Valve are known to be pioneers in developing video games, i never really understood the huge fan base surrounding that company, but after playing Left 4 Dead 2 and Portal 2, I can confirm to you right now that Valve is my favorite video game developer. Finishing Portal 2 taught me a lot of things, stuff that people like me take for granted. It's one of those rare gems that can show other developers out there abit or two about video game development.

Portal 2 is easily one of the best games of this generation. A few years from now, I'll be looking back at this era and remembering games like this. Games that defined consoles. Portal 2 is exactly that. It shows what you can get when you have geniuses working on a video game.There is beauty to simplicity. And Valve teaches us that in this game. Look at video games right now... developers always try to give the gamer the DEEPEST experience possible. And the way they do that is by complicating video games. They allow the player to have as much choice as possible, by engrossing the player with the most compelling and emotional story, and by introducing game mechanics that are so complex that it takes us forever to actually understand them.

Well Portal 2 does the exact opposite... It simplifies EVERYTHING! You will only play with a SINGLE gun through the entire game. One that shoots portals rather than bullets. Games these days introduce you to a load of characters in one playthrough. Portal 2 has 4 characters only. Cell, GLaDOS, Wheatley, and Cave Johnson. Thats all you need to tell a story in a game apparently. And the story is all played out during gameplay. This is how storytelling should be in video games. It has to be interactive, and that's something that always Valve excels in.

Don't you think video games take themselves a bit too serious these days? I can't remember the last time I laughed out loud during playing a video game. Humor is a huge part in Portal 2, something that not only makes the experience better, but also so much memorable. Stephen Merchant does an incredible job of voice acting in this game. He plays Wheatley a "Personality Core that runs into a few problems in the game. The character is unique, unpredictable and FRICKIN FUNNY.

And if you're done with the Single Player experience, there is a Co-op mode waiting for you. One that is even better than the Single-player experience might I add. Co-operative gameplay is simply perfected in Portal 2. Constantly you and your co-op partner have to communicate, have to work together to actually finish a puzzle. It isn't possible finishing the mode without each person's input. And when that happens, you know that a really well designed Co-op mode has been made.

I could go on and on about what makes Portal 2 so special. For me it does everything most video games don't do these days. It made me laugh, it made me think?!? It made me a bit creeped out, and it blew me away. Portal 2 is a rare, delicious burst of creativity, originality, humour and fun. Congratulations Valve on ANOTHER "Masterpiece". Go buy this game.

Score: 9.5