The original Portal was nothing short of a digital masterpiece, with its brilliant combination of minimalist design and dark humour offering gamers something that was fresh and original at a time when the industry was its most stagnant. Within mere days of its release it became the primary selling point of The Orange Box, surpassing even the long anticipated Half-life 2: Episode 2 in popularity. Naturally this unexpectedly strong reaction lead to the development of a sequel, but with so much of the game’s success tied to its originality would it really possible to make one that didn’t feel stale and repetitive? We’re any other developer at the helm I’d say no, but this is Valve and they take the time to do things right. Even if that sometimes means waiting half a decade.
Set several hundred years after the demise of GlaDOS, we find Chell alive and kept in suspended animation at the Aperture Science Extended Relaxation Center. Normally occupants would be awoken every few months to verify their physical and mental well-being, but due to technical difficulties of potentially apocalyptic significance, Chell has been kept under for significantly longer; only regaining consciousness when the facility’s systems begin to fail. Joining up with Wheatley, a neurotic personality sphere voiced by Stephen Merchant, and once again making use of the Aperture Science Dual Portal Device, Chell begins to make her escape through the bowels of the facility. While the basic premise of “have portal, will travel” may not have changed, Valve has placed a significantly higher focus on the story this time around, making it central to the experience, rather than a subtle background element. While it’s impossible to talk about any of the plot without spoiling it, I can say this is easily the most entertaining work Valve has delivered to date. It’s genuinely difficult to put the game down and stop playing.
Although most of Portal 2‘s gameplay remains relatively unchanged from it’s predecessor, there have been a several alterations and additions to help set it apart. By far most obvious change is the lack of portal friendly surfaces within the test chambers. Where before you could shoot a portal just about anywhere and fling yourself past an entire puzzle, now you can only place it exactly where Valve wants you to. This is kind of a double edged sword as it stifles creative problem solving, but it also makes sure you work for your solution and don’t skip past an important segment. Valve has also placed Material Emancipation Grids behind every door, preventing players from standing on the button, shooting a portal through the door and exiting the chamber without completing it. Once you get a few chambers in the game starts throwing a few new ideas your way. First up is the Aperture Science Discouragement Laser; a constant beam of light that replaces the energy orbs from the original game and can be redirected using a special cube. Though primarily used to activate switches, the laser can also set turrets on first and act as an on/off switch for certain elements of a puzzle. You’ll encounter light bridges; long solid beams of light that can be extended through portals to create temporary catwalks. If positioned properly they can also serve as a great way to block turret’s line-of-sight.
After about 2-3 hours the game boots you out of the familiar Aperture Science Enrichment Center and sends you hurtling down to the facility’s lowest levels. Here you’ll be treated not only to an explanation of the company’s history, as told by it’s founder Cave Johnson (voiced by J. K. Simmons), but you also be introduced to Gels. Based of the concepts established in the student game, Tag: The Power of Paint, Gels allow you to coat the surfaces of the game world; giving them special properties. Repulsion Gel, the first one you’ll encounter, causes a surface to rebound any object that comes in contact with it. Propulsion Gel, on the other hand, causes you to accelerate as you run, allowing you to move at incredible speeds. By creating a path where the two Gel intersect it’s possible to create a launcher that will rocket yourself skyward with enough forward momentum to clear massive gaps in a single bound. Lastly we have Conversion Gel, a mind-bogglingly useful substance that allows you make any surface portal friendly. By far the single most interesting addition to Portal 2, Gels can easily give you the same sense of awe you experienced when you first learned to think with portals.
Moving into the final act, the game throws one last play mechanic your way in the form of Excursion Funnels. Essentially these are giant tunnels of gravity that will suspend you in the air and push you along a path. Like the light bridges they can be extended through portals, however they also have a distinct advantage of allowing you to reverse their polarity and use them as a giant tractor beam.
Clocking in at around 6-9 hours, depending on your skill, Portal 2‘s single-player experience offers a great deal of exciting gameplay at a reasonable length. However all good things must come to an end and like the original, this is a game that leaves you hungry for more. Fortunately Valve was ready to address this need and has included second co-op based campaign to give you another 4-5 hours of fun. Although no new play mechanics are introduced, the availability of four discrete portals has allowed to developers to create some significantly more difficult and involving puzzles that you’ll rack your brain trying to solve. Voice communication is an absolute must for a properly enjoyable experience, but there is an option to tag locations and set a countdown timers, so vocally challenged players can participate, albeit not as easily as their microphoned counterparts. Cross platform play between the PC/Mac and PS3 is available via Steam, but Xbox 360 users get the short end of the stick and can only play with other Xbox 360 users. Despite the general complaints surrounding PSN regarding it being a slow and unpleasant network, I experienced no latency problems regardless of which combination of platforms was used. Voice Chat between PSN and Steam works flawlessly.
Portal 2 is an easy shoe-in for Game of the Year, but honestly we knew that before the game even launched. The real surprise come from how well put together the little things are, like the phenomenal voice work and little background hints at the true history of Aperture Science. The quality of support for the PS3 version is also quite staggering. Not only do you get full steam integration, including friends lists and cross-platform multiplayer, but you get a complete PC/Mac copy of the game for free simply by linking your Steam account to PSN. Aside from being completely broke there is literally no good reason not to go out and buy this one today.
Verdict: Sell Your Soul to Buy It
NOTE: Screenshots from PC version. 1200×800 with Maxed visual settings.
