Valve is a company that I have been following for many years now. Ever since I first played Half-Life in 2001, I've been mesmerized by their ability to create games worth playing. This holds true with their most recent release, Portal 2, which came out earlier this week. The first Portal was a surprise and a revelation when it came out in 2007 along with Half-Life 2: Episode 2 and Team Fortress 2. I was more than willing at the time to pay $50 to get the continuation of the Half-Life storyline, so Portal was just a really nice free extra. However, upon playing Portal I realized that this was possibly the greatest thing to come out of gaming in years. I expected to get a slew of fun and interesting puzzle, but what I wasn't expecting was some of the best black humor and writing ever put into a game.
I say this so you will be able to understand that much of my praise for Portal came from how surprising and refreshing it was to play such a game. The real question is weather or not Portal 2 lives up to the high praise of the first? In my opinion, yes. And it does something no one was expecting, it goes beyond the first game in more ways than one. Portal 2 is the same logic of the first game, but in a new body. It is tell a very rich and clever story while expanding on the world and concepts in such a way that Portal feels like an introduction for this second chapter.
Portal 2 starts you what must be decades after first game with a bumbling but wonderful character named Wheatley trying to help (or save his own ass) from a catastrophe happening at Aperture Science. Characters like Wheatley (voiced by Stephen Merchant) and the founder of Aperture Science Cave Johnson (Voiced by J.K. Simmons) create a vivid and realistic world while keeping the universe popping and funny. However, The person who really steals the show is Ellen McLain as the ever wonderful GLaDOS. GLaDOS is the true star of Portal 2 as she was in the previous game. He comes over more human in this game which at first seems like a bad thing, but GLaDOS seems to always retain what makes her so special.
This is mainly a response than a review. I love this game. the graphics are solid, the universe is beautiful and detailed. This game works on every single level and is exhilarating and refreshing. In this day and age of Modern Warfare 2 and Homefront, Portal 2 stands as a shining example of what makes Valve the greatest game maker in the country and if not the world. Portal 2 may be short (all three of my playthroughs have been 5 hours long) but those will be the best hours of your day and is polished to a mirror shine. I don't understand why people are complaining. Portal 2 is short, fun and if you don't think so I feel the need to tell you that you are the problem with games these days.
On a final note: the Co-Op addition to the game is wonderfully complex in of it self. It will make friendships or break them, but you can not blame that on the tools Valve gives you.
Teaser trailer for Portal 2:
The four actors´ star meters on IMDB have sky rocketed by the way with unheard of numbers. The lowest is J.K. Simmons by 221%! And he was pretty dang popular already. Next is Alesia Glidewell by 556%. Ellen McLain, GLaDOS, is next with a boost in 748%. Finally, Stephen Merchant, Wheatly, with an outrageous 1,074% star meter boost. That´s how incredible this game is. - M
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