[Review] Portal 2 (Mac/PC/PS3/X360)

About three and a half years ago (wait, has it really been that long?), Valve released unto the world The Orange Box, featuring the latest entry in the Half-Life series, Half-Life 2: Episode 2. And while I’m sure most people bought it for Half-Life and probably Team Fortress 2, it was Portal that ended up taking gamers by storm. Now, over three years later, the long awaited Portal 2 is finally here.

A hit so unexpected that even Valve was taken by surprise by its immense popularity, Portal became an overnight sensation among the gaming community, spawning at least two or three internet memes in the process. As such, a sequel seemed inevitable and, now that Portal proved to be immensely popular, it was time for Valve to devote their attention to a full-sized sequel to appease Portal fans asking for more cake.

But, is Portal 2 a worthy successor? Yes…yes it is. Very much so.

Story

Several hundred years after the end of Portal, Chell once again awakens in Aperture Laboratories, having been placed into cryogenic suspension following her capture at the end of the original game’s extended ending. The facility having fallen into disrepair during Chell’s long slumber, she is greeted by an artificial intelligence sphere by the name of Wheatley, who promptly recruits her in his own bid to escape the rundown facility.

However, when GLaDOS reawakens during the course of their escape, things quickly take a turn for the worse. And so begins a quite engaging trip down Aperture Labs, where Chell must once again confront her nemesis if she is to have any hope of obtaining her freedom.

One of the strongest aspects of the original Portal was its story. Sure, most of it was just GLaDOS monologuing the entire game, but it was something that worked, especially as GLaDOS’ comments became increasingly threatening as the game progressed. That, coupled with the lab being completely devoid of any signs of life during the endgame phase, the hilarious black comedy, and the fantastic climax made the first game’s plot such a treat for players to experience.

Thankfully, Portal 2 not only manages to expand on the original’s story, but also surpass it. Humor, like the first game, is definitely a key component of the plot and, thanks to the writing, it does it well; however, it is not the only thing the plot has going for it. Given the climax of the previous game, Chell and GLaDOS’ relationship has changed and continues to evolve. And, while she was already vaguely threatening and insulting during the first game, a lot of her dialog in Portal 2 is enough to send a chill down your spine; well, at least the parts that don’t make you laugh.

Overall, Portal 2 manages to deliver a plot that is not only funny, but also quite intriguing, delving both into the past of Aperture Science and a mystery surrounding a former Aperture employee. With a well rounded cast of characters ranging from the dimwitted Wheatley, to the eccentric Cave Johnson, and the deadly and sarcastic GLaDOS herself, Portal 2 offers a plot which will keep players wanting more.

 

Gameplay

In addition to its entertaining plot, the original Portal offered players something quite different. It was a physics-based first-person puzzle game that gave players a fancy gun that shot portals and required them to make their way through numerous test chambers. It was a game that was fun, but also intellectually challenging. At the same time, the game had a perfect difficulty curve, offering a challenge while not being too frustrating for players to handle.

Portal 2 thankfully continues this trend, though its longer length means that the game’s difficulty winds up surpassing that of the original game, expecting the player to master both the old and new mechanics the game has to offer in order to clear the later stages, which can seem almost impossible at times. And, to be honest, that’s absolutely perfect for the game.

While a higher difficulty does mean a bigger chance to frustrate players, the game does a great job of prepping the player by reintroducing them to some old test chambers from the first game. Once players are familiar with the game and it’s mechanics, Portal 2 begins introducing them to the new gameplay elements, such as the aerial faith plates, thermal discouragement beams, and the different gels, such as the repulsion and propulsion gels, in order to prepare them for more interesting challenges later in the game. And, thankfully, these new elements are really such a delight to mess around with.

To put it simply, actions as simple as bouncing through the air or running at incredibly fast speeds are just so much fun to do and fit right at home in Portal 2, especially when the game requires the player to take their knowledge of the different gels, aerial faith plates, and other goodies and figure out the easiest way from point A to point B. And that is what makes the game great; the fun.

Rather than just make the same game, only longer, Valve clearly put a lot of work into crafting a fun experience for players to enjoy. In addition to simply going through test chamber after test chamber, like in the first game, Portal 2 opens up a lot of other areas around the Aperture Science Lab for players to explore, allowing them to delve deeper into just how the lab is actually run, as well as it’s history. And that’s just the single player campaign.

In addition to the single player campaign, which took about roughly eight to ten hours for me to complete, Portal 2 offers a full-on cooperative campaign independent of the single player campaign and reported to be just as long. However, the gameplay for the co-op campaign is a little different, but still fun. Ramping up the difficulty just a little more, the cooperative campaign not only encourages, but requires players to work together to solve complex puzzles. Without teamwork, coordination, and cooperation, players are going to have a hard time getting through the cooperative campaign and, to put it simply, that is exactly what a cooperative mode should be like.

Overall, the gameplay is a blast, though the possibility of becoming frustrated with a difficult puzzle is present late in the game. However, even with all that, part of the fun comes from thinking outside the box and making the impossible possible. With two separate campaigns to play through, there is more than enough content here for players to enjoy. The heart and soul of the first game are alive and well, and the new additions and puzzle elements do nothing but enhance it.

 

Visuals

 

Running on Valve’s proprietary Source engine, Portal 2 looks fantastic. The environments are much more detailed this time around, making it seem as though time has not been kind to Aperture Laboratories. In addition, taking a cue from Left 4 Dead‘s visual design, orange and blue outlines representing portals can now be seen even through walls, allowing the player to know exactly where their portals are located.

Chell’s character model has also been updated as well, having her discard the top of her orange jumpsuit in favor of an Aperture Science t-shirt. Wheatley’s character design is of particular note as well, given that he’s simply just a round sphere with a robotic eye. Yet, that round personality sphere manages to show a wide range of expressions that it is quite an impressive sight.

Overall, Portal 2 looks great, with a larger variety of detailed environments that put the original game to shame. And rightly so; I mean, it has been three years.

Audio

Portal 2 would not be a true Portal sequel without Ellen McLain returning as the voice of GLaDOS, again managing to make an AI construct sound both endearing, sarcastic, and threatening all at the same time. Joining her this time around are actors J.K Simmons as Aperture CEO Cave Johnson and Stephen Merchant as Wheatley and both fit quite well in the world of Aperture Science.

In addition to the voice acting, which is rather top notch, the game’s musical score is quite entrancing to listen to and adds much depth to the game’s overall atmosphere. In addition, as previously reported, there is a new Jonathan Coulton song at the end of the game. While it doesn’t quite reach the level of awesome that Still Alive managed to achieve (and let’s face it. Still Alive is a hard act to follow), it is quite enjoyable and funny as well. And who knows? Maybe it will end up becoming a bigger hit than Still Alive.

Overall

 

If I haven’t made it overly clear by now, there’s really nothing about Portal 2 that I didn’t enjoy, even when some of the puzzles managed to toss me around like an old rag doll. This is everything a good sequel should be: an experience that builds on and enhances that which made the original game so good in the first place.

Rather than feel like an expansion pack, as some sequels do from time to time, Portal 2‘s single player campaign alone is enough for me to recommend this game without question. If you loved Portal, there is absolutely no reason why you shouldn’t get this game. If you’ve never tried Portal, then a) you’re missing out, b) what in the world is wrong with you, and c) get Portal, beat it, and get Portal 2. You won’t regret it.

What?  Still not convinced?  Don’t know why you wouldn’t be at this point, but if you need some convincing, check back in a few days for an in-depth look at Portal 2‘s cooperative campaign, as well as a look at some of the PlayStation 3/Steam cross-platform features.

Portal 2 is available in stores for Mac, PC, PS3, and Xbox 360, as well as available for download on Steam for Mac and PC. A copy of the game was provided free of charge from Valve for review purposes.