Portal 2 [Review]
posted Sunday May 22, 2011 by Allante Sparks
![Portal 2 [Review]](http://plughitzlive.com/images/news/logos/onetime/portal2final.png "Portal 2 [Review]")
Portal 2, gaming company Valve's sequel to the popular first person puzzle game, takes place about 200 (unapproximately) years after the events of the first game. The first Portal game was compiled with two other games Team Fortress 2 and the Half-Life 2 franchise, on one disc. The story arcs of Half-Life and Portal are intertwined, and of course, continues on into Portal 2. Valve, being the clever geeses they are (that's right, I said geeses), their connections together are only hinted through lovely easter eggs throughout both games. Or you could just wiki the storyline... Your choice.
Anyways, moving on with the review. The graphics are stunning, as they were on the first game, though that is how it should be since you are not doing things like fighting continent sized bosses nor conjuring up phantasmal displays of flashy black magic. You are a girl, with a gun, with a mission. GET THE H OUT! The gameplay keeps true to the first game - as I said before your mission is to get out, through the use of shooting multiple portals to make things happen, and then walk your (fine) self on through. GLaDOS does not skip a beat so I would highly suggest keeping your ears open because she has quite a lot to say about the things you did to her the first time around (LOL). The storyline is compelling and keeps you glued in 100% of the time. In addition, the puzzles get pretty clever and some will just plain ol' piss you off, helping to keep you focused on the game. Overall though, they keep your attention for hours, I just wish there were more. I finished the game fairly quickly, both the single player story and the online co-op mode.
For the rest of my analysis of Portal 2, hit the break.
Though it's slightly disappointing that I finished it so quick, the game is good enough to overlook that minor detail. The soundtrack of Valve's recent creation of interest is incredibly befitting to every environment. Like most games that promote progression by storyline, the music changes and is trigger-switched by entering different areas in the game. The industrial/techno-y music for the transitions throughout the game is delightful, but the game gets silent right when it needs to, which is throughout most of the game, which is awesome! To close that off, I must say that I LOVE THE ENDING CREDITS THEME. That's all you get there you moochers. *mean face*
Last thing I want to mention is the online co-op. When I tell you it takes two brains to get through this part of the game, I mean it. Some of these puzzles are as easy as stealing the food bowl from under your kitty, Fru-Fru's nose, but some are as easy as stealing a lollipop out of a Wookie's mouth... try it. Anyway, they did a fantastic job of making puzzles that are impossible to solve without a partner by your side or in your ear to yell at.
The gestures that you earn throughout the co-op campaign are nothing short of a delight! Between hugs to show your partner some love and rock-paper-scissors to see who takes the plunge in the name of science, and my personal favorite, a dancy dancy twisty twirl that ends with you shooting a portal out of a fancy pose! The game is great and I thoroughly enjoyed the game, though I don't know if I would pay $60 for it if I had the choice again. Needless to say I wanted to bite my foot off when the game went on sale for $40... You can't win them all.
I would suggest "wait" and buy this game at anytime when it's not $60, but DEFINITELY buy it! That is all.
