Portal 2 is a marked improvement over its predecessor, and manages to meet and exceed all expectations.
The Bad: Depending on your puzzle-solving skills, main story as well as co-op can be beaten fairly quickly; load times, though fairly brief, are a bit too prevalent.
Portal, released with the Orange Box back in 2007, was a big surprise to everyone. Not only was it unexpected, the unique Portal Gun coupled with the humorous antagonist GLaDoS made Portal a landmark puzzle game. Portal 2 has finally been released, and it's got some mighty big expectations to fill. Valve has promised us a longer game with a unique co-op mode to keep this game in your Xbox 360 for as long as possible. Is it enough to warrant a purchase from consumers, or is $60 asking a bit much for this puzzle game?
Chell, the mute protagonist from the first game, returns in Portal 2 where a talkative personality core named Wheatley wakes her up from many years of stasis. With her new ally in tow, Chell sets out to escape Aperture Science once again. The dilapidated test chambers lead to GLaDoS' former lair where Wheatley accidentally triggers a power-up sequence that brings the mastermind behind Aperture Science back to life. Eager to resume testing, GLaDoS supplies Chell with the Portal Gun and puts her brain to work using a nearly endless supply of test chambers.
On the fly conversations with GLaDoS and Wheatley really help to keep the story moving, and other than one or two occasions, cinematics are kept to a minimum. Portal 2 makes these conversations count, especially when you stray from the norm. For example, if you're told to do something by Wheatley, he'll keep talking until you do it. Experiencing these extras in a conversation usually results in a humorous achievement, and they're an absolute blast to attain in this game, but I digress. The outrageously funny script also deserves a nod. Like its predecessor, Portal 2 will have you laughing many, many times over the course of your adventure. Overall, the story is immensely entertaining, because, unlike the last game, escape is the primary goal from start to finish.
Very early on, you'll gain access to the Portal Gun. It has the exact same capabilities as in the previous game: shoot one portal as an entrance, the other as an exit. For the unacquainted it may seem like a very simple mechanic, but Portal 2 makes use of it in some very interesting and unexpected ways. A new substance called repulsion gel is one of Portal 2's most interesting additions. Based on its color, repulsion gel can send you flying through the air, or speeding over large gaps. In the later levels, you'll be forced to use repulsion gel with other gadgets like the excursion tunnel which makes Chell float leisurely through the air, or faith plates which launch her long distances. The game does an excellent job of getting you acquainted with each new gadget and substance before mixing them together in later, more challenging levels.
However, depending on your ability to solve puzzles, every level could be challenging. That's the problem with these types of games. I was able to get through the game without a guide fairly quickly by my standards (around 8 hours). It's certainly a lot longer than its predecessor, and it does cover a lot of ground, but it really depends on how long it takes you to solve each puzzle. I'm confident most of the later puzzles will challenge even the most avid portal divers, but as for a time range of when you can expect to finish the game…I honestly don't know. If you have a friend, it'll last quite a bit longer, though, thanks to Portal 2's unique co-op component.
In Portal 2's co-op mode you play as either Atlas or P-Body, two robots that GLaDoS made in order to launch her cooperative testing initiative. Surprisingly, story is involved here. GLaDoS will talk to you at the beginning and end of each test, providing some background on her intentions for creating each robot. However, most of the time, you're pretty much left in the dark. This doesn't matter though, since you won't be playing co-op for its story.
Co-op in Portal 2 allows four Portals (two for each player) to be in the testing area simultaneously. This can lead to some real headaches as all of the tests will, at some point, demand the use of every single portal. Some of the tests in co-op are even more devious than those in the single player campaign, but two heads are definitely better than one, so solving each puzzle does feel like a combined effort, even if your partner solved it while you were obeying his every command on the sidelines.
Speaking of commands, co-op has a very useful set of them. The most important of them is the "ping" tool. By pressing the left bumper and pointing where you want a portal to be placed, you can place a marker that both you and your partner can see. This is an integral aspect of co-op in that you can more efficiently communicate where you want a portal to be placed. Another command is a countdown clock that can be used to properly time certain actions in real time. Other than that, a few cooperative commands allow players to play "rock, paper, scissors" as well as hug each other or give a robotic high five.
Levels in co-op are connected through a central hub. Through this hub you can access certain chambers centered on a unique aspect such as momentum and velocity or excursion tunnels. What's so amazing in co-op is the sheer amount of creativity in each level. These puzzles WILL have you stumped at one point or another, and the amount of teamwork and timing that is involved in the later levels will have you paying close attention to your partner's movements. Some of the areas are also enormous, forcing you to separate yourself from your partner only to be reunited when certain conditions are met. When all's said and done, co-op is a fantastic addition to the franchise.
While the main character Chell prefers to keep her thoughts to herself, every other character in Portal 2 is very talkative and incredibly expressive. The voice acting is simply top of the class. Wheatley's voice in particular is the most amusing. His quick speeches as well as the realistic way he repeats some of his words through stuttering bring his character to life, despite the fact that he's a robot. However, even though he is a robot, there's no shortage of emotion here. The developers made Wheatley the most animated character in the game, both in his attitude and in his movements. His blue eye will shrink and turn white as it shakes back and forth to show fear. The rim underneath his eye will move up as he shakes his head up and down signifying his agreement to a particular action. The list goes on and on. Somehow, the developers at Valve have made robots more expressive than most other humans in video games.
So, should you buy it? Normally, I'd say no…but this game simply needs to be in your collection regardless of how long it takes for you to complete it. It's longer than most games out there today, and with the promise of downloadable content (some of it being free) there's more than enough here to warrant a purchase. The amount of pure fun to be had here is really hard to find in most video games nowadays, and if you have a friend willing to purchase it with you, co-op is an absolute blast. Overall, Portal 2 is simply an outstanding game as well as the perfect example of how to make a sequel the right way.