[Gamer’s Review] Portal 2

Hey readers. I know it’s been a while but I’m back with an exciting article on a game I recently got to play for the first time: Portal 2.  

Image courtesy of usatoday.net

Chell with the Portal Gun | portalgame.wikia.com

In case you haven’t played Valve’s innovative title or its predecessor, the Portal series focuses on you (playing the role of Chell, the mute protagonist) in a test facility ran by Aperture Science. In the first game, you are awakened from stasis to complete tests in order to receive the ultimate prize: CAKE! I know, cake doesn’t sound like a great prize… but supposedly it’s very delicious cake! 

The title is mainly a puzzle game designed in the manner of First-Person Shooter, but unlike other FPS titles, this one has one gun with unlimited ammo that does no direct damage. This weapon is called the Portal Gun, a firearm that can shoot two different portals (one orange, one blue) that are used to solve puzzles and advance through the story.

WARNING: THE NEXT SECTION FEATURES MINOR SPOILERS FROM THE FIRST PORTAL GAME

GLaDOS | gamespot.com

In the first game features Chell solving numerous test chambers, all the while taunted by the narrator and antagonist GLaDOS, who promises cake upon our hero’s successful completion of testing. The cake is a lie, however. At the end of her testing, it is revealed that Chell is to be terminated, having no further use to the “logic”-bound robots. Unsatisfied with this fate, she is able to think quickly and use the Portal Gun to escape certain doom. Before the game’s credits roll, Chell manages to find GLaDOS’s chamber and “kill” her in one of the coolest fights in a game ever! GLaDOS isn’t dead for good though…

 END SPOILERS FOR PORTAL

The second game features Chell (in the single-player mode) solving more puzzles - this time in an attempt to escape the facility with the help of Wheatley, a neurotic little robot with a good sense of humor. As the story unfolds, GLaDOS regains life and a lot of things spin out of control… but I won’t spoil that for you.

Propulsion Gel (from E3 2010 Demo) | games.softpedia.com

One of the most exciting gameplay additions comes in the form of three gels: Repulsion, Propulsion, and Conversion. Each gel offers a new spin on solving puzzles and is quite necessary for the remainder of the game. Repulsion, for example, acts as sort of a “jumping pad” reflecting the speed at which you connect with it and repelling you with the same velocity. Propulsion gel, on the other hand, acts as sort of a “speed boost” (if you’ve played any Mario Kart games or other similar racing titles – that’s Propulsion gel). The final gel, which comes in a bright white color, turns any surface it touches into a wall on which a Portal can be created. On their own, this totally amplifies gameplay and, together, completely alters it. If any of this seems complicated, do not fret! The game does an excellent job introducing every new gameplay element and ensuring that players understand how the gels work without handing them the solutions to puzzles.

Aperture Science robots, ATLAS and P-body | gamehounds.net

Another feature the sequel of Portal has is a co-op mode that allows a group of two to solve puzzles together as Aperture Science robots ATLAS and P-body. Unfortunately, I have not yet delved into this story line, but I hopefully will have a chance to in the future. From what I know, however, is that two players simultaneously solve puzzles together creating up to four portals (essentially two "sets" of portals) and that the players can communicate in-game via gestures.

The game is relatively short (for the single-player mode) which is great for any of you gamers that don’t have 40+ hours to delve into a title but still want a rich story with interesting and challenging gameplay. I’d highly recommend Portal 2 (and its predecessor) to anyone with a love for puzzles and logic, and especially to those who enjoy innovative titles with a heavy dose of humor. Oh, and the song at the end if priceless!

Congratulations Valve. This game really was a triumph.