Portal 2 review

Finished the single-player part of the game today. I have to say, it's my GOTY (that's game of the year for you non-gamer geeks reading this) so far.

I enjoyed the first Portal, but mostly because of a) the humour and b) the last 2 or 3 chapters. Oh, and c) that ending credit song of course. I thought the game was a bit overhyped for what it was - a clever, funny puzzle game - but then puzzle games aren't really my thing, which makes me enjoying the game all the more special. Though the hype surrounding the game still amazes me. Especially when it comes to the companion cube. I mean, it's a cube with a heart on it!!!!!! I felt worse taking out the turrets ("...I don't blame you") than I did pushing that cube into the fire. Seriously, gamers can be such...girls sometimes! And don't get me started on all the "the cake is a lie!" memes and internet stuff. I mean, all the above was a really clever move by Valve (creating a game with its own "mythology" so to speak), but that doesn't mean I have to like it. The average gamer's reaction to it, I mean, not the game, which I like a lot.

Anyway, rant over, on to Portal 2 then.

Just like with the first game, I lol'd several times in the first couple of hours. It wouldn't be Portal without GLADOS' sarcastic remarks (yes, she's...STILL ALIVE!!! Sort of). But just like the first one, I felt the best moments of the game happened outside the test chambers. Chapters 6 and 7...oh man. SO GOOD. For a variety of reasons, but I won't spoil anything. Actually, I went in completely spoiler-free myself (didn't see any trailers or anything), and I think it made the experience all the better for me. I went in with no expectations at all, and came away impressed with the story, characters, game progression, etc.

The game is also quite a bit longer than the first one (I finished it in about 9 hours). I also have to admit I got impatient and looked up some solutions to certain puzzles :/ Also, on several occasions, I was making things far too complicated for myself, and the actual solution was something as simple as going back one room and change one portal. Like I said, puzzle games aren't really my thing, but I think I did fairly well at this one. I also finished the game in basically 3 big sessions, but it was probably better to play it in short bursts so I could tackle the puzzles with a clear mind. I thought it was pretty strange that I had some trouble with a couple of puzzles in the middle of the game, but in the last 2-3 chapters, I could figure out most puzzles with relative ease. It's also weird that solving larger test chambers towards the end of the game went easier for me compared to some smaller ones - which made me think how interesting it must be to see stats of how fast people solved every test chamber. It'd be even more interesting if there was also a way to register how left-handed and right-handed people solve things. Because I'm quite sure there is a difference. Then again, I guess people could always cheat and look up the solutions before they start a chamber. Meh.

The music and sound effects in the game also impressed me. Every test chamber object now has its own unique sound, so a big part of the music in the game is basically from different objects resonating. It makes the whole experience weird, but in a good way, and it reminded me a bit of Rez/Child of Eden.

I was looking for some sort of official soundtrack to the game, and, guess what? It's available for FREE!! There are already 2 volumes up on the official site, with a third one underway. Awesome. I have to say though, the end credit song isn't as good as "Still alive" from the first game, but that was to be expected I guess.

A review wouldn't be much without screenshots, amirite? Okay, I'm wrong, but have some anyway. I took a bunch during the game, mostly from all the warning signs and stuff, you can see them all here. Here's a selection:

Right, that's all. This was an unusually long review by the way, normally I do a bunch of short reviews per entry, but this game was worth spending some more time on.

Also, it made me think that a lot of my favourite games have mute protagonists. The Half-Life series, Portal, Bioshock series (sort of), the first Dead Space (which I prefer to the second one, by the way), Fallout (yes, there are dialogue options, but you never HEAR him/her speak do you?) and uhh, Zelda, if that counts. I wonder if it's a coincidence that I like these game so much, or does a silent main character really add to the immersion of the game? I don't know, but it's interesting to think about. Maybe.