Off the Shelf Media

Portal 2 reminds me of when quality games were released all the time. The games were designed to be the best they could be, complete and not needing major fixes at launch, and not filled with mechanics and things to keep you playing through boring stuff to get the hours in game up.

It’s a short and sweet title, but there is not a dull moment, and every minute is peak gaming.

Gameplay: 2

Portal left a great blueprint for the gameplay, and they took it and ran with it here in Portal 2. They did a fantastic job of taking what worked with the creativity of the portal gun and the puzzle-solving, and building on it. Adding in new types of portals and all sorts of effects like bounces and speed boosts later in the game, they added a ton of variety to the core aspect of the game that really fleshes out a great gameplay style.

The second iteration of this game also added in co-op, and they nailed it right away. I really enjoyed that it wasn’t just the same game with split-screen, but rather an entirely different campaign and story to play through. It had all sorts of mechanics that were unique from the main storyline that added even more complexity to the puzzles. Not only did you have to handle all the main mechanics, but you had to coordinate timing and complicated levels from two different individuals’ perspectives. It does a great job of this, giving you tools to communicate without talking and being able to see each other’s view to understand the totality of the puzzle. I’ve played through the co-op several times with several different people and have enjoyed it as much as I did the first time every time.

Another area they expanded into was level design and opening that up to the public. There is a great tool that lets you create your own puzzle rooms, and then test them out to see if you can solve it. Once you feel it’s ready, you can share it with others online, and test out their puzzle rooms as well. There is even a dedicated Reddit that is still active to this day, with people sharing their creations, and it helps to grow the community in a game that’s over 15 years old.

There have been countless puzzle games created, but none are better than the Portal franchise. The level designs are so creative, and the excitement of finally solving one is incredible. The pacing is really good and introduces new variables at a good speed, so you are not overwhelmed or bored with the gameplay ever.

Story: 2

There is not a wasted moment in the story of this game. From the onset to the very end, you are on the edge of your seat exploring this crazy storyline, and it’s timed out perfectly. It never slows down or stalls out, and keeps you hooked until the very end. It’s a quick story, but there is no fluff or worthless missions to pad time on to the game, and I appreciate that.

The voice acting does a great job of bringing you through the story with a protagonist who doesn’t speak. We have the return of GLaDOS, who is an incredible character, and the iconic voice design sparks fear and anger whenever she is mocking the main character. Another great addition to the cast is the character Cave Johnson. Without giving away spoilers, you never meet the character but get to explore the world of the portal testing initiatives from an earlier time through recordings. It connects a lot of lore in the world together, and is voiced by the Oscar-winning actor J.K. Simmons.

There is another great character that you spend most of the game with as well, Wheatley. He is also voiced by another award-winning actor, Emmy Award-winning Stephen Merchant. This character is hilarious and really well done. The arc he has in this game is really well put together. His comedic timing is fantastic, and his personality develops well throughout the game. In a game where you never meet another person, this is the closest interaction you will get with anyone, and it’s a memorable character for sure.

Atmosphere: 2

Portal has such a unique and mysterious feel as you make your way through the test chambers set up before you. While this continues in Portal 2 with much success, where it really shines is when it goes into unique environments. Throughout the story, you explore areas you are not meant to see, and there are lots of creative and beautiful parts of the world to explore, full of interesting nuggets related to the main storyline. The immersion is fantastic and keeps you locked in on the main story throughout the game.

It really gets good once you get to explore the old days of the portal testing program involving J.K. Simmons character arc. There are a lot of really unique puzzles and variations of the portal gun mechanics that turn this game on its head, and the level design is really cool. Instead of just going through a testing facility, you are using everything you have learned to jump all over an abandoned facility underground to discover the mystery of what is going on with this program you are stuck in. From start to end, this game sucks you in and makes you live in this crazy world, and it’s a lot of fun all the way through it.

Value: 2

This game originally launched at $49.99 on PC, already a deal compared to the typical $60 launch point we’re seeing now. Back then, that was a great value for the game you get, and even now they could probably get away with close to that. It currently sells for under $10 and goes on sale frequently, so the value is truly phenomenal. You can’t ask for more value in a game, especially for $10, and they could easily charge triple that. Especially when you factor in that there are tons of user-created levels that you can explore and test on that add a ton of extra content to the game since its launch.

There are so many games that launch nowadays that are just not good or worth $60 or $70. This is a classic game that stands the test of time and is being sold way under what it’s worth. It’s not only valuable as a single-player game, but the co-op adds a whole extra element that makes this game incredible.

Duration: 2

This game is short but sweet. You can easily get through this game in a weekend if you want, and you will enjoy every minute of it. The real time sink here will be some of the puzzles, especially on your first playthrough, as they can get complicated quickly. Some of them are so complicated that even on replays they can take some time to sort out. Even if you know the answers, it’s so complex that if you give it time, you won’t remember all the steps, and you get that same sense of excitement in solving it

Co-op adds a lot of replayability to this one as well. It’s something you can experience with several friends, and each of the two characters has unique areas of the level to solve, so you can always switch that up and get a second run out of it. There are a lot of interesting connections to the main story as well, and you can spend a lot of time exploring user-created levels as well. Factor this in with the single-player and co-op user-created levels, and there is a ton of options to keep coming back to this game.

Total Score: 10/10

Portal 2 is a game from a time when quality mattered over quantity for game studios. It was complete at launch and a masterpiece that only got better the longer it was available. It stands the test of time and is better than most games released in the decade and a half since its initial launch. For $10, and a game that’s often on sale and bundled with the incredible original Portal, it’s well worth your time.