REVIEW: Portal 2

The original Portal seemed to have materialized from emptiness, bundled as an extra in The Orange Box, almost feeling as more of a throw in than anything else. I thank my lucky stars that both critics and consumers enjoyed the game as much as I did, or else we would not have Portal 2. The second coming has been fleshed out and fully realized as a stand alone game, rife of comedy that is as dark as it is hilarious, puzzles that are simultaneously confounding and child's play, and some of the best writing I've seen in a game in a long, long time.

Overview
Portal 2 fires up right where the first left off, after it was retroactively patched, that is. You play as Chell, the silent and stalwart protagonist from Portal the first, who is back in Aperture Sciences' hands. Between periods of required hibernation for all test subjects, Chell wakes to find Aperture Laboratories in complete ruin. Her only hope of escape rests on the hull of a dense cybernetic housekeeper named Wheatley. The story evolves as you play, almost making it seem like Portal 2 is comprised of 3 or 4 separate games, however continuity remains constant, and the entire experience never feels misdirected or muddled.

Gameplay
You should know exactly what to expect if you've ever played Portal, and I hope to the Gods of the North you have. If not, what the hell are you waiting for? Go out and buy it now. Most if not all of the principles from the original make it over to the sequel, with Valve finding a way to expand on these without doing anything that would be unbecoming of a worldwide leader in scientific research. Instead of just momentum-based platforming to go along with the thoughtful placement of your two portals, Aperture Science has expanded to add things such as gels which increase movement speed, cause you to bounce off hard surfaces, and allow any old surface to be used as a portal entrance or exit. Combined with turrets, lasers, refraction cubes, light bridges and tractor beams, Portal 2 adds a varied amount of deep, head-scratching test solutions to once again find Chell out of her unfortunate situation.

There is so much personality to be found across Aperture Laboratories, thanks in good part to the incredible writing of Portal 2. When the recently revived (and very angry) GLaDOS is not busy insulting your weight issues or toying with your little orphan emotions by teasing a reunion with your estranged parents, the absolutely hilarious Wheatley is making light of the situation with his dimwitted comments and suggestions. If you're in no particular rush to solve whichever test chamber you're locked in, just stand around for a while and listen to Wheatley speak. Once he starts going on about something, he will not stop until you solve whatever issue the two of you are working on, and most times his inane rambling is side-splitting. I don't remember the last time I enjoyed a game's writing as much as Portal 2, possibly way back around the time of BioShock. The job Valve has done with the script is commendable, and close to amazing.

While the idea of the first Portal was to complete these test chambers at GLaDOS' behest, only to eventually find your way off the grid toward the end of the game, Portal 2 puts the focus on escape right from the start. There is no feeling of being a lab rat stuck in a perpetual maze, this time around the affair is much more story driven. A few surprising (and one not so much) plot twists later, and you've seen just about every part of Aperture Laboratories, even wings which haven't been touched for decades, and still have the design to show for it.

Whereas single player portion of Portal 2 creates an enveloping story to go along with its mind-bending puzzles, the multiplayer portion feels like a two-player port of the original Portal. You take control of one of the two test robots, Atlas and P-Body, who run around test chambers attempting to overcome all that GLaDOS throws at you. The ability to have 4 total portals on screen at any time means these tests can be a little trickier than those found in single player, especially if you and your partner are not on the same page. When playing online, the game kindly warns you that multiplayer is better played with a friend. Are you sure you want to find a random partner? That's kind, thank you for the heads up. In the event that your friend or random online cohort doesn't own a mic, the great design allows you to convey orders and emotions with a few quick analog stick swipes. Set a waypoint for your partner, initiate a countdown sequence, or just give him a high five. It's a great design to help in case someone's mic is on the fritz, but it's no replacement for talking it out, as the puzzles get to the point where communication is crucial.

Art Design
In the mold of its origins, Portal 2's art shines in it's own understated way. In campaign, the bright, sterile sanctuary of science is a little more run down these days, as evidenced by some of the flora that's begun to creep in or the swathes of charred, malfunctioning panels. Trekking off the beaten path of test rooms reveals a little more of Aperture Labs' personality, showing technology - and design choices - of decades past.

Not much else can be said here. Portal 2 isn't a barrage of visual stimulation, but it doesn't need to be. Its tricky and addictive base gameplay makes up for the lack of visual complexities. The low key designs together with the nicely done, varied (to an extent) environments is all that's needed. Though its worth mentioning the amount of detail peppered into the environments make it so that you'll always have something of interest to catch your eye, should you be paying enough attention to the collapsing world around you.

Sound Design
When you think it can't get any better than the incredible auto-tuned work of Ellen McLain as the voice of GLaDOS, we get the top notch comedic stylings of Stephen Merchant as Wheatley and the reassuring rasp of J.K. Simmons as Aperture Science founder and CEO Cave Johnson. While GLaDOS insults and belittles you, and Cave Johnson howls commands and promises of $60 at the end of testing, the spotlight is stolen by Wheatley, who Merchant performs marvelously. His delivery is spot on, the way he bumbles and stumbles his words could not be any more perfect. This incredible trio of voice talent, in concert with the next-to-none script really makes Portal 2 a treat for your ears.

Conclusion
Sequels have a nasty habit of not living up to their predecessors. Fortunately, Portal 2 bucks the trend, and winds up being an incredible experience. While taking 10-15 minutes to figure out a puzzle can be frustrating, once you eventually discover the solution, not only do you feel like an imbecile for missing something so obvious, you're smacked in the face with an overwhelming sense of accomplishment. Don't let it linger though, because odds are you'll be stuck again shortly thereafter. The greatest fault may be that the ending theme is not as good as "Still Alive", and for me to come away from Portal 2 holding that as its main flaw, I can think of no better indication that Valve is doing it right.

Buy it if: You enjoyed Portal, brain-benders, and great comedic writing
Don't buy it if: Can't really think of a reason
The Score: 9 outta 10 Blasters!