Developer: Valve Corporation
Publisher: Valve Corporation
Platform: PS3/X360/PC
Game Completion: 8-10 hrs
There are games in which you can assume the role of a mighty warrior, saving the universe from a dark evil; epic sagas that see you spanning a fantastical realm. There are games that allow you to get in touch with your devious side, shooting cops, running down pedestrians and rising up the ranks in the criminal world. There are games that can make you feel like a rock star by clicking buttons on clunky plastic instruments. Then, there is a first person shooter/puzzle hybrid which finds you attempting to escape a facility run by a revenge obsessed, homicidal computer who is inherently compelled to force you to repeatedly place a box onto a button in a succession of ever more complex situations until you die. I'll let you guess which of those Portal 2 falls into.
You guessed incorrectly...
Now, before we get started, I'll go ahead and admit it: I never actually played the first Portal. Not for any lack of desire, mind you, simply one of those games that I never quite got around to. However, as anyone immersed at all in gaming culture will tell you, when Portal first came out, its imagery and in-jokes were so prevalent that it was impossible to escape. "The cake is a lie" became a gigantic internet meme that still pops up here and there, on occasion and the creepy/catchy end credits song "Still Alive", sung by the defeated computer, became so popular that it garnered nearly 11 million hits on YouTube and appeared as a playable song in Rock Band. So it was not without a fair degree of familiarity with the original game, that I began to play Portal 2.
In a sentiment that would probably otherwise be slightly tempered, had I played the first Portal, I sincerely feel that Portal 2 is one of the most unique and rewarding entertainment experiences that anyone can have. I'm not just talking video games here, I mean across all mediums of entertainment. Let's start with the window dressing before we delve into the amazing mechanics and puzzles on display here. The voice cast of Portal 2 is simply phenomenal. All actors involved give amazing performances, helped none too little by the surprisingly witty and well written dialog, which is implemented seamlessly into the gameplay (no cutscenes here).
Though Ellen McLain and J.K. Simmons (as GlaDOS and Cave Johnson, respectively) are every bit as perfect as they can possibly be, the real standout is Stephen Merchant as your robot helper Wheatley. Merchant honestly delivers one of the best performances ever heard in a video game. A long standing confoundment among game designers has been how to make a video game actually funny. Though this has been attempted many, many times, it very rarely succeeds. Portal 2 is actually, laugh out loud funny, thanks in no small part to the work of Stephen Merchant (though, again, the fantastic script really deserves most of the credit, here).
This is Wheatley. This thing. This thing was the vessel for one of the best performances I have seen in quite some time. Your move, Hollywood...
As far as graphics are concerned, there are certainly games out there now that can easily outdo Portal 2 in terms of sheer scale or special effects, but the world of Aperture Science (the facility in which your main character, Chell, has been imprisoned) is perfectly and uniquely realized. Due to the vast amount of time that has passed since the events of the first game, Aperture Science has undergone a bit of a transformation. Gone (for the most part) are the clean, sterile laboratory environments, instead, the facility has fallen into a near state of disrepair. Panels are torn and missing from walls, moss and mold fester in the crevices of every room and at times, GlaDOS will be actively creating or repairing a room, in real time, as Chell enters it. So, while it may not necessarily be grandiose, Portal 2 is still certainly a joy to behold.
Nothing like heading out into the woods for some good ole' one on one time with homicidal AI.
Well, so far, we're batting 3 for 3; great voice acting, great script, great graphics...but does the game hold up? Holy hell, yes, it does. In most other games, after attempting to fight the same enemy over and over and eventually succeeding, or after simply figuring out what to do next, you are imbued with a sense of "I am really good at this game, I am smart at gaming". When you finally figure out a puzzle in Portal 2 that has left you scratching your head, you instead feel "I am smart."
The puzzles in Portal 2 revolve around the central idea of using a "gun" that shoots an orange portal on one surface and a blue one on another, and through this portal you, or any other object may travel. Most stages involve using these portals to move a box from its starting location, onto a button placed somewhere out of reach, in order to open a door that leads to the next location. Sounds simple, right? Well, it is. The game controls like a dream and the physics engine that developer Valve employs here feels just perfect. The complexity comes gradually, introducing new physics based elements and ever more convoluted areas. However, the game never, at any point, becomes too tricky...oftentimes, when any room seems overly daunting, the answer is right in front of you, you just have to make your stupid brain recognize it. In the end, this is a very basic, yet challenging, extended spatial reasoning test wrapped in an extremely clever video game. The best part: anyone can play Portal 2 (yes, even you non-gamers) and I won't go into that point here, as a fellow blogger over at Kotaku has already covered that for me (and you can see that article right here).
Proven medical fact: when you put a box on that button over there, your brain actually increases in size (note: not an actual proven medical fact).
Unfortunately, I did not have the time to explore Portal 2's Co-Op campaign, which is a full 8-10 hour stand alone game in its own right. While I definitely plan on getting around to it one of these days, I can tell you that several reliable sources have informed me that it is exceptional and even possibly better than the single player campaign. Based on my experience with the single player alone, however, this is an exceptional title that is more than worth your hard earned dinero...buy, rent or steal this game, you will certainly not regret it...unless you stole it and got busted, though even in that case, still worth it if you got to play through...
Graphics: 9/10
Gameplay: 10/10
Replayability: 9/10
The Whole Shebang: 10/10
M's Watchability Rating: I loved this game! PORTAL 2 is more than just a video game, it's a brain teaser with witty dialogue and a self-esteem degrading psycho computer. Even though I never touched the controller, I played this game. Every other puzzle I was standing next to the TV looking at the walls trying to figure out once again how to get us to the box so we could put it on the button and open the door. That's every level, but how you achieve each step is the tricky (and satisfying) part. And the fact that you've got Stephen Merchant as your neurotic/Woddy Allen-type helper robot was genius. I could have listened to his voice all day. Who knows if this is the end of the PORTAL franchise, but once we actually own this game, I'm darn skippy gonna make sure we play through on co-op. PORTAL 2 is the kind of game that takes the idea that "all video games are trash that teach our kids how to shoot and steal cars" and back hands it in the face! I think all schools should have their students play a few puzzles and see if they don't start using better spatial reasoning skills. Finally, video games have been recognized as art, now lets start realizing their true educational potential. 5/5
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