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Spoiler-Free Review of Portal 2
Jun. 1st, 2011 12:58 pmIt has been my pleasure to have access to a copy of Portal 2. It is an utterly satisfying game in every respect-- physics puzzles, comedy dialog, storyline, voice acting, and soundtrack.
Jonathan Coulton does not disappoint with his followup to the hit song he wrote for the first Portal, and the rest of the soundtrack is superb (and available free online).
Stephen Merchant (of the British version of The Office), plays a neurotic "personality sphere" tailor-made for fans of BBC comedy. His patter really sells the illusion of not being pre-recorded, as if the character's decisions were improvised from moment to moment.
When the final climactic moment arrived in the single player story, I nearly lost the game because I was frozen, caught entirely by surprise. I was used to this game manipulating physics in mind-boggling ways, and demanding lateral thinking from the player. But this was just about the most ultimate thing they could put into the game. "Is this seriously happening? Can it be possible that the solution to the final puzzle is what I think it is? Is it even possible for a video game to do this?" Then I figured, if I don't do something, I'll lose, so I tried the impossible. Yeah, they went there. I won't say where because you just have to experience it. The bottom line is that you just can't overestimate Portal 2.
Jonathan Coulton does not disappoint with his followup to the hit song he wrote for the first Portal, and the rest of the soundtrack is superb (and available free online).
Stephen Merchant (of the British version of The Office), plays a neurotic "personality sphere" tailor-made for fans of BBC comedy. His patter really sells the illusion of not being pre-recorded, as if the character's decisions were improvised from moment to moment.
When the final climactic moment arrived in the single player story, I nearly lost the game because I was frozen, caught entirely by surprise. I was used to this game manipulating physics in mind-boggling ways, and demanding lateral thinking from the player. But this was just about the most ultimate thing they could put into the game. "Is this seriously happening? Can it be possible that the solution to the final puzzle is what I think it is? Is it even possible for a video game to do this?" Then I figured, if I don't do something, I'll lose, so I tried the impossible. Yeah, they went there. I won't say where because you just have to experience it. The bottom line is that you just can't overestimate Portal 2.
