PORTAL 2 - a worthy successor to a brilliant franchise

User Rating: 9 | Portal 2 X360
By EvilSelf | Review Date:
I was one of the few people (I am guessing) who had the privilege to experience Portal almost 3 years after its release. I had been hearing very good things about the game, but for some unexplained reasons I did not get to play it until after I had purchased the otherwise brilliant compilation – The Orange Box. I was very surprised at its plot, originality and its antagonist (none other than GLaDOS).
Valve Corporation are one of those game developers that bring a fuzzy feeling in your stomach, the moment you hear about a new game or a new installment of a series. Well, this is exactly the way I felt, the moment I heard about Portal 2, the moment I got my hands on it and the moment I completed its single and cooperative campaigns. Read on for more details…

Story
As its previous installment, Portal 2 provides an interesting and quite fun story. Not only we have a few new characters to deal with (compared to the first one of course) but we also get to experience a brand new cooperative story as well. It would not be a surprise for you to mention that GLaDOS returns but whether it is for good or bad will leave up to you decide…once you finish the game. One thing that Portal 2 lacked a bit is the surprise factor, simply because we all have been already "WOW"ed at the witty, somewhat arrogant and somewhat redundant comments by GLaDOS. It is another way of saying – "I have seen it before, so I know what to expect this time from this lass…" The cooperative story campaign is very well made as well. The two characters you can play with (Atlas and P-Body) are both funny and are constantly being ridiculed (as if the rest of the game was more serious, ha). To finish this section of the review, I would plainly say that the ending song of Portal 2 is NOT as good as the one from its predecessor. 8/10

Graphics
Portal 2's graphics are outstanding. From static objects like walls to dynamic things like character body movements, everything seems fluid and glitch-less. There are a few new colors mixed in with the overall grey/white/black palette. Overall, no complains at all. 10/10

Sound and Voice Acting
Very similar analysis to the Graphics one. Everything seems or "sounds" top notch, the musical score is very appropriate and the voice acting is as close to perfect. 10/10

Gameplay
It has become something of a fact that Valve games are rarely flawed, when it comes to programmatic glitches or bugs. The movement and physics of every single object in the puzzler are very fluid, the controls are flawless as well. The missions or the tests are imaginative and original. There is not really much variety as far as gameplay mechanics are concerned, since this is a puzzle game, but everything that remotely relates to "gameplay" has excellent quality. It won't disappoint! 10/10

Long-Lasting Appeal
Well, as with pretty much every Valve game, the long lasting appeal s "everlasting" (yes, it does sound redundant, just like a certain individual). I was in a great anticipation before the game was released as I would be in the same state of mind if a new one is revealed. It is a game that you will suggest to your friends for quite some time and a game that will long stay in your memory. 9/10

Overall, a worthy successor to a hit game, which is well worth any monetary price for its originality, content amount and memorable moments. 9/10

EvilSelf

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