Review: Portal 2 [PS3/PC]

Review: Portal 2 [Single Player]

The original Portal caught almost everyone off guard in 2007. The combination of the clever and fresh portal puzzle solving mechanic as well as some really smart and witty writing made Portal an instant classic. Portal 2 looses the surprise but gains some polish and variety to create an incredible experience. 

Portal 2 had to prove it was a step up from its predecessor, and it does so right of the bat. The player is immediately thrown into an environment of such a scale and scope that it surpasses any area in the previous game. Stephen Merchant plays new comer Wheatley who is the stand out performance of the game, he perfectly finds a place in the Portal universe and has some really clever lines. The writing in general is spectacular; the small cast of Ellen McClain, Merchant, JK Simmons and Nolan North create a remarkable ensemble keeping the player entertained with their witty banter. That said the plot fails to shock the player in the way the previous game had, many plot twists felt far too obvious. It does an adequate job of serving the flow of the game, but without the shock of the past game the corners the narrative takes aren’t quite as interesting. The fiction developed around Aperture’s past is quite interesting and provides much of the mystery we are accustomed to in Valve titles.

Portal 2’s puzzles are expertly crafted with a solid difficulty curve. Portal 2 never felt unfair, rarely were there any extreme difficulty spikes, and never did I feel the puzzles were too easy. All the puzzles were fantastic; except, for when I had no idea what my objective was. In some areas I sat for several minutes looking around the room going ‘What exactly is my objective here’ this should never be a question in a puzzle game. In a puzzle game you should always know what the puzzle is, the challenge should be how, not why. 

With a far longer campaign Portal 2 adds several exploration sections to add to the variety, Portal 2 at times feels remarkably like Half Life 2 in terms of its pacing and environment design. Those concerned with Portal 2 being a mere gauntlet of puzzles with no substance in between need not fear. With all this in mind it is really disappointing to see so many poorly placed loading screens that have become a common plague with the source engine as it has aged. These loading screens can really diminish many of the more intense moments.  

Apart from the loading times, the Source Engine holds up remarkably well. With setting cranked up on PC the lighting it’s very dramatic and the way the old dilapidated industrial areas contrast the clean reflective test areas is really remarkable.

When Portal 2’s final act came to a close I was both satisfied with the results and disappointed it had to come to an end. Portal 2 further demonstrates that Valve is a stand out studio unlike any other, constantly finding interesting and unique ideas to further the medium. Portal 2 is an adventure worth your time and money.

Score: 8/10

[Reviews scale: 5 = Average, goes up 1 unit at a time] ­­­