Portal 2
I've finally finished it yesterday. I'm saying
finally, because I've deliberately played it at rather slow pace for the enjoyment to last longer. But regardless to that cheap trick, everyone who played the original game will feel the difference in the game length.
At not only that. Portal 2 outshines the excellent original in every sense. The deliciously simple yet brilliant concept is expanded thanks to the numerous new features. This opened a whole new world for the puzzle design, and brought even more frustration to the player (and I mean that in a
positive sense). Even though I agree that anyone who decides to play Portal, should promise to himself / herself to refrain from using the walkthroughs, I must admit that there were times when I couldn't figure out the solution fast enough, which can be frustrating when playing such addictive game. Still, everything in Portal is logical, in it's trademark wacky way.
Speaking of which, another thing that is characteristic for Portal games is great humor which can IMO challenge the best games in that respect, both inside as well as the outside the genre. This is the spice that gives that extra punch to Portal; despite the great concept and the adictiveness of the gameplay, it would still be rather sterile experience without this.
Another thing in which Portal games shines is fantastic voice-acting. This is even more emphasized by the fact that there are only one or two speaking characters. They are flawlessly portrayed by their actors, which makes both the characters and some of their lines, unforgettable.
I have no objections on the other aspects of Portal 2. Although the graphic engine itself doesn't seem much more advanced comparing to the original game, the design made Portal 2 much more visually appealing, with adding much needed diversity to the game locations. But the trademark sterile testing environments are still present, which is a good thing, because it's certainly one of the landmarks of the game.
The sound is equally good to the visuals. Sound effects are fantastic and the music provides an excellent decor to the setting with it's rich analog tone. This also playes nicely with the "fact" (I'm not totally sure on this) that the game surroundings "date" from 70's and 80's of the last century. If it's really true (at least, I think it is), that this is another nice spice to the game.
To conclude the obvious: I'm delighted with Portal 2. Even though I was somewhat sceptical, both after reading the reviews and after playing the
excellent original, now I can say with certainty, that these games are among the best I've ever played, regardless of the genre. And if Valve decides to make another sequel, I won't complain.
Verdict: 4,9 / 5.
