The Good vs Bad when it comes down to Portal 2
The Good:
+Graphics: As I've said before, I kinda forgotten about everything Portal 1 besides the characters and of course the fact that 'the cake is a lie', so I can't quite compare the graphics (or anything for that matter) in Portal 2 to its predecessor. What I can tell you is this; the graphics in this game are amazing. Correct me if I'm wrong, but in the first Portal I remember the game taking place inside for most of it, and the 'inside' looked pretty simple in a stunning kind of way. Now, there are quite a few different locations to explore and 'test' within.
+Sound: From the electronic music to the robotic and auto-tuned voice acting talents, Portal 2 offers quite a good response to how good the sounds in a game could (and should) be. There are hardly any random sounds with no explanation, the voice-acting is done well (with some of the most humorous lines I've heard in any game) and the games OST is one that I could actually see myself buying, mostly because electronic music happens to be one of my favorites.
+Gameplay: When I said I didn't remember everything about the first Portal, it was a bit of a lie. I do remember how long the game was, and I remember being a tad bit disappointed. As with the first Portal, I managed to play and beat Portal 2 in one sitting. However, unlike the first Portals 4 hour story, the story for Portal 2 took me 11 hours. Yes, I played Portal 2 for 11 hours straight (it would have been 12 but I took about an hour off for dinner and bathroom breaks). The puzzles in this game involve much more thought, there are a couple new mechanics and the addition of an amazing and quite addicting co-op mode, which can also be played via split-screen. There is also the ability to play with your friends on Steam, which is pretty cool because the connections between the two of you don't seem to suffer. Valve did a great job with that. Especially because I thought it would fail at first.
+ Replay Value: The first Portal didn't have much reply value unless you were going for achievements, but now it has much more replay value mostly because of the co-op feature. Being able to play with another person and experience the 'tests' in co-op in a different way each time is quite entertaining and fun to do, even when you have a partner who isn't so bright or have their thinking cap screwed on right.
The Bad:
- Personal: Though this game is great and has no flaws (from what I have seen and played) there is still the personal pet-peeve of many loading screens. Seeing as how there is a loading screen after just about every 'test', those who have even the slightest problem with loading screens will find themselves annoyed, but they will get use to it.
Overall, Portal 2 is a great game that gives you quite a bit for what you pay for. However, if you're the kind of person who melts down or can't quite solve difficult puzzles, you might want to steer clear. Portal 2 gets a 9.5 from me. For more of my reviews, look me up on Youtube.com. GameInformer.com, IGN.com, and Gamespot.com or just follow me on twitter /thatSTERLINkid.