Portal 2 Game Review

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Basic Information

• Developed and Published by Valve Corp.
• Distributors
• Electronic Arts
• Valve (Steam)
• Genre Puzzle-Platform Game
• Price
• 39.99 (59.99 at launch) on 360/PS3
• 49.99 (49.99 at launch) on PC

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PC System Requirements

• OS
• Windows 7 / Vista / XP
• Processor
• 3.0 GHz P4, Dual Core 2.0 or AMD64x2
• Memory
• 1GB (XP)
• 2GB (Vista)
• HDD Space
• At least 7.6 GB of space
• Video
• 128MB of VRAM, DirectX 9-Compatible with support
  for Pixel Shader 2.0b
• Audio
• DirectX 9.0c compatible

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Quick Overview

• A series of puzzles that can only be solved by
  warping time and space with portals.
• Portals can be placed on a variety of surfaces.
• As the game progresses various gels are
  introduced
• Repulsion Gel Causes the player to bounce back
  to the height they dropped from
• Propulsion Gel Speeds up the player
• Conversion Gel Turns any surface into a
  portal-able surface.

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Story Line

• You play as Chell, who is one of Aperture
  sciences test subjects
• You are awoken from stasis by Wheatley, who is a
  personality core in charge of monitoring the
  human test subjects.
• Chell and Wheatley make their way into GLaDOSs
  chamber, who Chell had shut down in the previous
  game.
• Chell and Wheatley accidently end up waking
  GLaDOS up while trying to escape the facility.
• Chell must now attempt to find another way out of
  Aperture, while GLaDOS attempts to keep her
  trapped and testing forever.

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Installation

• Depending on what platform you purchased the game
  on, you may or may not need to install Portal 2
• Xbox 360 and PS3
• No Installation Necessary
• PC/Mac
• If you purchased Portal on steam, simply navigate
  to your Games page (Games -gt View Games Library)
• Wait for the game to finish downloading
• Next select Portal 2 and click the install button
• Select an install location and complete
  installation

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User Interface

• The UI is very simple, no health bar or ammo
  count
• The only things displayed on screen are the
  portal gun crosshairs, and the gun itself
• Within the portal gun crosshairs there is an
  indicator for which portals are currently
  deployed
• There is also a light on the gun which shows the
  color of the last portal the player deployed.

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Single Player Game Play

• The player must use 2 portals to solve puzzles
• Solving a puzzle will take the player to the next
  puzzle
• There is no scoring system in the single player
  campaign
• Standard FPS thumbstick controls on consoles
• WASD and mouse controls on PC/Mac

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Multiplayer Game Play

• The multiplayer campaign puts the player in one
  of 2 testing robots (P-body or Atlas)
• Players must take advantage of their 4 portals
  and work as a team to solve puzzles
• There is no scoring system for multiplayer, but
  there are Science Collaboration Points which
  are awarded randomly, but still tracked and
  visible from the multiplayer hub

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Artwork

• The player is taken into several different
  environments as the game progresses.
• First the player explores Aperture as a decaying
  and unmaintained environment. Full of plants and
  dirt.
• As GLaDOS begins repairing the facility it begins
  to look more sterile and white, much more like a
  lab.
• There are also antiquated sections of the lab,
  where science has not been done for a very long
  time, and has a style of the 1950s plus 200
  years of decay.

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Exposed Test Chamber
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Clean Test Chamber
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Antiquated Test Chamber
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Voice Actors

• The cast chosen to play Wheatley, GLaDOS, and
  Cave Johnson is top of the line
• Wheatley is voiced by Stephen Merchant, a British
  comedian and writer. He Brings Wheatley to life
  like no one else could.
• GLaDOS is voiced by Ellen McLain, who voiced
  GLaDOS in the first game. McLain continues to
  keep GLaDOSs cryptic and menacing nature, which
  is a staple of the portal franchise.
• Cave Johnson is voiced by J.K. Simmons, an
  American film actor. Simmons portrays Cave
  Johnson as a some what dim witted yet comedic
  entrepreneur. Cave Johnson becomes a fan favorite
  right from the get go, and his quotes can be
  found all over the internet.

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Music

• The soundtrack of the game is largely techno
  music, and fits the atmosphere of the game very
  well
• The National did a song for the game, titled
  Exile Vilify, players can find the song in game
  in one of the hidden rat man rooms
• There is also a song sung by GLaDOS at the end of
  the game. Players that played Portal all the way
  through will remember Still Alive which played
  at the games credits. Only Want You Gone is
  played in the credits of Portal 2, and ties the
  game together quite well.

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Positives

• Comedic styling of game is timeless and very
  enjoyable
• Game play scales very well with each addition of
  a new game mechanic
• Each challenge brings its own sense of
  accomplishment when you reach that Ah Ha
  moment.
• The game has taken a great leap graphically from
  the last one.
• No bugs that would otherwise ruin a well polished
  game

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Negatives

• Some of the games achievements can be a little
  challenging, or require the player to play with
  players that have no progress in the game.
• Can turn into a shorter game if the player is
  more experienced in puzzle solving

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In Comparison

• Portal 2 is a very unique game, and thus doesnt
  have very much to compare it to.
• If you look at puzzle games, Portal 2 is a
  gleaming beacon of what a puzzle game should
  entail.
• If you line Portal 2 up with all the other games
  coming out this year, it has a leg up on the
  competition in both originality and innovation.

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Target Audience

• The ESRB has rated Portal 2 E for everybody,
  giving it a broad range of potential buyers
• The challenges would most likely doable for
  anyone over 10 years old
• The game is written for an older audience, but
  can be understood by younger players, without
  ruining the experience
• This is a must have title for anyone whose
  already a master at puzzle games, or someone
  whose just getting into them.

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Summary

• In conclusion, Portal 2 is engaging, enjoyable,
  and challenging. Leaving players with a sense of
  accomplishment when the credits roll.
• If you play video games, Portal 2 is a must own
  game.
• The only way to improve Portal 2 is to make the
  game longer, and give players more of what they
  love.

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