Portal 2

 PC
User Score
9.1

Universal acclaim- based on 9230 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 8,501 out of 9230
  2. Mixed: 470 out of 9230
  3. Negative: 259 out of 9230
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  1. pandateddybear
    Apr 23, 2011
    7
    Gameplay is great but story and visuals really are disappointing. After finishing the game you most likely never play single player again co-op is fun but short. good game for a weekend but not worth 40£ (60$) if you are short of money
  2. mrwar
    Apr 24, 2011
    10
    After seeing so many bad reviews lowering Portal 2's score, I felt compelled to write one review myself. In a nutshell, Portal 2 is a great game, definitely better than the original. It is probably three times longer, the single-player campaign is really funny and well designed. You will feel like a genius after solving many of the test chambers. The only difference between this game andAfter seeing so many bad reviews lowering Portal 2's score, I felt compelled to write one review myself. In a nutshell, Portal 2 is a great game, definitely better than the original. It is probably three times longer, the single-player campaign is really funny and well designed. You will feel like a genius after solving many of the test chambers. The only difference between this game and the original Portal is that while the original game came out as an unexpected pleasant surprise, this one was preceded by insane levels of hype (particularly after being preceded by the mind boggling Valve ARG). In my opinion, this is the only reason this game is getting somewhat lower scores than the original Portal. There are many people that cannot make an objective review of something after so many hype, they will always feel letdown, no matter how great the game is.… Expand
  3. Olly
    Apr 23, 2011
    10
    Absolutely wonderful. Keeps you on your toes, varies its visual style much more than the first Portal, is three times longer (it took me about 9 hours to complete not rushing), has even more easter eggs and lovely hidden things to find, doesn't stop throwing funny dialogue at you, challenges you more, offers more gameplay variety without breaking anything and everything is balanced nearlyAbsolutely wonderful. Keeps you on your toes, varies its visual style much more than the first Portal, is three times longer (it took me about 9 hours to complete not rushing), has even more easter eggs and lovely hidden things to find, doesn't stop throwing funny dialogue at you, challenges you more, offers more gameplay variety without breaking anything and everything is balanced nearly perfectly. I can't think of much at all that is at fault, and I have only played co-op for a little bit so far.

    I also started playing through with developer commentary and the opening sequence took them 92 days to complete. This is a labour of love guys, and it shows, it's non-stop hilarity and wonder throughout and has beaten Half-Life 2 to my favourite game of all time. It's gonna be a while until someone beats this in my mind.

    There are people complaining? I'm bewildered. Truly.    … Expand
  4. JoeyK
    Apr 25, 2011
    10
    Basically, as amazing as a sequel to Portal possibly could have been. Brilliant puzzles, new mechanics, new characters with new humor, the same old characters with the same old humor. And excellent co-op. There's nothing to criticize.
  5. syfpsy
    Apr 21, 2011
    10
    Pay no attention to the bad reviews, as an avid and old gamer on lots of platforms, I have never seen more intellectual and better narrated game. It is so polished that you can't believe it has just released 3 days ago. The atmosphere makes you feel lonely, sad, always monitored and thrilled at the same time. Flawless! 10.0
  6. Vixremento
    Apr 23, 2011
    9
    Great game - I enjoyed this far more than the original. I'd like to say that I enjoyed every moment of it however there were two or three times that I became a little frustrated with some of the puzzles (but that's probably just me). I enjoyed the last set of puzzles in the game more than the in between bits (making your way through the environment) however I still loved playing throughGreat game - I enjoyed this far more than the original. I'd like to say that I enjoyed every moment of it however there were two or three times that I became a little frustrated with some of the puzzles (but that's probably just me). I enjoyed the last set of puzzles in the game more than the in between bits (making your way through the environment) however I still loved playing through this game and I can't wait to replay it again in a few months time when I've forgotten what to do again.… Expand
  7. GHRobson
    Apr 23, 2011
    10
    Best Game I Have EVER Played! The story is great, the level design in fantastic, and oh my God its so funny! It takes the original game and improves it in every way!
  8. moges
    Apr 21, 2011
    10
    best game i've played all year. the negative reviews must come from idiots who didn't realize they were buying a puzzle game, and morons who don't like to use their brain. for those silly kids, go play COD, us intelligent adults like our gaming entertainment a bit more refined, thank you.
  9. KrazyKyle
    Apr 20, 2011
    10
    This game looks very fun. So fun, in fact, I am considering buying it. The first was awesome, so I would only expect the sequel to be very similar in fashion.
  10. DANEger
    May 17, 2011
    10
    I have to say i was going to be one of those "not worth the money... only 6hours of game play!" types then i was i finally got another to do CoOp If you feel like you have only got half the playtime you are expecting and have not done all of CoOp well to be honest that is only because you played half the game. BUT WAIT I FORGETTING HIDEOUS DLC THAT GIVE UNFAIR ADG... oh what is that it doeI have to say i was going to be one of those "not worth the money... only 6hours of game play!" types then i was i finally got another to do CoOp If you feel like you have only got half the playtime you are expecting and have not done all of CoOp well to be honest that is only because you played half the game. BUT WAIT I FORGETTING HIDEOUS DLC THAT GIVE UNFAIR ADG... oh what is that it doe not give an advantages? When why are people complaining? They want it but do not want to buy it? Tell that to Porsche I would love one of their cars for free... they say no? How about a free hamburger Wendy's... sonic perhaps? Whataburger? oh to bad. Guess you have to pay for things that cost money... who knew.… Expand
  11. DeusXCom
    Jul 30, 2014
    6
    From my point of view this is an extremely overrated title and especially after experiencing the amazing little gem that was first Portal, P2 is quite a disappointment for me. My guess is that all the praise is coming mostly from people who didn't play the original, because this is basically 1:1 the same thing, only 4 times longer, but while the short gameplay was perfectly effective forFrom my point of view this is an extremely overrated title and especially after experiencing the amazing little gem that was first Portal, P2 is quite a disappointment for me. My guess is that all the praise is coming mostly from people who didn't play the original, because this is basically 1:1 the same thing, only 4 times longer, but while the short gameplay was perfectly effective for the first Portal, here it's getting tedious after about 10 hours. It's still good, it kept the quality humor and the addition of multiplayer is very interesting, but I feel like all the main trump cards have already been used in the first Portal. 6/10… Expand
  12. Chupwn
    Apr 30, 2011
    9
    Portal 2 is an improvement upon the first in every way. Funnier, better graphics, and the puzzles require greater thought to pass, especially when they add gel to the mix. It loses 1 point because I bought the PC version, and I'd have to buy another copy in order for my girlfriend to play co-op with me.
  13. w00dYd3luXe
    Apr 25, 2011
    10
    this is a review of portal 2. portal 2 is amazing, it is a very very very very very good game and the only thing i want to do is to give this game 10 points because there are many strange people out there that are rating the game down and portal 2 is much better than 8.2. i don't understand people hating this title.
  14. SippyCup
    Apr 21, 2011
    10
    If you enjoyed Portal, you will enjoy Portal 2. It's funny, creative, and different. What else can you ask for in a game? I honestly don't know what people are talking about when they whine about "level design" and "art design" being bad. Also, I'm about 4 hours in right now and not near the end, and that's not counting co-op. And for what it's worth, game length isn't everything. You WILLIf you enjoyed Portal, you will enjoy Portal 2. It's funny, creative, and different. What else can you ask for in a game? I honestly don't know what people are talking about when they whine about "level design" and "art design" being bad. Also, I'm about 4 hours in right now and not near the end, and that's not counting co-op. And for what it's worth, game length isn't everything. You WILL play this more than once. If you've been wondering about it, but were dissuaded by these whiny brats on here, worry no more! Just get the game. You will like it.… Expand
  15. sroop
    Apr 22, 2011
    10
    It may take a couple hours to beat (around 7-8 for me), but converted into Valve time, this is equal to about 35-40 hour's worth of other high-rated games.
  16. VentXekart
    Apr 22, 2011
    10
    One of the best games I've ever played, I haven't tried the Co-Op mode yet but the single-player storyline is full of surprises and other things I've never expected before. This game is totally worth buying.
  17. funkydb
    May 17, 2011
    9
    Portal 2 is a good sequel to the first Portal. It offers a lot more content and a bit more cohesive story. You get plenty of witty dialog and jokes, which make up a good part of the game. The puzzles are mostly easy to figure out, and probably only a few at best will stump you a bit if you are truly "thinking in portals." The co-op game is completely separate from the single player andPortal 2 is a good sequel to the first Portal. It offers a lot more content and a bit more cohesive story. You get plenty of witty dialog and jokes, which make up a good part of the game. The puzzles are mostly easy to figure out, and probably only a few at best will stump you a bit if you are truly "thinking in portals." The co-op game is completely separate from the single player and while it's a bit shorter than the sp game, the co-op is worth playing and equally enjoyable. If you enjoyed the first, definitely check out Portal 2, it's worth it. If you weren't impressed with the first one, this won't win you over. Also, Valve will be offering some free content for all platforms in the near future. Plays well on the PC and would definitely *not* consider it a "bad console port," as many like to say.… Expand
  18. Sandwich_Lord
    Jun 17, 2011
    10
    If there is such thing as a perfect sequel, this is it. Truly unbelievable. That's all you need to know. I had to add more to fir the 150 character limit, so I'll just quote GLaDOS. Blah, Blah, Blah, Blah, Blah, Blah, Blah, Blah, Blah, Blah, Blah.
  19. yoplate
    Apr 24, 2011
    10
    Portal 2 was a worthy successor to the first portal. It was longer than the first but maintained the quality and humor of the original. The new puzzle pieces were interesting and fit in with the game. My only qualm is the lack of advanced chambers, but Coop, which is also a blast, makes up for that.
  20. soren121
    Apr 21, 2011
    10
    The BEST ending I've ever experienced in a video game. Great character development, and though the story lagged a little in the middle, I still loved it _to death_. About the 0 scores: haters gonna hate. DLC is completely cosmetic, it's not like it improves your experience at all. And it's not a 4-hour campaign, I finished it in 9.5 hours. Open Steam now and click 'Buy' if you haven'tThe BEST ending I've ever experienced in a video game. Great character development, and though the story lagged a little in the middle, I still loved it _to death_. About the 0 scores: haters gonna hate. DLC is completely cosmetic, it's not like it improves your experience at all. And it's not a 4-hour campaign, I finished it in 9.5 hours. Open Steam now and click 'Buy' if you haven't already. There's a good chance you won't regret it. ;-)… Expand
  21. TUN3R
    Apr 22, 2011
    9
    The game is great from pretty much every point of view, and compared to the 1st Portal it has a much better length, especially if we include the co-op mode as well. The only problem is that despite it being longer than the 1st Portal it still left me wanting more.

    Hopefully that will be compensated with user maps and DLC. Mean wile 9/10.
  22. ZacharyMatson
    Apr 24, 2011
    10
    This one of the best games I've played in a very long time. Not only is it loads of fun, but it's interesting, funny and just a blast over all. I can't find one bad thing to say about this game other than it's very confusing at first but you get used to the entire portal system.
  23. Leviathan
    Apr 20, 2011
    10
    Totally polished, full of brilliant mechanics, perfectly paced, and featuring stellar writing, voice acting and Science! Not to mention a brilliant co-op campaign and an exclusive track from The National. What more do you need in a game? Sure it's not a 40 hour epic, but it's an 8-10 hour single player experience, because that's how long it runs, no matter what people say, plus aTotally polished, full of brilliant mechanics, perfectly paced, and featuring stellar writing, voice acting and Science! Not to mention a brilliant co-op campaign and an exclusive track from The National. What more do you need in a game? Sure it's not a 40 hour epic, but it's an 8-10 hour single player experience, because that's how long it runs, no matter what people say, plus a challenging and entertaining co-op mode and the certainty of user created maps in the future (this is the Source engine after all, people are going to mod in new levels), which makes it well worth the triple-A pricetag. As for the DLC, there *is* no DLC, at least not in the usual sense of the term. There's a shop where, if you are foolish enough, you can pay money for cosmetic additions to your co-op avatars, and if you feel that something like that would ruin the game for you, then I truly feel sorry for you because you will miss out on the fantastic experience this game has to offer. Ignore the whiners who are ticked off because they futilely bought the Potato Sack to get this game to come out on the weekend (they really shouldn't be complaining: the Sack was a fantastic deal on a bunch of great indie games) and judge the game on its true merits, which are top notch.… Expand
  24. meph3x6
    Apr 20, 2011
    10
    I can confidently say that this is the best portal game to date... seriously.
    Having just finished the single-player (~6 hours, found hardly any hidden easter eggs), I can say there is the right mix of just about everything in this game. Humour, story, visuals, puzzles, difficulty, length... all just right. I can't wait to start the co-op.
    And for those whingeing few: the "day 1 DLC"    I can confidently say that this is the best portal game to date... seriously.
    Having just finished the single-player (~6 hours, found hardly any hidden easter eggs), I can say there is the right mix of just about everything in this game. Humour, story, visuals, puzzles, difficulty, length... all just right. I can't wait to start the co-op.
    And for those whingeing few: the "day 1 DLC" consists of a bunch of useless skins and whatnot for your co-op character. This game ships complete. Any "DLC" is completely unnecessary and thus you must rely on your self-restraint to not buy anything. Just like the potato sack. No one forced you to buy it. Personally, I had already bought the potato sack, before the portal 2 ARG started. They are a bunch of awesome indie games and I was more happy to shell out the $38 (which is only $2.90 per game for chrissake!). If you are unhappy with the results of the ARG, you have no-one to blame but yourself. In other words, suck it up.    … Expand
  25. LaggyNET
    Apr 20, 2011
    10
    I love Portal and Portal 2 is even better. I canâ
  26. Robertz1986
    Apr 20, 2011
    10
    10 out of 10, all of the complaints I've seen are ridiculous! This was honestly better than I thought it would be. So many of the complaints are about these other games that you had the option of buying, which I didn't, and things like long load times, which I also didn't have... don't blame Valve that you couldn't be bothered buying a functional computer..
  27. R3MaK3R
    Apr 20, 2011
    10
    BEST GAME EVER !!

    Seriously, most of the negative "comments" are just "trolls". This game is amazing, innovative to the core, funny as, and definitely not some console port. Sure it may not be the most challenging game, given it's nature as being a puzzle game, if valve had made the game too hard most casual players would probably give up from frustration and annoyance, it is balance    BEST GAME EVER !!

    Seriously, most of the negative "comments" are just "trolls".

    This game is amazing, innovative to the core, funny as, and definitely not some console port. Sure it may not be the most challenging game, given it's nature as being a puzzle game, if valve had made the game too hard most casual players would probably give up from frustration and annoyance, it is balance between being easy and hard.

    Voice acting is this game is simply outstanding, the gameplay has turned a small concept into a full out game, and the story is complete. This game is a must have for any gamer.    … Expand
  28. Megadestructo
    Apr 20, 2011
    9
    Portal 2 is brilliant. Its puzzles remain world-class, its sense of humor poignant and sharp, and it's beautiful to behold. It is a rather short game, but I would prefer a short experience that exceeded my expectations than a long, drawn-out, dull one. And replay value lives on as I will, most certainly, complete the game several times.

    And this is before I've even started the    Portal 2 is brilliant. Its puzzles remain world-class, its sense of humor poignant and sharp, and it's beautiful to behold. It is a rather short game, but I would prefer a short experience that exceeded my expectations than a long, drawn-out, dull one. And replay value lives on as I will, most certainly, complete the game several times.

    And this is before I've even started the co-operative play.

    Bottom line: Buy it. A great title by a great company!    … Expand
  29. trout_of_doom
    Apr 20, 2011
    9
    The co-op campaign is awesome, but a bit short. Great story and dialog. Builds on the creepiness and humor of the original. Will likely be playing this one again and again.
  30. Zeco
    Apr 21, 2011
    10
    This very well could be a contender for the best Valve game ever made and that's quite the compliment considering Valve's excellent track record. Portal 2 surpasses it's fantastic predecessor in every way possible, better story and characters, better level design, better puzzles, and better visuals. Valve did a great job with the dialogue and humor in this game also, I can't remember theThis very well could be a contender for the best Valve game ever made and that's quite the compliment considering Valve's excellent track record. Portal 2 surpasses it's fantastic predecessor in every way possible, better story and characters, better level design, better puzzles, and better visuals. Valve did a great job with the dialogue and humor in this game also, I can't remember the last time I laughed so much at a video game. The PC version is basically flawless, it plays silky smooth at maxed out settings on my PC and it looks great. I'm also glad to see that there's plenty of video and control options to mess around with in the PC version. With so many games nowadays shipping with bare bones PC support, Valve continues to demonstrate the correct way to handle PC support.

    This honestly would have been the perfect game if it was just a bit longer, I beat the single player campaign in around 8 hours. Sure, 8 hours is the average length for a FPS nowadays but this game is so much fun that you can't help but want to spend more time with it.

    One last complaint would be the expensive DLC. There's a store where you can purchase little aesthetic add-ons for your co-op bots but there's really no reason a single hat should cost $3. That being said, I have no doubts that Valve will eventually give us ways to get the DLC for free. They've been very generous in the past with free DLC for games like TF2 and L4D, so I'll give them the benefit of the doubt with Portal 2 for now.

    But I still think this game deserves a 10/10 even considering it's very few flaws because Valve does so much right it would be an injustice not to give them the highest praise possible. More developers should put this amount of love into their products, the video game industry would be much better off!    … Expand
  31. Esper999
    Apr 21, 2011
    10
    The people complaining about this game were probably too dumb to figure out the first Wheatly puzzle. Portal 2 is a superb game, utterly charming and hilarious. It beautifully expands on the story in the first game and gives you the history of Aperture Science and the origins of GlaDOS while taking you on a fantastic journey. Portal games are unique in all of gamedom and are wonderfulThe people complaining about this game were probably too dumb to figure out the first Wheatly puzzle. Portal 2 is a superb game, utterly charming and hilarious. It beautifully expands on the story in the first game and gives you the history of Aperture Science and the origins of GlaDOS while taking you on a fantastic journey. Portal games are unique in all of gamedom and are wonderful unless you are a bitter troll who can't think with portals.… Expand
  32. thomasfcd
    Apr 21, 2011
    10
    Portal 2 is incredible. If you played the original Portal - and enjoyed every minute of it, wanted more and was excited when the sequal was announced. This game is for you. Without spoiling the experience for you, all I can say is Portal 2 will not leave you hanging - the story ties up nicely. Plus the world, and the levels are incredibly detailed. This is the game you have been waiting for.
  33. msimp27
    Apr 21, 2011
    10
    What can i say? I loved every second of it. From a big fan of the original i had very high expectations and they were surpassed. the characters were genius and the puzzles were extremely difficult at parts. it took me about an hour just to figure out one. But even inexperienced players will soon get the hang of it as the tutorial is quite slow if your learning but can be rushed through ifWhat can i say? I loved every second of it. From a big fan of the original i had very high expectations and they were surpassed. the characters were genius and the puzzles were extremely difficult at parts. it took me about an hour just to figure out one. But even inexperienced players will soon get the hang of it as the tutorial is quite slow if your learning but can be rushed through if you know what you are doing. I loved the humour in the game, it is one of the only games to use humour and had me laughing every time dialog came up in the game. All the new features are greatly thought up to add more puzzling situations for more advanced players. I wont go into a lot of detail as i don't want to spoil anything for the readers. I greatly enjoyed the gameplay and trying to get some of the achievements. I would not recommend watching walkthroughs as they ruin the fun of being stuck and finally getting through certain parts. Valve did a great job and i'm massively hoping for a trilogy.

    So far ive completed Single player mode taking me about 10 hours overall. tomorrow i'm starting the co-op which i am such will be fun as me and my friend are going to splitscreen it. Hope this helps any readers who are considering to buy. I greatly recommend it.    … Expand
  34. Thevas
    Apr 21, 2011
    10
    The negative user reviews this game is getting are insane. This game is one the most humorous, challenging and overall enjoyable games I have ever played. The campaign leaves nothing lacking, and the graphics and art style are unique, while not being overly similar to the original. Although I cannot quite see the logic behind the item store, it is by no means a hindrance on the game,The negative user reviews this game is getting are insane. This game is one the most humorous, challenging and overall enjoyable games I have ever played. The campaign leaves nothing lacking, and the graphics and art style are unique, while not being overly similar to the original. Although I cannot quite see the logic behind the item store, it is by no means a hindrance on the game, seeing as the only purchases available are cosmetic. The characters are brilliantly voiced and this is by far the best game I have played in recent years.… Expand
  35. AlexRiker
    Apr 23, 2011
    10
    Many people here are complaining that it portal 2 is a short game- it is somewhat short, although much longer than the original. Personally I think portal represents some of Valve's best work to date, and while it's not for everyone, if you enjoyed portal one you'll immensely enjoy this.
  36. RockShard
    Apr 23, 2011
    10
    Loved it from beginning to end. Loved every bit of humor. I'll be quoting lines from this at work for a while now. (Yah, i'm one of thoooose) Game-play is great. Beat single player several times. Can't wait to try out the multi-player content. Graphics seemed great to me. Though one of the guys in the developer commentary available in game claims the environments in this game isLoved it from beginning to end. Loved every bit of humor. I'll be quoting lines from this at work for a while now. (Yah, i'm one of thoooose) Game-play is great. Beat single player several times. Can't wait to try out the multi-player content. Graphics seemed great to me. Though one of the guys in the developer commentary available in game claims the environments in this game is easy to do stuff to compared to some other games (...so I guess not much of an accomplishment there?). The ending song is different from the first one but seems catchy.… Expand
  37. Spills
    Apr 23, 2011
    10
    Astoundingly fun and funny. The single player campaign took me 7 hours and I did not get stuck on any puzzles. I have yet to try Co-Op so I will not comment on the length or difficulty of that component. Portal 2 is an improvement on every level from the original Portal.
  38. Ollie_B
    Apr 24, 2011
    10
    Genius, perhaps the best game I've played. If you like things a little outside the box then you'll love this. Valve know how to make a game - it's also very funny indeed.
  39. Octopi
    Jun 2, 2011
    7
    Valve did a good job story telling, but not a satisfying job entertaining and challenging the previous Portal players. I understand that people wanted to learn more about GlaDOs, but I feel the extra back-story about her was unnecessary. Once you finish the single and co-op campaigns, there's not much else you can do. Sure, you could replay the campaigns, but what happened to the extraValve did a good job story telling, but not a satisfying job entertaining and challenging the previous Portal players. I understand that people wanted to learn more about GlaDOs, but I feel the extra back-story about her was unnecessary. Once you finish the single and co-op campaigns, there's not much else you can do. Sure, you could replay the campaigns, but what happened to the extra bonus levels and challenges we saw in the first Portal game? Overall, I had a fun time progressing through the game, but at the end, I was disappointed.… Expand
  40. promato
    Jun 28, 2011
    10
    Portal 2 is smart, funny, has a story, that keeps you interested the whole time and, of course, makes you think. There's no doubt - its a game masterpiece.
  41. ScottReid
    Sep 16, 2011
    10
    I actually cried at the end of Portal 2. No, really. I did. I CRIED BUCKETS. Portal 2's ending was so happy. Yet, so sad. We hope this isn't the end of Portal. I'm sure that the 2000+ of us that gave Portal 2 a positive review would agree. Portal 2 is the best game I've played in my short, sad life yet. It passes Half-Life (not by much, though) It certainly passes ricochet. By miles.
  42. greekscouse
    Apr 30, 2011
    9
    For me best game of the year up to now. Im not one of those people that give a 10 if they like a game and a 0 if they dont , that is why the user score is not that good , but im giving it a 10 because i think it deserves it. The writing was EXCELLENT being one of the most funny games i have ever played , the music was OMG if your in to that type and the puzzles where not to difficult butFor me best game of the year up to now. Im not one of those people that give a 10 if they like a game and a 0 if they dont , that is why the user score is not that good , but im giving it a 10 because i think it deserves it. The writing was EXCELLENT being one of the most funny games i have ever played , the music was OMG if your in to that type and the puzzles where not to difficult but well enough made to make you use your brain , which is fine with me . The major complaints about this game is about its day 1 dlc and its length. First of all you should not rate a game by its dlc but what comes in the package. What if the best game in the world for you comes out and the next day dlc comes out for it ? Whould your opinion about the game change in any way ? The correct answer is NO so stop reading reviews from people that gave the game a 2 because it dint have some hats ( wtf ? ) in it for free . Now about the time that it takes you to complete this game i can understand people complaining especially if they rarely buy a game . Thow this game is not short by any means ( about 12-18 hours with coop ) for a game at this age , its probably not enough for some people . If a game has just got single player it should last 60 hours or if it has multiplayer it should last someone a whole year . For me i believe that that VALVe has chosen quality over quantity ( as i said thow its not that short as people keep saying ) so i dont think i should reduct points from it. Before i finish i want to say that this is the ps3 version so you also get steam on your console which gives you steam achievements cross platform coop with the pc and mac steam cloud which allows you to save your ps3 progress and continue on your pc . Oh dint i mention ? if you puy the game for the ps3 you also get a code to download it for free on steam . FOR FREE PEOPLE so its not a complete waste of money is it ? VALVe i… Expand
  43. ACMELtd
    Apr 27, 2011
    9
    its a really good game, but its not THAT perfect as stated in the metacritic score. the 95 avg. is a hype score. it maybe deserves a 8.8 oder 9.0 but nothing higher that that. the game has a fantastic beginning and a fantasic ending, but in between it lacks a bit. its getting bored because you run from puzzle to puzzle without beeing really directed for one or two hours. that part wasits a really good game, but its not THAT perfect as stated in the metacritic score. the 95 avg. is a hype score. it maybe deserves a 8.8 oder 9.0 but nothing higher that that. the game has a fantastic beginning and a fantasic ending, but in between it lacks a bit. its getting bored because you run from puzzle to puzzle without beeing really directed for one or two hours. that part was horrible and it was getting on my nerves. but as i mentioned.. overall a fantastisch game that deserves a 9 in my opinion (i'll give it a 9 because the beginning and the ending where one of the best things i ever saw in a video game. so the medicore part in the middle doesn't damage the game that much. with a better middlepart it would easily been a 10)… Expand
  44. dmaar
    Apr 28, 2011
    10
    This is a great game, and it is obvious that Valve put in a LOT of hard work. The effects are awesome, and the creativity is off the charts. Trolls are saying this is the same as Portal 1, and that is SO far from the truth it's unbelievable. Actually, I think that this game is not similar enough to the original. I loved this game, and basically played it straight through, butThis is a great game, and it is obvious that Valve put in a LOT of hard work. The effects are awesome, and the creativity is off the charts. Trolls are saying this is the same as Portal 1, and that is SO far from the truth it's unbelievable. Actually, I think that this game is not similar enough to the original. I loved this game, and basically played it straight through, but nevertheless the flaws really stood out to me. Firstly, it's WAY to goofy. The first one was funny, but it was subtle enough to not over do it. This one is in your face goofy.....to a fault. The jokes get old, and it negatively effects the main plot....since the main plot is based around the goofiness, which in my opinion is stupid. I don't like when it's hard to take a game seriously, and this game doesn't have an ounce of seriousness. Secondly, the puzzles are not as fun as in portal 1, often times being messy. I loved the streamlined clean-room puzzles in Portal 1, and there just aren't enough of them in this game. I don't want to say too much about me third problem with this game, because it has to do with the plot, but lets just say I did not like the role that GLADoS took in this game. All the being said, let me reiterate that this is a great game, and you will love it. It's just not quite what I was expecting. Oh, and multiplayer mode is AWESOME. To me, that is really where this game shines. Overall I would give this game an 8, but since all trolls early on tried to tarnish the scores, I'm going with a 10 to help balance it out. Valve is a great developer, and does not deserve this bull.… Expand
  45. lindethier
    Aug 21, 2011
    10
    Loved the first game. Loved the characters and the story. The puzzles were fun and just the right difficulty, where you might get stuck for 5-10 mins before realizing what to do. Loved this one!
  46. ravenXII
    Apr 25, 2011
    10
    Portal 2 is definitely strong candidate for game of the year with its spot on pacing and great humor combined with excellent voice acting. I have heard that Wheatleys voice, but for me merchant is the perfect choice for the voice, reasons being revealed later in the game. Gameplay and portal physics are excellent as always, although the single player doesn't offer that much challenge.Portal 2 is definitely strong candidate for game of the year with its spot on pacing and great humor combined with excellent voice acting. I have heard that Wheatleys voice, but for me merchant is the perfect choice for the voice, reasons being revealed later in the game. Gameplay and portal physics are excellent as always, although the single player doesn't offer that much challenge. Luckily coop maps are more challenging and playing around with a friend is always fun, not mentioning now with portals!

    Only gripe i have with the game is the huge amount of coop altering merchandise. Luckily nothing alters the maps or gives you more tools, just the aesthetics of yourself. This is only a minor gripe though as i could never imagine myself buying something like that. Going to expect a lot more maps for portal 2 though as the way coop is right now, it doesn't offer much replay value.

    Valve wasn't far calling this the best single player game ever made. I do think though you need to combine portal 1 and 2 to compete with deus ex. Be it completely different genre or not.    … Expand
  47. Number1
    May 9, 2011
    9
    Here you have it. This game has a great chance of becoming the game of the year. The length of it isn't very impressive, but you know what I tend to say? Quality comes before quantity. And boy, if you knew the quality of this game.

    First of all, the single-player can be finished in between five and ten hours, depending on how fast you go, if you stay to listen at the hilarious dialogue    Here you have it. This game has a great chance of becoming the game of the year. The length of it isn't very impressive, but you know what I tend to say? Quality comes before quantity. And boy, if you knew the quality of this game.

    First of all, the single-player can be finished in between five and ten hours, depending on how fast you go, if you stay to listen at the hilarious dialogue the game has, and how much of a genius you are. It doesn't have too much of replayability, but it's likely that you play it twice. I'm at my second playthrough as of now, and I'm still enjoying it.
    The second part of the game is my favourite one. The co-op. I have always said that co-op makes any game better, and that still stands. But what valve gave me exceeded my highest expectations. I couldn't go anywhere without my friend, I couldn't achieve anything at all. I needed him as much as he needed me. A lot, that is. I loved it.

    With very loveable characters, a wonderful story and very original ideas, Valve once again shows us what they have to offer. And they only offer the best.
    So disregard the haters, and go buy the game. Because, you know what? Everything is fine here, Everything is more than fine.    … Expand
  48. HunterZero
    May 17, 2011
    10
    Superb game. Well paced single player experience, with the best storytelling, level design, art design, humour, dialogue and voice acting in a video game I can ever recall. And a terrific ending. While the game engine is starting to show its age, the game still looks very nice, with some fantastic special effects, and the direction and animation of the scripted events is spectacular. ButSuperb game. Well paced single player experience, with the best storytelling, level design, art design, humour, dialogue and voice acting in a video game I can ever recall. And a terrific ending. While the game engine is starting to show its age, the game still looks very nice, with some fantastic special effects, and the direction and animation of the scripted events is spectacular. But how is it as a game? Truth be told, the game is a bit short at 8-10 hours for single player, and a further 4 hours or so for coop. However this is offset somewhat by the fact you will have a massive grin on your face the entire time. The single player puzzles are a tad on the easy side, with the game choosing to add new puzzle elements rather than ramp up the difficulty and complexity of puzzles. But it's always fresh and fun, and it's still hugely satisfying to solve. The coop missions are a bit more tricky, and it's very fun to bring about the demise of your partner in hilarious ways (eg carrying a turret around to shoot them with!), but nothing here is so difficult it will have you rage quitting. Sadly absent from this game are the challenge chambers from the first game. Once you've finished the game, there's little incentive to go back, except to experience the excellent voice acting over again, or to find new ways to 'accidently' destroy your partner in coop. Plus you can only resume the game from a save point, there's no option to skip back to individual chapters or test rooms in the single player game. The DLC is limited to overpriced customizations for your coop 'bots, so don't waste your time there. Plus it's just downright rude to sell DLC from day 0. Any content available from day 0 should be in the game that's shipped, it's cheap to try and gouge customers of more cash from the beginning. I do hope that new challenge chambers or more 'parallel' adventures will be released for Portal 2 in a future update, the game really suffers in longevity because of it. How about a random test chamber generator? But niggles aside, Portal 2 is the best gaming experience I've had for a long, long time. It could have had more bells and whistles, but it's still worth 10/10.… Expand
  49. Tyro
    Jun 14, 2011
    10
    Good lord! Its gooooood stuff.

    I have yet to be disappointed with Valve. They seem cheery, good-humoured and understanding. Steam works well and practically gives games away sometimes. The Half-Life series have charm as well as a bit of brains. Left 4 Dead is just stupidly good fun. TF2 is like-wise. Portal is one of the best games ever created. Portal 2 is more of the same. Simply put,    Good lord! Its gooooood stuff.

    I have yet to be disappointed with Valve. They seem cheery, good-humoured and understanding. Steam works well and practically gives games away sometimes. The Half-Life series have charm as well as a bit of brains. Left 4 Dead is just stupidly good fun. TF2 is like-wise. Portal is one of the best games ever created. Portal 2 is more of the same. Simply put, Valve have tried to scale a massive mountain of possible fan service and bringing over-all quality at the same time. Through flogging beta-testers over and over - According to the Developers Commentary (which is done better in this game by playing along side the main game) - they've shaved and polished everything to a shine. To the point where I swear the game plays better on my piddly little laptop than the original. Single Player is captivating, if not overly taxing on the old brains. I put that down to the fact that I've gone over the last game a few times and gotten rather used to that. People have complained that this game is easy but it might be more because of how well the last game trained you. Vary rarely did anyone I know spend particularly long trying to figure out how to get some where. Like a flying squirrel crossed with an acrobat, people were just flinging themselves in the general direction. Portal 2 actually made me have to stop and figure things out. Not for too long but I still had to stop and think (It could easily have been me being thick as I turned in circles, never really seeing the solution anywhere). A few of the puzzles had me completely stumped but it doesn't quite feel like Portal 2's main aim. Take that how you want but I'm happy with the fact that the game takes you into the absurd backstage of Aperture Science. While Portal Technology is perfectly reasonable for moving things around, they like to use a horribly complicated system of pipelines. Why demolish your previous labs when burying them below your new ones is a much better idea? Valve have placed a greater, eccentric charm on every place it can for the laboratories that brought you a weight-loss pudding that would make food bounce out of your body. Its treat to find all the idiosyncrasies that'll raise a smile or tell a tragic tail.

    Steve Merchant, the best mate of Ricky Gervais, plays Wheatley: a personality core that's bumbling, cheery and has an English accent. He will be your partner as you do battle and science with the re-awakened GlaDos. All characters, limited they maybe, are full of charm and excellent writing. Some of the best lines come from both Wheatley and GlaDos. Co-op has wrongly gotten a lot of stick too. Lets get this out of the way: the hats are optional. The damn are for sale if you truly want them, as well as new flags for the robots and new gestures. If anything, its more of a tip for Valve. If you enjoyed the game, throw them a few quid to say 'thank you'. They could do some good with it. Even if its another 1to 1 scale model of the Engineer's Turret...

    The Robot's are charming. Gromit from 'Wallace and Gromit' kind of charm, if that helps. Both of them are largely mute, communicating through gestures and weird noises. While they do show more personality in the trailers, they are allowed to express their little Laurel and Hardy inspired friendship through the adorable hugs and hi-fives they give them. As for gameplay, the most difficult puzzles lurk here. With two portals, your expected to do more and to do it safely twice. There are two of you trying to get through the course now. While any kind of story gets a massive back seat, mainly because its largely done in the main game, in favour of GlaDos' input and puzzles. It can either cause arguments or it can cement a bond between those playing. Its entertaining and challenging how the game places the safety of one player in the hands and skill of another. You have to work together or you will fail. We also have free DLC heading our way at some point. Its not certain what that DLC will contain but its a nice bit of frosting on an already rich game.    … Expand
  50. simonli2575
    Apr 25, 2011
    10
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. The game is definitely game of the year, not only because it has a great gameplay, but also it has a good design, sound and plot.

    The story starts out with Wheatley trying to escape with Chell, while accidentally woke up GLaDOS, and later exchange GLaDOS's head with Wheatley, only to make Aperture Science in danger of exploding. While trying to exchange Wheatley with GLaDOS, GLaDOS found out that she was Caroline. After the reunion with Wheatley, Chell shot one Portal to the moon, and got Wheatley sucked into Space, and Chell leaved from Aperture Science. With Companion Cube.
    The story is great, with the twist that Wheatley is actually evil rather than friendly, and especially some part in the story, like Portal to the Moon, GLaDOS = Caroline, Reunion with Companion Cube, etc.
    Compared to the previous game, this game has quite a lot of new elements and new design, like main menu, Robot enrichment(TF2 loadout similar), Gels, Excursion Funnel, etc. While the levels are not really hard, it takes a while to find out, and has brilliant designs.

    While the game is so impressive, I don't know why quite some people are Foolishly rate the game bad, with bad or stupid reasons, like Dull level design(Boone), insufferably boring gameplay(Ravensroke), weak ending(bobreviews). Really? I don't find these problems. It's sad that those people hate this game, but it doesn't make the fact that this game doesn't deserve low or medium score.    … Expand
  51. agalloch
    Apr 26, 2011
    10
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. How could anyone mark this lower than a 10? It's a fantastic game, extremely fun, and unique. Amazing atmosphere. I wished there were more tie ins to HL3 but it'll do.… Expand
  52. R3YNO
    Apr 23, 2011
    9
    After playing for a while I came to this conclusion. Portal 2 is one of the best games Valve has made. Adds more to the story and more game mechanics. The humor in this game is side splitting but really shows its self in the co-op mode.My only complaint is the in game store which allows you to purchase items like hats and skins which doesn't offer an bonuses other than the cool factorAfter playing for a while I came to this conclusion. Portal 2 is one of the best games Valve has made. Adds more to the story and more game mechanics. The humor in this game is side splitting but really shows its self in the co-op mode.My only complaint is the in game store which allows you to purchase items like hats and skins which doesn't offer an bonuses other than the cool factor among your friends.But otherwise well worth every penny and I look forward to what Valve will do with further updates.… Expand
  53. elveteon
    May 1, 2011
    9
    For a sequel based on admired portal 1, Portal 2 is a very noble sequel.Lots of potential came from the original idea of first game that were untouched.and in this game we see some of them(not all) in a very good way of use all around the game.new tricks like gels that changed the whole gameplay are so credible.and not just the existence of them,that their pervade in missions shows us aFor a sequel based on admired portal 1, Portal 2 is a very noble sequel.Lots of potential came from the original idea of first game that were untouched.and in this game we see some of them(not all) in a very good way of use all around the game.new tricks like gels that changed the whole gameplay are so credible.and not just the existence of them,that their pervade in missions shows us a very good mind(and will) for makin' this game as a real valve's new game.the exact moment that your going to say oh its enough,you'll see a new element that injects to gameplay and somehow change it all.
    but sometimes we can see maker was empty of ideas,that time we see they cheat to push us forward.like very big map with mystify puzzles and bad path finding,yes they are cheats from maker!

    and co-op...nothing more to add but i assure you,,,you will experience a new brand entertainment with portal 2 co-op.a real hell with good timing rule!    … Expand
  54. Morbus
    Apr 27, 2011
    10
    Absolutely awesome story and dialogues in single player campaign and great co-op campaign on top of that. I was very skeptical about Portal 2 at first, but I did buy it in the end, and definitely don't regret it. The dialogues are a masterpiece, and one of these things you remember for years.
  55. StumpBeefknob
    Apr 30, 2011
    10
    Portal 2 is quite simply damn near perfect! Incredibly entertaining. Most definitely the funniest gaming experience I've ever had. The voice acting is bar none the best I've ever experienced. I thoroughly enjoyed the experience, and knowing VALVe, I know there is much more to come. That being said, my first of two real complaints are the total length of the actual campaigns, which, knowingPortal 2 is quite simply damn near perfect! Incredibly entertaining. Most definitely the funniest gaming experience I've ever had. The voice acting is bar none the best I've ever experienced. I thoroughly enjoyed the experience, and knowing VALVe, I know there is much more to come. That being said, my first of two real complaints are the total length of the actual campaigns, which, knowing VALVe, will be remedied with multiple free DLC packages that will most likely end up doubling, if not tripling, the total amount of content the game has to offer, and much of this content will most likely be fine tuned to meet the fans' wishes(VALVe is great like that!) which basically nullifies my first complaint. My second complaint is that the game was at times much too easy, again, I'm sure that VALVe will feed us some much tougher content in the coming months, but I think it would have been a great idea to incorporate a difficulty setting right off the bat, in the form of a sort of "realism mode"(sort of like L4D2), where you can choose to eliminate all the visual cues, the hints, etc. I have never given a perfect score to any game, and while I do not really believe it deserves a perfect 10(yet), I will score it so for lack of other options seeing as I believe it deserves a 9.5. Long live VALVe! ~ PS: Hated seeing a bunch of really negative reviews within 3-4 hours of release, these trolls and haters were ranting on about a game they could not have possibly finished within that time frame. Is there no way to ban such people from giving reviews?… Expand
  56. SuperSalad
    Apr 21, 2011
    8
    In short; Portal 2 is a funny, entertaining, and delightfully challenging game well worth anyone's time.

    The Game has a great sense of humor and undeniable charm to it. It balances great atmosphere, memorable characters, witty writing, and always changing but never dull gameplay. It's truly a work of art how well everything is weaved and balanced together, and is easily the best game of    In short; Portal 2 is a funny, entertaining, and delightfully challenging game well worth anyone's time.

    The Game has a great sense of humor and undeniable charm to it. It balances great atmosphere, memorable characters, witty writing, and always changing but never dull gameplay. It's truly a work of art how well everything is weaved and balanced together, and is easily the best game of the year so far.

    The one downside I can think about it is that it has very little replay value. While other full priced games such as Gears of War might have a single player campaign as long as if not shorter than Portal 2's, at least it offers a variety of difficulty levels and a competitive multi-player. While Portal 2 does offer co-op, there is very little incentive to replay it after beating it once.

    If you played and loved Portal 1, I don't think you would regret paying full price for this. If you're interested but not sure if you will like the game, I would say wait for a few price drops. Regardless of the price though, it is a great game to experience.    … Expand
  57. Rachanol
    Apr 27, 2011
    8
    Nice game. But not a game which should get a clear 10 out of 10. This score is for legendary groundbraking historical games defining gaming like Half Life 2, WoW (deal with it, it was groundbraking and changed the history of gaming), maybe Baldurs gate 2, Ocarina of Time and so on... I dont see this Influence and general feeling here, so its an 8 for a "normal" perfect game.
  58. BonusGG
    Apr 20, 2011
    9
    Co-op is awesome. Solo campaign is more fun than anything Call of Duty has done since 4. Don't listen to the haters, extra cosmetic DLC does NOT make a game bad. If you loved Portal 1, you'll love this.
  59. ReRite
    Apr 20, 2011
    10
    GAME OF THE YEAR... so far anywayz. I dont know what all the hate is about seriously get over it. This game is an absolute masterpiece, one of the first games make me laugh so much that i had to pause the game, perfect gameplay and sharp story well done valve, wel done sir!!!
  60. TheUnknownX
    Apr 21, 2011
    10
    Everything in Portal 2 is awesome. Gameplay is even better than in the original, graphics are better.... There is always something going on in maps, so many small details. Anyone who gave this red score is a troll or hater or insane or something.
  61. HairyHarry182
    Apr 30, 2011
    10
    This game proves one thing and one thing only: You don't need blood, violence, and language to make a great game. Portal 2 is probably the game of the year SO FAR. The characters are likable, the story is funny, and it's not stop fun. If you never played Portal 1, then you should so yo can understand the mechanics and the story of the game, but it'll take you an afternoon to completeThis game proves one thing and one thing only: You don't need blood, violence, and language to make a great game. Portal 2 is probably the game of the year SO FAR. The characters are likable, the story is funny, and it's not stop fun. If you never played Portal 1, then you should so yo can understand the mechanics and the story of the game, but it'll take you an afternoon to complete the first one. The Co-op is amazing. Valve proved me once again that they are the best game developers on planet earth. Valve, since you got Portal 2 out of your hands, it's about time to make Half-Life 2: Episode 3!… Expand
  62. Herrnewbenmeist
    Apr 22, 2011
    10
    I'm seeing a lot of negative reviews and it's making me very sad. This is a beautiful game, it is an excellent game. It exceeded my expectations. I see the most common complaints are the â
  63. pointydagger
    May 11, 2011
    9
    If it was an option then this game would easily be getting a 9.5, because it is a brilliant mix of comedy, and ingenuity. The beginning is yourr first taste of what to come, and it starts off on a high note and gets you laughing at the comedy that has made many fans of this game series. But when you reach the puzzles is whenthe game really shows of its capabilities as a puzzle game. TheIf it was an option then this game would easily be getting a 9.5, because it is a brilliant mix of comedy, and ingenuity. The beginning is yourr first taste of what to come, and it starts off on a high note and gets you laughing at the comedy that has made many fans of this game series. But when you reach the puzzles is whenthe game really shows of its capabilities as a puzzle game. The puzzles are interesting, but never beyond your ability, and they truly do help you start "thinking with portals." Sadly, however, puzzles and comedy are not the only parts to this game. As you progress you see longer transitions between puzzles that try to be puzzles themselves but are really just a test of your observational abilities as you search for a far off wall that allows for portals. Another point is that after every puzzle there is a loading screen. This made sense for portal 1 because it was forced beside 4 other games in the orange box, but portal 2makes these loadings seem unexplainable. Luckly, the loads are in a spot that seem natural and do not affect gameplay. This review was only for singleplayer. Multiplayer looks to be more of the same but you are more limited trying to find a friend who has not played it before you lest you lose the ability to figure out the puzzles yourself, but I am satisfied with the single experience alone, so it is worth reviewing alone, though I cannot wait to try coop puzzles.… Expand
  64. Veloxe
    May 10, 2011
    8
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. It's could, hell it could be even great! If it wasn't just so easy... I ripped through the single player and even managed to destroy the co-op with a friend in 2 sittings (1 for single player, 1 for co-op). I don't think I'm incredibly smart or something but it just seemed like the answers to all the puzzles were spelled out for you. Where as in Portal 1 they would require more experimentation and...hell science! The promise of additional levels, challenge modes, and the level editor (for what I assume will be devious designs from the community) help to keep the hope alive for me that the game can still come back and show it's teeth and actually be a challenge. The potential for amazing ooze puzzles is there but it almost feels like they were afraid to make anything too complicated because they didn't want the "average" person to get stuck and to be able to make it to the end.

    As for the single player itself, it was still incredibly enjoyable. Asides from the aforementioned difficulty issues the humour is still great and has more awesome moments then I care to count. Wheatly and Cave Johnson add a much needed breath of fresh air, since I feel if we had another whole game with just Glados she would start to get stale. They also did a great job of exploring the roots and history of the game without necessarily having to go back and create a prequel. Plus the ooze! The ooze is an amazing additional to the portal gameplay and allows for more interesting possibilities with momentum, if they were more apt to take advantage of them.

    I was originally going to give the game a solid 7 since it was good and I enjoyed it but the promising return of difficulty to the game (from Valve's DLC update or through community driven levels) made me up it to an 8 instead.    … Expand
  65. Tent27
    Apr 20, 2011
    9
    If I could give a 9.5 I would. Portal 2 is a perfect blend of awesome story telling and puzzles without bombarding you with walls of text or codexes that you're expected to read and without making any puzzle too difficult. In many situations you feel like you cheat the system and find a way to complete a section that wasn't exactly the expected way the developers foresaw which in it ofIf I could give a 9.5 I would. Portal 2 is a perfect blend of awesome story telling and puzzles without bombarding you with walls of text or codexes that you're expected to read and without making any puzzle too difficult. In many situations you feel like you cheat the system and find a way to complete a section that wasn't exactly the expected way the developers foresaw which in it of itself is a great feeling. A fantastic ride the whole way though. The only nitpick I have is that it was too short!… Expand
  66. GeorgeDavids
    May 5, 2011
    10
    Let me start of by saying whoever thinks that this game is difficult is a idiot. This game is unrealistic and the graphics are garbage.The game is extremely boring. Great job Valve!
  67. GlitchedPerson
    Apr 22, 2011
    10
    When I saw the user reviews for this game, I was confused. What was all this "DLC" fuzz about? Paid DLC on PC? Valve would never, I say, never do such a thing. Cosmetic items for multiplayer yes, but DLC, no. So when I got home from vacation, I fired up Portal 2 yesterday and started playing. What a wonderful game. And certainly not a mediocre game that deserves less than 5/10. AnyoneWhen I saw the user reviews for this game, I was confused. What was all this "DLC" fuzz about? Paid DLC on PC? Valve would never, I say, never do such a thing. Cosmetic items for multiplayer yes, but DLC, no. So when I got home from vacation, I fired up Portal 2 yesterday and started playing. What a wonderful game. And certainly not a mediocre game that deserves less than 5/10. Anyone giving a score that low has no credibility and they are simply just butthurt or misinformed.

    Anyways, the game is without a doubt fantastic. The controls are smooth, the graphics are gorgeous (The Source Engine still stands as one of the best graphics and physics engines on the market), the sound is glorious and the gameplay is simply amazing. The core gameplay from the first game has been kept, and the new puzzle features make a great addition. But even though the game looks sterile and very clean, it's definitely not for no-brainers. The puzzles get harder and harder, and there might come a point where you just decide to give up. I have certainly had moments like those. But the pacing is great, so the puzzles don't just start out easy and get hard immediately. It's a steady pace so everyone can come along.

    And I have not even mentioned multiplayer yet.

    The multiplayer is fantastic. With strangers, it's good. With friends, it's king! One of your mates (or a stranger), along with you take the roles of two robots that are sent through an unspeakable amount of test chambers and have to cooperate to get through them. Communicating is also easy, but it still has some hiccups here and there. Chat is available (press the T key on the PC) for those who wants to know.

    That's all what I have to say about the game. See ya!    … Expand
  68. bdsterne
    May 7, 2011
    9
    Portal 2 expands on the amazing foundations of Portal and creates a rich environment and story to parallel it's innovative gameplay. I enjoyed almost everything about this game. I only wish there were more game modes/maps to keep me playing. I hope they do DLC.
  69. AlekKolchak
    Apr 24, 2011
    9
    Have only played the single player campaign. This is a very worthy sequel to the creative Portal 1. The core of the game is still solving puzzles, but they have added a number of new mechanics. The length is much longer, the storyline is better and the humor is even sharper than the original. The environment is improved beyond the sterile laboratory setting (although you'll still seeHave only played the single player campaign. This is a very worthy sequel to the creative Portal 1. The core of the game is still solving puzzles, but they have added a number of new mechanics. The length is much longer, the storyline is better and the humor is even sharper than the original. The environment is improved beyond the sterile laboratory setting (although you'll still see plenty.) Voice acting by Ellen McClain, Stephen Merchant, and J.K. Simmons deliver some excellent and memorable lines.
    Cons: not much. The experiments occasionally become repetitive, while the new game mechanics- gels and light constructs- do not seem to be used to their full advantage. Level design outside the test chambers occasionally becomes confusing, a trade-off of Valve's tendency for realistic level design. Although you might get tired of the puzzles, this time around you'll keep playing for the dialogue and story.    … Expand
  70. vahn
    May 12, 2012
    7
    I have very mixed feelings about this game: I had fun playing the single player, even if flawed, and the co-op is without a doubt a great addition. But still, this is definitely the MOST overrated game of the 2011. First of all, the single player has a good plot that, unlike the predecessor, has a very good pace, it always keeps up the curiosity and has good twists now and then. However,I have very mixed feelings about this game: I had fun playing the single player, even if flawed, and the co-op is without a doubt a great addition. But still, this is definitely the MOST overrated game of the 2011. First of all, the single player has a good plot that, unlike the predecessor, has a very good pace, it always keeps up the curiosity and has good twists now and then. However, the puzzles in the single player are just "good", mainly because MANY resembles previous puzzles just in another format, and the new ideas (like the gels, the energy tunnels, the lightways, etc) are not used at their maximum, and in the end some of the puzzles just look similar to each others. I also heard complaints about the longevity, and I'm not totally sure: it lasted about 7 hours to me, without rushing or being too slow, but since nowadays "adventure games" (or fps, or whatever works for you) don't even last over 4 hours, I say it's "good". About the co-op, I initially had doubts, but when I played I finally witnessed how good it was: the puzzles there are very good thought and actually incite team work AND team thinking...wish they were the same in the single player. These maps infact are good, a LOT, so much that I wanted them so badly in the single player: they were challenging and I had fun to do them, because they were good, and I DARE you to do it with perfect strangers: yes, it is usually better with friends, I know, but If you can't find any friends to play with, these puzzles will make be extremely hard to complete, because I tried over 6 times, with random players, and none of them lasted until the end of ONE single section, leaving me behind and almost quitting this mode ( I have to thank a friend to help me out there, or else I wouldn't be able to judge this mode). It was a mass disappointment to discover that the co-op has good maps, and not the single player. And now, if you hadn't notice, I mainly said "good" from the start, and it is because this game is just good: it's not perfect because this game adds barely much: the co-op is a good addition yes but still this game felt more like an expansion (a costy one) with very few tweaks to the gameplay, and even if the plot is good and the co-op is very fun, I don't feel it is worth the full price (even though it's cheap as hell nowadays). I'm not saying it's a bad game anyway and actually I say to give it a try, especially the first Portal, if you like puzzle games, but it's definitely NOT the best game of the year 2011.… Expand
  71. DWlubu1998
    May 2, 2011
    10
    I dont think i have ever played a game that makes me think really hard and have a blast playing it at the same time. i feel like the story is clever and the humor is a good addition to it and the gameplay is amazing i mean i know that valve is a group of smart people but there are SOOOOO MANY puzzels that are mind bending but you feel good when you finally figure it out. i would recommendI dont think i have ever played a game that makes me think really hard and have a blast playing it at the same time. i feel like the story is clever and the humor is a good addition to it and the gameplay is amazing i mean i know that valve is a group of smart people but there are SOOOOO MANY puzzels that are mind bending but you feel good when you finally figure it out. i would recommend this to people that are fans of valve or the first game or someone who just likes bending their wits end. This is one of the best games iv played out of the MANY MANY games i have played 10/10… Expand
  72. Nicotine
    May 1, 2011
    7
    Portal 2 is fun and engaging, but certainly not game of the year caliber. Once more you are thrust into the brain bending realm of Portal where you, a single weapon and your wits are all that you have to survive. Unlike the first game which was a pursuit of the ever elusive cake, this game actually makes an attempt to create a more fleshed out plot with its own back story, which isPortal 2 is fun and engaging, but certainly not game of the year caliber. Once more you are thrust into the brain bending realm of Portal where you, a single weapon and your wits are all that you have to survive. Unlike the first game which was a pursuit of the ever elusive cake, this game actually makes an attempt to create a more fleshed out plot with its own back story, which is cleverly threaded into the actual gameplay. Of course, after a few chambers of the back story levels, I found myself pining for something different. Gel's were a nice new twist, but they really broke the Portal vibe for me, and a few of the puzzles felt less like discovering how to get to the end and more like how to paint every surface until you find success. The voice acting was exceptionally well performed, and the sounds and musical queues that pop up when you're in the process of properly completing a puzzle was nice. The HL2 engine gets a nice face lift from this installment and looks pretty good, considering how old the engine is. My pair of GF275's were able to handle everything maxed out, which was quite refreshing. Expect between six to nine hours for the first play through, depending on how smart you really are. Aside from the back story test chambers which became stale all too quickly, everything seems like peaches and cream until you come the bugs that (still) plague the game. Playing it on a console would probably circumvent 99% of these problems and provide for a smooth and clean experience, but if you're like me and prefer the precision of a mouse and keyboard to a pair of clunky joysticks, be prepared for some bugs. Reports have been made regarding glitches in sequences not triggering properly, bosses failing to properly launch their payloads and overall glitches, crashes and system freezes. I, myself, had the luxurious experience of not having any of the slender push buttons load, so when I get to the second test chamber with the glass and the three buttons, I was rewarded with three sets of flashing ERROR signs. Since the entire complex is in a state of disrepair, I had no idea that this was not supposed to happen (as the glitch looked like it could have feasibly been there). After an hour of slamming my face on the keyboard, I broke down and went to youtube to see what I was supposed to do and learned the error signs were, in fact, not supposed to be part of the experience. No amount of verifying game files, deleting local content and reinstalling seemed to fix this particular bug. After several days, the problem was corrected (though what I did exactly, I have no idea) and I was able to continue playing, albeit with a sour note. Still, bugs aside, the core of the game itself is remarkably solid and the puzzles will give your brain some exercise. Too bad about the glitches, or the stale test chambers midway through the journey. Lastly, at $60 Portal 2 seems a bit overpriced. I would personally wait for it to come down to around $50 before thinking about making a purchase. Overall, Portal 2 was a fun and engaging game, once all the bugs were finally sorted out.… Expand
  73. SlyDragons
    Apr 21, 2011
    10
    Great puzzle game and great characters. It took me about 8 hours to beat the single player story and I didn't really get stuck anywhere. The puzzles are generally pretty easy if you're familiar with the mindset of how a portal works from the first game. They did introduce some new mechanics with "gels" which stick to surfaces and have modify the surfaces to have special properties. IfGreat puzzle game and great characters. It took me about 8 hours to beat the single player story and I didn't really get stuck anywhere. The puzzles are generally pretty easy if you're familiar with the mindset of how a portal works from the first game. They did introduce some new mechanics with "gels" which stick to surfaces and have modify the surfaces to have special properties. If you're wary of the $49.99 price tag (Steam) because you've never played portal before, I'd suggest picking up the Portal 1 first. If you have played the first portal, I suspect you'll have a similar opinion as you did for the first one because it plays almost the same. I haven't played the co-op mode yet (and probably won't), but the single-player story might get one more playthrough. Also Stephen Merchant is hilarious.… Expand
  74. Greenlandys
    Apr 20, 2011
    10
    Definitely Valves best ever game. It uses Portals innovations and genius ideas and expands upon them. Portal looks like a mere test bed now in comparison. Lots of great new features to play around with and a truly compelling storyline. Graphically superior to the original in all aspects. Fantastic voice acting for all the characters, all of which are well developed and have their ownDefinitely Valves best ever game. It uses Portals innovations and genius ideas and expands upon them. Portal looks like a mere test bed now in comparison. Lots of great new features to play around with and a truly compelling storyline. Graphically superior to the original in all aspects. Fantastic voice acting for all the characters, all of which are well developed and have their own distinct personalities. The singleplayer is now 6-8 hours long and takes you through the immense facility that is Aperture Laboratories, showing you varying aspects in the companies development over the years while providing you with unique and mind-boggling tests and levels to solve.

    Co-op takes place after singleplayer, and is still very enjoyable. It also takes you through Apertures Labs as you work together under the beady watch of GLaDOS. It includes a simple and easy to use 'Ping' tool for informing your partner, and gestures that can be performed.
    Ignore the negative reviews. This is a true masterpiece on a huge scale. Funny, clever, mindbending - it is an experience you will never forget.    … Expand
  75. Zabinatrix
    Apr 20, 2011
    9
    I will join the chorus saying that a lot of the most common complaints about this game are exaggerated, if not outright false. I can understand that many were disappointed in some things, but it's hard to believe that many truly mean the incredibly low scores they have given the game.

    To give a short, spoiler-free review and recommendation I would say this: The game is great. The writing,    I will join the chorus saying that a lot of the most common complaints about this game are exaggerated, if not outright false. I can understand that many were disappointed in some things, but it's hard to believe that many truly mean the incredibly low scores they have given the game.

    To give a short, spoiler-free review and recommendation I would say this: The game is great. The writing, humor, puzzles, new physics elements, characters, voice work and graphics are all very nicely done. I believe that anyone who enjoyed playing the first game will greatly enjoy the time spent playing the second game.

    But is it worth the price tag? That's the real question here - because the complaints about the length of the game do have some meat to them. The game isn't very long. Though it seems that Steam's timer is broken and it reports shorter playtime than what people have actually been putting in, you can still finish it in about 7-9 hours, depending on how quick you are in solving puzzles. If you have someone to play with you can add a few hours to that for co-op. And if you (like me) are crazy about Valve's excellent Director's Commentary, another couple of hours of enjoyment to go around listening to that.

    All in all not a super short game (certainly not a mini-game like some reviews have called it) but it can definitely seem on the short side for the price tag. I don't think a game should be counted purely in hours though - the quality is definitely high in Portal 2's playtime, even if the quantity is a bit on the low side. Valve has as usual spent a lot of time and effort on playtesting, giving us an experience that is thoroughly refined. This is something I will always value higher than churning out as many levels/puzzles/maps as possible before release day.

    So if you're like me and enjoy a high quality experience and have the money to spare, I do recommend it. If you feel that a full-price game needs to be longer to be worth it, I don't hesitate in recommending you to rather buy another, longer game now. As we all very well know, any game on Steam is liable to experience a huge drop in price at a sale sooner or later, so if you think the price tag is too high I'm certain that a lower price tag is waiting for you.

    Now, regarding some of the other complaints in other reviews:

    1) "In-game store is just inflating the price even higher!": Yes, Valve is selling useless DLC-content in an in-game store, just like they do in TF2. And just like in TF2 you are perfectly free to ignore that content. I will certainly not spend any money on it and you don't have to either - so the people tallying the DLC-content into the cost of the game are frankly just being silly.

    2) "It's a worthless console port!": This was a complaint I was really surprised at. I was counting on people complaining about the price, length and store - but I do not get the idea that the PC/Mac-versions are bad console ports. The computer gaming market has (most unfortunately) been flooded with bad console ports of games for a long time now, and this really doesn't feel like one. Bad console ports are usually plagued by three things: Bad controls, stupid systems to save your game and sometimes really bad graphics. I do not see any of that in Portal 2. The graphics are, in my opinion, superb. The controls are just like the controls in any other Valve-FPS, not the crappy "gamepad oriented" controls we see in bad console ports. And you can save where you want, there is even a quicksave-button and none of those outdated checkpoint-systems that often plague console games. 3) "Argh, the stupid ARG was stupid and expensive too!": The complaints about Valve's pre-release-thing (with the whole Alternate Reality Game and indie-game-pack) are mostly nonsensical as well. Many say that the "potato hunt" and everything was just a silly marketing stunt. Which should only merit the response "Well, duh, what did you think?" Of course it was a marketing stunt! But it was also a fun event. A lot of us fans of strange indie-games already owned some of the games involved in the stunt and got some extra content and extra challenges to do, plus there was a huge sale on some great games. All in all a fun time to play games with some added challenges and collaborate for the silly project of getting Portal 2 released a few hours early. If you don't like that sort of thing you were not in any way, shape or form forced to participate, but I had a lot of fun.

    Some people are again adding to the price tag of the game, including the indie games from the "potato sack" in the price for Portal 2 - which is again just silly. You were not required to buy them and if you did buy them without wanting them you have nobody to blame but yourself. I for one bought the ones that I already wanted, and enjoyed the discount - so no extra money spent there.    … Expand
  76. ChrisFPS
    Apr 20, 2011
    9
    Money well spent, truly enjoyed the entire game. The co-op just made everything a lot more fun, especially if you play it with a friend. Valve really outdid themselves!
  77. AzariahWplf
    Apr 20, 2011
    10
    This review is meant for those who waited to see the reaction before buying this game. Coming from a dedicated PC gamer who has played a large assortment of games of every type, I will tell you that Portal 2 is something special. Where the first game taught us to think with portals, this game perfects the original formula, and also gives players a new set of testing mechanics. ThroughThis review is meant for those who waited to see the reaction before buying this game. Coming from a dedicated PC gamer who has played a large assortment of games of every type, I will tell you that Portal 2 is something special. Where the first game taught us to think with portals, this game perfects the original formula, and also gives players a new set of testing mechanics. Through it all, Portal 2 is the most polished PC game I have ever played, and manages to look amazing while continuing the snarky, funny, amazing storyline that was set up by its predecessor.

    Reasons to Play:

    Story: Aperture Science has changed, but Valve's commitment to immersive gaming remains at the forefront.
    Dialog: Following an act like Glados was a hard thing to do. No game could really have matched the original game, but the successor appropriately followed it up, and drove home the fact that you never left Aperture Science, and that they are still the strange, hilarious, OSHA violating people you knew and loved, and their announcements still show it handily.
    GFX: Portal was pretty in its own way, but a limited team and limited time translated to limited resources to work with, so complaints of monotony arose. There is no such problem here. Aperture Science looks wonderful, in its own crumbling, disastrous way. In my opinion, a decrepit research facility has never looked more beautiful.

    Addressing complaints:
    Length: The single player campaign lasted me 8 hours, and should easily last most people at least 7. That is the single player section of the game, and I have yet to try Cooperative. That's the length of the original several times over, yet people are complaining loudly about this. Part of the reason, and my reason to laugh at people like this, is addressed in the next section.
    Price: At $45 Steam preorder, Portal 2 wasn't a cheap game. Still, there are several things that should be noted here. Take the original Modern Warfare. It took me 5 hours my first playthrough, and yet it sold for pretty much the same price as far as I remember, and no one complained as loudly or unjustly as people have here. In the end, Portal 2 is not as long as something like Half-Life 2, but keep in mind, few people actually do make games of that length. Guess which company is one of the few who have done so lately? Valve, right...

    Buy Portal 2. If $50 is asking a bit much, wait for December. If Valve follows their pattern (ie, L4D, L4D2), it will probably drop to $20 semipermanently around that point. Of course, by then it will probably be hopelessly spoiled for you... At any rate, it's worth it.    … Expand
  78. Eyelander
    Apr 20, 2011
    10
    To me Portal 2 was great! Single player had a great storyline and a nice little twist. I am a big fan of Adventure, Action and storyline games! Multilayer will really tests you and your friends hard when it comes to some challenges.
  79. pcFanMan
    Apr 20, 2011
    10
    All I can say is that Portal 2 is a very pleasurable game to play! It's funny,challenging(sometimes easy).
    But I thank valve for not making it a low quality console game port for PC gamers! I don't regret buying this game. And the fact that Valve will release mods tools for it will make this game more amazing!
    Portal 2 is a breath of fresh air in an industry full of call of duty wanna    All I can say is that Portal 2 is a very pleasurable game to play! It's funny,challenging(sometimes easy).
    But I thank valve for not making it a low quality console game port for PC gamers! I don't regret buying this game. And the fact that Valve will release mods tools for it will make this game more amazing!

    Portal 2 is a breath of fresh air in an industry full of call of duty wanna be's & gives us a FPS that's completely different from anything else!! A Puzzle shooter..

    Also why are people mentioning Dragon Lame 2? When The Witcher 2 will stomp it on may 17th?

    Valve knows how to make a fun game that is why Dota 2 get's me excited!

    But anyway no game is perfect but Portal 2 is good in my book! I'll give it a great score..    … Expand
  80. SomberSunday
    Apr 20, 2011
    10
    Well thought out sequel to an amazing sneak classic. Well worth the Portal name and the polish put into this game shows. From the beginning levels to the later chapters, the game is well thought out. The attention to detail in guiding newer players through the levels as the difficulty slowly increases is superb. Indie Game devs, take note. The game weighs in at a fair 6~7 hours ofWell thought out sequel to an amazing sneak classic. Well worth the Portal name and the polish put into this game shows. From the beginning levels to the later chapters, the game is well thought out. The attention to detail in guiding newer players through the levels as the difficulty slowly increases is superb. Indie Game devs, take note. The game weighs in at a fair 6~7 hours of play time. The real enjoyment for Co-Op lovers is the multiplayer mode. I can certainly see the current puzzles growing old, but there is obviously room for additional levels to be created and added at a later date.

    Overall, well constructed game. The music, dialogue and level design are all put together well. This game certainly hasn't run away with it's own success. It acknowledges and grasps the 'test, we'll see' style of the original game.    … Expand
  81. Xicon
    Apr 20, 2011
    10
    Valve tweaks Portal's minimalist formula to deliver a full blown epic with a story filled with betrayal, dark humor, human emotion from robots, some shocking character revelations and genuine fun. All the while, the game's central mechanic remains as engaging as ever thanks to the introduction of some new puzzle mechanics such as tractor beams, light bridges, lasers and fling plates.

    The    Valve tweaks Portal's minimalist formula to deliver a full blown epic with a story filled with betrayal, dark humor, human emotion from robots, some shocking character revelations and genuine fun. All the while, the game's central mechanic remains as engaging as ever thanks to the introduction of some new puzzle mechanics such as tractor beams, light bridges, lasers and fling plates.

    The game looks absolutely beautiful. Valve's Source engine shines here, as GLaDOS rebuilds test chambers before your eyes. Debris falls realistically, the animations are eye catching as panels rearrange themselves, and as always the textures are wonderfully crafted. In Portal, we got to see the inner workings of Aperture Science's Testing Facility - a labyrinth of pipes, pistons and concrete. It made for very evocative atmospheric conditions, but in Portal 2 Valve outdoes themselves. The game takes place far in the future, and the run down Aperture Science facilities are exposed as giant rectangular structures in the center of a vast, vast abyss beneath the ground. This is one of the most visually breathtaking sights in any video game today.

    One of Portal's greatest strengths was its writing. The silent protagonist is a long accepted gaming axiom, and Valve does not deviate here or in the original, so the spotlight is on the sadistic AI who serves as the test coordinator, GLaDOS. Every line she speaks dripping with sardonic, dark humor, GLaDOS constantly references the player's murder of her at the end of the original game, but always is willing to put the past behind them. For science. You monster. There is a lot more than just GLaDOS here, though. A cheery little AI named Wheatley - voiced by the wonderful Stephen Merchant - provides an excellent sidekick, with a very clumsy quality to him that makes him rather endearing. In one of the game's greatest segments, the player travels to Aperture's old test chambers from the 70s and is guided by the recorded voice of Cave Johnson, Aperture's late founder and CEO. Johnson is voiced by the unmatched J.K. Simmons, who breathes life into the recordings to rival even GLaDOS. While all three characters pull off wonderful moments of humor, the game really shines in its character development. The way the three interact with each other - and, more importantly, the player - creates a surprisingly emotional series of events. The grand finale left me genuinely sad, for instance, and a number of the plot twists left me stunned. GLaDOS once again steals the show. I won't spoil how, but suffice to say a grand deal of backstory and development is pumped into the AI through the course of the game.

    Now to the main event - the puzzles! Portal was one of the most innovative platformers, and Portal 2 does not disappoint in the least. Some of the early levels are clones of the initial levels we played in Portal, and it takes no time at all to get reacquainted with the Portal Gun. The basic mechanics are the same, which is good, since the game throws new mechanics at us almost instantly. The MVP here are the gels - three paint-like substances that have special powers. Blue paint ("Repulsion Gel") makes one jump and bounce higher when landing on it, red paint makes one run faster across it, and white paint allows one to put portals on any surface covered in it. The three make for some truly intriguing puzzles that make for wonderful new test chambers.

    In addition to gels, we have lasers. Lasers are the spiritual successor to the energy balls from the original game (which are, regrettably, absent). They can be redirected with special cubes into power receptors that activate power lines. Light bridges provide impenetrable fences against turrets as well as a surface upon which to walk. Tractor beams do exactly what they sound like they should do, and can be directed with portals for some interesting platforming.

    The chambers are innovative and a number had me stumped for an hour or more at times. The single player can probably be completed within seven hours for a truly dedicated gamer trying to get to the end, but I spent a good eleven hours playing it and listening to all the dialogue. There is also a wonderfully inventive co-op campaign that words cannot do justice - it must be experienced.

    Portal 2 is one of the greatest games ever released, and a must have for fans of the original, fans of platformers, and gamers in general.    … Expand
  82. ReDDoTNeckbeard
    Apr 20, 2011
    10
    This game is awesome. Really, ignore these BS trolling reviews. This game is, by far, the best release of 2011. I am seriously in love with the COOP. I had the most fun in the multiplayer with my friend. So creative, innovative and fun. I typically don't review games on metacritic, but this game deserves a review way higher than a 7.6 (the freaking trolls are annoying). Also, this game hasThis game is awesome. Really, ignore these BS trolling reviews. This game is, by far, the best release of 2011. I am seriously in love with the COOP. I had the most fun in the multiplayer with my friend. So creative, innovative and fun. I typically don't review games on metacritic, but this game deserves a review way higher than a 7.6 (the freaking trolls are annoying). Also, this game has no DLC, it has items that HAS NO EFFECT ON GAMEPLAY that you can purchase). BUY IT.… Expand
  83. Selxxa
    Apr 20, 2011
    9
    They aren't trolling.

    This may be hard to believe, but they are actually people on /v/ and abroad the internet who believe what they're saying when they write 0 star reviews complaining about minor things like a store for optional, cosmetic, (in-game unlockable) skins and hats for robots. The opinions you're seeing here aren't a result of a "raid" but rather some legitimately deluded    They aren't trolling.

    This may be hard to believe, but they are actually people on /v/ and abroad the internet who believe what they're saying when they write 0 star reviews complaining about minor things like a store for optional, cosmetic, (in-game unlockable) skins and hats for robots. The opinions you're seeing here aren't a result of a "raid" but rather some legitimately deluded individuals who are allowing themselves to see only the negative parts of an otherwise nearly flawless game.

    I'm not going to come here to praise the game, if you want that then just go read a professional review. I'm instead going to address the particular "issues" that these certain individuals have had, and give my own responses.

    The biggest issue people seem to be having is with the so-called "DLC Store". This was something first seen in Team Fortress 2, where it stirred up nearly as much controversy.
    I'm not going to say I agree with it, because I don't. I will not be buying anything from there, and I would have preferred if Valve had not included it. This is part of the reason that I'm giving the game a 9 instead of a perfect 10. However, its inclusion did nothing to ruin my enjoyment of the game. Some people have said "The game immediately tries to suck you in to the store, and constantly reminds you of it". Well, I'm sorry, you must have played a different version than I did because I wasn't even -aware- of the Store's existence until I beat the game and poked around the menus. The store might be a big deal for me if it was selling, say, maps, or different game modes, or anything that would actually impact the gameplay. But that's not the case; in fact the store sells cosmetic hats and skins for your robots in co-op mode, all of which can be unlocked simply by playing the co-op mode in the first place. The store is only going to appeal to people with a large amount of disposable income, a group which I (and likely most people playing this) am not a part of, and therefore am not in the least bit concerned amount.

    The next complaint I've heard about most, is that the game is too short. That's closer to a fair argument, the game costs a full $49.99 on PC, which while not the price for your yearly Call of Duty title, is still a pretty hefty fee. But consider that I played the singleplayer campaign at a normal pace (that is, I explored every room, listened to all the dialogue, and got stuck once or twice on certain puzzles) and it took me exactly 6 hours in one sitting to beat it. That's not too long, but by the end of it I was getting pretty tired with the puzzles, if the game had dragged on for another 6 hours I probably would have gotten sick of it. Quality over quantity, my friends. I'd prefer 6 hours of exceptional entertainment over 12+ hours of mediocre, repetitive puzzles.
    Then there's the co-op campaign, which I have yet to play I must admit. However, from what I've heard it takes about the same length of time, depending on how skilled you and/or your partner are. So in total you're getting about 12 hours of unique content. That's longer than Half-Life 2, and nobody called that a short game. In fact, I think 6 hours is about as long as Half-Life 2 was for me.

    Finally, the last major complaint is about the ARG and people feeling like they were cheated with the "early release" Okay, I'll kind of agree with this one. I haven't been following the ARG myself, I leave that to the Internet Detectives who actually comprehend decoding radio signals and all that stuff. So, I can't really comment on the quality of that particular issue.
    As for the Potato Sack debacle and the not-so-early release, well.. I half agree. First of all, nobody forced anybody to buy those games. As well, a lot of people are complaining that "all that hard work we put into those games didn't pay off!".... You're joking, right? Have we fallen so far as a civilization that -PLAYING VIDEO GAMES- is considered work? Are you serious? I can't even begin to take that criticism serious.
    What I can relate to, is the disappointment over the release date. I'll agree, Valve made it seem as though playing those games would give us a much earlier release, more on the manner of days than hours. So I can understand people feeling cheated after paying for the games mostly for the result of getting Portal 2 out early, and yet not getting it in return, or at least not to the extent that they wanted. I'm willing to give Valve the benefit of the doubt, that they thought GLaDOS@Home would fill up quicker than she did, and actually wanted the game to release a few days earlier, but, still. A little disappointing.

    In summary, just play the damn campaign. It's miles better than the original, which was a solid A+ game. You don't need me to tell you this.

    To /v/ in particular, listen: I understand that we're still on the hate bandwagon after Dragon Age II, but I'd expect more from my comrades. You're making us look bad.    … Expand
  84. Despurado
    Apr 20, 2011
    10
    This game is almost perfection incarnate. It is so densely packed with lovingly crafted environments, biting- laugh out loud humor, and challenging puzzle. It is easy to miss the entire context of the game as you rush from one puzzle to the next. On one particular level I heard a strange tonal beat that was almost a direct replication of Star Trek the motion picture, Vger is comingThis game is almost perfection incarnate. It is so densely packed with lovingly crafted environments, biting- laugh out loud humor, and challenging puzzle. It is easy to miss the entire context of the game as you rush from one puzzle to the next. On one particular level I heard a strange tonal beat that was almost a direct replication of Star Trek the motion picture, Vger is coming home indeed.

    Overall:
    Everything a sequel should be, it's fun and irreverent, self referential and completely original.

    Mild irritation:
    I didn't like the paint so much, it doesn't fit with the mechanics of the world, IE - it fails to to keep with the limited resource theme of 1 cube - 1 button and it isn't mechanical in nature. It would have been far more fitting to give us the gravity gun with limited pieces of acceleration tracks to lay down. It would have fit the theme far better.


    So I thought I would point a few of the homages that I noticed in this game:
    Star Trek TMP- Music
    Cube - environments with homicidal tendencies
    HAL- obvious
    Bioshock - (maybe a mild spoiler )Cave Johnson
    Halflife- walking on pipes was like being back in Black Mesa, and the lovable headcrab sound is back.
    Zork Grand Inquisitor- the Wheatley character makes a nice lantern for exploring the underground.
    Silent Hill- Same mechanic with wheatley, a few seconds later,
    Mario- plumber pipes and the paint.
    TF2- All the wall posters.
    BSODs
    and so much more...    … Expand
  85. TheJoeyBear
    Apr 20, 2011
    10
    To put it simply, Portal 2 is and will be the BEST puzzle game of the entire year. What Valve has done with portal 2 is a thing of beauty. Not only have they captured that same feeling of accomplish and "woah that was awesome" from the first game, they have managed to make it seam completely fresh and new even to a veteran portal player like me. By adding in extra features, that at firstTo put it simply, Portal 2 is and will be the BEST puzzle game of the entire year. What Valve has done with portal 2 is a thing of beauty. Not only have they captured that same feeling of accomplish and "woah that was awesome" from the first game, they have managed to make it seam completely fresh and new even to a veteran portal player like me. By adding in extra features, that at first glance could seem not much different when compared to the first game, they have added immensely to the experience and combine that with the funniest characters ive seen in a game in a LONG time and the hated but at the same time loved antagonist "GLaDOS", you have the recipe of an outstanding game. Oh! did i also mention that Portal 2 includes a fully fledged Co-op Campaign with its own separate storyline? Its a blast when you and a buddy are playing side by side solving the puzzle chambers. Its even more satisfying because the addition of two more portals makes every puzzle chamber an even tougher exercise that makes you and your buddy shout "YES!" after you solved the seemingly impossible task that was set to you. Bottom line? Its everything you wanted from the first game and a whole lot more and if you're new to the series then your experience with portal 2 will stay with you forever. 10/10… Expand
  86. BlakShadow82
    Apr 20, 2011
    10
    Going into the sequel of one of the greatest, most clever games ever made, I was ready to be accepting but still expected a great game. Dealing with expectations, Valve had to both continue the Portal tradition, keeping everything that made the first game great, while also bringing to life a completely new game that wouldn't seem copied. With a beautiful makeover, original humor thatGoing into the sequel of one of the greatest, most clever games ever made, I was ready to be accepting but still expected a great game. Dealing with expectations, Valve had to both continue the Portal tradition, keeping everything that made the first game great, while also bringing to life a completely new game that wouldn't seem copied. With a beautiful makeover, original humor that wasn't too tacky and over the top, and gameplay mechanics that were familiar yet still refreshing, Valve delivered. Everyone knew that this game could have gone wrong in so many little ways that might have killed it, like a tower so high that it must be perfectly crafted lest it fall over. Portal 2 was fantastically entertaining from start to finish, and the only problem you'll have after playing it is whether you want to jump into the full co-op campaign or start from the beginning again to catch all the wonders you only glimpsed the first time.… Expand
  87. FatalExcursion
    May 4, 2011
    10
    Valve are legends of the gaming industry, no doubt about it. For those who are complaining that the game didn't go towards YOUR expectations, you're missing out on an obvious nominee for Game of the Year. Continuing the innovative gameplay and story from the first game, Portal 2 expands the story tenfold into an epic journey through the history of Aperture and the AI struggle over controlValve are legends of the gaming industry, no doubt about it. For those who are complaining that the game didn't go towards YOUR expectations, you're missing out on an obvious nominee for Game of the Year. Continuing the innovative gameplay and story from the first game, Portal 2 expands the story tenfold into an epic journey through the history of Aperture and the AI struggle over control and power. Gameplay is top-notch, and each campaign feels complete and entertaining despite their short lengths...if you're a pro at Portal. And of course, graphics are phenomenal in presenting the haunted remnants of Aperture, and Sound Design is great. Oh, and the sarcasm and humor are still there. So, if you want the greatest experience of gaming this year, Portal 2 will be your buy.… Expand
  88. TheWaulicus
    Apr 20, 2011
    10
    Amazingly well written game, well polished and a huge amount of fun to play. The puzzles are well thought out, and can be VERY challenging. Graphics on both PC and PS3 are very good. A lot more game play than the first portal, all of it heaps of fun. Funny and witty comments from both GLaDOS and Wheatley make the game even more enjoyable. Definite 10/10 from me. Multi-player is alsoAmazingly well written game, well polished and a huge amount of fun to play. The puzzles are well thought out, and can be VERY challenging. Graphics on both PC and PS3 are very good. A lot more game play than the first portal, all of it heaps of fun. Funny and witty comments from both GLaDOS and Wheatley make the game even more enjoyable. Definite 10/10 from me. Multi-player is also awesome, and there are a lot of achievements for it as well as the single player achievements.… Expand
  89. DutchMeteor
    Apr 20, 2011
    10
    Just as Portal 1, pure genius. Great story, plays & looks very pretty... I am enjoying every part of it.... Kudos to Valve for again creating a top-notch game!!

    Recommended to everyone with somewhat of a puzzle mind & humor :)
  90. himynameisjaked
    Apr 20, 2011
    10
    this is perfection in a video game. solo campaign length is perfect, not too long, not too short. the co-op campaign is pure genius. the voice acting is the shining star of this series and the talent brought in for portal 2 delivers. stars like j.k. simmons and stephen merchant bring these invisible characters to live. well done valve well done.
  91. abjorn
    Apr 20, 2011
    10
    Don't let the entitled /v/ trolls fool you, this is easily the best game of the year so far. The story is superb, and the characters are some of the most memorable you'll ever find, with fantastic voice acting. They really brought this game to life with the attention to detail, incredible environments, and cinematic quality. The puzzles were as mind-bending as they were entertaining. AllDon't let the entitled /v/ trolls fool you, this is easily the best game of the year so far. The story is superb, and the characters are some of the most memorable you'll ever find, with fantastic voice acting. They really brought this game to life with the attention to detail, incredible environments, and cinematic quality. The puzzles were as mind-bending as they were entertaining. All the time they spent on this sequel paid off tenfold.… Expand
  92. tomoxm
    Apr 20, 2011
    10
    This is no game, this is a new type of entertainment with maximum usage of brain, even it contains comedy and epic story ! A must buy not only for Portal/Valve fan.
  93. MrMr
    Apr 20, 2011
    8
    Portal 2 is a unique puzzle game. It had a huge predecessor to live up to and although it doesn't quite have the same impact it certainly is still a fantastic purchase worth your time. Let me start by saying ignore the people who gave the game a 0 or a low score when they have one minor gripe about it i.e. ARG. I'd much rather people judged the game as a whole.

    The puzzles are    Portal 2 is a unique puzzle game. It had a huge predecessor to live up to and although it doesn't quite have the same impact it certainly is still a fantastic purchase worth your time. Let me start by saying ignore the people who gave the game a 0 or a low score when they have one minor gripe about it i.e. ARG. I'd much rather people judged the game as a whole.

    The puzzles are admittedly a bit on the easy side, and although they never get boring, more seasoned players may find the lack of challenge a slight disappointment. The story and humour, on the other hand keep things interesting for the bulk of the campaign. Co-op is unexpectedly the highlight of the game, and playing with a friend certainly does take the experience to a whole new level, particularly as puzzles are especiallly made for the shared play. There is a level of ingenuity involved in the design, but there is nothing remotely frustrating, so there will be small chance of any couch fights between you and your partner.

    Unfortunately the combined singe-player and co-op campaigns clocked to about eightish hours on total, and I assume this would be about the time taken for most players. The problem with a puzzle game of this nature is that once you've solved one, there is no reason why you would feel motivated to play again.

    Despite the next to nil replayability and lack of sufficient challenger, Portal 2 is fun whilst it lasts and the fun story and ever-changing gameplay mechanics (including the new gels!) make it a memorable experience while it lasts and well worth a purchase for any gamer who wants to have an entertaining time    … Expand
  94. Soda241
    Apr 21, 2011
    8
    I loved the game, I think it could have been a bit longer as well, I got it for Xbox and I won't ever download or by DLC Content and its killing games hand down and everyone know it.. DLC make people slack. But portal 2 was good and i loved it.
  95. Merau
    Apr 21, 2011
    8
    I'll give this game a solid 8.0. I'm no fan boy, nor am I a Valve enthusiast. I simply enjoyed the first game, and I figured they couldn't go wrong with a second, and I was right about that. Also, pay no attention to those voting this as less than < 3, as they are likely mad about Valve wooing them into buying the $35 indie games pack with hoped to release the game early.

    There are many    I'll give this game a solid 8.0. I'm no fan boy, nor am I a Valve enthusiast. I simply enjoyed the first game, and I figured they couldn't go wrong with a second, and I was right about that. Also, pay no attention to those voting this as less than < 3, as they are likely mad about Valve wooing them into buying the $35 indie games pack with hoped to release the game early.

    There are many pros to this game, with a main focus on the dialogue. I laughed numerous times, especially when GLaDOS and Wheatley were conversing with each other, and also Cave Johnson is a brilliant character. The new mechanics were also a breath of fresh air. Playing Portal (1) right before my copy arrived, I was already used to the old mechanics, then the addition of the refracting cubes, and gels, and the tractor beams, it really started to become a better puzzle than "place portal A, place portal B, walk through, win." It was more of a "I need to get that gel over here, what would be the best way to do so?" Even with all these additions, Valve never made you feel lost with what you needed to do. Everything was introduced in a timely manner so that you had time to learn the functions of something before you were forced to use something new. My only gripe that I have with this game is the out dated engine. Valve really needs to step back and think about coding a new engine to use in its new games. I realize they're likely to change it after Half Life 2: Episode 3 is released, but they should have either released that already or they should have written a new code to be used for Portal 2 exclusively then used for the next release of the Half life franchise (Half Life 3 if you will). This is what prompted the -2 on the review, because a 7 year old engine really needs to be fixed. It was great at the time of its conception, but now its almost ancient in comparison to today's standards.    … Expand
  96. pdn190
    Apr 22, 2011
    10
    Absolutely amazing game. Game is well written, levels are terrific, character voices are hilarious. You really feel a sense of accomplishment when you figure them out.
  97. Redpy5
    May 19, 2011
    10
    It's a great game that I honestly recommend to everybody I know, even for the price point. Those rating it low, remember once the developer tools come out there will be loads of very, very difficult, as well as some easy and also just plain fun, maps to play for absolutely free. There won't really be story to those maps, but at least it will lengthen the game substantially, thus making itIt's a great game that I honestly recommend to everybody I know, even for the price point. Those rating it low, remember once the developer tools come out there will be loads of very, very difficult, as well as some easy and also just plain fun, maps to play for absolutely free. There won't really be story to those maps, but at least it will lengthen the game substantially, thus making it worth the $50. All in all it is an amazing game that is well worth the money, even if you have to wait a little while for the extra maps.… Expand
  98. JapeMeister
    May 3, 2011
    10
    This is an absolutely fantastic game. Sure, it's a tad short, but I still managed to easily get 8 hours out of the single player campaign. This game excels at many things, but two things really stood out for me: Level design and the characters' personalities. The gameplay is up-to-par with what we have come to expect from a Valve game. Overall, this game is a blast to play and you'll findThis is an absolutely fantastic game. Sure, it's a tad short, but I still managed to easily get 8 hours out of the single player campaign. This game excels at many things, but two things really stood out for me: Level design and the characters' personalities. The gameplay is up-to-par with what we have come to expect from a Valve game. Overall, this game is a blast to play and you'll find yourself with a big smile on your face most of the time. Mustbuy!… Expand
  99. MakeMeAPizza
    Apr 21, 2011
    10
    PORTAL 2 IS THE BEST GAME IN THE HISTORY OF GAMES!!!!

    The graphics and storyline are totally ground breaking and humorous. This is the first game I have ever played that actually lived up to the hype. The potatoe sack game collection was pure genius even offering early release of portal2 for collecting potatoes in each of the potatoe sack collection, brilliant!!! The coop is more fun    PORTAL 2 IS THE BEST GAME IN THE HISTORY OF GAMES!!!!

    The graphics and storyline are totally ground breaking and humorous. This is the first game I have ever played that actually lived up to the hype. The potatoe sack game collection was pure genius even offering early release of portal2 for collecting potatoes in each of the potatoe sack collection, brilliant!!! The coop is more fun than Ive ever had in any other game and the puzzles are awesome... I gasp with worry and anticipation everytime I enter a new level.

    The store... well I feel that offering swag such as tshirt is cool. However, nickle and dimeing for ingame content is a bit pan-hand-lish and should be removed. I mean your asking people that shelled out about $50 for the game to pay more for intangibles that should be included in the experience. Fix that and your perfect. 99.9 out of 100, get rid of the nickle and dimeing and you can have the 100.    … Expand
  100. bako_Gtar
    Apr 21, 2011
    10
    Another absolute triumph in almost every aspect by Valve, with a truly engrossing story and atmosphere that carves an extraordinary cinematic experience for the player, still fitting neatly into the cosmology of Half Life. The game introduces a multitude of new game play elements and mechanics to harness alongside most concepts of the first game. players will see the return of theAnother absolute triumph in almost every aspect by Valve, with a truly engrossing story and atmosphere that carves an extraordinary cinematic experience for the player, still fitting neatly into the cosmology of Half Life. The game introduces a multitude of new game play elements and mechanics to harness alongside most concepts of the first game. players will see the return of the benevolent and comical GLaDOS amongst an array of new and wonderfully voiced characters. Content is also provided in a healthy sum as once the single player campaign is completed, players can move on to the equally as lengthy and outstanding cooperative campaign. Portal 2 Vehemently pulls itself ahead of the crowd and will please newcomers to the franchise along with fans of the Brilliant and innovative first game a like, it is an exceptional game to say the least and will provide endless hours of fun.… Expand
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Awards & Rankings

1
#1 Best PC Game of 2011
2
#2 Most Discussed PC Game of 2011
6
#6 Most Shared PC Game of 2011

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
95

Universal acclaim - based on 52 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 51 out of 52
  2. Mixed: 1 out of 52
  3. Negative: 0 out of 52
  1. Pelit (Finland)
    Oct 20, 2011
    90
    Almost as good as the first one. Main reasons are lack of cake, unfunny Wheatley and slightly boring one-solution middle-levels. Otherwise Portal 2 is as clever as it is well written. And now Half-Life 2: Ep 3, please. [May 2011]
  2. Thunderbolt
    Oct 6, 2011
    90
    The graphics may not be of the same caliber of other AAA titles, and the story may falter from time to time, but those are paltry excuses not to experience one of the best current generation games around.
    Read full review
  3. PC Format
    Jun 13, 2011
    92
    A hilarious slice of gaming glory. [July 2011, p.92]
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