Portal 2 Review and Thoughts

Am I perpetually a bit behind, or what? Not only did I miss the Amazon pre-order special for a $20 video game credit, I also missed the alternate reality game (ARG) that Valve did on Steam prior to the release of Portal 2. Despite my tardiness, I did finally get myself a copy of Valve’s most recent installation in the Half-Life universe. Here are my thoughts.

(Spoiler Alert)

The Story

The story of Portal 2 continues the saga of Chell, a mute test subject of Aperture Science. Without much explanation of the events since the first Portal–in which Chell destroys her test facility and the sadistic robot facilitating her tests Glados–, Portal 2 starts with a brief introduction of Chell being in some kind of catatonic rest for most of her existence, being roused every few years for maintenance and intellectual stimulation, which amusingly consists of staring at a landscape painting hung on the wall of her chamber, a room that looks much like a motel room. Apparently, something goes wrong and the second time Chell awakes, it is some innumerable years in the future, and the facility she is in is falling to pieces around her.

A new robot character Wheatley greets Chell in this chaotic future, clumsily gets her deteriorating chamber moving through the ruins and advises her that in order to escape the wreckage she needs to retrieve the portal gun from the test facility. After dropping into the facility, going through a few chambers, and retrieving the portal gun, Wheatley guides Chell to a control panel to eject them from the facility. Instead of finding the eject lever, Wheatley inadvertently resurrects Glados, Chell’s former nemesis. Glados immediately begins doing what she loves most: testing. The ensuing 10 hours are an edge-of-your-seat adventure through the bowels of Aperture Science, Glados’s psyche, and an intriguing drama of human/robot relationships and trust issues, like pearls on a string of mind-bending puzzles.

The Gameplay

The gameplay of Portal 2 starts off in much the same way as the original Portal but quickly becomes more complex and difficult. The player is gradually introduced to how portals work, and through each of the test chambers the capabilities of these orange and blue ovals is expanded and combined with new ways to manipulate the environment. Early on in the game, Glados reveals a device she created to change the direction of a laser beam. Aerial Faith Plates are introduced a few chambers later, which catapult your character across chambers in predetermined directions. Later on in the game, various semi-solid gel substances alter Chell’s movements in even more novel ways. Put all of these together, and by the end of the game each test chamber feels like a physics mid-term exam.

The Feel

The feel of Portal 2 is quite similar to the original. Any review would be far from complete without mentioning the sarcastic humor of the robotic proctors. Glados is sharper than ever and armed with much more ammunition for her insults after being destroyed by Chell in the first Portal. Wheatley, with his own distinct robotic personality, and Aperture Science CEO Cave Johnson provide humorous comentary of their own when Glados is not around. The environment of Portal 2, also, has a similar feel to the first Portal. The sterile test chambers, though more detailed in the second, still feel like sterile test chambers. The biggest difference is the dilapidated feel of the original facilities found in the heart of the center. After being under constant surveillance in the test chambers above, the decay of the buildings in this particular portion of the game evoke a eerie sense of solitude, like walking alone through a foggy cemetery of science.

Thoughts

I’m still kicking myself for missing the pre-order bonus and the ARG, but I am overall satisfied with the game. I nostalgically remember the cerebral joy of the first Portal, the euphoria of feeling as if my mind was melting to wrap around these new concepts, and the ecstasy of finally making sense of them. Having already had these experiences, Portal 2 was not quite as much of a mental leap, but provided a welcome dose of intellectual stimulation to my gaming life.

Conclusions

Whether or not you have played the first Portal, Portal 2 is worth a look. Its puzzle-based gameplay is very entertaining but can sometimes be a little frustrating. Nevertheless, it is a novel addition to modern gaming. Kudos to Valve.

Get your own copy of Portal 2 here.
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