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 Portal
2 (Playstation 3)
This return trip to Aperture Laboratories is filled
with the diabolical puzzles, clever physics and off-beat humor that made
the first Portal such a success. Set many years after the original game,
the new installment sees the labs ravaged by time and decay, but some
things haven't changed much. You're once again trapped in a series of
tests in rooms designed to keep you challenged and trapped, much to the
delight of GlaDOS, your tormentor from the last game. Valve has added some
new elements such as co-op play that keep things fresh and exciting, and
its larger scale, co-op mode and additional abilities makes Portal 2 a
deeper title that delivers on its predecessor's promise. |
Portal was one of the most surprising success stories of
the current generation, it's inclusion on the Orange Box was one of the
coolest ideas ever. Now, Valve has smartly given Portal 2 its own release
and the sequel delivers a much larger, deeper experience than the first
title. It's just as funny, clever and engrossing as ever, but the new
installment adds some new elements to give it a refreshing feel. Set many
years after the original game, you once again play as the unwilling
subject of a series of experiments conducted by Aperture Laboratories.
However, much time has passed since your original confinement and the labs
have fallen into a great disrepair after the world has undergone several
major catastrophes. This means the clean look of the original has been
replaced by a darker, more decayed look. It might seem a little dark and
depressing at first, but the series' off-beat sense of humor helps to keep
the desolation from becoming completely overwhelming. Once you're revived
from your long slumber, you'll see that some things have changed, while
many elements have not. This is both reassuring and unsettling, if you're
familiar with the first game. You'll find some new friends and adversaries
awaiting you in Aperture's dungeon-like confines, including a reunion with
a certain angry machine. GlaDos is back and she's not happy to see you
back wreaking havoc in her testing laboratories, a fact she never fails to
remind you of. The game's plot lines are a bit silly and humorous and
while there's no cake this time, there are actually some hilarious jokes
at your character's expense, while another character changes and
transforms from tormentor to comic relief along the way. It's definitely a
strange game in that it doesn't seem to take itself that seriously, though
its rather sober surroundings would suggest otherwise.
In the initial stages, you reacquaint
yourself with the basics, which should be very familiar. You still use
your portal gun to create holes, manipulate objects and use items in
clever ways to escape each room. Most of the rooms in P2 require you to
complete multiple steps and tasks before the door to the next level opens
up. You have to figure out what you need to do, locate spots where you can
shoot your portal gun and figure out how to connect these tasks, creating
a chain of events that usually seem simple in retrospect. Of course, the
game is never as simple as it seems and many players will find themselves
going around in frustration until the figure things out. As in the
previous games one of the main problems usually occurs in figuring out
where to place your portal holes and how they'll get you to the next
platform. In the early stages, this can be simple, but later areas become
increasingly complex, with multiple platforms and events that you need to
trigger. Portal 2's puzzles are ingenious in the way they seemingly make
simple tasks seem difficult. Finding the right section to place your
portal holes is a bit simple since the walls come in two basic colors.
Darker sections won't take your portal holes, but the lighter ones will.
Jumping through them allows you to go to another section, and learning to
time your jumps, so you fly out the next section onto another platform can
be tricky. Using the weapons and abilities is fairly simple, with running
and jumping controlled with the analog sticks while the portal guns are
controlled using the shift buttons. More advanced techniques, such as
grabbing crates and other maneuvers are likewise simple to understand and
operate. You're pretty much locked into the same viewpoint throughout, but
you can zoom in certain sections which can be helpful.
Most of these elements should be
familiar to Portal players, but the developers have added some new
elements such as Jump pads, Light Bridges, Repulsion and Propulsion gels.
Jump pads build on the strategy of jumping through portals to gain
momentum, but here you leap automatically when you step on them. There are
also new light bridges, which can be used to create paths over gaps and
other dangerous sections. Once you get into the game a little deeper,
you'll also be given a new ability that allows you to shoot gels onto
walls and other surfaces. When you touch these, you'll either jump forward
immediately or repel against a wall in the opposite direction. These new
abilities open up the possibilities of Portal 2 in new and interesting
ways and make the solo campaign mode much more fun to play. Going through
each room is probably going to be a touch and go process, and your
progress will likely depend on what happens if you get stuck in a certain
section. This can be frustrating, but you sometimes can find the answer if
you look hard enough and try and think a little differently. The solutions
are usually simpler than you think, so trying for the more elaborate moves
can sometimes lead to going around aimlessly. It also helps to divide each
room into smaller tasks. One of the cooler ideas that is introduced is the
Developer commentary mode. When this is enabled, you can hear a little bit
of the inspiration behind each level along with a few important clues. The
single levels themselves show a lot of polish in the way they gradually
introduce new elements to the gameplay while not making things too
difficult, this learning curve makes Portal 2 enjoyable for those who
played the first game while giving those new to the series a good
introduction. There's little doubt that most players will start with the
solo tests, but the best new idea in the game is its co-op mode.
 Using
two players is a brilliant addition to the series that brings an entirely
different strategy to the game. Instead of worrying only about your own
survival, you now have to consider the welfare of your partner. You can
choose to play with them and use their abilities to solve puzzles, locate
and use objects and other interesting ideas. This feels almost like an
entirely separate game that offers nearly as much depth as the main game.
While many of the same rooms appear, they're configured in a slightly
different manner, which makes them more challenging. Both of the robot
characters bring a unique personality to the puzzles, though they have
similar abilities. You can earn additional credits and achievements by
playing through this mode and it also reveals more of the back story
behind Aperture's rise, which makes it worth playing through. Portal 2's
ingenious and clever multiplayer mode is quite sophisticated. Co-op is
unique enough that it makes Portal 2 feel like a different game with
different strategies and puzzles coming into play. Another innovation in
this mode is the ability to play with others not only on the PS3, but with
a PC or Mac as well. Using Steam, you can play on either computer using
the free download code, which is a very cool idea. Co-op mode lets players
match with others on their console or computer, which helps to give you
more opponents to choose from. This is definitely a forward-looking idea
and one more online games should implement.
With all of these new elements in
place, Portal 2 brings together and enhances the best ideas from the first
game and adds new ones to create on of the best games we've played all
year. The game's storyline is funny and engaging while delivering some
unexpected twists and surprises along the way. As in the first game, the
physics play a key role, allowing you to experiment and play around with
them in fun ways while giving the puzzles some new strategic elements.
Some players will probably be frustrated by some of the rooms, but you can
usually get through if you use your head and think several steps ahead.
The solo game is highly-tuned and polished, making it an engaging and
entertaining experience. However, Portal 2 adds a really cool co-op
multiplayer mode that allows some innovative cross-platform play via Steam
that truly makes for a refreshing experience. In the end, it's the total
package that sets Portal 2 ahead of the other games. It's unique sense of
humor and strange setting gives it a distinct feel that brings you into
its world, while its mix of puzzles, strategy and action elements keeps
you motivated to keep playing. Portal 2 is a great title overall and those
who enjoyed the first game will find more of what they loved this time
around.
-
Michael Palisano
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