What was once nothing more than content filler in The Orange Box has now become a global phenomenon. Portal as a franchise has amassed a huge following of diehard fans, so it’s absolutely no surprise how well Portal 2 was received. The hit sequel expanded the already rich and wonderful world of Aperture Science, fleshed out the already magnificent and maleficent GLaDOS and added a host of brilliant new characters, mechanics and puzzle chambers to create a serious contender for 2011’s game of the year and one of the best puzzle games you will ever play.
When someone asks me to describe Portal 2 I am always at a loss for words. I don’t want to say, “it’s just a brilliant first-person puzzle game,” because that’s not what makes Portal 2 so special. I start the discussion by always pointing them back in the direction of the original Portal because I feel if you didn’t play it, you will be at a loss with the sequel. This is because Portal as a franchise is spurred by what I can only describe as the best narrative and dialogue ever written for a video game. Due to this, the story continues over to the sequel both through environment and through story, linking both games together and pretty much forcing players to understand what happened in the original. Don’t get me wrong, this isn’t a bad thing because every gamer should have played Portal and if you haven’t, I urge you to do so – the original was a small game that could be completed in a couple of hours, but sets you up for one of the best games you will have the privilege of playing this year. 
The gameplay itself is also worth writing home about. A terrific engine that really incorporates physics and velocity to let you complete the various puzzles set in unique and fascinating ways – making this a welcome divergence from your standard FPS experience. In fact, it’s such a breath of fresh air you’ll wonder why the buzz surrounds games like Call of Duty when gems like Portal 2 exist.
Portal 2 also introduced a terrific cooperative mode previously not available in the original. This mode puts you in the little shoes of 2 robots who both have portal guns – having two players in these test chambers opens up a brilliant multiplayer experience that also comes with its own narrative and story as it partially intertwines with the games single player elements.
Ultimately, if you consider yourself a gamer, the Portal series is an absolute must-play. You will be blown away by how good Portal 2 is and you will see what kind of impact the release schedule can have on when websites and people vote for their game of the year. As I mentioned in my prior article, many gamers completely forgot about Dead Space 2 and I feel the same has happened with Portal 2 after all the hype (albeit deserved) surrounding games like Skyrim – resulting in critics forgetting the other gems of 2011. I don’t think I had more fun with a game this year so Portal 2 deservedly takes number 4 on my list of 2011’s best games. Favourite things about Portal 2:
Terrific gameplay incorporating physics to make unique and fun puzzles.
The best narrative and dialogue any modern game has scene.
A whole host of hilarious and deep characters to engage with.
A brilliant cooperative mode.
New mechanics like the gel made Portal 2 a different game to Portal in the later segments.
Most annoying things about Portal 2:
I wish it was longer – in fact I really wish it just never ended.
The original Portal allowed you to be more creative when solving puzzles – Portal 2 seemed to only have one solution per puzzle.
Thanks for reading and check the blog tomorrow as I award 3rd place to one of this years most anticipated and expansive role play games.
As always check me out on Twitter @ss4Igor
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