The original Portal was one of the greatest games I’ve ever played. Yes, it was short (probably 4 or 5 hours) but that made it no less awesome. The idea was unique and mind boggling (and to this day, I still have friends who simply refuse to play out of sheer confusion with the concept of portals). But almost every gamer out there who played it was screaming one thing: MORE. And Valve has given it to us, albeit at a full $60 price tag, which they justify with a longer campaign and a co-op mode. So is it worth it, or are they just trying to get your money?
The answer to the latter question is no, but the answer to the first question is only sort of yes. Let me say this first – Portal 2 is phenomenal. There is nothing about it, really, that isn’t amazing. The story is great, the humor is spot on, the puzzles are clever without being frustrating, the graphics are good, and the co-op mode is nothing short of ground-breaking. So here’s the good before the bad:
Gameplay:
Awesome. It’s the original Portal with new elements such as bouncing and speeding gels, light bridges, tractor beams, etc. These are not elements merely thrown in there – every single one is used with incredible purpose that is nothing short of brilliant. Add a great story into the mix and you have a game which literally never gets old throughout its entire 10 hours or so of length. The co-op, also, is great, giving you and a partner two different sets of portals rather than one.
Sound:
Also great. The voice acting (especially Stephen Merchant as Wheatley), is stunning, and though the music is mostly minimal, it does its job.
Graphics:
I’d say this is one of the only parts of the game that didn’t impress me. They get the job done, but it simply doesn’t shine and stun like I thought it would. Some of the new environments are nice, but graphically what you’re getting here is basically a larger version of Portal 1.
Value:
This is the only part where I’d say Portal 2 stumbles over itself a bit. And that’s because, despite how incredible the single player and multiplayer is, and despite how much value Valve really tried to pack into this title, it’s still a $60 puzzle game. And like most of you probably know, a puzzle game doesn’t have a whole lot of replay value. Once you’ve figured out the puzzle, you’ve figured out the puzzle and than it will become more easier to understand the result outcomes in situs casino online. I’ve found that going through the single player again is fun but not really that exciting (it’s mostly to hear the funny parts of dialogue again) and unfortunately going through multiplayer again with a different person is just painful (it’s not so much a cooperation game the second time through as a partner-gets-stuck-and-you-tell-them-what-to-do kind of game). So if I’d knock points for anything here, it’s the fact that you’re paying for a $60 puzzle game, and once you get through the 15 hours of content or so, there is literally no incentive to go back in single player or multiplayer, which may make it more of a rental than a purchase for some.
This doesn’t mean you shouldn’t get Portal 2, or that it isn’t good. But value is important in a game, because if you can’t replay it you just paid $60 for something to sit on your shelf. If you see Portal 2 for $40 or under, I’d say it is certainly worth a shot because it’s a fantastic experience. But if you’ve already waited this long and you’re not sure, wait a little longer.