Reviewed by Brandy Shaul
After experiencing the grandeur that was the first Portal back in 2007, I allowed a bit of doubt to creep into my mind as I sat down to play its newly released sequel. Could Portal 2 live up to the first game? Could the dialogue be as witty, the gameplay as ingenious, and the overall game be as much fun? To my excitement, yes, yes, and yes! Portal 2 is easily one of the best games of this generation, with a storyline that is unquestionably one of the most entertaining and genuinely funny examples of how it should be done.
Portal 2 places you back in the shoes of our silent and unnamed female protagonist from the first game. Somehow, you’ve wound up back in Aperture Laboratories, but this time, the place is falling apart. You’re introduced to a witty round robot named Wheatley, who is the overseer of all of the human test subjects. As you try to escape the labs once and for all, you’ll meet up with GLaDOS (remember, she’s “Still Alive”).
Things quickly go from bad to worse, as GLaDOS regains control of the laboratories, you’re thrown into new tests, and the fun of the original Portal returns, with even more ingenuity and humor; the first portion of the game being so incredibly entertaining due to the actions and dialogue of Wheatley himself.
That being said, the puzzle portions of Portal 2’s nine chapters are split into clearly defined sections, where you’ll be sent through a series of tests similar to the first Portal, a lengthy and complicated set of tests run by Cave Johnson (which introduce propulsion, bouncing, and portal gels), and even further into a section dealing with large beams of lights, tons of lasers, and even rotating spirals of energy that can be used to cross large gaps.
In between these puzzles sits some incredibly designed adventure gameplay, as you work behind the scenes to confront a new villain (spoilers withheld), and escape the labs once and for all. There’s much more in the way of adventure gameplay this time around, and it’s in these portions that the game truly comes to life. You’re not limited to thinking spatially in just one or two rooms – you have to make your way from one portion of the lab to the next, opening doors, interacting with turrets and on and on, all in a way that appears linear, but really isn’t, thanks to the portal gun.
Technically speaking, Portal 2 highlights the power of the Source engine, as its crisp graphics are something to behold. The voice-work is absolutely perfect (and did I mention hilarious? Well, it requires re-stating), the level designs are difficult yet rewarding, and the end game offers the same sense of intensity as seen before. Every aspect of the game has been polished to its finest state, and with a lengthier story in this sequel, you’ll get to experience all of the game’s fantastic qualities for that much longer.
Add in co-op levels, Steam achievements, possible cross-platform gameplay on the PS3, and “interactive” developer commentary, and you have one of the most fully-featured, unquestionably recommendable games of all time. The Portal franchise continues to bridge the gap between the hardcore and semi-casual gaming spaces, and you’d be amiss if you didn’t treat yourself to this gem of an experience.
Special thanks to Alison Krey and Valve for providing a copy of this title.