co-op might not be as short. It’s only a good thing that I had an experienced Portal player playing with me, otherwise we probably would have never made it through as quick. So, whether the co-op is long or short depends on how smart your partner is and/or how smart you are.