It's not perfect but it doesn't deserve all of the bad user reviews.

It has a few problems but it definitely isn't a console port. And I'm sure Valve will fix the main problems ASAP.

Also, don't listen to anyone about day 1 DLC. All the DLC is purely aesthetics, it doesn't effect the game in any way if you do or don't buy them. IMO, this is the perfect way to do DLC, maps split up the community and weapons give certain players an advantage.… Expand

Portal 2 is definitely Valve's best game up to date! The game is absolutely brilliant. The level design is a lot better than in portal 1. The graphics are great and the gameplay is just superb. Nobody should miss it. Too bad of all the trolls and haters. It's definitely not a console port, like most of them try to make you believe. It took me about 7 hours to complete the single-player and i've still got to play the co-op. DLC? There is no DLC! It's a shop with items items to for the co-op characters, nothing that affects gameplay in any way.… Expand

I enjoyed this game very much. It didn't take long to finish, but the time spent was quality time. It's funny. It looks good. It makes you think. I really wanted to find out what was going to happen in the end (and the end was amazing). My only criticism is in regard to the replay value. I'd imagine that if you want to be challenged again after beating the game, then you'll have to give yourself time to forget the solutions to the puzzles before replaying it. I could see, however, someone playing through it again just for the sheer spectacle and narrative. Great, great game.… Collapse

It may not deliver the world, and it's certainly not perfect, but someone with reasonable expectations will finish the game very satisfied, and there's no doubt it's up to Valve's usual standards. The plot is excellent, the dialog is more of the brilliant dark humor you've come to expect, and I'd say it's worthy to be the sequel to Portal 1.

The reality game leading up to the release may have been controversial, but this is another issue for another place.… Expand

Fantastic game, amazing score, most fun I've had playing a video game all year. Slightly disappointed in Valve for including so much DLC on day one, especially considering they don't point out that most is unlockable in-game. This doesn't warrant giving the game a low score. Not by a long shot.

with the minor issues related to the "console" error i have found this game enjoyable, the only reason im giving this a 9 is due to £27.99 worth of DLC on the first day plus no free items as promised in the preorder potato sack. im worried its just valve making cash out of somthing to fund EP3....we will never know..

This game was amazing. This game was as long as it needed to be without overstaying it's welcome. Funny ,great puzzles , and a great new song by Jonathan Coulton. Then the addition of challenge maps , commentary on all levels with insight on the creation of the game , a Co-Op campaign , and Co-Op DLC just solidified this as one of Valve's Greatest Achievements.

An amazing sequel. I was pleased at the number of new gameplay elements involved, the addition of a well implemented challenging co-op mode. The humor was excellent and nonrepeticious, I am really looking forward to completing the singleplayer.

A very satisfying experience, regardless of the length (which of course will vary from person to person). Also I've strong reasons to believe that there will be more free content provided as in the case of L4D series..

Amazing game. Only bad thing about it is the whole gesture thing. But hey it's optional right? GOTY 2011 so far for me. Also can't beat the low price

This is a game that everyone can play, that everyone can enjoy. Portal 2 follows its legacy, only now you can experience the full might of it, and with your friends in co-op. Sure, it probably has half the content of other full-priced games, but it is over twice the fun. I understand that some people can be deceived, but it's really the only game I've played that has really surprised me (besides the Half-Life series and the first Portal, which you should get too). VALVe said it and VALVe did it again: when we thought we had all the fun we could get, they managed to surprise us once more.… Expand

Holy cow, you guys here on metacritic REALLY need to calm down!!! Giving a score of "0" simply because a game has DLC? I think that qualifies as a review abuse. Bunch of console tards up in here. Anyways, my honest review, The game was FANTASTIC! The dialog was brilliant, the characters engaging and I'm VERY happy with the end result! Very rarely does a game live up to it's expectations and Valve has yet to disappointed. PLEASE KEEP MAKING THESE QUALITY GAMES!… Expand

This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. It's just a great game.I wonder how somebody could finish this game in 4 hours. Did they just run though the levels and forgot about the Multiplayer which is much longer than the Singleplayer?
And for those Mimimi day1 DLC guys: They are just hats and gestures like they are in TF2 and nobody complains about that and the guys who thought that the DLC would add some more hours of playing time: READ THE DESCRIPTION!… Expand

This is the first 10 score I have given, and most likely the last. I have never played a game that is so charming, clever, humourous and engaging all at the same time. It's Portal, totally revamped and made into a true game, and is a shining example of Valve's quality. While the puzzles are a little harder, and there are more elements to work with as you progress like the repulsion gel, they don't take that long to figure out. It is a lot longer than the original, 4 hours in and it doesn't seem like the end is in sight. With twists in the plot, beautiful graphics, funny dialogue, and gameplay you won't forget, simply look no further. Ignore the moronic whinging by the trolls, you will thoroughly enjoy this game.… Expand

Probably the best Valve game so far. I don't get why people moan about OPTIONAL premium content, it's not like it affects the game in any way other than making you feel less 1337 than others. I might be an 'average gamer', but i've spent 8 hours and I'm about 75% of my way through the singleplayer campaign, looking forward to the co-op. There's only so much you can do with portals and I think Valve has expanded the fun factor greatly over Portal 1. The Source engine evidently has a few years in it yet, as the graphics and physics were impressive - I bought Crysis 2 for its graphics, but so far Portal 2's been more eye-pleasing!… Expand

Portal 1 was brilliant. Short but sweet. Packed with interesting ways of using the portal gun.

Portal 2, by comparison, is grand but bland. When i say grand, I do mean comparitively. Most will have the single player campaign finished in 4-7 hours depending on how good you are at these games. The coop will add around 2-3 hours to that. While I didn't find that an issue paticularly, what i did find was the really bland gameplay, despite the features. All you end up doing through most of the game is looking for the next obscure spot that you can put up the portal. You don't have to think really when doing the puzzles, more just poke around a lot. That said, there were a couple of moments where you turn around and think, "That was awesome," but it's back to the mundane from there.

I could go on, but simply put, this game is gripping in the way that someone grabs you, pins you to a wall... and just holds you there for a few hours. Not worth the price tag unless our a dedicated portal fan.… Expand

Portal 2 was no Portal; we all saw that coming. Yet, Portal 2 did the unthinkable for sequels, in that it matched its predecessor. Sure, the initial shock of "How cool is this?" was gone - we've been thinking with portals for some time now - but the thrill was still there. Puzzle solving with portals is, simply put, entertaining, and the new mechanics were engaging but not too frustrating.

The storyline this time around was, I thought, better than the first one, despite depending on Portal for its punch. The flow of the game was steady, and overall Portal 2 was at least double the length of Portal.

The haterade is purely unfounded: the game isn't that short, and the DLC is purely visual. Valve didn't hold back any extra levels or fun content just to try and sell it on release day. As if it weren't already bleedingly obvious, you know the game has to be good when it's getting so much vitriol from the peanut gallery.

In all, Portal 2 was worth the $40 I spent on it (PC, bought the 2-pack with a friend) and I'd do it again in a heartbeat. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to round up a partner to keep working on the co-op content. As if single player Portal wasn't awesome enough, right?… Expand

Complain all you want about paying $60 for a mini game, you should have shopped around and gotten it for $35 - $45 without ever leaving your couch by pre-ordering. It's freaking awesome, funny, challenging and great looking.

If you're complaining about the potato sac deal, get over it. You bought a cool collection of games cheap and played them for a few hours. "OH GOD, I HAD TO PLAY SUPER MEAT BOY" --- boo-hoo.

The game is plenty long for the single player and co-op extends the play time out even more. If you rated it a 1 or 0, then go crawl back under your hole and play minecraft. It's free and you can play it forever.… Expand

If you disregard all of the user reviews that have egregiously bad spelling and grammar (not knowing the diference between there/they're/their, spelling 'paid' as 'pay'd', for example) then only positive reviews are left for this game. Which is as it should be, this game is deserving of all the superlatives being tossed at it. So do yourself a favor and ignore all the idiocy going on in this user review section, and get this game now.… Expand

Complaints about DLC are retarded. The "DLC" in this is entirely cosmetic. It has no impact on gameplay at all. Go read that again. It's stuff to customize how your player looks in co-op mode, and that's it. No levels. No items. No nothing of consequence. If you want a pink player in co-op, then you can go buy it. If not, forget about it and go play the game. This is not a problem.

I'm deducting 1 point because the game isn't terribly long and doesn't have a lot of replay value, but it's a damn fun game while it lasts and I totally feel like I got my monies worth.… Expand

Can I remember the last time I had so much fun playing a game? Yes. But that's not the point. Now Portal 2 is here and does literally everything bigger and better than the first part. Now, where do I start? The writing? Brilliant. Better than most books. The characters? Rivaled only by the character quality you find in Rockstar games. The story? Extremely well done. The levels? Much more diverse than in Portal and partly really challenging even for Portal veterans. The newly introduced mechanics? Genius. I can't wait for user created maps featuring all the new gadgets and technology in Portal 2. The length? Well, what do you expect from a first person action puzzle game? It's honestly a bit short but luckily the PC versions of Source games will always have creative minds on the Source SDK doing their job to keep you going back to the games. Oh, and what about the graphics and requirements? Stunningly beautiful and ridiculously low. You can basically run this on anything that operates with electric power, and it'll look great on any detail, partly thanks to the very nice art direction.
My verdict? I will lose faith in humanity if this game won't be at least in the top 3 PC games of the year. If you're a cheapskate you might want to wait for it to drop in price but in any way I fully recommend this for purchase as soon as possible.… Expand

This is a great game, took me 8-9 hours or so to finish. plus coop campaign adds more hours on to that and is pretty fun. perfect sequel to the original portal exactly what I wanted. Playing the game again with commentary on is interesting and sometimes funny adding more replay to it. I thought the puzzles were good, the humor in the game was also great. As for the DLC it's all cosmetic and optional and I don't feel like I'm missing anything by not buying it, it's fine that it's there since it's OPTIONAL. Amazing how people don't seem to understand that concept.… Expand

Great game Period. the DLC people are complaining about is cosmetic, no different from buying items for your avatar on 360. If you don't want it don't buy it. Just because you know it exists and feel entitled too it doesn't mean it should be "Built in to the game." VALVE IS RUNNING A BUSINESS.

Excellent game, blew my expectations away. A far better game than Portal 1, with excellent humour, darkness and exceptional soundtrack all besting Portal 1.

On top of that Valve gave us all 37 customization items in the store straight away, as well as providing ways for us to get them for free, in game, by playing the co-operative multiplayer. Oh and they also included a store for those who are too impatient to play the game and get the items that way.… Expand

Absolutely amazing from start to finish. It keeps the black humour from the original, and adds to it with a new character, Wheatley, the memory core. The puzzles are also much more challenging than the original with inclusion of all new physics mechanics, gravity beams, light bridges, paint... It's the most fun I've had gaming this year and it's in a very strong place for my personal game of the year award. And all tied neatly together by a brilliant story that takes you back through the history of aperture science.

Absolutely brilliant.… Expand

This game is great! An initial play through of both campaigns may only take about 10 hours sure, but it's fun the whole way through. There are many new features, and you can replay levels to get better times etc, or do things in different ways. Also I expect mods not to far away which should extend the playtime greatly. I don't care that it has paid DLC, it's all optional junk equivalent to TF hats, it has no effect on how fun the game is.… Expand

While there are certainly issues with the way VALVe has launched this game, I don't believe those should be factored into a review of the game itself. The game is fun, humours, and the bitter sarcastic GLaDOS chatter is darn good too! The game is visually appealing, etc... Good game despite some of the poor choices VALVe made regarding it's launch.

Were people expecting a 40 hour RPG with endless gameplay options? Apparently none of the whiners played the first Portal, which would help them understand it's a puzzle game. Not a 10 hour FPS. That game lasted 45-90 minutes... maybe much longer, depending on your capacity for solving puzzles. Those that claimed it took them 45 minutes, go away trolls - at minimum, this game lasts 3-3.5 hours. I beat it in about 4.5. What Valve has done with this game is incredible - I loved it.

And, they didn't charge $65 like Mr. Bobby Kotick would have. For those that are claiming $60, 80, or 90 purchases, you better check where you buy your games. On Steam it was $45, and at Best Buy it was $35. Valve has always been fair to gamers, and they have released far superior games for less money. $65 for Black Ops? No thanks. That was only 6 hours of gameplay, and it was worthless. What are people complaining about??

The menus RESEMBLE those of a console. Oh well. Valve has always been very good about gearing their games toward the PC audience, since that is where their following came from. The graphics look wonderful - especially considering they are still using the 7 year old source engine. The graphics options were above and beyond those of, say, Crysis 2, which was a very obvious console port.

The DLC wasn't even a crucial gameplay purchase. Don't base your review of the game on your own failure to look into what the DLC was and whether or not it even offered improvements on the base game. And by the way... Potato Sack DOES NOT qualify as DLC.

This game was incredibly well made, and the comic relief was wonderful! I would recommend this to anybody, except whiny console fanboys. And those that purchased on 360 and PS3, DO NOT post your reviews on the PC section.… Expand

I finished the game this morning and let me say this, Portal 2 is a masterpiece! One of the best games to come out this year. I have also played several of the co-op challenges with friends and they are some of the most enjoyable experiences I have had in the past year. And to all the morons who gave this a '0 out of 10' rating, I will explain this to you slowly so that your tiny minds can follow: You don't have to pay for the extra co-op items you get them for FREE as you play through the co-op game. Get it? FREE. F R E E ! ! If you are on the fence about purchasing this game, I hope you realize that the negative reviews on this site, for this game, are only due to the fact that the Internet doesn't restrict access based upon IQ test results.… Expand

I enjoyed this game very much BUT, the game was still to short and to obvious. At least i think that it was obvious where to shot the portals and it was never really a challenge. Otherwise the graphics was really great and multi player is ok.

Better than Half-Life 2 (my opinion)! i haven't laughed so hard in any video game before. I loved the humor and the characters. The voice acting is amazing! Took me 15 hours to beat the game. I haven't tried the online co-op yet! I can't wait for Portal 3! loved it loved it loved it! Incredible game. 10/10 =)

yea yea. We expected more from the game. But its still amazing. C'mon, is almost impossible to make something better than portal 1 and they made it! BUT LOTS OF PEOPLE dont want just a better game, they want a perfect game.
Hatters ganna hate.

Ignore the trolls trying to say lower the score.

Words can not even describe the awesomeness of this game. It's truly a masterpiece. Valve has once again created an amazingly unique experience. The only game you can get an experience like Portal 2, would be from Portal 1.

Fantastic gameplay that expands greatly from its predecessor, immaculate dialog, and co-op that is not only split-screen, but CROSS-PLATFORM. This is a great game. Complaints about the DLC and cash shop are silly. All of the DLC is cosmetic and unnecessary lagniappe that can be completely ignored if you so desire. You will enjoy this game.

Revising my original rating after playing through the multiplayer campaign as well - it's shorter than the single player campaign, but a lot more fun. My original minuses were the day 1 DLC and the length of the game - I've come to realise that there is a lot of unlockable content in-game, and adding the length of the multiplayer campaign as well it's a reasonable length game (still a rip off retail here in Australia, but that applies to almost all games). The pluses remain - great visuals, story and dialogue, clever puzzles and plenty of humour.… Expand

There is absolutely no negative part of this game. The singleplayer is chalked full of dry slapstick sarcasm thanks to the wonderful characters Wheatley, and Glados. Valve has once again shattered my expectations on the floor and poured hot delicious chocolate sauce all over it. I was suprised to see so many negative reviews on Metacrtic, It would be best not even to read them

Innovative, original, hilarious and wonderfully fun. A testament to what a sequel should be. Bioware's Dragon age 2 team should look at this game as a how to manual for releasing a sequel.

Metacritic should only accept reviews from people who have played the game. Maybe create a software to check for a valid serial number before someone can post a review because the mediocre scores is clearly from a raid. This has happened before, to Dragon Age 2 and Spore. go **** yourself /v/, and take your anonymous is legion **** with you.
oh yeah, I'm giving it a 10/10 just to spite you.

you are worthless… Expand

AMAZINGLY done! They pulled off the acting very well, 10 out of 10 for it! DLC does bother me, but it's not mandatory and does not affect game-play at all. Finished the game about 1 hour ago, and I'm still trying to wonder how I did some of those puzzles as they were very difficult.(Even though some will say it was easy) Amazing job again Valve, cept. for the DLC, but the game was great!

Better than the first and the first was the most innovative game ever. DON'T LISTEN TO ALL THE TROLLS! They are doing the same thing that happened to Dragon Age. Read all the critic reviews and you will see.

It is truly shocking that so many people hate this game. It may be shorter than the average game, but for a product of this quality and level of polish it is well worth the money. I thoroughly enjoyed myself from beginning to end. A superb game.

Can't believe all the haters are being so ridiculous. No-one is making you buy the DLC!!! It's just optional extras. I'd be surprised if it wasn't actually a joke on their behalf about microtransactions in games.
This is an amazing game and deserves much higher scores than the muppets here have given it.

For a lack of a better word: epic!!! Portal 2 should be on display in the Louvre. Best Valve game ever (at least until the next HL is released). I really don't understand what any of these negative score people are saying. Was there a mass escape from a mental institution somewhere? Portal 2 is art! I'm sure true gamers will agree. Oh... (looking at the reviews of real critics) I guess they have...… Expand

I know this isn't technically a review, but it does serve the purpose of helping the public decide whether or not certain critical user reviews are to be believed. Many people are complaining about having to pay for the potato sack to get the game early, but last time I checked, you got 13 indie games for 75% off! I think if you had bought any games from the sack with the sole intention of trying to get Portal 2 released early, you cannot complain about the Potato Sack as you clearly are either stupid or just spend money for no reason. The games in the sack were meant to be played to be ENJOYED, not to be used as bargaining chips to get Valve to release Portal early! You should judge this game for what it is, a fiendishly difficult and clever game that is immensely enjoyable from start to finish. Please stop seeing things through your fanboy-tinted lenses. It ruins it for everyone else.… Expand

Why are there so many haters? Even if you did manage to complete it quickly, new players will have struggles, some puzzles will take a while, and more importantly: did you enjoy those supposed four hours? Please, don't rate a game because of its length or its completely unneccessary day-one cosmetic DLC. Most games have avatar and dashboard DLC for Xbox day-one as well, the only difference it that you can use it in-game here.… Expand

After completing it, thought it had plenty of content, excellent buy. Pretty damn funny in parts, I would recommend it to anyone. The only thing I detest insanely about this game is the implementation of a store and the customisation. Which no doubt the majority of which you have to purchase. I'd had enough of that rubbish from TF2. If the DLC is genuinely worth the money, like new maps with some actual new content, then great. But i'm not getting my hopes up.… Expand

Valve truly excelled with this game, making the huge and detailed worlds like those of a Half-Life 2 Series game, while incorporating portals and puzzles. However, these large worlds need to load VERY often, interrupting the game with a loading screen. Overall, it is an excellent game.

I'm only giving this game a 10 to offset the petty 0's. I'd normally give it an 8 or 9. First off, hats =/= DLC. I find it insane someone would pay $.50 for a hat, let alone $5... but if they want to pay for it, let them eat their cake. It really is much ado about absolutely nothing. I am surprised at the amount of kids (presumably) throwing temper tantrums about something so trivial.


Everything else about the game is excellent. It's exactly what Portal fans wanted. Longer story, multiplayer, expanded SDK. But I feel the same way I felt about Starcraft 2 and Fallout:New Vegas. It wasn't different enough to warrant a party, let alone cake.… Expand

Okay this trolling is getting out of hand. I am going to both review the game and dispell all the lies.

#1 The game is NOT 4 hours long. It has been disproven by many gaming outlets; Rock Paper Shotgun, 1up, Kotaku, etc. On a speed run it takes about 7 hours to beat the SP.

#2. The DLC is ALL cosmetic. They do not charge for any added levels so this motion of you are missing game content because it costs money for a hat is ridiculous.

#3. This is NOT a console port. At ALL. The game is amazing and one of the best and most creative games made. Fantastic voice acting, great story, mind boggling gameplay. Better than Portal 1 in every way and the best Valve game yet. Do yourself a favor and buy it!… Expand

PC gamers are such cry babies. This game is awesomeness. You don't need any of that DLC anyway, it's just cosmetic crap for your co-op bot. The game is what it is. If you liked Portal you will love this.

Great game, little on the easy side but complete with all the things that made Portal 1 great. I don't know why so many people are complaining about the DLC. If you don't want to get it, don't.

Good god what a bunch of trolls. Please do not take any notice of what they say. Refer :
http://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2011/04/19/lets-address-some-portal-2-nonsense/#more-57468

For explanations why they are soooo wrong and are a bunch of lying c^&*s

Portal 2 is a wonderful, fleshed-out sequel. The success of the first Portal meant that Valve had a lot of reason to sink more time and money into 2, and it shows. The test chambers feel broken down and old, but still deliver the portal puzzling gameplay that was so excellent in 1, with several added features like a flinging plate, lasers, and light bridges, among others.

The story is better than the first, if possible. Better voice acting (and more of it) make Wheatly and GladOS excellent allies/villains. Of course, there are twists that I don't want to spoil, but it's worth picking up for the story alone.

The excellent combination of story and gameplay make this an excellent game, and well worth your money. Indeed, it's $10 cheaper than most AAA releases, and exponentially deeper and more entertaining than your standard FPS. I highly recommend it.

Also, please note how I actually reviewed the game, like a proper review is supposed to, and didn't just give it a 0, b*tch about how short it is (it's longer than the first one that everyone loved), and whine about how it costs money to buy some optional skins. I'm willing to bet none of them actually played the game through to its conclusion.… Expand

This game is far from a console port. The graphics on my PC are outstanding. The story is extremely well written and fresh. The puzzles are unique and fun. If you don't want cosmetic additions, don't buy them. They are not a detraction from the game.

I can't understand why people are rating this so low. 4 hours of gameplay? It took me 6 hours, and theres co-op which is another 5 or so hours. Day one DLC? There isn't any, just some >>OPTIONAL

This game is terrific. Very rewarding to play, the puzzles make you feel clever without giving away the whole barn. People who really loved the first game will certainly find this one easier to play through but still feels challenging none the less. The DLC is vanity only so don't think you are missing out on anything if you don't purchase it.

After looking through the negative reviews i have come to realize this game deserves a much higher user score than it has. Much of the whineing is about A) The potato sack ARG which isn't the game itself and can be ignored. and B) The DLC, which is only skins for co-op bots that have no impact on gameplay whatsoever. If you remove those reviews from the equation this game probably gets an 8+

The carpet bombing of negative reviews are based entirely on lies and misinformation. The game is not short (the single player will take you at least 7-9 hours to beat alone, along with the fairly beefy co-op mode on top of that), there is no day-one DLC that is of any significance whatsoever, and it is not a console port. The writing is funny and fantastic, and the gameplay builds very well on the original. Sad to see people getting their panties in such a knot over nothing.… Expand

Best game of all time! After finishing the game in about 20 hours, I bought a hat for my robot! Now my other robot wants a hat too! Thank you Valve for giving my robots lots of hats!

You'd enjoy this game if you like puzzle-games, platforms and think. But you'd love it if you have followed all the valve ARG and played portal 1. It's a MUST HAVE game for all the gamers. Best game since Half Life. Buy it, it's worth the price, and try not to use a walkthrough or cheating, it will destroy your fun.

Honestly, I don't get all the negativity. The game is more than 4 hours if you don't play it like a madman (I've got about 6 hours out of it), and that's excluding coop, and the "Day one DLC" isn't DLC. You neither download it nor does it add any content. It only adds aesthetic stuff, without which you get the same game. Sure, it's not the best game ever, probably not even Valve's, but it's a damn good game nonetheless. Good graphics, good gameplay, good and VERY funny at points storyline. Proper voiceacting, AWESOME looks. It's a bit on the easy side though, only a few places I was anywhere close to feeling stumped. I give this a solid 8/10.… Expand

If this is the game of the year, then it definitely is a bad year for games. i could see how this game could be challenging and funny to 10 year olds, but for adult gamers its just too easy and childish in its execution, don't believe the hype, its an ok game but nothing to get excited about. the singleplayer part is worth around 4-5 hours of gaming , after solving the puzzles there's no point in playing through them again, so the replayability is lacking.
i haven't tried the multiplayer coop yet but hope this offers some redeeming qualities.

i'm giving this a 1 only to bring the unrealistic score caused by valve fanboys down to earth,
my actual rating would be around a 6

Pros:
- some new gameplay elements
- occasional funny lines - ok graphics
- slightly longer than portal 1 - new different areas/settings

cons:
- The game was dumbed down, much easier than part 1 despite the new gameplay elements, which is a shame - the game tries to hard to be funny, trying to turn every line in a joke, often without being humorous
(a little subtlety would have been better)
- stephen merchant gets annoying in his role of robot orb.
- story is lacking really, one dimensional, predictable without much depth.
- Music sounds amateurish
- too many loading screens.
- occasional crashes… Expand

An already original and fantastic game got a sequel. I instantly knew that I HAD to get this game as soon as possible, because I knew I would love it, since the first one was so great. It turns out I was completely right about that. Portal 2 is much longer than its predecessor, it adds more characters, an actual plot, and it also adds many new puzzle elements to an already fun gameplay, things such as excursion funnels, repulsion and propulsion gels, aerial faith plates, etc. The game manages to keep on a similar style of addictive humour as the first one, and it has fantastic voice actors who really have done a brilliant job. This game shouldn't leave you bored, because the puzzles are much more diverse now than in the first game and there are a lot of them. Additionally the game does bring up a huge variety of emotions throughout the story, both happy and sad. Portal 2 really is a complete package, because on top of an incredibly fun single-player story mode, it manages to have gorgeous graphics, a really great in-game music, and even a co-op play. I don't mean to sound like a fanboy, but a game that can challenge you both logically and emotionally is a game really worth trying. Portal 2 gets a golden star from me, no doubt about it.… Expand

Portal 2 is good, no wait, it's VERY good. It delivers on it's promise and introduces us to rich new world. I won't give away spoilers, but if you liked Portal you will LOVE the second sequel. This sets a benchmark which developers need to take note of. Sequels can be amazing. They can build on the past and make it even better. Do yourself a favour this Easter long weekend - Buy Portal 2, lock yourself away and enjoy.… Expand

I completed the co-op today and it was absolutely awesome, the game very good but not the best game Valve has made to be honest but that's a matter of taste, however a lot of people rating it as low as "Zero" and that's totally uncalled for since this game is excellent. So I'll give it a '10" to compensate.

Did you like Portal 1? This game takes everything great about Portal 1 and improves upon all of them. This is a must play game for any Portal fan. I can't recommend this game enough.

The DLC people are complaining about is just co-op hats and stuff so it's not big deal. It isn't like an expansion pack or something a fan of the game would be itching to get. The gameplay is fun, the value for the PS3 version is amazing! How many games give you two copies for the price of one? I do wish that the Cloud Support would switch your saves between PS3 and PC, but no biggie. The game takes what was fun and exciting about the first one and multiplies it. Truly a good bit of fun in a world full of CoD and Madden.

In all honesty I think it deserves more of a 8.5, but to combat the stupidity of those bashing it for their own fictional reasons, I will give it the bump up to a perfect. Take that trolls. Buy this game folks. It is a hoot.… Expand

I really think the story is Valve's best yet. I am really enjoying the singleplayer so far and haven't touched the Co-op yet. The humor, the puzzles, and the quality have all been severely increased.

Incredibly well written game, a true comedy/drama finally brought to a video game. Some of Valves best work yet. A lot of complaint has been said of the DLC store and the ARG leading up to the release, but is irrelevant to the quality of the single player and coop game.

Anybody complaining about day-1 DLC and giving it a '0' score is acting extremely naive about the industry today (Rockstar, Bioware), and Portal's isn't even essential or story related. It's cosmetic stuff. Get over it, don't like it, don't buy it. Could be much worse...How 'bout the 'fans' support this amazingly well-written, mind-bending effort with the most refreshing gameplay you'll find today instead of bashing it for menial things. Length is hardly an issue considering the addition of Co-Op levels, adding to the complexity in incredibly varied ways. Some people should grow up and appreciate one of the few unique and fan-pleasing developers left. This is not a game forum for people to cry about their lack of confidence in the direction of the gaming industry, it's a place to judge the quality of a game for others to check and review; in this case, Portal 2 is a fantastic effort overall and more fun playing Co-Op than you'll have with any other game out there!… Expand

Every single one of you that is rating this game low based on COSMETIC DLC, a game JUST AS ALONG as it's predecessor, and over the ARG/Indie Potato Hunt, are a pathetic lot of tasteless losers. I strongly believe your disturbed and warped views of entitlement have made you forget who made this game and what this game is. Not only have the game play and visual elements to the original Portal been pushed and developed, but the same element of humor has carried through. The game is just as long as Portal 1, to say nothing of the coop, or the future puzzles that Valve will release. If you don't want to buy cute hats that do nothing but look cute, guess what? YOU DON'T HAVE TO. This is no different from any other company, Valve just ensures that it won't affect your game performance. Instead, those of you who like to play TF2 and play dressup should be ecstatic over this.

Do you guys misunderstand the entire point of the ARG potato hunt? This allowed a number of indie developers to get huge numbers of people to play their games who otherwise wouldn't have. Valve could have handled it better, but a number of fantastic studios were able to get good publicity that they didn't have to pay for. Further, you did get Portal 2 early, even if it wasn't as soon as you would have liked. I would be curious how many of you complaining actually contributed at all, much less enough to warrant your diaper wetting over it.

In the end, every single one of you whining, crying, and coming unglued over this, are a sad pathetic individual who is doing yourself, others, and the industry a huge disservice. I would bet money that the majority of you didn't participate in the ARG, didn't buy Portal 1 until you could get it dirt cheap or free, and did not even PLAY Portal 2 before you wrote your garbage complaints. Hat's off to you scrubs of the net. I hope that Valve and every other game company leaves you to rot.… Expand

Perfect comedic tone and oodles of atmosphere throughout. Wonderful voice acting across the board and superbly well designed puzzles. Valve have crafted a sublime sequel that improves upon its predecessor in every respect.

If you liked Portal and you don't have a stick up your ass, you will love this game. I started playing and couldn't stop, ended up beating it in one sitting, took about 5 hours, haven't touched coop yet but I'm sure that will be fun too. I can't wait to make some custom maps using the new gels and stuff. I just wish there were a few more puzzles in the campaign instead of all the backrooms stuff. The exploration down below was really cool though, getting to know more back story. I'm trying not to post any spoilers. I felt the inclusion of the "interactive teaser" was really stupid, however I'm not detracting from the score for that because it isn't required for anything. Another thing I'm not detracting for is the cash shop, because it doesn't matter. They had success with the one for TF2 so it makes sense that they'd add the same thing to Portal. If you don't want to use it, don't. I don't know where people are getting this "please don't turn off your console" thing, because I NEVER saw this. There are some signs that they made this game console friendly, but it's not with game breaking **** like the retarded enemies in Crysis 2. The ending was spoiled for me, so I unfortunately saw it coming, but that didn't make it any worse. I can't believe some people are that pathetic that they get their jollies ruining things for other people. All in all I loved this game and Valve did a great job. I do think that countdown thing was ****, however, because it became very obvious that it was rigged to end at the exact time that it did, and that we didn't help a damn thing.… Expand

Enjoyable as the previous Portal with sections of almost Bioshock like scenery/aura. Dark/sneaky humor still present as ever.

Co-op is a blast, no if and or buts.

Fantastic game. Looks great, funny, longer than the first, and the "DLC" is purely cosmetic. Amazing launch, and not just another cookie-cutter game. Couldn't ask for more.

Simply put: amazing, the people who bash this game are clearly ignorant of the definition of excellence. DLC is not mandatory and they have to tell you what you're buying, so to the people who bought it, there's no one to blame but you.

This game is extremely well polished, and it's all the little things that show off this fact. Ignore all the 4can morons who are trying to wage an immature campaign because they haven't got a new COD game in the last 3 months to waste their time on. This game is good and worth the money, but if 50 bucks isn't your thing wait a few months and I'm sure it will be a week end deal.

I think a lot of people aren't judging this for what it is. It's a nich 3D FPS puzzle game. It's not Battlefield 3 with Portal guns, it's not a sci-fi GTA. If you go into it expecting anything other than a series of training rooms (puzzles) with a sprinkling of narrative you will be disappointed. If you expect this to be a game that you can't finish in a weekend, you will be disappointed (for the record, most games can be finished in a weekend, Disgaea this is not). A lot of people seem to be upset (no, actually downright furious) for some reason, at the inclusion of an in-game store where you can purchase cosmetic upgrades for your co-op character. It's very misleading to be calling it "DLC", as traditional DLC for games involves new playable content. I don't know about the rest of you, but I'm OK with having more options as opposed to less options. I probably won't buy anything but I'm happy it's there. This also is a good sign that Valve intends to support the game for some time, possibly adding regular free content ala TF2 or L4D2.… Expand

Fantastic game. Suffers lack of replayability like all puzzle games, but certainly worth it.

Game has been out for 13 hours. Most of that time in the early hours. Amazing how many people sat through it start to end while hating it all the way.

Fantastic game, a good 5-7 hours of Single Player playtime not including the Co-op maps, GFX/Sound and design are top notch, another triumph for Valve

Screw the haters, this game is the best thing since sliced cake*. Better graphics, better game play, longer (steam stats is broken, campaign is 8-10 hours and thats not including co-op). Brilliant, funny, innovative, challenging, with an epic scope. If I've been payed in potatos by Valve, who knows how many they must have given all the professional reviewers who are raving. I digress. Buy it.

*

I blew through the single-player campaign from release to 8:00 AM local time. The pacing was excellent, and the story and puzzles carried well throughout the game.

The environments were rich and detailed, and gave an excellent feeling of continuity to the story. The sheer sense of scope, and the transitions between closed and open environments gives an excellent sense of smallness in the game.

New game mechanics are everywhere, and the game assumes you know the tricks to all of the old puzzles, which can lead to a few moments of frustration, but once you get the hang of old tricks, you're pretty well set. New tricks, of course, are developed along with the game. Mistakes, of course, can be made, and will be made, but it's often possible to complete the puzzles in a single life.

The script is wonderful, with a return to some of the same humor as before, save with less focus on quippy lines and a more targeted and interesting running commentary designed to evoke a reaction from the player. On me, these were particularly effective, and led to a great deal of emotion and feeling. A trick is to allow yourself to react to the words, instead of fighting or ignoring them. It leads to a much richer experience than merely wandering through corridors blank-faced.

Complaints about cosmetic DLC is simply absurd. Where many companies that charge for DLC have fatal bugs, this has manages to run smoothly on my machine and have no noticeable ones in the course of the game that I found. With that, I've purchased a finished product. Simply put, it was an excellent game, and well worth my time. I haven't played the cooperative version yet, but once my friends have finished it, I will no doubt give that a spin too.… Expand

Hotly anticipated as Valve's first release for years, Portal 2 isn't going to disappoint fans of portals, testing or dark humour. Awakening in the ruins of Aperture Science, it's clear hundreds of years have passed since your previous victory over the demented GLaDOS. The facility is choked with plant life and decay and very different from the sterile test chambers of its predecessor. After a quick refresher course on how Portals work, you're thrust into a world dripping with charm, black comedy and memorable characters.

Portal 2 has a small cast but each and every one of them has lines that will leave you rolling on the floor. To keep this spoiler free, I shan't reveal anything about the plot but the performances by Ellen McLain, Stephen Merchant and J.K. Simmons are genuinely wonderful, bringing a wonderful spark of human energy, fear, malice, ambition and sarcasm to a game populated by robots, AIs and speaker grilles. The graphics have improved as well, especially with the plant life invading the facility and the gel mechanics bring some wonderful fluid mechanics to the game. The Source engine is of course showing its age but Valve are working their hardest to keep it at the wonderful balance between pretty and capable on lower end machines.

Length-wise, I wish Portal 2 could be longer but the campaign feels right. Mind bending puzzles, frantic dashes into the bowels of the facility, all the while with the story of Aperture unfolding around you, something that was not explored deeply in the original. I have no doubt as well that community will provide some truly logic defying maps to extend both the solo and co-operative lifespan of the game. Humorous, intelligent and above all fun. Portal 2 is a strong candidate for Game of the Year.… Expand

I am quite shocked by the reviews. Most of them criticise the ARG rather than the actual game itself. You didn't have to buy the games, that was your choice. The actual game, Portal 2, is absolutely fantastic for the Portal lovers. I have never been more impressed with a game, although people say the story is on the short side. I found it a great length, and it does have re-playability as it is such a good plot line. The co-op is expansive and is great to do with friends. And it has hats - who doesn't like hats? The company have to make some profit with these DLC's but, again, you do not need to buy them. Do not see them as part of the game, BECAUSE THEY ARE NOT.

I understand people's points of view, but see this game as a great sequel with a great story and great characters who you can love. The puzzles are as good as ever, maybe easy in places but nothing short of what they were. You CANNOT call it a cash-in. It is a game, a fully-functioning fun and brilliant game.

I recommend it, especially for the price which is worth it I can assure you. Buy this game with no regrets and enjoy it.

Thanks for reading, I hope this eases your minds about this game because the negative reviews so far seem to be from a bias point of view which I do not hold.

Cheers,
xaqread… Expand

Awesome game, too many trolls on here who want baby fed. Coop is amazing and the game is very enjoyable. Good graphics, hilarious commentary from Glados, and all around polished game. Bravo Valve!

This was a simply amazing game. The writing, dialogue, and gameplay are all top notch. The Co-Op is endless hours of fun, and will continue to be. To address the trolls:
1. The "DLC" on the Xbox 360 version was added because Microsoft would not allow the In-Game Store that is available on the PC, Mac, and PS3 versions of the game. So, being the generous company that they are, they simply combined all the items from the store and included them within an optional DLC package. Those who complain about "Day 1 DLC" are ignorant trolls who don't know any better.

2. The length of the game is not 4 hours, it is estimated at 10-12 hours for the single-player alone. Those who claim to have completed it are flat out lying, or they No Clipped the entire way. Either way, do not listen to ANY user review that claims they finished the game in less than 10 hours. It pains me to see that such a great game is being attacked by a bunch of idiots who jump to conclusions. Listen to the critics on this one, Portal 2 is a masterpiece.… Expand

I am assigning a rating to the GAME. It is 100% quality. If you eat at McDonalds because you prefer quantity for your money, go somewhere else. If you want quality for your money, this is it. Or wait a year. But even that's irrelevant. A game shouldn't be rated on its cost, it should be rated on the game. This is superb.

I'll state this up front: Portal 2 is a paragon of game design. Everything about this game shows how Valve mastered the data they collected of their audience over the years through Steam and their other games. Portal 2 is filled with great gameplay, satisfying puzzles and some of the best writing you've ever seen in a video game. The character performances are spot on. It's a must buy for every gamer, young and old.

A lot of people seem to be concerned about the added store for the co-op bots, which I think is unfounded. All of the items are purely cosmetic and is hardly content they cut out of the game just to put a price tag on it. It can be easily ignored. The reason it's in the game is because it has apparently been a success in Team Fortress 2, so I don't mind Valve earning an extra buck to fund their next projects.

Valve will probably be releasing more free DLC for this game in the future, just like they did with Left4Dead and Team Fortress 2 (a game that's been receiving more than 10 huge free content updates since 2004!). Since the Source SDK is likely to get an update too, the community will get the tools to create maps and puzzles themselves.… Expand

Now, I think it is important for people to note how the split of this game is, for the most part, 10-0. That being said I think it is quite fishy that the middle vote is being left out. Let's break down the game now shall we? Voice Acting: Top notch. The voice acting was perfect and the effects just added to the perfection which made the game feel all that more amazing.

Graphics: A step up from the original game but not quite as amazing as Crysis, but remember this is a puzzlegame and it looks perfect for what it is meant for.

Gameplay: Absolutely perfect. Unlike in Portal 1 where you were faced with the same obstacles for the last half of the game, Valve slowly unveils new elements to play around with where in the near-ending all come together in one complex masterpiece.

DLC: The largest complaint I can see about this game is the fact that it has DLC. The problem with this is that there are separate reviews between games and the DLC for a reason, this reason being that DLC is not meant to be paired with the game and is in fact OPTIONAL.

Time: The second largest complaint I can see is the time of which it takes to beat this game. I can personally say it took me 6 hours to beat the campaign but for all previous portal players they can realize that the original was much MUCH shorter and so Valve has definitely stepped that up. ALSO for time making this game any longer would probably ruin it because the novelty of the puzzles, contraptions, and the portal gun itself would wear off, also this game comes with COOP(which I have yet to play) which I am sure adds even more time to the game.

Story: The story is FANTASTIC. It does not feel rushed at all despite the time constraints that people seem to have an issue with. The best part of the Portal franchise, since this game has made it clear it is meant to be one, is the humour. This game was by far, MUCH more hilarious than the first installment and is SURE to leave people pausing the game to laugh at the amazing dialogue that Valve has installed.

Music: Very engaging and made to feel as if it is supposed to be going the entire time and what amazed me in this game is that using the contraptions such as repulsive gel alters the music in a slight way that makes the music sound as if it is going along with what you are doing that very moment.

Other reviews: I feel that it is inexcusable to bring in the ARG, the potatos and the release date just because Valve promised it would be out on the 19th and so it was! The ARG let players get excited for this brilliant game and buying the indie games was another OPTIONAL task which many a Valve lover, skipped over to do.

Overall: Top of its game in every possible way and for what we know of Valve, they'll raise that for Portal 3. One of the best games I have ever played and that is not even COUNTING the Co-Op play which I plan on getting started with later today. Hope this helps!… Expand

I was afraid I would be over-hyped for this game. Watching videos, reading about others playing through it, they made the game sound like it would be perfect. After playing through the single player campaign, which took about 6 hours (and I was going through it very quickly so these people saying it took 4 hours are full of it) I only had one thought in my head at the end of it all. Perfect.

Is it the greatest game of all time? No. Did it perfectly continue the story from Portal 1? Yes. Did some puzzles make me scratch my head for a bit? Yes. Did the dialogue literally make me laugh out loud at some points? Yes. These are exactly the things I wanted out of this game. I got every single thing I was hoping for and then some. I've already bought a copy for a friend so they can play it too because this is a game that NEEDS to be experience by everyone.… Expand

NONE of the critics has so far complained about any "short gamelength". Unlike some others, I have played the entire game and thoroughly enjoyed it. The story's nice and there is nothing wrong with a cliffhanger ending. It seems the haters will use any lame reason to downrate the game. Also, the negative reviews make no allusion to gameplay or any other elements that are generally considered. Quite sad that one issue (DLC) has solely led to such distortion in ratings.… Expand

Portal 2 is brilliant in every regard. I can honestly say that. From puzzle/level design, to the art and graphics, to the soundtrack and the clever, clever writing, everything is polished to near perfection. It will take you 6-8 hours to finish the single player campaign, and even then, you will want to play it again. I have not touched the coop yet so I cannot attest to the length of that. I feel the need to take an aside and mention that pretty much every negative rating on here is extremely misleading. There is mention of $90 launch DLC. This is basically a lie, as the DLC totals to about $40, and entirely consists of hats, skins, and gestures that you can buy for the coop robots. In other words, the launch-time DLC has absolutely no actual consequence except to make your little robot look funny. It contains no added gameplay elements or "withheld" content to pull a profit. Just funny hats and skins, nothing else.

The second large complaint is that the campaign is only 4 hours for "good" players. I can tell you with 100% certainty that this is impossible. Perhaps if you know every single solution to every puzzle right away and can pull them off on your first time through perfectly without dying, as well as zipping past all story/dialogue, and never stopping once to take in the jaw-droppingly beautiful environments, you might get close to a 4 hour completion. I used to speed run Portal 1 in about 30-40 minutes, and I am telling you that Portal 2 is a 6-8 game.

I had unbelievably high expectations for Portal 2, and they were exceeded by a large margin. I laughed, I cried, I gasped, I puzzled. I love this game, and you will too, unless you are some kind of an idiot with a rabid entitlement complex and no interest whatsoever in things that are flipping awesome.… Expand

Portal 2 is a truly magnificent game from start to finish. Incredibly smart, funny, sarcastic and witty. Was laughing out loud the whole way through.

If you enjoyed the first Portal then you will love this. It is full of the same charm as the first game and at moments is absolutely hilarious. There is more variety to the puzzles, but they still have that Portal feel to them. Graphically it is a fairly nice looking game and there is certainly much more variety in the graphics than the first game. Overall, everything has a bit more polish to it and the controls even feel a little smoother than the original. If the first Portal wasn't your thing then there's not a whole lot here to change your mind. But as I said, if you enjoyed the first game I don't know how you couldn't absolutely love Portal 2.… Expand

i'm disappointed not by portal 2, but by the the people here
I actually read a lot of reviews here, and I am surprised by the negative criticism. I barely found any serious thoughts, every argument sounds like a kid trying to flame something, but who cant find anything intelligent, so he **** about the potato pack being a dlc and thats too much etc...
cmon, seriously?
criticism is based on facts, but all you people hating portal do not have any
console port? where? you have no arguments
potato collecting? what this even has to do with the game itself? does the potato pack changed the content of the game? dlc? automatically hating when hearing the word dlc? what is the dlc changing? skins? thats why the complete game sucks? thats your decision to buy ADDITIONAL skins, nobody is pushing you to buy it

i can counter every silly comment here, this is just ridiculous. Never seen so many dumb comments you all probably played portal 2 with loud music in the background, because you did not expect a story in a puzzle game, overhearing the EXCELLENT dialogues, and the deep story
you were just rushing the game like crazy, without even looking around you
and then you come here, and saying: story sucked, to short, not good looking etc
these people just don't know how to play games properly… Expand

The backlash against Portal 2 on this site is mystifying to me. As far as sequels go, it would be inconceivable to hope for a better one than this. Much of the bitterness of others probably stems from the underwhelming conclusion of Valve's alternate reality game leading up to the release and the fact that Portal 2 lacks some of the freshness of Portal 1 (but then again, it's a sequel--what do you really expect?). The brilliance of Portal 1's storytelling came as a surprise to people just expecting an experimental puzzle game; Portal 2, then can only lose points by not having even greater writing/humour/etc. Regardless, Portal 2 improves on the original with a longer and more challenging single-player mode, a co-op mode, several new mechanics, and more Portal humor. It's a great sequel to a great game. If the price seems steep to console users, just wait a while and pick it up later--it's worth your time.… Expand

I have ACTUALLY played the game and concur with the professional reviewers.... It took me about 6 hours to finish it at a reasonable speed, so I highly doubt the ones who say it's 3 or 4 hours. The actual game is awesome, and I'm pretty sure Valve will provide plenty more content in the future.

First of all, I would like to point out that the game is, in fact, NOT four hours long. The single player alone will likely take you over five hours, and that leaves the co-op mode to add much more gameplay. Some of the negative reviews on this site are not directly tied to the game, (the ARG was frustrating for some players and the DLC is not required) so I would advise you to try your best to avoid letting those reviews get you down.
As for the actual game itself, Portal 2 was a rather enjoyable experience when it lasted. The dialogue was memorable and the puzzles were clever. Trace amounts of frustration were triggered in some puzzles when it seemed like you just needed to find a tiny spot you could put a portal on, but those moments ended up not being so bad. The gels were not outstandingly memorable but added something new to the game. I would probably actually give this game an 8 or 9, but seeing how so many people are criticizing it I'll put a 10 to try to average out the rating.… Expand