This franchise started off as a small budget project with little prospect of success, but once it was released, it took the world of gaming by storm. The unique premise and Gameplay made the game stand out and although looking visually mediocre (when compared to other games released in the same period) it was acclaimed by critics and users alike. It wasn’t a big surprise that the second instalment built up a hell of a lot of hype, especially now that it is also available for the PS3 system, and once i got my hand on it, i was hooked.
Plot: The story starts off the usual way, that is where we left off in the previous instalment, with Chell reprising the role of the main character. Chell wakes up in one of the containment rooms of what’s left of the Aperture research centre after taking down Glados. Chell is suddenly woken up by Wheatley in a bid to escape from the facility, and Chell quickly learns Glados is back running the facility again, and trying to get rid of her. Chell’s main mission is to bring down Glados and shut down the centre, but this does not prove to be an easy task, and after a duel with Glados the story takes a very strange turn, which I will not reveal and let you discover to enjoy.
Audio and Video: Portal 2 is a visual masterpiece, with vast never ending environments having incredibly detailed textures. This game is a graphical badass, and the colour schemes of the different environments and textures really do this game justice. I really can't find one negative attribute in the visual section, its simply stunning. Moving along to the audio segment, the game is presented in pristine quality THX surround, and the OST of this game really hits my electro freak g-spot, complimenting the theme of the game fully. The voice acting is really good and professional, and the sense of humor of the game really adds to the uniqueness of this title.
Gameplay: Like its predecessor, Portal 2 is a first person puzzle game unique in every single way. The game is split in chambers with clear objectives used to test humans, but as the story progresses you are thrown in behind the scenes of the facilities which tend to put Chell in tricky situations. You have to open portals which are split into two apertures to complete simple puzzles the progress to the next chamber. As the story progresses puzzles become more complex and additional tools are thrown into the equation to further complicate the puzzle, such as Lasers, light bridges, turrets, bombs, and excursion funnels. We also see the introduction of gels, which are used to aid the character solve the puzzle, which are the blue, white, and the red gels. The white gel will turn any surface available into a portal surface, the blue gels turns all surfaces into rubber aiding the character increase his jump height, and the red gel will render any surface frictionless. The gameplay mechanics are amazingly smooth with no hiccups, the puzzles are extremely clever and complex, and the unique gaming style sets this title apart.
Personal Impact: From top to bottom, this game is amazing, from the physics engine to the textures, graphics, storyline, gameplay, the awesome humor, and soundtrack. There are no words to describe the overall badassary of it and I bow down to Valve and I really want to congratulate them on standing out over the other repetitive mainstream crap.
Overall Rating: 10/10
Written by Matthew C