Portal 2 Review

Portal 2

Developed by Valve

Available on PC, Xbox 360, and PS3

Review by El Squirrelo Grande

Portal 2 is the sequel to 2007’s game of the year, Portal. A quirky, original story coupled with ingenious game design made the original game one of the most beloved experiences of this generation. Can Valve make lightning strike twice?

Short answer: Yes.

Long answer: Yesssssssssssssss.

So how did the folks at Valve manage to make the sequel not feel like a retread of the first game? Well, portals are still the underlying foundation of gameplay, but the addition of hard light bridges, tractor beams, and multicolored gels (each with a different property) made the puzzles feel fresh and imaginative. The game starts off with the basics – how to get from point A to point B using portals. As the game progresses the puzzles get more and more challenging, often including most (if not all) of the new, previously mentioned gameplay elements. Some rooms will have you walk away from your screen for a bit so that you can get a fresh look at your current predicament. While the challenge does increase the longer you play, it never feels torturous. Solving each of the game’s puzzles gives the player a sense of satisfaction and accomplishment that most games don’t. Defeating each room will also continue the story and reward you with new audio commentary brought to you by one of your co-stars. Speaking of…

The voice acting is fantastic. There’s your spherical robotic sidekick Wheatley, voiced by Stephen Merchant. Whether he’s trying to help you cope with your current situation, or telling you to turn your head so you don’t see him doing something ridiculous, there’s always a certain charm about him. Ellen McClain returns as GLaDOS, the bitter AI who is not the least bit happy with how you defeated her in the previous game. Her auto-tuned backhanded compliments never failed to make me crack a smile, and a mid-game twist (which I won’t spoil) makes things even more entertaining. Finally we have Aperture Science CEO, Cave Johnson, voiced by the wonderful J.K. Simmons, who many of you may know as J. Jonah Jameson in the Spider-Man flicks. His pre-recorded ”pep-talks” are so absurd that you really don’t mind being his lab rat. Lately the extent of comedy in video games has been the occasional one-liner as you curb stomp a baddie or the inclusion of sex toys as weapons, so it’s refreshing to have a game that can be funny and smart throughout the entire playthrough without resorting to childish gags.

The single player campaign clocks in at roughly 7-8 hours, about three times the length of the original. While I personally feel that the campaign experience was worth the price alone, it’s understandable if you want more. If you’re worried about not getting your money’s worth, don’t fret – Valve has also included a co-op mode. Co-op can be played online or via local splitscreen. This mode offers an entirely new story with two new protagonists. While the story is connected to the single player experience, you can play them in either order, as one won’t spoil the other. The co-op story can net you an additional 4-8 hours of gameplay, depending on how smart your partner is.

In the end, Portal 2 is an imaginative, witty, brilliantly designed adventure that no gamer should pass on. While the last quarter of 2011 will bring some heavy hitters like Mass Effect 3, Uncharted 3, and possibly a new GTA, Portal 2 will undoubtedly be in the debate for game of the year.

Rating: 5 Magnificos