Portal 2 - Gut Reactions

Portal 2 - Gut Reactions

It feels like it's a been a very long time since we've been lost in the sterile, mind-bending halls of the Aperture Science Laboratories - but for those who have played through the first Portal, I guarantee that this is a time that will not be forgotten. Nevertheless, like many avid fans out there, I couldn't wait to jump back into GLaDOS' twisted world of first person mind games... in the name of science, of course.



After somehow managing to stay awake until midnight last night I headed over to good ol' Gamestop and picked up my shiny new copy of Portal 2 (as well as Mortal Kombat which I will discuss in the next gut reactions). When I returned home and slipped the digital media friendship disc into my companion Playstation computing system the first thought that popped into my head was "I wonder how they're going to start this one off?" The answer, quite simply, is with a classically Valve genius-like bang.

Right off the bat, Valve's incredibly witty and brilliantly written dialogue will be spreading a smile across your face faster that you can say "the cake is a lie." The game tosses you into a quaint little room and almost immediately introduces you to a hilariously awesome new robot friend named Wheatley who then, quite literally, shakes things up a considerable amount.

After some snappy monologue and a quick tutorial you are tossed back into a very familiar holding cell - though it is certainly looking the worst for wear. This is where I have to point out that while the base game-play and feel have ultimately been left alone (if not smoothed out a tad bit) the graphical overhaul is breathtaking. The way Valve has managed to attach emotion and humor to the world and its characters through spot-on animation and fantastic textures and lighting is a sight to behold.

I won't spoil the fun for you by going in to detail on the first few test chambers I scrambled through but I will say fans of the original (and anyone willing to dive into Portal) will be incredibly pleased and immediately grabbed by the story and intelligent game-play.

Before wrapping up this brief gut-reaction though, I wanted to mention the co-op story mode - a brand new feature to the franchise. Instead of playing as the female human test subject featured in the single player story, the co-op has you and a friend take on the role of two cheeky and extremely animated robots named P-Body and Atlas. Though it has been said that two heads are better than one, I must admit I was worried about how well the puzzling would translate into a multi-player setting. And once again I was blown away at how Valve managed to meet, and often surpass, my expectations. Playing with a friend was arguably even more fun than playing through the story mode alone. I played with someone who had not experienced Portal yet and still the game's mechanics were quick to pick up and we were making our way through test chambers laughing at GLaDOS' passive aggressive comments before I knew it.

At this point, after playing about half an hour in the single-player campaign and an hour or so in the co-op, the only negative thing I really have to say about Portal 2 is that the loading between test chambers can pull you out of the experience and become a bit annoying. All in all though, I'm incredibly impressed by Valve's latest outing and I would suggest anyone who loves video games and is looking for a truly unique and fun experience pick this one up as soon as possible.

To put it bluntly: Valve, this was a triumph. I'm making a note here - HUGE success.