Review Time - Portal 2 (single player)

Well, everyone and their dog has played Portal 2 at this stage. But in case you haven't, and want the opinion of a random stranger on the internet, you've come to right place! I'll keep spoilers to a bare minimum too, so don't worry your pretty little head about that. Onward!

When talking about Portal, there's a common question among some as to whether a sequel was necessary. The original, whilst short, was perfectly paced; every moment was a joy as new mechanics and techniques were introduced as intuitively as possible. The portal gun was a refreshing idea that forced players to rethink everything about how they navigated in 3D space. And yet, paradoxically, it was a brilliant game to induct non gamers; the game taught you subtly with each testing chamber, never introducing too much at once, and the razor sharp dialogue meant you were eager to push on to see what came next. It all came to head with a satisfying confrontation, that made you rely on all the new tricks you'd been learning throughout.

So, with such an airtight game, "what would be gained by a sequel?" they said.
To them, I say shut up. Portal 2 is brilliant.

You play as Chell, the protagonist from the first game, again waking up from suspended animation in the crazed Aperture Science facility. As you advance further into the huge complex, you'll find yourself having to solve more and more devious puzzles to push onward. Whilst the first game built up to the parts where you finally got behind the scenes to take down GLaDOS, forging your own path, here it comes to the fore much earlier on, though there are still plenty of dedicated puzzle chambers. In many ways it feels like an extension of the original, and rather than a retread, it throws some twists and turns that lead you down some very unexpected paths.

GLaDOS isn't unexpected. But she is awesome.

To keep the puzzles fresh, Valve have added a host of new objects and gels. "Aerial faith plates" send you soaring across the maps, hard light bridges allow you to portal a path across pits of doom, and the gels which play a central part later on are just plain fun. This time around the puzzles focus entirely on the cerebral, with the actual execution being simple. This alleviates a lot of the frustration new time players had with the first game, which often expected tricky ninja manoeuvres. Here, once you know the puzzle, you can do it with ease, so you can quickly move on to the next brain teaser. It shows a greater focus on its strength, whilst keeping it accessible to those who don't live with a controller (or keyboard) in hand.

Whilst the puzzle design is excellent throughout, there are some sections around the midway point which are frustrating. Not because they're difficult brain teasers, but because it feels more like "find the wall you can place a portal on" than actual puzzles. The way forward is incredibly linear in these parts, and they're just observation tests. That said, these sections do give the chance to show some incredible vistas, and act as a sort of respite between the intense puzzling. At times they do drag on, but it's not a major issue by any means. It is a nice idea for breaking up puzzles, and moreso, it makes the buildup to the final act all the sweeter.

The cube in the foreground lets you redirect the deadly lasers. To set your foes ablaze!
Well, not really, more so puzzle solving. You can set the talking turrets on fire though, that's always hilarious.

The writing is among the best in gaming. This may seem like flippant hyperbole, but I haven't laughed at a game so much in, well, ever. Steven Mercheant, of The Office (the British one that is), plays your bumbling A.I. core companion Wheatley, and he's absolutely perfect in the role; finding just the right balance between likeable and just plain incompetent, he gives a really natural performance, and his mannerisms really bring the character to life. Ellen McClain reprises her role as the maniacal A.I. GLaDOS, and she simply oozes menace, as well as making some pretty classy fat jokes at your expense. Finally, J.K. Simmons rounds off the cast as Aperture president Cave Johnson, and whilst he doesn't get as much lines as the others, he has some of the best. I would describe his character better, but that's getting dangerously close to spoiler town, and that's a bad neighbourhood. Anyway, whilst some twists you may see coming, there are some which are completely unexpected. Again, I'm loathe to ruin any surprises here, but just wait till you get to the end. I was both laughing and air punching at the sheer ridiculous awesomeness of it all.

The end!
Haha, gotcha, this bit is only ten minutes in. 

The Graphics are top notch, pushing the source engine beyond anything it's shown before. Natural looking shadows and impressive dynamic lighting, with a real sense of scale, at later points you get some spectacular sights. The engine is showing its limitation though, with some pretty frequent load screens, but it does help keep the game silky smooth on consoles, and even runs well on dated pcs. Suffice to say, if you could run Portal 1 you can run this, which makes it all the more impressive how well the improved source engine is optimised. The soundtrack also has had some interesting changes. For the most part, there's no actual background music. Rather, particular instruments of each track layer over each other as you fit more pieces of the puzzle together. It sets up a sort of aural reward, as well as subtly letting you know you're on the right track, pushing you closer to your goal. Jonathan Coulton also contributes another fantastic song to the end credits like last time round, which could even be better than Still Alive. Somehow.

Shown here: The fancy graphics.
Not shown here: Me picking my jaw off the floor.

Portal 2 expands on just about everything that made the original great. The jokes are funnier, the story is more compelling, the music is far better, and aside from a few parts in the second act with some less than stellar puzzles, the game is an absolute joy throughout. You pretty much owe it yourself to play this game.

As of writing, I haven't gotten the chance to play the co-op. I should have another piece on that with Máiréad in a month or so, once we get a chance to sit down and play through it all.
Update: Here it is.