Portal 2 is not only the best game of the year but one of the greatest games of this generation

User Rating: 9.5 | Portal 2 PS3
It's been seven years since Half Life 2. Seven years. In the time since Valve's last epic single player masterpiece the industry has evolved. We've seen the rise of a new generation, and in that generation we've seen masterpiece upon masterpiece. Mass Effect, Uncharted, Gears of War, Bioshock… The list goes on and on. Mario has been reborn in a new Galaxy. Solid Snake has reached the end of a 25 year journey. A new world of multiplayer possibilities have arrived with next generation online play and games like Modern Warfare and Valve's own Left 4 Dead. Meanwhile, small indie developers have risen and created some of the most creative and successful games of all time like Angry Birds, Braid, Limbo, Flower, Super Meat Boy and Castle Crashers.

Yes it has been a hell of a seven years. But looking back on all those games, none have truly reached the level of quality set by Valve in Half Life 2. The two episodic expansions to the series have impressed, and the original Portal was one of the most original ideas to come along in years. But we've been waiting. Waiting for Half Life 3. That wait will probably extend into the next generation, but in the meantime Valve has offered us something nearly as great. Portal 2 is Valve's first full price single player game that doesn't have Half Life in the name and it easily manages to live up to the bar of quality set by Valve's previous efforts.

Portal 2 begins several years after the first game. Your playable character Chell has been put into stasis but is awakened by the robotic orb Wheatly. It is Wheatly's desire to escape the crumbling Aperture Science testing facility and reach the surface. Lying dormant in the heart of the facility is the fallen GLaDOS, the sentient AI that ran the place before being destroyed by Chell at the end of the first game. Of course things never go according to plan in a game like this, and soon GLaDOS has risen from the grave and put you back to testing the Portal Gun and numerous other new pieces of science she has created.

The story takes several incredible twists and turns and takes you through the entirety of the Aperture Science facility. There are some astounding sights to see and the variety is far greater than seen in the original game. A fourth character introduced in the second half of the game adds a new dimension to the story, and the conclusion is both touching, humorous, and highly rewarding. This is one of the funniest stories ever told in a game, but the humor is decidedly sinister. The voice acting is simply outstanding, with comedian Stephen Fry being a major asset to the game as the voice of Wheatly. It is an incredible tale and told on a level rarely seen in games with sharp writing and superb acting.

The story, as great as it is, really is only there as a way to set up the various puzzles in the game. At your disposal is the titular Portal Gun. This gun can create two portals. Step in one portal and you come out the other. Every puzzle in the game stems from this basic system. You'd think you couldn't get a full eight hour game of this simple mechanic, but various additions keep things fresh. You'll encounter lasers that have to be pointed, an electric wall that must be maneuvered, and several types of gels that give you abilities like incredible speed and jumping ability. What is absolutely mind blowing about Portal 2 is how well paced it is. Just when you get bored of one thing, the game will introduce a new element and put you in a new area. Likewise, each puzzle is masterfully designed to be fun and difficult but always solvable just before the point where you'd become frustrated. Of all the developers in the world, Valve has proven that they are the master class in pacing. Portal 2 goes down like a multi-course meal. It offers you enough to let you experience each dish, but never so much that you get full before the final course.

In addition to the perfect length of the single player game, Valve also has included a series of co-op puzzles. These can be played online or off and take place after the conclusion of the main game. While there is less of a story here, GLaDOS still chimes in with quips that make you laugh and keep the competition high. In co-op mode each person has their own set of portals. Players must work together to get to the end of each puzzle. The same set of mechanics and puzzle elements from the single player are present here and they work just as well with a friend. What the co-op portion of the game loses in ambiance it gains in the sheer joy of working together with a friend to solve a tough puzzle.

Speaking of ambiance, Portal 2 is draped in it. The early parts of the game take place in the crumbling remains of the testing chambers. After GLaDOS is awoken, the facility slowly puts itself back together. Later levels take place in the bowls of Aperture Science and evoke the same emotions felt in the Combine Fortress in Half Life 2. The seven year old Source engine manages to put in an remarkable performance. The sense of scale is truly awe inspiring. There are really very few games these days that make your jaw drop in amazement. That Valve could achieve that with an engine from the same generation as Halo 2 is a testament to their art team and the advancements their tech has made over the years.

Also stunning is how the levels will come together and break apart as you travel through them. While even the most modern tech suffers from clipping geometry you won't find a single physics flaw in Portal 2. Every object behaves just how it should. The gels are especially impressive, bringing liquid physics to level hereto unseen in gaming. From the art direction to the tech behind it, Portal 2 is one of the best looking games of the year, and the fact that Valve managed to accomplish this on an engine from a previous generation proves that on every front this company is at the top of their game.

It's here that I must mention my single gripe with Portal 2. Yes, even a game as good as this isn't flawless. If one aspect of the Source engine is in need of an update it is how much loading it requires. While it was acceptable to load after every couple of fights in 2004, and even after every test in 2007, this is 2011. We are past the point of having to load a new part of the game every ten minutes.

It is the one blemish on an otherwise superbly performing game. While there is no texture pop in, and the game ran in 1080p at 60 frames per second on my machine even with 4x MSAA enabled, there still shouldn't be so much loading. While the loads on the PC are pretty short, those playing the game on a console should be prepared for uncomfortably long load times. Playing on the PS3 was especially painful, with loads often taking 20-30 seconds. The PS3 version does look better than the 360 version with Sony's proprietary MLAA cleaning up the screen nicely. The 360 version still looks pretty good, but if you have even a half decent PC then that is the way to go. The required specs are very reasonable and I had no issues getting the game to look great and run well even on a year and a half old rig.

If Valve has faltered in one area in the past it has been on the soundtrack front. The sound effects and voice over of Valve's games has always been superb, and they certainly are far above par here. The sense of scale presented by the visuals is complemented by the massive sound effects. But for the first time, the music is on the same level as the rest of the audio. Ranging from foreboding, to pumping, to touching, the music is always perfectly suited for the scene at hand. And the end credits song is nearly as amazing as the tune from the first game. I've already extolled the virtues of the voice acting, but let me reiterate that Portal 2 has probably the single greatest set of performances yet seen in a game. They are that good.

And the whole game is that good. It is superb, astounding, hilarious, atmospheric, moody, brilliant, masterful, and simply the best game released since Bioshock came out in 2007. It doesn't matter if you are a fan of puzzle games or not, Portal 2 is pitch perfect on nearly every level. The pacing is simply unparalleled. The levels are an accomplished thesis on design. The puzzles are not too hard, yet not too easy. The art direction is among the best seen on this generation. The soundtrack, sound effects, and voice over are simply unmatched in gaming today. And the hilarious, touching, and ultimately rewarding story manages to make you laugh and pull your heartstrings in a game about portals. Portal 2 is the type of game that comes along only once every five to ten years. It is the type of game that will be remembered for years to come, and does its very best to satiate the desires of Valve fans everywhere as they wait for Half Life 3.