- Joined
- Aug 5, 2003
- Messages
- 9,356
- Reaction score
- 165
I enjoyed the original Portal. On paper, it was always going to be the kind of game that piqued my interest - the combination of logic puzzles and action definitely set some of my neurons fizzing. In practice, however, it never quite managed to attain the lofty heights of being a Must Play. I realise that this may not be a popular opinion, but bear with me. While Portal was undeniably a very good game, it was always going to be somewhat hampered by its origins - coming from the concept dreamed up by a small team of DigiPen students, subsequently hired by Valve and then put together as a game in its own right. For that reason, and the fact that it was put in with the Orange Box rather than being a standalone offering, it always felt to me like more of a mini game of sorts.[br]
Don't get me wrong - I'm not levelling this as any kind of criticism. Portal was very well realised, had Valve's typically high production values and also introduced one of the most iconic villains in videogame history in GLaDOS. I always felt, however, that it could have been something more.[br]
[br]
So, we come to the sequel. It has to be said, Valve particularly pulled out all the stops with marketing this time. While I didn't follow the ARG that they put together, I'm well aware of the effect that it has on fans and press alike, generating many virtual column inches of anticipatory gushings. Along with a TV campaign, it can't have escaped many people's attention.[br]
While I have your attention, and on the subject of ARGs, what is it about fans of Valve's games in particular that makes them so straw-clutchingly, barrel-scrapingly desperate to tie everything into the now-mythical Half-Life 2 Episode 3? I get that people want it, I really do. I just don't see the apparent blatant need to defy logic by desperately characterising every grainy image as being something to do with Episode 3, when it should be obvious to even room-temperature IQs that Valve aren't going to start hype about another game in the middle of the advertising campaign for their current one! [br]
The entire opening sequence works very well, establishing continuity with the events of Portal, introducing Wheatley and providing an interesting visual "ride" that is somewhat reminiscent of the start of the Half-Life games.[br]
It would have been very easy for Valve to just throw together a new bunch of test chambers, strap a bit of exposition to the front of it and push it out of the door, and it would have worked. That is, after all, what people wanted. However, Valve have gone with the full approach, and seem to have pulled it off in spectacular fashion.[br]
The original concept of Portal was remarkably simple (as I believe most of the best game concepts are) - you can create two portals which you (and objects that you carry) can pass through. That basic concept remains unchanged for the sequel, but there are several additions. Firstly, the light bridges and lasers. The former does exactly as the name suggests, and the latter is an apparent replacement for the energy balls in Portal. After those two additions come the gels (the discovery of which were the high point of the game for me) each of which has its own specific effect on the environment.[br]
The great part about these additions to the core gameplay is that the way you play doesn't change at all - you're still just placing portals and carrying objects. It's just that now you have more to think about, and I lost track of the times when I would end up wandering around a test chamber almost aimlessly until I was hit by an epiphany about how to solve it - almost always due to me concentrating so much on the new features that I completely forget about the basics of placing and walking through portals![br]
This time round, too, there are less of the flinging puzzles that I particularly disliked about the original. Having to fly out of a previously-placed portal and then place another one with any degree of precision while you flying through the air was never my strong suit. I also noticed that Valve appear to have tweaked the way you come out of portals now - it's distinctly less disorientating, although I definitely had some moments where I was confused as to which way was up.[br]
Portal's storyline, while well-written, wasn't exactly large in scope. Portal 2 vastly expands on the original, creating a lot of additional backstory while also guiding the player through current events. This is mainly accomplished in typical Valve fashion - the superb characters of GLaDOS and Wheatley providing the narrative, and the backstory is exposed through a variety of scenes and vignettes, often off the beaten track. Portal 2 is practically littered with them. It's obvious that Valve have gone to great lengths to flesh out the Portal universe (or is it the Half-Life universe?) and it feels all the more complete for it.[br]
The events going on around make you want to see what happens next. This keeps things relatively fresh while you're making your way through the test chambers (and other locations!)[br]
[br]
As I stated previously, it would have been very easy for Valve to release some extra test chambers and call it a day, but the sheer level of polish that's gone into Portal 2 is incredible. The devil really is in the details and it's reflected in Valve's attention to detail. One example should suffice - did you know that the Aperture Science facility is mounted on springs? No? Well, it is. You find out when you go underneath it (minor spoiler, but worth it, I think.)[br]
And so we reach what is, to my mind, the crowning glory of Portal 2. Co-operative play. Unlike multiplayer modes in a lot of games, it doesn't feel tacked-on. It's not just the singleplayer missions with an extra spawn point. The entire co-op section was built to stand on its own, even down to having its own story of sorts. Again, it's the little things that really make it - the first time I released a button too soon, allowing a door to close on my erstwhile companion, I expected it to reopen.[br]
Not so.[br]
My partner was reduced to a pile of robotic rubble. Naturally, this led to us "accidentally" killing each other with alarming frequency, and to great hilarity. Coupled with all the alternating praise and abuse from GLaDOS, it ends up being the only co-operative game I've played that actively encourages you to act like a total bastard to your teammate. The whole experience is just so well-realised that anyone that has only played the singleplayer game is really missing out.[br]
To sum up, then, Portal 2 is a triumph (see what I did there?) and should appeal to just about everyone. Obviously, it's not without its flaws, but the hallmark of a good game/movie/book is that the overall experience is so good that you willingly overlook them. With the promise of DLC just round the corner (for both single and multiplayer) it should only improve further. My recommendation - buy it. If you've waited this long and haven't been swayed already, chances are you're probably dead or otherwise incapacitated, and this game isn't for you anyway.[br]
Review done, and I didn't mention cake once...
