Portal 2 closed until 2011

Valve may have announced Portal 2 only a few brief months ago, but the game's development has apparently already run afoul of some evil machination in the Aperture Science laboratories. Today, the Seattle-area studio announced that its follow-up to 2007's award-winning Portal has been bumped to 2011 on the Xbox 360 and PC. The game had previously been scheduled to arrive this fall.

According to the studio, Portal 2's delay came about as part of "the successful completion of an ethics-review-panel-supervised release date restructuring process," and "public safety concerns factored into the decision." Valve also noted that "the game will be even better" as a result of the push.

Of course, the studio's tone echoes that of the aseptic evil pervading the first Portal game. Valve's original first-person puzzler saw gamers taking on the role of a human lab rat, using a portal gun to create interdimensional openings on ceilings, walls, and floors in an effort to escape the Aperture Science labs. Along the way, players were guided through the diabolical tests by the deceptively sincere, yet altogether sadistic, artificial intelligence known as GLaDOS.

Valve has offered little information on what gamers can expect from Portal 2. According to a GameStop product listing, the puzzler will offer single- and multiplayer co-op modes, as well as "a cast of dynamic new characters, a host of fresh puzzle elements, and a much larger set of devious test chambers." Portal 2 will also feature the return of GLaDOS, as well as include new areas of the Aperture Science labs.

Previously, Valve has said that a Portal 2 "surprise" is planned for this year's Electronic Entertainment Expo. This year's show descends upon the Los Angeles Convention Center from June 14-17, and GameSpot will be on hand to provide the latest updates from the show.