The return to Aperture in Portal 2 is a glorious one, and this sequel surpasses the original in almost every way.
WARNING: There may be minor plot spoilers that you do not want revealed to you. You have been warned.
In 2007, Valve released a compilation of titles that included the complete Half Life 2 collection, Team Fortress 2, and a new title by the name of Portal. Portal was a game that everyone became quickly attached to largely because of how unique the game was. Portal has since seen gained enough fame to warrant a sequel, and that means you are returning to the deadly and mysterious Aperture Science Laboratory for testing. Now that Portal has its own full-fledged game, does it surpass the greatness behind by its predecessor? Test yourself in this review for Portal 2.
Upon first returning to Aperture, you will notice the entire facility is in shambles. It is falling apart before your very eyes, and you, along with a little robotic friend named Wheatley will have to find a way out. Unfortunately, you stumble into the wrong area, and end up waking and reviving and "old friend" who returns from the dead. You guessed it; GLaDOS returns in this sequel, and is on a quest for revenge against you, the one who killed her. The humor from GLaDOS is better than ever, and that is due to better writing in this title.
Also included in the sequel is a cooperative mode, though I will not be covering it in this review.
You make your way from portal-to-portal in this lengthy puzzle game. When you look at the original, you were contained to just the many test chambers of Aperture Laboratories, whereas in Portal 2, the game will take you outside the facility you know into a whole new area. Returning players will be satisfied and pleased with the increased storytelling in Portal 2, and may even beg for more. The game's end will definitely impress returning fans of the original.
When playing Portal 2, returning players may not feel as challenged early on in this sequel. Some puzzles feel slightly easy, but there are some difficult ones that may have you stuck for a little while. Your Portal Gun remains unchanged in this game, which is good because it needed no changes. There are some areas that have blue, orange, and white paint; each of the three allow you to jump higher, run faster, and place portals anywhere (respectively). The campaign will take anywhere from 8-12 hours, which is nice compared to the original only taking about 3-5 hours.
Valve hasn't changed the graphics very much in this game. There are some better lighting effects, but that is the only real touch-up that I have noticed. The physics have definitely taken a step forward though which is nice to see in case we see a Half Life 3 in the future. Valve could be using Portal 2 as a test game for some minor things here and there, but that is all pure speculation.
Overall, Portal 2 is an outstanding game from Valve, and definitely lives up to expectations. The better script and storytelling will keep you guessing until the very end, and surely will not disappoint. There aren't many changes to the formula, but that is a very good thing because, as the old adage goes, "Don't fix what isn't broken." Valve not only meets the expectations set from the original Portal, they surpass them altogether. If you played the original Portal, pick up Portal 2, and if you are new to the series, try out the original first so that you aren't confused by the game's plot.
(Overall Score) 9/10