Portal 2

Title: Portal 2
Platform Played On: Xbox 360
Release Date: April 19, 2011
Date Played: April 2011
Time Played: 12 hours
Completed (Y/N): Yes
Score: 5/5



Opinion:
Portal 1 made quite a splash when it was released as part of the Orange Box in 2007. It instantaneously gained a huge fanbase, which undoubtedly sent thousands of emails and post cards to Valve headquarters demanding a sequel. With such a great success of Portal 1 it was a matter of time before we saw Portal 2.

Unlike its predecessor Portal 2 came out as a standalone game, a complete experience with a full featured campaign, co-op and challenges. It even has a level editor (PC only), in which you can create your own test chambers.

Portal 2's main campaign takes place sometime after the events of the first game. You are still a test subject; however the world around you has changed due to events that would be considered a spoiler. You quickly meet a companion (Wheatley) and start your journey to the surface. Wheatley  has got to be my favorite character of 2011. His lines are incredibly well written and he made me laugh quite a few times as I played through the campaign.

While Portal 1 is mostly based around moving from one puzzle to another, Portal 2, while still emphasizing puzzle solving as the main progression tool has a completely different objective. Instead of moving on to the next puzzle, your objective is to get the hell out. This coupled with the excellent job Valve has done with the environment creates an incredibly tense and interesting narrative. It never becomes dull or boring, and the story never stops intriguing with its twists and quite literally dives (in a good way). Portal 2 introduces quite a few new mechanics to keep puzzles interesting and complicated.

When you finish the single player campaign, there is a whole another campaign that you can play with a friend either over the internet or split screen (on consoles). You play as one of two robots and cooperatively solve test chambers. It is one of the best co-op experiences I have ever had in any game and on any platform.

Portal 2 is one of the best games of 2011, and is a must play for every gamer. The source engine looks as good as ever, and the story will pull you in no matter what kind of genre interests you. I couldn't get enough of Portal 2, and am hoping that we'll see Portal 3 before 2016.