Portal2

[BobTD]

First, let us establish an important fact. You should have beaten the first portal game by now. Its was free for a while on Steam, still might be. And its also one of those rare games where you can legitimately argue that playing makes you smarter. And its relatively short, while establishing one of the most iconic video game villains in the industry.



As if that where not enough, everyone else has played the first portal game and continues to make "the cake is a lie" references while you smile and nod... pretending to know, because it sounds self explanatory. But you dont know. And thats going to eat away at you, constantly reminding you that your small little lie will cheapen the rest of your already short lifespan. (its harsh but Im doing this for a good cause)

And no one wants that, right?

Short version: if you have not played the first portal, its required playing material for anyone with a Steam account. I highly recommend it before playing Portal2.

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I want to point out that with the storyline being so amazing in this game, and the all the more surprising fact that this is a puzzle game each make it very hard to do a proper review without spoilers.

Everything started with the first Portal. So playing the first game will really help, not just for the story but for the practice at solving the types of puzzles presented.

But enough about the first game:

Gameplay:

In this game your going to have a very simple objective most of the time, stay alive and reach the next area. Many games use the same principle but are not puzzle games. If you are starting to wonder why this game is not considered boring right about now.... its the story that drives it. You literally cant wait to see the story unfold in front of you, and the only thing slowing you down is how fast you can complete the puzzles.



Interestingly, the puzzles change a lot over the course of the game. New concepts are constantly being introduced in ways that are at first obvious but the more you see them the more complex their use becomes.

The game auto saves checkpoints for you in a fashion that prevents having to resolve parts of tests you already figured out and is actually quite handy, always starting you in a way that keeps you in the game rather then running through parts you already had to complete once.

Another aspect of the gameplay is the multiplayer. Arguably (even though it has just been released) one of the best co-op experiences in any game.

Sound:

The sound deserves a huge commendation. The voice acting and music are incredibly well done and executed. Music in this game is sometimes very epic and the volume responds to some player actions. The sound effects and audio are used to draw your attention to points of interest rather effectively rather then taking control of your camera and forcing you to look in certain directions as much as possible. Using sound to keep the immersion flowing is a rather nice touch.




Story:

There are a ton of questions from the first game addressed here, and characters are developed, and there are some huge plot twists that take place.

It certainly has a very distinct style. Its a very, very dark story mixed with irony and comedy in a way most games cant pull off. Its not gory, or gritty. Its a deliberate and methodical evil presence at points and hopeful and endearing at other times. If only my pathetic grasp on the English language could convey how you feel especially the first time you play this game.

Replay value:

I would argue that this game has decent replay value. However, being a puzzle game it really wont be the same ever again once you beat it. However there is always the chance to play through the game with directors commentary and most likely more maps will be added in an advanced section.

And there are some hidden areas in the game worth looking for such as the rat man dens.

Graphics:

Game looks amazing, and has some jaw doping settings. Either way, this is good enough to stand on its legs without graphics to promote it. This isnt really a game about being pretty, and more focus on simply making a visually appealing game would have been a push in the wrong direction. Still a bit better looking then the first game.



Final thoughts:

The story alone is reason to play this game. Also, I dont think I have seen a beter ending to a boss fight in my entire life. Period. I doubt anything will ever surprise me like that again. A real rabbit and hat trick and i loved it.

Also I am looking forward to possible advanced maps like with the first game. Overall there is a lot more content, besides the longer storyline compared with the first game.



Final Score:

Final Score: 9.5 out of 10

Reason for score: amazingly better then I had hoped, and I have to leave room because no game is perfect. One of the strongest reasons for this score is because completing this game felt like a landmark. It was an accomplishment I am proud of in some weird way.

Honest second opinion: Its possible that this game has just used classical conditioning on me. The puzzle solving satisfaction was always tied to the storyline, the action always drove you into the next puzzle.... naturally all play testers help evolve a game into a better formula for positive response but this was almost mathematical.

Revised Final Score: 9.6 out of 10

The irony of a science themed game conditioning me has swayed my score.