This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. First off, this was a great game. The graphics were beautiful, the dialogue was hilarious, the story was intriguing, and the new gameplay additions (e.g. the new gels) were fun and interesting. The reason why I gave this a 9 (but I'd rather give it an 8.5) instead of a 10 is because I really didn't like some of the levels deep in the bowels of Aperture Science after Wheatley sent Chell and GLaDOS all the way down. I would have preferred to have some of the levels that we saw in the trailers, but instead we received several parts where we basically just had to use the zoom feature to find a portal-friendly wall half a mile away. So for a couple parts of the game, I feel like we were thinking a lot less with portals and instead just looking around for a white wall. It was also a bit on the shorter side considering the hype and all the delays. But this is just me nit-picking at an otherwise fantastic game.… Expand

Simply Amazing , the characterization in this game is the best Ive ever seen, you actually care about them and they feel so real. The game play is revolutionary , nothing like this has ever been made before. The story wraps things up beautifully . . . anyone who hasn't played this yet . .. needs too!

Portal2 COOL GAME! I love valve! I HATE PORTAL3!!! :D YEAH!
PORTAL 2 THE BEST OF THE BEST!!!!!!11111one
From Russia with love ;)
Valve thanks! Portal 2 cool!

Truly an excellent with just a few flaws. Lets just start with the positives. This game completely captures the esscence of Portal while improving it immensely. In all truth, no matter how good it was, the originally portal was really just a tech demo (a very good one at that). Portal 2 adds more sustainability by not adding a ton of new features but just improving everything. The story suddenly is completely fleshed out and you get lots of backstory about GLaDOS and Aperture Science. The new game mechanics (not to be spoiled here) are great and trigger mental activity in ways games aren't supposed to. The new coop mode just adds onto that. It's amazing how much depth can be added on just through an additional 2 portals. My only problem with this game is it's length. Although I personally am not too into the artificial re-playability with objects like collectibles, Portal 2 literally offers no chance for any re-playability. The point of a puzzle game is to get you to think. Portal 2 does that, but after you solve the puzzle once then you will know how to solve it again, maybe even faster. There's very little point to playing the game again. Extending off this the game was also extremely short (I finished in under 5 hours). That's not me bragging, I usually finish games in around 20-40 hours, I'm just a little slow, but for me those 5 hours, while enjoyable, were just much too short. Playing through coop took me a little longer but it still only extended it to 13 hours or so. Either way the game cut a little short.

Overall, the game truly is amazing. It will give you one of the best experiences for the short time you'll be playing it until you beat it and then never touch it again.… Expand

This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. This game in a nutshell, is a work of genius. The way that the humour is so skillfully intertwined with such dark subject matter, and the fact that the game has such involved levels; which will cause people to actually think, rather than just "run and gun" which most modern games seem to be about. It is usually the fact that cinematics are more impressive than the actual gameplay of the game- in this case, they are both as impressive as each other, from the powering up of "GLADOS", to the fantastic ending of the game. It seems that Valve don't appear to be able to stop bringing out quality games for the PC! Great job!… Expand

Possibly the greatest Valve game created. Graphics and animations are superb, gameplay is addicting and extremely fun and the sound is excellent. The humour is hilarious and the characters have really awesome personalities. The only thing I found bad about this game is that tests give no hints on how to complete it, which means you can be stuck on one level for several hours.

It's not a heavenly portal but it most certainly manages to entertain. The story incorporates many darkly humorous elements to support a gameplay that is thoroughly thought invoking. All throughout the obstacles change enough to keep you occupied but not so much as to make you feel lost. The threads spin together and as the game progresses it gets more interesting growing with its mechanics and the telling. Towards the finale there is a lot to see and the ending sequences are terrifically fun. If physical puzzles and science humor are your cup of tea then so ought this.… Expand

Great, just great. Plot is very intriguing, some giant computer is making fun all the time on you and trying to screw you as much as she can.

I don't know how game is so simple and so much interesting. I don't like maze or "logically" games cos they are for narrowed minded ( no offence but 100% of that type of games are linear), and often non-logical.

In this you have no bugs, no stupid hidden buttons, pappier under camouflaged door step or passage to find. Just riddle and your mind. Clean and provocative.

GREAT i gave it 10!… Expand

The Dark humor and compelling puzzles make this a must play for anyone with a pulse. Valve consistently creates masterpieces that will last in the memories of the players for the rest of their gaming lives, and this is no exception. Unfortunately, an experienced player can beat the single player in around 5 or 6 hours in a good run, but they are without a doubt the best few hours you'll spend playing a game, until Half-life Episode 3. "I'm Cave Johnson, We're done here."… Expand

From the moment that i awoke in my relaxation room, i knew that Portal 2 was going to exceed all expectations that i had. Upon jumping out of the room, i had to stop playing just to show everyone in my household the hilarious writing that i had already seen. Did i mention i wasn't even 5 minutes into the game yet? I took a break for the day though after the intro, probably because i had already gotten more out of this game than i usually do out of other games i play. When i went back to playing it, i was hooked, and the game got better and better. As the game went on the puzzles got more creative, the characters were developed more fully than in almost any other game, DESPITE THE FACT that the characters were robots. Overall, i would say Portal 2 is a game that will hook you with it's plot twists and humorous characters, and is a game that nobody should miss.… Expand

Best Valve game to date. The story and puzzles never fail to boggle the mind. Shows how a little title packaged with a few other games can claim it's own title of Game of the Year 2011. My pick of the year so far.

Awesome game! No flaws worth mentioning. I was a big fan of the first game, and I don't know why more people weren't. I tried to explain it to people who I'd have thought would like it, and their eyes glazed over, like "OK...". The second game picks up right where the other left off, with a little bit of a reminder as to how everything worked. Then it continues with the great sarcastic humor and perfectly thought-out challenges that just builds upon itself so cleverly in every way. Yeah, I'd give it a ten. Mind you, although I've finished the single-player, I've only spent about 45 mins on the co-op mode. I think that is brilliant so far too, but you should take that into account.… Expand

This is an incredible game. The production/professionalism regarding Valve is unmatched. I cannot believe how well crafted this game was; I just cannot think of a single flaw. As far as graphics goes they're amazing and ran incredibly well with how ancient my computer is. The sound quality is also top notch. I thoroughly enjoyed the ARG promotions and wonder why people always question a good thing. Ignorance I suppose. Anyways, if you're a mature player who enjoys an engaging story and a sense of accomplishment I highly encourage you to buy this game for yourself or as a gift on Steam. You will be a happy camper! Thanks for reading my review, and thanks Valve!!!… Expand

Awesome game what more can I say. It makes you laugh, enjoy, think, it has also good graphics, sound effects, awesome voice acting and excellent story and co-op mode.

This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. I love the gameplay and the gfx.
This is the best game of its kind.
And i really love the co-op mode in this game to play with your friends, thats just a awesome game!
I can only recommend it.… Expand

What is with all the negativity? I mean I know it features quite a short story but that really is no reason to give it such low marks, It was an astonishingly immense experience. The voice acting was great and the comedy was non stop hilarity. You can flame on about fan boys all you want but the real reason this deserves a 9 is because it was better than the 1st game and by a long shot, I have played through co-op multiple times and enjoy it every single play through. It's one of those games you get the most out of and you feel like you must hang onto it, then you find yourself picking it up again and enjoying the feeling once more that you don't know the puzzle solution because you've forgot.… Expand

This game is a serious game of the year contender. This game looks beautiful even using an old game engine, has an amazing story, awesome voice acting, and an ending that will truly leave you smiling and give you something to remember. This game was every thing I expected and more. If I had to recommend this game I most certainly would. The Co-op is super fun and allows you to play with your friends for the first time in the Portal series. This Co-op is about as long as the story so it doubles the playability. You will most likely play this game more then once like i did with Portal and will do with Portal 2. Valve announcing today that there will be DLC's for this game, so you would expect to get a lot of game time out of this game. For the PC version of this game there will most definitely custom maps as well as challenge levels as there were in the first game. In conclusion, this game is a must buy that after all DLC's and custom maps you will get 30+ hours out of this puzzler. I highly recommend it to anyone, but a word of warning. if you are planing on buying this game and haven't played Portal 1 then go and play that first or you will be lost.… Expand

Ahh Valve. You know how to make me laugh and make me sad, make me smile and make feel stupid for not seeing it sooner. The highs, the lows.. It's so brilliant. Well written, masterfully paced, beautifully atmospheric. This is one of the best games you can play. You can tell they had fun making this game. Get it and you won't be disappointed.

I loved it! This game had great puzzles, a great story, and great humor. I haven't laughed this much in a game ever. This game wasn't too long, but it was the right length. Any longer and I would have probably started getting tired of the puzzles, but they had the right pacing. I haven't tried much of the co-op yet but what I have played was pretty fun. It's nice to have to work with someone else and pick apart each other brains. One of the best games I think in the last couple years.… Expand

Fantastic game. Easily the funniest and best written game in history and one of the best games ever made period. Portal 2 is fun, smart and gorgeous. The people on metacritic who are rating it low because of a supposed "4-6 hour" campaign are either lying or stupid or both. The single player campaign took me 8 hours to play through on my first go and the Coop took about 7. That's 15 Hours of one of the greatest games ever, don't be an idiot, and buy it.… Expand

The best game experience in last three years and one of the best games of decade. Studio Valve shows how to do game for gamers and also how to earn big money. Best studio in the whole industry. Story, humour, graphics in Portal 2 - everything is epic here. And... now announced DLC for all platforms FREE - who else can offer it to the players?

I really liked the game, almost a perfect continuation and it wasn't too short, luckily. It was REAL fun. But it wasn't a real challenge, not like the first game. I give it the max score because I trust that Valve will release DLC-s soon, with more challenging levels, so the fun is not over yet.

This takes the first one, as amazing as it was and iron's out it's few issues. A brilliant game in every way and probably the best that this year will see. Those who say the game is short, will never be satisfied. No matter how much they make of this game, it will always leave you wanting MORE.

This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. First off, I loved Portal. It is easily one of my favourite games. So the time waiting for Portal 2 seemed like an endless pain.
When I first played Portal 2, I was blown away. I love the new mechanics such as the Hard Light Bridge or the different Gels. They make the game more complicated, and that's what I wanted from Portal 2.
I have one problem: The game doesn't feel like the original Portal did, but much rather like Half-Life with a Portal Gun. Portal had those small rooms, where you never knew what's going to be behind the next corner. Portal 2 does pretty much the opposite: Huge spaces in most of the levels. And those huge spaces take away the feeling of Portal.
The game is probably the funniest game I've ever played. Portal was already funny with Glados, but Portal 2 pitches in two more Characters, Wheatly, the "biggest Moron ever built", and Cave Johnson (he "owns the place"). The game makes you feel attached to those Characters very fast and actually draws very accurate picture of all of them, even if you never actually see some of them.
The ending was pretty good, too. I was anticipating a Song like "Still Alive", Portal 2 had the Song "Want you gone". A pretty good song, too, but it isn't quite as good as "Still Alive".
So in the end, I could say that Portal 2 is a really good game, but who searches for the feeling of the original game wont find it in this game. The game should've been named: "Half-Life: Portal" or something like that. I still recommend playing the game to everyone, because it is an awesome game.… Expand

The Negative Nancies rating this game at 0-4 are all butt-hurt dwellers and trolls. I loved the new puzzle mechanics and story and hats off to the environment team because this test facility feels huge and alive! The last game I had this much fun playing was Portal 1.

Macht doch bitte mal die Augen auf!
Langsam nimmt das Ganze AusmaÃ

First, the positive: The first fourth of the game is brilliant, the second fourth is good, and after the trainwreck that is the next two fourths, they manage to recover with an ending that surpasses the original. The writing team was on their game for the introduction scenes and the dialog is witty and well-written, however, many of the gags are repeats or based on the same patterns already established in the original. The gameplay is fun as it introduces the different concepts after GLaDOS's re-awakening.

However, after it finishes introducing the concepts the negatives begin.

The negatives: First, the game was designed primarily with consoles in mind, likely for marketing reasons (you can charge console gamers more and they are more likely to pay it). Unfortunately, this shows in the actual design of the game-- there are no puzzles which require finesse to perform-- i.e. chaining portals while in air to get to a destination. In fact, very few can actually be considered actual puzzles. Often the only difficulty involved in solving these is looking for an obscure section of wall that you can hit with the portal gun. So rather than an intellectual exercise, it's more of an observational one. I am positive that the marketing team, during playtests, had idiots come in and get frustrated when they actually made a challenging puzzle, and so they kept dumbing it down to the lowest common denominator crowd until the element of challenge was nearly all gone.

The gels could have been fun. They weren't. They were poorly introduced and then sort of slopped about levels rather than intelligently integrated into the game. It was a fun concept that panned out poorly in practice.

Then we have the horrible parts of the writing-- basically, whenever the authors attempt to step outside of the bounds of the original and try to make GLaDOS a sympathetic character or "deepen" GLaDOS. It backfires horribly and undermines her core character rather than reinforcing it. The ending manages to salvage this a little, but it still was a very disappointing failure on the part of the writing staff. The obviously predictable "twist: was the worst part of the game. And the hammering in of certain lines "HE WAS PROGRAMMED TO BE AN IDIOT." "DID I TELL YOU HE WAS PROGRAMMED TO BE A MORON." "HE IS A MORON, DO YOU GET IT". Was absolutely painful. It betrays the most important maxim of writing "Show. Don't tell." The entire writing staff should understand that they failed to create a compelling story here. They could have salvaged this easily if they had just considered this: There is something more dangerous than a genius trying to kill you. It is an idiot trying to save you, particularly when the idiot has access to lasers, spikes, buttons, and an entire gadget factory.

The ending, as mentioned, makes up for some of the failings of the game and manages to give us a pleasant send off. However, it's not worth anything more than $30 and they would have made a better game if less Marketing people were involved. The original Portal was good because it was actually brave-- if you couldn't figure out a puzzle the game wasn't going to dumb it down. It actually respected the player's intelligence. This one didn't. At all.

All in all I give the game a 7.6. The original Portal was original. Rather than stand on the shoulder of giants and make something incredible, this game simply puts a hat on something that was already good.… Expand

I believe this game to be the best I've ever played, it took all the flair, originality and general awesomeness from Portal, and intensified it. The voice acting, humour, game play, puzzles, online co-op were all brilliant, and I loved every moment I spent playing this game.

The Left 4 Dead games, although brilliant, fell short for me as I prefer singleplayer story-driven games. Valve's singleplayer adventures are back and better than ever with Portal 2, and added to that is all they've learned about co-op with Left 4 Dead. This mix of a genuinely exciting and hilarious story with a separate, finely-crafted co-op campaign makes for Valve's best game since The Orange Box, the best game of 2011 so far and puts Portal 2 firmly in the sights for Game of the Year.… Expand

Portal 1 is why I bought a PC for gaming, and it was worth the price of admission. As a result, I was introduced to Steam, and a host of wonderful games. However, no game since Portal 1 has caught my whole family's imagination, until Portal 2. The puzzles are just as fiendish, and the story just as intriguing. The cooperative mode will at least double the replayability of the game, making it an even better deal than the first game. My only complaint is that I wish there were more, but even at 8 hours of family collaboration on puzzle solving, it's a fine deal. I hope there's more content on the way. In summary, this is why I play PC games.… Expand

This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Funny character design, some test chambers design is amazing, particularly the old and you find the true guys to dub. But the difficulty is too simple, i guest these chambers is for testing animals more than humans. The length is another flaw of it, it doesn't matter if price is lower than $30. Totally, valve, you have done a good job.… Expand

Best game valve has produced to date. Great storytelling, animation, brilliant in a very minimal, pure way, with an innocent and entertaining plot. Simply the best puzzle game to come out in years.

Absolutely great sequel to absolutely great Portal. You'll fall in love with characters, story, Aperture-based background and plot points changing everything. Single player: 10/10 Co-op: 10/10 Final score: 10/10 :)

Portal 2 is a masterpiece. The game play is outstanding, the writing and voice acting are top notch, the levels and atmosphere are immersive, and both the single player scenario and the co-op game are just simply non-stop good plain FUN. It really is something special. There is only one flaw that I have come across in Portal 2: the game comes to an end. Hopefully updates and DLC will fix this. Seriously, this is a game that everyone can play and have a blast with. I found that it was worth it at full price. You'd certainly have to be out of your mind not to pick it up on sale. You monster.… Expand

Portal 2 has taken the place of my FAVORITE GAME OF ALL TIME! Seriously. This is from someone with ~30 years of gaming experience. Portal 2 tops the original Portal, Half Life 2, Day of the Tentacle, and the Secret of Monkey island (some of my previous all-time favorites), and is just an incredible, enjoyable experience. I've spent about 25 hours with it so far, including single-player, co-op, starting to replay single-player with the commentary nodes, and going for achievements. With more free DLC announced already for the summer, I can say that there are many hours of game time left. This is a game I can see myself taking 'off the shelf' and replaying many years from now. And of the time that was spent.... brilliant. Just quality gameplay.

This is definitely a 'Must Play', and this is also the first time I have EVER written a game review in my life. The low user score prompted me to register on metacritic and write this. A game this good deserves a better score.… Expand

Before i start my review i have to say i'm dissapointed to find out how many STUPID people are out there saying theres DLC that costs over 50 euros, this "DLC" that people call are simple hats,skins and gestures for your co-op charatcer THEY DO NOT EFFECT GAMEPLAY AT ALL. DLC has been announced by valve for this summer it will feature new SP,CO OP and Chalange levels for FREE. Ok now time for my review, the game has brilliant voice acting and writing, the graphics are not shockingly good(but Still VERY GOOD) but once you check behinde the retail box and find out then this game could run on max settings with 6 year old PC you'll be shocked then valve managed to squeze out so much power from their old 2004 source engine, valve could probably make their old Gold engine look next gen. The SP in the game is 7-8 h long and the Co-Op is around 4 h, both game modes have their own story,characters and hilarious dialog. The game has one of the best endings i've seen in a videogame for a very very looooong time. So my final words are BUY THIS GAME, you won't regret it at all, ignore the stupid negative reviews which are probably just plain trolls.… Expand

One of the best valve games ever , it has met my expectations with a bang and really shows that valve has what it takes to be right up there Graphics are fantastic cant see how any body with a brain can put this game down

Portal 2, the sequel to the wonderful Portal, has everything that Portal has, except that feeling of mock gravitas. While the game is interesting in its own right, it largely fails to go back to its roots of Portal, and feels like it tries a bit too hard to add depth where depth was never needed. However, the depth is appreciated, albeit attached like an odd appendage, and so doesn't detract from the game's storyline.

The game play is wonderful, and the addition of other environmental elements (not listed for spoiler reasons), including the 'original' (predating those used in Portal, but now available) test elements, enhances the game play so much that it is almost possible to overlook the failed attempt at gravitas.… Expand

Portal 2 is the best puzzle game I have ever played (though I don't play many). It's amazing from start to finish, with it's great humour and mind bending puzzles.

Portal 2 also includes a co-op mode which is just as good as the single player. The co-op puzzles can get quite difficult whilst using 4 portals, lasers, gels and more..

Portal 2 is the best game of it's type so far this year, or possibly the past 4 years, with great characters, dialog and fantastic plot.… Expand

I played this game over at my friends place , since i was skeptical of the 40â

Its amazing how a game actually manages to have the best gameplay, as well as the best acting and writing I've encountered thus far this year. If you enjoyed Portal 1, you'll enjoy this.

An essential addition to any gamer's collection. I found the game highly enjoyable in all aspects (sound, graphics, story, play) but one: my partner-in-crime and I could've finished the vast majority of co-op mode without the other if it weren't for the fact that we needed the other to step on a button or two. However, this didn't really detract from our overall enjoyment of both play modes, and the 25 hours I've logged so far are just the beginning.… Expand

What an amazing game, truly this is another masterpiece coming from Valve. A true sequel, though not as surprisingly delicious as the first Portal, but that's because expectations where WAY high. It's not easy to compete when a game is being compared to the original portal, but even with that in mind Valve did a great job creating this sequel. Fans will not be disappointed. The lack of challenges will be fixed soon with a FREE-for-all-consoles (yes, including xBox) update. I love you Valve!… Expand

The quality of the game is simply amazing, the storyline is well made, the graphics are nice, the gameplay is outstanding. Valve sure knows how to make awesome video games. 10 / 10 !

I have only 1 complaint, it felt short. Even with the co-op. But it was a joy to play, hilariously funny, and fairly unique (other than the obvious---you know, the portals). Once you've finished it I'd recommend going through the levels and listening to the developer commentary. There are some very interesting tidbits in there. Also, the Final Hours of Portal 2 (on the iPad) sheds a lot of light on how original game play, new game play elements, and the story came together...almost at the last minute; plus some hints some possible new IP from Value.… Expand

Very fun game, Funny character's, Great Story, but a little short for my taste. Still a great hit. It really can make you feel smart when you complete a level, but make's you feel dumb when if you get stuck for a few min's longer than you should have. One downfall, not bad enough to make my score change, but add more puzzle missions, just for fun, ya know they should have made more Test's you could do, not for the main story. They did a great job with Co-op, play PC with PS3, to bad they didn't make a solo style one also, like campaign but without the story.… Expand

The people rating this game low are wrong. Objectively. Look, I'm usually the first to say that art is subjective, and opinions are opinions, but you are wrong here.

First, the difficulty - of *course* Portal 2 felt easier. Go back and play Portal again. See how easy it is now? In fact, playing Portal again is very instructive, because it highlights just how much of an improvement Portal 2 is. Half of the difficulty in Portal was learning to 'think with Portals' - it was the underlying game mechanic that made it difficult. Once the novelty wears off, of course things are easier.

Portal worked because it had a tight focus and a deep sense of isolation - there were only 5 characters (depending on how you define characters - Rat Man, Chell, GLADoS, Turret(s), and Companion Cube), only one was human, and that was fantastic. But the sequel is funnier. It has better writing and direction throughout. More variety in the puzzles and environments.

It is a very different game, but if Valve had just made 'another Portal', it would have felt like a hollow sequel. They instead tried new things, both with the puzzles and with the narrative. The listened to the old advice of innovate or die.

Now, for the DLC criticisms. Please read this: http://www.escapistmagazine.com/articles/view/columns/experienced-points/8819-Experienced-Points-DLC-for-Dummies… Expand

This is a great game, I LOVE IT! The characters fit with the game, and it seems like revenge from Portal 1. There's many mysterious events in this game that completely changed the entire game! I don't like to give spoilers, but while you play this game, you won't believe how much the game changes while you're through the game. From time to time, the characters change, Everything goes completely different, after a while the game gets confusing and a TRUE puzzle. Most people say its quick, because a lot of people press "alt, tab", go on youtube, and watch the tutorial, then it takes less than 5 minutes. The game is a lot more fun when you don't go on videos to cheat, watch spoilers, and much more to ruin this game. Ok, so anyway. These puzzles are outstanding, the maps are great and the obstacle courses are unbelievable! Your mind will be blown at the begining of this gameplay if you buy this game. So, If you haven't bought it yet, It's totally worth the money!… Expand

The most enjoyable 6 hours of gaming I've had in years. The puzzles were balanced pretty much perfectly, the dialogue writing was funny, and the visuals are stunning. What else can you ask for? Eagerly waiting to try out the co-op mode next.

A worthy successor to Portal. The game's fast paced puzzling and humor are it's strong points. And for those looking for more of a challenge the co-op mode offers more complex puzzles. Though it's a longer game than the original, it's still only 5-10 hours long depending on your pacing. However, these are 5-10 hours well worth spending.

Portal 2 is a new fresh addition to the game-world of today, when I think of none-violence games that really made it Portal and the Sims are the only ones that comes to mind. Like it's predecessor Portal (1), Portal 2 is a puzzle based game played out with portals with a sense of humor. The game is great and well thought through, although the Singelplayer missions miss the "magic" that Portal (1) had, but that is gained in the new co-op mode. The only thing that brings it down is that it's not Portal (1), and that's it's only flaw. It's not easy to be the sequel to what can possibly be the best game ever made. 10/10… Expand

I think that this game could be much better if the developers paid more attention to a single game, not multiplayer. The desire of developers to create multiplayer games sometimes adversely affects the quality singles. This trend has recently intensified. The more recent statement Valve refusal to make the game singleplayer game embraced with cautious cold.

Enjoyed the atmosphere and settings of the game and puzzles were really satisfying. Just finished a single player and final boss was very very easy puzzle compared to some other puzzles of the game. It's quite long game as for fps puzzle and well worth the money spend.

Portal 2 is no 10... But its a solid game for sure. The puzzles are very smarty designed and the dialog is really humorous. Every time I'm on the verge of getting bored, there is a twist in the next puzzle. The co-op mode takes it that extra step further!

I played the prequel and found it hilariously fun, coming in the orange box as an insane deal it was totally worth it. The game offers more of what made Portal fun: Puzzles, ridiculous robot humour and... well, making portals. It even adds a coop mode which improves the experience even further. While this game surely is a lot of fun it is also really short. For a price of 50â

BEST GAME BY VALVE AT THE MOMENT! They always know how to deliver the quality of a game that we want. Valve is the number 1 game developer at the moment and I can positively say, that this is a game you should buy. Now we must just wait for HL2 Episode 3

This game... wow. Pretty darn good. It's hard to formulate an actual description why it's so good. The only thing I can really do point out the few tiny flaws about Portal 2.

My biggest problem is the amount of loading screens, especially in the first half of the game. In Portal 1 you would play through 2 to 3 puzzles before the game would have to load up the next level. Portal 2 is more detailed than the first but the environments still look small enough that them could have fit them together into one level instead of splitting them up with loading screens. All the loading screens kind of hinder rush you might get by completing in rapid secession and kind of break the emission. I can understand this in CO-OP because you want to be able to select a particular puzzle you want to go back and play with your partner, but with single player there's no real need for the amount of loading screens that were present.

The second problem I found was, not to say I didn't get stuck anywhere but, over all looking back at the game I found it to be fairly easy compared to the first game. In Portal 1 there would be a complete wall of where you were able to place portals where in Portal 2 there seemed to be less wall space you are able to shoot a portal onto. This kind of give the player less options of to where to put a portal. Limiting this allowed the player to place portals in the correct places almost for you, thus solving each puzzle faster.

Another thing that made the game easier is that there aren't any puzzles that require the player to preform quick "twitchy" movements or actions. This means that the puzzles are more about figuring them out then actually preforming the actions to solve them. This isn't a bad thing but some players, including myself, miss the "twitch" gameplay element in this title.

Also I found the game to be a tiny bit short for a full 50-60 dollar game. It took me about seven hours to complete single player and about six to beat CO-OP. As a shooter this is a bit longer then your average Call of Duty or Battlefield but as a puzzle/adventure game it seems kind of short. This is really true with CO-OP since there's really no re-playability what so ever. This is shockingly short if you compare this to other Valves other first-person shooter games like Half-Life 2 which took some players 20 hours to beat! With that said Valve is planning on releasing more content for the game in the near future, FOR FREE, including the "challenge chambers."

The covers the bad things. To some people would be annoyed with these problems, but they can be overlooked with the sheer quality of the game and fantastic writing and voice acting. The one thing that really got me was the single players ending. OH, MY, GOD. AMAZING! If this was another game they wouldn't have been able to get away with this, but because this is Portal it totally works and ****, is ever so amazing! It has to be the best ending to a game I've ever seen, ever.… Expand

Whoever is giving this game negative reps needs to wake up and smell the reality. THIS IS THE BEST PC GAME EVER MADE. The plot is fantastic, the gameplay is just awesome, the length is goodly, the co-op is very cool... I just can't think of enough good things to say about it. I have friends who play it on Xbox and PS3, and even they say it's better than anything they're ever seen. Yes, I know that it isn't Call of Duty- that doesn't mean that it has to get a negative review, derp. Portal 2 exceeded all my expectations, and I look forward to the DLC map package coming out this summer.… Expand

Great game. I can't decide what game I like better, Portal, or Portal 2. I think I'll go with portal because it felt so original at the time, but by definition the sequel can't be completely original. That doesn't mean it is a rehash - not in the least. They introduce plenty of fun new concepts to combine and play with. That along with some new feeling locations within the compound, new characters and dialog, etc. it never feels like the same old thing. Although I think I liked Portal 1 a little bit better overall, I liked the ending of Portal 2 better, it can easily be described as epic. If you liked Portal 1, you'll like this just as much. Highly recommended!… Expand

Portal 3? perhaps our hero will run into Morgan Freeman in her visit to the outside world, She could get him past locked doors, he can save her from those nasty head humpers. OK maybe not, but Portal 2 single player COULD have been more challenging, but overall is was very entertaining, and the multi player is hilariously fun, although i think my friend mashed me in the first door a few TOO many times, but that's OK I got him back with a ninja portal to the abyss.… Expand

Massive Gameplay with new complexity due to the new elements but less difficulty!
The Story and the Dialogues hide the lack of difficulty and length well.

The Coop-Mode is the biggest innovation in the Sequel but, again, it is too short! I loved every millisecond of this Game

There's no magic inside, just the stuff I would expect from any serious studio. Paradoxically, its still an exception. Considering the garbage thrown at us from all sides, Portal 2 is creating contrast and deserves 10+.

http://reviewingbadger.blogspot.com/2011/04/portal-2-review.html

Extended review about this great game. No spoilers, some teary moments. Enjoy my friends.

Portal 2 has become one of my favorite games of all time and will probably be runner up only to Mass Effect 3 or Skyrim for my favorite game of the year. The levels were innovative and challenging enough to make me think but not get aggravated and predictably Portal 2 had me laughing all the way to the end or the credits. Also, I don't understand why a bunch idiots gave Portal 2 a bad review because it was too short. One could easily rack up over 20 hours with single player, coop, and the developer commentary. Just because you're forever alone, have no friends to play coop, and the single player (half the game) is not long enough for you doesn't make it a bad game. Climb out of your basement and socialize with other meat bags.… Expand

It's true to say this isn't the longest game in the world, coming in at about 8-9hrs for single player alone. This is however, the best 9hrs I have spent playing a video game in a long long time, if ever. This isn't just a fun way to kill 9hrs. This is the kind of game that has you gripped from the moment you make your first move. This game is filled with moments that will just blow you away.

Personally, I wouldn't ask for it to be any longer. It's length is perfect for the story that is told. If I had to recommend a Valve game to a friend I'd choose this. Over Portal 1, over Team Fortress, yes even over Half-life 2. This is valve at their best. They've taken gameplay and turned it into an art form that is nigh on perfect.

When a game is this good, who can blame people for wanting more?… Expand

I wish I could rate this a number between 8 and 9 like 8.5/

I first want to say that this is a game I thoroughly enjoyed, the first in quite a long time. Portal 2 is definitely one of the highest quality Valve productions I have experienced in a while, and it shows. The environments are rich, and lively. I found myself staring in awe at many maps trying to contemplate how many hours of work must have went into it. The scripted physics events were incredible, and I was impressed at how life like they were whether it be metal walkways being crushed or walls crumbling apart. This game rocks in terms of visuals! Which is quite a statement coming from me, someone who thinks the source engine is past due to be replaced.

Although still solid, I wasn't entirely pleased with the pacing of the game. The great thing about portal is that it seamlessly combined the storyline with puzzle elements of the game into one fluid experience. While portal 2 has some of this, it's also very different. The game is clearly broken up into "story segments" and "puzzle segments." I didn't really like this, and felt It somewhat detracts from the puzzle experience. In this format puzzles almost started to feel tedious. I'd finish a clearly identifiable story segment (which is marked by almost no puzzles) then enter a puzzle segment in the mindset of "okay... Time to grind more puzzles until I can get to the next exciting story part!" Despite my issues with the pacing, the characters, story, and environments did make up for it.

One issue people have been complaining about is gameplay length. I just can't relate, perhaps I'm just a slow problem solver. The singleplayer campaign took me 6.9 hours, and the coop campaign around 5. Which comes out to roughly 12 hours total. This doesn't include replaying the game in commentary mode, gunning for achievements, or searching for hidden easter eggs which has tacked on an additional 7 hours or so for me personally. In general I was satisfied with my purchase of portal 2, and I look forward to my children having the opportunity to play HL2 episode 3 since it will never be released in my lifetime.… Expand

I really enjoyed the sequal to one of my most favorite games of all time. I do think that some reviews on here are, however poorly done.
The gameplay is still the same as the first Portal, it is still difficult in some parts, requiring some thought (this isn't for those FPS-minded people). The story is wonderful and hilarious, Cave Johnson being a comical character as well as Wheatley, but who could still forget GlaDOS's cruel speeches, one of the things that made the first Portal so wonderful.
I just have a hard time thinking of any cons, I was able to get this game for $30, and I find the price totally justified. One thing that Valve does so well and that some reviewers seem to not take into mind is the massive customization of their games. All of their games have custom maps, mods, and the like, and with such a big community (and websites just dedicated to this stuff), the games are easily replayable years later. Another thing I noticed is about the DLC, I think people are overreacting to it, its no different to Team Fortress 2's system as in you don't need it to beat the game, its just for aesthetic purposes, it does not mean they will start charging you to do certain things (how do people get these ideas?).

As for being a console port, I fail to see how it is a console port as the PC version is the best version to get as you get free patches and extremely easy access to custom content. If its graphics, their not trying to create Graphic-intense games (Although they still look good). And there are hardly any bugs that I have seen that distracts from gameplay.… Expand

Portal 2 is your classic Valve title. It has great actors, humor, and an excellent story. The gameplay is very similar to the original with many innovations. The thing that Valve got the most right was their casting. Every character seemed natural and very developed. o-op was a blast! Playing the game with friends and sometimes sabotaging their efforts was very enjoyable. The two things that kept me from giving this game a 10 were the brevity of the campaign and the lack of inspiration the last few test chambers portrayed. All-in-all a very fun game that I enjoyed quite a bit.… Expand

I'm not going to judge Portal 2 based on the Potato Sack, I'm not going to judge it based on how it compares to Half-Life 2, I'm not going to judge it on its optional day 1 DLC, I'm going to judge it solely as a video game. And as a video game, it's virtually perfect. It's a great puzzle game, with a steady difficulty curve, wonderfully developed characters, some sparkling moments of humor, and (perhaps most importantly for the internet) features several obviously memetic elements.
The single player takes between six and ten hours, depending on how well-versed you are in the mechanics of Portal. It's divided into three separate acts, each with new game mechanics that make for new experiences and puzzle methods throughout. Portal was a stellar game, that consisted almost solely of solving mind-bending puzzles while a disembodied voice spouts humorous, quotable saying in your ear. This is also the central mechanic of Portal 2, but with less mind-numbing and more humorous, quotable sayings. The game's three acts can be easily identified by which voice is talking to you: Act 1 brings the return of Portal 1's joyously mad AI GLaDOS, Act 2 brings J.K. Simmons as more cconventionally mad CEO Cave Johnson, and Act 3 has Stephen Merchant (that guy from The Office) as Wheatley, the power-mad, cheeky personality core. The ending is amazing, and the story retains Half-Life's vague, almost mean sense of withholding something.
The co-op campaign is more true to the original Portal, with only sparse comments from GLaDOS in the way of lines, and the puzzles being brain-breakingly difficult even for 2 people. The ending is also nicely noncommital in the way of story, as I have come to expect from Valve.
Overall, one of the main negatives with the game has appeared to be the loading screens. I agree-what happened to Half-Life's simple, non-intrusive "LOADING" bubble? I don't want big Aperture Science logos plastered onto the screen; I'm saving those for the inevitable dearth of Portal 2 t-shirts.… Expand

Best game of 2011! Best! Best! Best! Best! Best! Best! Best! Best! Best! Best! Best! Best! Best! Best! Best! Best! Best! Best! Best! Best! Best! Best!

It's impossible to give a note from this game different from 10.Its perfect in every detail and really drags you into it...Amazing!Perfect!Sublime!Simply the best Valve game ever.

I giving this one a 8. My only complaint is that it was too short for the price point. The game play was excellent for the time it took me to get through it. It was the interactive logic puzzle that I have come to love about this series. The story on this one took me a little while to get sucked in to. By the time I was doe I wanted more.

This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. I give 10 to Portal but only 6 to Portal 2. Why? "My way or highway" is the formula of Portal 2 gameplay.

The player has no freedom of choice, the line from start to end does not interweave. The solutions are clever but are the only ones.

Plus I did not feel that unique atmosphere and environment of Portal. I liked Aperture Science much more than (spoiler!) the caves.… Expand

Portal 2 is a unique puzzle/adventure game! it is full of great set pieces, and some of the most memorable moments in gaming history, and also dont forget the hilarious humor Portal 2 has to offer! Please check out our full Portal 2 review! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EOswzF-i6mQ

This game is action packed, not only that it has a great story to it and it keeps you on the edge of your seat always wanting more. The graphics are stunning and it plays tricks with your mind its a brain teaser and makes you think. I like the fact its linked through my PS3 through steam so I can continue on either platform. If you want a great game that is alot of fun and begs you to keep playing it I highly recommend this game to anyone.

Thanks

ucjohn… Expand

A great game which expands wonderfully on all the originals elements whilst adding some new ones of its own. On top of the fun the main game elements supply, there is also a good deal genuinely humorous dialogue to keeps things interesting which brings me to its main downside - the game does get somewhat repetitive about three quarters of the way through. It is, after all, one puzzle after the next. Still a great though but not a GOTY contender imho.… Expand

Portal 2 is 14 hours of gameplay. I think I spent good time with this valve's game :) I'm waiting for a dlc :) Valve is doing the best games of the world!

Perfect, this game is a ten. The reason I bought this game was for the campaign and it definitely delivered after having to fill some pretty big shoes left by Portal 1. Over the past couple years, I have played through Portal several times and have a strong feeling Portal 2 will offer then same incentive. The voice acting and characters in this iteration of Portal shine as you work your way through the different puzzle rooms. Portal 2 offers a great combination of platforming challenge and storytelling. It is a ton of fun figuring out where to place your portals while listening to the witty banter from the characters around you.

I would recommend Portal to anyone who really doesn't play video games and now there is another recommendation, Portal 2.… Expand

Portal 2 sets the bar miles above anything else Valve has done. Its writing, voice acting, pacing, game mechanics, art direction, and level design are pure genius.
I've played literally hundreds of video games over my life; good and bad, across many different genres. Portal 2 exceeds ALL of them in nearly every way. Put simply, Portal 2 is the best game I have ever played, and probably one of the best ever made.… Expand

Great Game! About twice as long as the first one and it played very well. The story was new and not completely predictable. They added new game play elements that were great and the coop was even better! For everyone that marked this game down for all the day one DLC, the DLC was only costumes. Who really wants the costumes anyways? All in All, I loved this game!

I loved Portal... I really did. And I love Portal 2 even more! From cynical little english robot to GlaDOS made into a potato. Whoever invented the thing with the liquids should be prasied. I had fun and can say that the CO-OP is the ONLY real co-op in today's games. The need of thinking in team and solve puzzles is just awesome and practically really hard without a voice chat. I applaud Valve. 10.0 :D


p.s.: Do not mind that it is a bit overpriced! It is certainly worth the price :)… Expand

Portal 2 is a well-designed sequel to 2007's Portal. It exceeds the original game by pitting you against trickier tests with many ways to solve each one. It's a satisfying ride with puzzles that could leave you scratching your head for minutes on end. Valve has really out-done themselves with this one. The only downside is the myriad of loading screens.

Absolutely brilliant game. If you like puzzles at all this is a must buy. My only minor gripe would be that the single-player was dumbed down just a bit compared to the first game. However, everything else about the game is perfect.

I enjoyed this game very much. Still I won't be singing praises about it. My problem with the game was it's just a bit too easy. I finished it in 5 days playing few hours a day and did the quests one after another. I had troubles only with three of them or so and I do not think that the reason of that is I'm very clever or something. You just learn the way to solving them and then it's kind of repetitive. As a result I have a feeling that something is missing here. Still I can surely recommend it to everyone.… Expand

The best game this year! It's miles away in quality from other puzzle games on the PC (exept for Braid I suppouse). What's great: story, dialogs, CHARACTER DESIGN, LEVEL DESIGN, co-op mode, music score, tutorials
What's wrong: may be slightly too unrealistic physics for a game that bases on it so heavily...

Portal 2 brings back Aperture Laboratories in a whole new world and new characters. It's unforgettable and funny while testing the player's brain at mind bending puzzles. It's an awesome game that tests the brain while having the awesomeness of an action/adventure game. Portal 2 will encourage players to use their brain to solve these mind bending puzzles, a perfect game to ensure brain usage during the summer unlike mindless killing games.… Expand

Excellent perfectly crafted take on the foundation the first game laid, everything from the voice-acting to the sound of the machines interacting is beyond perfection. The gameplay is top-notch, but also imo to easy as it give you far to many hints to complete puzzles. It actually feels incredibly short, although it is a ten hour game, but maybe that is the fact it immerses you in the world so well that time flies by. So take the good with the bad and you end up with a solid experience that will please fans of all genres.… Expand

This game have a great solo campaign, but on time only, once finish they'is no interest to replay it (exept if you like achievement) same thing for the coop. (average time 7h for solo and 5-6h for coop
The game is funny especially in coop.
Good point valve will create some content in dlc for free, a good point for the only negative part of the game. (but same problem, dlc will be play one time only)… Expand

I love this game. This is typical logical game, but is too short and easy for me. Graphic in this game is good, but not very good. Dynamic Shadow is really ugly, and have low resolution.

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Valve is one of the developers in this world that I trust unconditionally. They are a developer that make any kind of game they want, and I will support it. Although this may be considered slight fanboyism, and I'll admit I do tend to defend Valve whenever I can, Valve has the track record for me to trust them unconditionally. Portal 2 further reinforces this standpoint. Although it seems to take itself a little less serious than the first Portal, I found myself not caring, as I chuckled and laughed at almost every bit of dialogue muttered. The puzzles also seem to be an overall upgrade from the first. I did infact find myself a little stuck on a few puzzles. However, after standing around and thinking for a good 10 minutes, I finally realized what I should be doing. Valve has done a marvelous job with Portal 2, the writing is several times above it's predecessor, and the additional characters, and sheer absurdity of some bits are quite a welcome difference from the super serious space marine adventure normally found in games nowadays. Portal 2 is probably the best game I've played in the past few years, being preceded by Uncharted 2, and Half-Life 2. Well worth the money I spent, and I will most definitely relive this game quite a few times in the future.… Expand

I liked Portal 2 just as much as I liked Portal 1. Both games are very good. Me and my brother thoroughly enjoyed the co-op portion of the game. I'm looking forward to the third installment!

Another great game from valve they never seem to disappoint, got amazing voice acting and great comedy plus Wheatley got to be one of the funniest chars in gaming along with the turrets xD

Portal 2 is a ridiculously fun game, and worth every penny. Possibly the best game ever made. Single player is brilliant, co-op was a joy. The storytelling was tight and inventive, as well as being hilarious. Everyone should play this game!

An amazing game with epic visual scope. Short and sweet like a juicy morning quickie. Only 9 because I want a whole lot more. Didn't see the twist coming until the very end.

Amazing game. I was curious where they were going to take the story because portal one didn't have too much story. But the puzzles are fun and the game's story is really well done. It is an amazing work of art.

Good Game. Needs harder Levels and maybe a four player game play... But Value did a good job of making new items and improvements on the game and underlying physics. I do like their Level maker because anyone can make a level easily.

This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. If you loved Portal, you're gonna love this one even more. It has all of aspects of the first game and even more. So Portal 2 starts (about) where the first game ended, Chell being dragged back inside the Aperture Science Enrichment Center. Singleplayer Campaign takes about 6 to 7 hours to play through and it is one of the best singleplayer campaigns ever...permanently. And then there's the Co-op Mode where you solve puzzles with your best buddy. I cannot even imagine what players will come up when the Authoring Tools for this are released. Totally recommended, on of the best.… Expand