Portal 2

Voices of: Ellen McLain, Stephen Merchant, J.K. Simmons, Dee Bradley Baker, Alesia Glidewell
Developer: Valve
Directed by: Joshua Weier
Rating: T
Genre: Puzzle-Platform
System: Playstation 3, Xbox 360
2011

Times Completed:
Tim: 1

Summary: Chell once again awakens in the research facility, now helped by a rouge A.I. (Stephant Merchant) who wants to help her escape GLaDOS.

Review:
Tim: I truly believe Portal is about as perfect as a video game can be. So, I couldn't wait for the sequel. Portal 2 is incredible, another stunning success for Valve. I liked it a little bit less than the first one (which surprised me, as I heard from most people that it was the better game), but I still loved it so much. It carries over everything from the original- the thought-provoking portal puzzles, the madcap humor, deranged GLaDOS. It offers much more of what we loved about the first game, so I was so pleased with the experience. This is another victory, another landmark video game.

Anyone familiar with the original will quickly pick this one up. It's the same control system. However, the game is wisely designed to feel different. Some of the puzzles are quite similar, but there are new mechanics involved in this one. The use of laser beams that you had to reorient with cubes was great. One of the standout mechanics was the gels- a blue one that allows you to bounce and an orange one that allows you to glide at great speeds. Many of the game's most memorable puzzles involve using these new mechanics to circumvent the challenges. They presented a new way to think laterally about the puzzles presented. It helped this game to not feel redundant. The Conversion gel was great, too- notably used in a few of the trickier and more memorable levels. There's also these blue or orange movement tunnels (not sure what they are called) that again presented players with a new dynamic and a new tool to overcome the puzzles. These new mechanics helped the game feel fresh and vivid.

The narrative of the game is great, too. I loved the introduction of the character of Wheatley, and Stephen Merchant was the perfect person to voice it. Merchant does a fantastic job delivering absurd dialogue that makes you laugh as you play. GLaDOS is once again such an iconic, incredible character. I loved how she was utilized in the game and her exchanges with Wheatley. It was also wonderful to hear J.K. Simmons' voice throughout this game. Simmons is one of the best actors of all time and has such an unmistakable voice. It brought me so much joy to hear the ridiculous things he said over the prerecorded tracks from the loudspeakers. A small touch, but it reminded you that Portal is just different. The overall story feels similar to the first one, but there's enough shifts that it still feels so compelling to play. I really enjoyed the final boss sequence- I found it much easier than the one in Portal, but it results in one of the coolest moments in either game- I won't spoil it, but you look up and suddenly everything clicks- you just know what to do. So unbelievably cool. I do have to admit that the end-credits song wasn't nearly as good. I've listened to "Still Alive" fifty times, but I see no need to listen to whatever that song was. Still, it continued the tradition and I appreciated that.

The game also offered up a multiplayer campaign. It was fun working with someone else (in this case, my wife) to solve the puzzles together. They felt innovative and challenging, but a bit of fatigue started to set in, too. I started that after finishing the single campaign and there was a sense of, "Wow, I'm still playing this game..." The level designs are exciting, though, and it presented new and interesting challenges to think through how a 2-player approach was needed to solve those puzzles. It's definitely a nice addition to this game.

As a whole, man, I loved Portal 2. These games are just so wonderful. It's sad to me that over a decade has passed and there's still no third game. I'd play these games forever. However, I mostly feel fortunate that two of them exist and they are both so exceptionally well-designed. Portal is one of my favorite video game franchises. While in my mind, this game isn't quite as good as the original, it's still one of the best video game sequels I've ever played. Valve is 2-0 with this incredible franchise.



Rating 1-10
Tim's Rating: N/A



If You Enjoyed This Game, We Recommend: Portal, Half-Life