Portal 2

Portal 2 tells the story of Chell, who has just been jolted awake by Wheatly, an AI trying to help out our hero. Chell has been in stasis for several hundred years during which time Aperture Science has fallen apart. In trying to help Chell escape from a room that is falling into pieces, Wheatly accidently wakes up GLaDOS, the AI villain from the original Portal. GLaDOS is not pleased that Chell is still alive and decides to start testing Chell once again, all the while mocking our hero.

Portal 2’s story is more detailed than the first and brings in the voice talent of J.K. Simmons, Stephen Merchant and Ellen McLain. This is a first person puzzle platform game that adds in elements of comedy, suspense and frustration to the player. The voice cast is outstanding and could be one of the best in a video game so far. The comedy and twisted humor that comes into play sets the mood very well. Truly, without the voice acting in Portal 2, the game simply falls flat and a lot of the character of what makes Portal 2 great, is lost.

While some gamers will be able to beat the solo campaign in five hours, some might need twice or double that time to beat the game completely. There are some nice Easter Eggs hidden within the game and by taking one’s time to look around and appreciate everything can you get a real feel for what Portal 2 is.

Portal 2 offers the chance to play the single player mode with the developer commentary turned on. This gives the player a better sense of what went into making Portal 2 and why things happened and were created. You get to listen in on why the creators went with the story that they did and what didn’t work.
On top of being able to play Portal 2 alone, Valve has given gamers the chance to play with a friend, be it online or offline. Cooperative mode brings in two new characters to the game named P-Body and Atlas. Playing in co-op mode allows friends to work together to solve the puzzles that GLaDOS creates.

Portal 2’s only weapon is actually a piece of tech that allows the player to create portals on certain surfaces that are flat. You are only allowed to have two portals open at any given time: one to enter and one to exit. On top of the use of portals, other elements were added to Portal 2 to expand the gaming and puzzle experience that include tractor beams, three different types of paint gels with different properties and lasers. Turrets make their return as well and finding new a creative ways to take them down is entertaining.

The gameplay of Portal 2 is the same as the original Portal: get from point A to point B with the use of a Portal Gun. This is truly a test of how well the player can master puzzles without becoming overly frustrated, which can happen even with the simplest of puzzles. Usually taking a step back for a few moments will make the solution to a puzzle that much clearer. One (of many) great things about Portal 2 is that the player is not restricted to the puzzle chambers and you venture behind the scenes of Aperture Science. The environments are simple, however complex at the same time as you try to find your way out of what seems like a dead end situation. Players are able to use the Portal Gun to create their own exit as well as other elements like the gels. The Conversion Gel allows the player to create a surface that will allow the use of portals. The Propulsion Gel boosts the speed of the player and the Repulsion Gel allows Chell to jump higher than ever before.

Gameplay in co-op mode offers split screen play or play via XBL, PsN of via PC. The great thing about the PC and Ps3 version of Portal 2 is the ability to play with each while XB360 players are limited to playing with each other. Online play is more of a challenge than single player mode since there are more combinations to beat a puzzle and gamers must work and communicate together in order to succeed. The ability of split screen is available in online co-op in order to help the player to beat a level however online co-op is mostly viewed on one screen. If having the co-op split screen side by side bothers you, there is a option to change the spilt screen in order to have it on top of each other rather than side by side.

Portal 2 is a very fun and frustrating game. There were some puzzles that had me screaming at the TV and made me think while I was at work. Not many games will have players thinking about solving a puzzle while not playing the game. Portal 2 does leave an impression after playing it and an enjoying feeling while playing. Valve could have gone with a simple puzzle game but instead they went with structure and substance adding in lovable characters, great dialogue and a story.

When I first started to play Portal 2, I thought it would be quick and that would be it. I’m glad to have been proven wrong as Portal 2 is twice as long as the first installment and offers much more to the player. It’s nice to play a thinking game every once in a while and Portal 2 is it. It’s also a game that brings those who don’t usually play games, into the gaming world.