[360|PS3|PC] Portal 2 Review

[Psykoboy2]

Portal 2 Review

Title: Portal 2
Platform: Playstation 3, Xbox 360, PC
Developer: Valve
Publisher: Valve
ESRB Rating: Everyone
MSRP: $59.99 360, PS3, PC
Editor: Scott "Psykoboy2" Benton

What's Hot: The most fun I've had playing a game in a long time. Nothing feels forced. The gameplay, the writing, the humor. It's all pitch perfect.

What's Not: The replay value will only go so far in both Co-Op and single player. The load times aren't too bad but seem to be a little more frequent than I would have liked.

I’ll go ahead and tell you now that this review of Portal 2 is spoiler free. With that out of the way I’ll begin the Portal 2 review in 3…2…1

It always amazes me to play a sequel to a game that is equally as good as its first installment, and, perhaps in Portal 2’s case, better. There’s always a thought after finishing a great game as to how the developers will be able to top the experience of the first. Valve tops that first experience in every way you can imagine. Everything that made the first game great is back for the sequel as well as new techniques, characters, settings, and surprises.

There’s a saying from the first game that carries over into the second and that is: Think With Portals. It’s used both in the story of the game as well as in the developing of it and it works. In the beginning of Portal 2 you’ll do a few mundane tasks just to help get the gears going again in your mind on how portals work. It’s a simple concept really, but when adding in many other elements to the puzzle solving working with portals can be a mind bender. I’ll be honest; I wasn’t thrilled after a few of the early test chambers. I was seriously feeling like this was going to go on and on. But then…things change. And suddenly the goal isn’t about solving a test chamber to move on to the next one but to solve a test chamber so you can see what comes next in the story. I could say it’s a story driven game in that sense, but that isn’t simply it. There’s an amazing balance in both wanting to see what test comes next and what comes next in the story. Valve also has a great sense in knowing when enough is enough. From the early points in the game when I was just teetering on the point of losing interest when, as I said, things change. To after that point, when again this feeling in the back of my mind was just about to tell me that I’d been doing this long enough, they change again. Portal 2 is a great example of a game knowing when to stop. There’s no feeling of things being stretched out or added in to lengthen the game. There are points that come dangerously close, but it never crosses that line.

It’s actually a bit satisfying to have a game that knows when to quit. I mean, yes, there’s a place for your open-ended, sandbox style, 800-things-to-do outside of the main story type of games. And either I put in all the effort to complete those tasks and become drained of the game and its setting or I finish the main story and still feel a bit guilty about not completing everything else. Portal 2 has a set number of things to do. There’s the main single player story that is excellent to run through the first time and is very satisfying on the second run. However, by the third time you begin to wonder why any of this was ever difficult for you in the first place – by that I mean the single player only has so long a life in it. Then there’s the co-op side of things adding any number of hours to the game play depending on how well you and your partner work through the puzzles. I’d say the best way to experience the co-op is to go in just like your robot counterparts – silently. Yes, you can use voice chat to communicate but Valve has instituted a set of signals, icons, timers, and very near all manners of communication needed without actually speaking to one another. It provides a great opportunity for teamwork and really drives home the essence of co-op. Go ahead and give it a shot. There’s always voice chat if you need it, but try it first using only what you’re given. Just as in the single player, there is this euphoric sense whenever the solution to a puzzle comes together. To the point where your mind is so focused in thinking with portals that immediately upon entering a room you’re looking for the tell tale signs of what to do with your portals. And it’s even more so when working together as a team. Granted, however, that this only lasts for about 2 play through's before it just becomes second nature, and you’re either blowing through the puzzles or possibly even ruining the experience for your partner who may be on their first play though.

Portal 2 expands on everything that made the first game great. From the new techniques, the writing, the humor…hell, even just some of the signage posted around the facility works so very well in the game. If I had one complaint it would likely be the load times. They aren’t that bad, but there does seem to be points where loading happens too often. Sure, some of that comes from the speed at which you can solve the puzzles, but there’s even one point in the game where you do nothing. The scene loads, you listen to some dialogue, the scene ends, and it loads up the next section.

Overall, my experience with Portal 2 has been a blast. One of the most fun, entertaining, and enjoyable games I have had the pleasure of playing. It never wears out its welcome and gave me plenty of surprises, laughs, insights I wasn’t expecting, and lots of little moments that took a tiny game of maybe 3 hours in length from The Orange Box and developed it into something completely worthy of your time and money that could stand on its own.

Score: 5 out of 5 CoGs


Scott says, "This is an interesting game where you likely haven't been waiting for reviews to decide on getting this game or not. Portal 2 is a game not to be missed. If you loved the first, rest assured Valve will satisfy again the second time around."

*Note - Review based upon PC version of game

[Dark Prince]

Portal 2 is that good...I've beaten it twice already and it has quite an entertaining story that's probably one of the funniest games I've ever played in a while.

Great review!

[biosc1]

The in-between load times definitely become noticeable if you rip through a couple of levels quickly...then again, they give you a couple of seconds to breathe. Loads never seem to take more than 5-10 seconds, though.

I have to say that the game definitely felt a little "deja-vu"-ish at the beginning, but when the twist comes, it's fantastic.

GLADOS is so well voiced!

[TheFlyingOrc]

Game is fantastic. The only sadness is that it lacks the complete surprise of the original, but that's obviously not reproducible. As I think games should be judged for what they are, rather than what they aren't, the 5 of 5 is entirely justified.

[Zero]

I thought the loading times doing split-screen co-op on the 360 were fairly bad, to the point that even the loading animations would stutter and skip.

[Ravenlock]

I cannot overstate how much I loved Portal 2. One of the best games I've played in years, and that's without even touching the co-op yet (which I will do soon). Masterful work, and should be played by everyone.

[TheFlyingOrc]

Originally Posted by Zero

I thought the loading times doing split-screen co-op on the 360 were fairly bad, to the point that even the loading animations would stutter and skip.

Well, the times aren't that much worse, but the skipping does bug me a bit.

If that's what we're reduced to complaining about then it is probably a good game.

[Zero]

Originally Posted by TheFlyingOrc

Well, the times aren't that much worse, but the skipping does bug me a bit.

If that's what we're reduced to complaining about then it is probably a good game.

Agreed. It's been a long time since my wife has enjoyed a game as much as she did our little co-op session last night.

thats cool , thank you dude !

[KidCactus]

I finished the game yesterday and I agree with the score. To me, this is the perfect game. The only thing that from time to time got a bit annoying was the load times between levels. When your going down the elevator I don't see it as a problem, but when it appears more "in game" it kind of breaks the atmoshere.