The game is very good. Yes, the source engine is old, yes there is OPTIONAL dlc, yes it's available on the consoles. But you know what really matters to me? It's fun. I enjoyed the hell out of the game. I haven't beaten it yet. The voice acting by Stephen Merchant as Wheatley was spot on and amazing. I laughed a lot when I wasn't figuring out puzzles. But like I said the game is fun and that is all that should matter when it comes to playing video games. The PS3 integration in to Steam is a nice touch. I can play on PC then head to the bedroom and continue that save game with out really having to do anything. The cross platform play between PS3 and PC is something I also look forward to. I think the possibilities with this system of Steam getting integrated in to a console has a ton of potential.… Expand

Seriously, these complaints are completely unwarranted, or at least in the wrong place.

Most of these reviews seem to be moaning about the potato sack pack. Any marketing for the game (and I should note no one was "required" to buy the whole pack, or any game from the pack as some are claiming) really doesn't affect the game itself.

DLC. It seems like most people hear DLC and instantly think "bad greedy company." This is sometimes the case, with DLC that provides players with overpowered weapons. This is not the case in Portal 2. Yes it is a system in place in order to make Valve money, but I fail to see how this is necessarily a bad thing. If people want to buy cosmetic bonuses for their characters, let them. It provides no disadvantage to anyone else.

Puzzles. I've been playing through the game simultaneously with a friend. Neither of us are stupid - he is currently working on his doctorate - yet we have been consistently challenged by the puzzles later in the game. The new elements introduced later really do make the game more challenging. If you claim you found all of the puzzles overly easy, I'm not sure I believe you finished.

Gameplay. There have been complaints about unoriginality. These complaints are absurd. You would not play Half-Life 2 expecting a stealth-heavy game, nor should you expect such a basic mechanical change in Portal's sequel. Instead, Valve introduces new peripheral mechanics which it uses to build upon the original concept, the way a sequel is supposed to build upon the original.

Writing. I'll start with the story. I enjoyed it. I thought it was interesting, and there were a few twists that I really wasn't expecting. There was a lot more to the story than in Portal 1, and I won't waste time debating this with anyone.

Console Port. Another one of those terms that people immediately and inexplicably associate with "bad." I see no problem with porting games to consoles, if it is done well. As I haven't played the console versions, however, I won't comment on them.

Humor. It was subtler, but still very frequent and very much there. I have to question whether anyone who says otherwise has actually bothered to listen to it. I laughed a lot playing through Portal 2.

Cake. I hate the cake meme, and how the internet has exploited such a miniscule aspect of Portal 1. "The cake is a lie" is not funny, no matter how many times you say it. Valve handles this very well in Portal 2, addressing the cake only once, in passing, and then leaving it.

Length. This is the only complaint I've read here that even approaches validity. The single player mode took me about 9 hours, about four times longer than Portal 1. I still haven't played the coop portion, so I won't ignorantly comment on it. It is significantly longer than Portal 1, but yes, it is still a fairly short game. I do not believe those who claim that they finished it in four hours on their first playthrough without walkthroughs or cheats.

Rereading this, it looks like I've become more verbose as the review progressed, so I'll end this before I sound any more like a prick. In summary, I have had fun so far with Portal 2, and consider it a worthwhile purchase.… Expand

Interesting. Challenging and fun. One of the best games you will ever pla. ignore all the negative comments from people who are annoyed about optional not important DLC that YOU DON'T HAVE TO BUY!!!! So buy it love it and ignore all the negative stupid whiney comments.

An awesome game, puts the puzzle genre in a whole new light with innovation and creativity
anyone who likes to solve puzzles will be astounded with the complexity
don't know if you will like it or not? buy the original(or the orange box) if you haven't already!

just finished and felt i needed to review (especcially with the number of bad reviews that are currently on meta critic) the took me about 8-9 hours and enjoyed every minute of it. there were times where the end looked in sight when a whole new section ,bigger than the last, would begin. the difficulty never seemed to spike too fast while still providing a challenge for all the puzzles. the new elements such as the gel work amazingly well. but the thing that made the game stand out was the humour. the fantasic diologue of both glados and weightly the new character is a work of art, i have lost count of the amount of times ive burst out laughing (i coundnt even breath during the ending itself ).
with the review out of the way i would also like to state my views on some of the previous comments that rate portal2 un favourabliy.

1:pricey DLC
yes there is a store very much like the team fortress 2 one that allows you costumise your bots in multiplayer. this is purely decrotive and does not effect gameplay. so in my eyes solution is simple
don't want the DLC? don't buy the DLC! it is a way the company can make a little extra cash for other projects but it's not forcing you to buy

2:too short
this confused me a bit. as i said it took me between 8-9 hours to complete and i felt that i was still going through at a nice pace. it could be that they rushed through without listening too a lot of the dialogue which i feel is a much a part of the game as the gameplay.

3:potato marketing
this one i can understand a bit. however i work in the industtry which gives me a different perspective on this. it should be remembered that the designers, programmers, artists and everyone who makes the game are very seperate from the company as a whole. these people likely had nothing to do with the marketing idea but gave thier all on the game instead. if there is complaints about this then they would be to the company NOT the game. plus it shows valve trying to support indie games (which the majority were quite decent)

4: same gameplay as origanal
yes same core gameplay but with some new elements that changed how you played and even how you thought about approaching puzzles. besides first game's gameplay kicked ass! easy controls and challenging puzzles.

5: predictable story
um i'm not sure we are playing the same game with this point. way too many WTF moments and suprises that i can count. but i guess everyone's view on this wouls be different.

6: replayability
i would disagree here. i've replayed portal mainly for experienceing the houmour and witty dialogue which the sequel has in abbondance. i can see me replaying this in the future. in all i love portal 2 and eagerly await portal 3 (or at least HL episode 3)… Collapse

Simply perfect in all ways. Loved the Marketing, loved the Single-Player, loved the Multi-Player, loved the DLC, love being able to customize the co-op bots. Absolutely epic in all ways. Perfect

It's hard to find words that could fully describe what this game really is. Playing Portal 2 is close to dreaming, some sort of synesthetic experience. This is something You must feel.

One of the best games I've ever played, the pacing combined with the witty dialogue and story make for an unforgettable experience. There are two experiences to be had though, both a co-op and a single-player. Each offer something unforgettable, and enjoyable in their own right. There is endless variety to keep the game from becoming stale. Any caveats such as the infamous "DLC" store, and the potato marketing stunt are far outweighed by what is an amazing game. We are gamers, right guys?… Expand

This game is fantastic, the dialogue is funny, sadistic and very well written. Valve really has outdone themselves with this. Really looking forward to co-op it will add even more on to the length of the game.

One of the better games to come out this year. Don't listen to all these idiots giving it a low rating. The game is good and long, graphics are great, story is great. Anyone who gives this a low rating clearly has the IQ of a squashed potato.

I loved it! It took me about 8 hours to finish. All the character's were very entertaining and full of personality. I liked the new gameplay elements with the different gels. Some of the parts had me stumped for a little while. Mostly the last hour or two. I thought the final battle and ending were great. The song at the end was pretty good too, it's no still alive. I was kind of surprised to hear a new original song because I was kind of expecting a remix of the old one. Haven't tried the coop yet, but I plan to play through single player again with the commentary on. Just a total Portal fanboy. So happy they made a sequel that doesn't ruin the series. I hope they make another one!… Expand

If there's ever been a debate as to whether storytelling in games can rival that of a good movie or engrossing book, it's over. Portal Two is, to put it simply, on par with any movie ever made. Whilst playing you can't help but feel the care that has gone into this game, it's got more polish than the Mr Sheen factory. From start to finish the game oozes classy dialogue, helped along by sublime voice acting from a notable cast such as J.k Simmons (Cave Johnson), Stephen Merchant (Wheatley), and the returning Ellen Mclain (Glados). With so much talent at hand you might think it difficult for valve to keep the balance in check but they have managed incredibly. No one character outshines any other and all three get their moments in the spotlight, showcasing Erik Wolfpaw and Chet Faliszek's hilarious script. The gameplay itsself begins similarly to the first but soon takes some exciting twists as many new tricks are introduced and some brilliant new setplays are thrown at the player. One of the main criticisms with the prequel was samey level design and monotone colours; this has been righted, and how! Some of the views to be found in Portal 2 are breathtaking and the updated source engine never fails to do the game justice. Length-wise the singleplayer campaign is much, much longer than the original (took me about 6 hours, whereas I can do the original in 35 minutes). Having just completed the game let me tell you I feel very much that I got my monies worth and I haven't even started the co-op yet. To be honest I feel perhaps I should have waited to write this review as I'm still stunned from the ending and feel pretty speechless. I must say, however, that the naysayers bringing the overall user score down are simply either trolling or haven't got the game. This game is near perfect. I say near because I've finished it and the only downside I can see is that the game had an end at all, such was the amount of fun I had beating the tests. This is simply a must buy for anybody who owns a PC, PS3 or Xbox 360. It's funny, charming, shocking, scary at times, and the ending is downright insane. I could continue but I'm exhausting my list of superlatives. Valve have struck gold again, this is simply genius. Best game ever.… Expand

This is the most entertaining. charming, intelligent videogame of the last five years, a breath of fresh air in the sea of call of dutys. The single player campaign is roughly 6 hours long, and the coop campaign is about the same, so I really had no problem with the lenght here, plus its an unforgettable ride. The portal based puzzle gameplay is done to near perfection. Don't let some trolls whining about some inconsequential DLC fool you into thinking otherwise, if you liked Portal 1 even just a little bit, or just want a creative, imaginative videogame, get this.… Expand

This game far and wide surpasses the first one in many ways. The puzzles are quite a bit harder with out being too hard for new comers to play, and yet again valve pulls it off. There are about 6-7 new additional unique mechanics aside from portals that have been added to make this game more challenging and thought provoking. And the game its self clocks in at about 3 times the size of the first one, with fully interactive cut-scenes show-casing an engine that has been in use for 7 years since the release of half-life 2 (This isn't a bad thing as it is absolutely breathtaking). It seems that the world its self is fully destructible with each component working in a real world physics engine that still sets the industry high for realism. The Voice work is extremely well done with each character having its own unique personality and while there may not be many different characters there is a lot of depth to the ones that are presented. Every single level has so much detail put into it that playing this game over again is not going to be a hard thing to want to do. As for the co-op campaign, i have yet to try it, but im sure it will be a great experience. I don't mind spending 45 of my hard earned dollars on this game because I know that valve will continue to bring me excellent games and because I know that valve will also release a level editor for this game that will allow people like me to create new levels that can range from the seemingly impossible to solve to the easiest of easy if i so want. As for the DLC that is not MANDATORY to enjoying the game. It reminds me of League of Legends or even Valve's other title, Team Fortress 2. None of the items in the store will make me better at this game, nor are they necessary to enjoying the game on a different level. Don't buy it if you don't want it. Overall this game is brilliant.… Expand

Thoroughly enjoyed this game. The single-player mode is incredibly challenging at times, with interesting new mechanics, humour that's had me laughing out loud in places and excellently written dialogue and story line. The attention to detail in the levels representing different eras in different stages of disrepair is astonishing, very immersive in that respect. The graphics are clean and the game runs very well (and looks great ) on an older system. If you are rushing like a mad thing, expect 4-5 hours of lonesome playtime (anyone claiming less than this is either cheating or simply full of kack). A more laid-back approach, paying attention to surroundings and dialogue will give 6-8 hours of an enjoyable gaming experience.

The Easter Eggs and Achievements hinting at other aspects of the Half Life/Portal universe are interesting and very well placed. Some are just off-the-wall nuts. In a good way. The co-op mode is excellent, as one would expect of the developer behind TF2 and the L4D series, and with a map-editor on release later this year, you can expect a decent replay-value in that sense.

A longer, better-presented take on the original in my opinion. I have no idea what the negative scorers have found so irksome, their points tend to be insipid and subjective without any apparent realisation that there are other aspects to a game than those they complain about. Now looking forward to seeing what's in store for the penultimate Half Life game… Expand

This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. I really loved this game. It had an awesome start, it had awesome twists and turns, and it was fun all through. There are really only minor things to criticise, like a few lazy jokes and that kind of stuff. But that's just my opinion. Plus, that's like 4 in 1000. I loved the characters, I loved the story, I loved the atmosphere, and it was just the right amount of difficulty. There isn't much replayability though. But I never play games with good re-play value more than once or twice anyway, so it really doesn't matter to me. And I know there will be huge amounts of user created content and a bit of official story-driven DLC too.

All in all, I loved it.… Expand

Loved portal 1, loved portal 2. Sure, the portals are the same, and I admit the chambers were a bit easy and I breezed through all but one of them. However, for the single player mode, I prefer easy chambers over hard chambers that get in the way of me seeing the story develop. I'm glad to see they put challenging chambers in the coop, outside of the single player story, so I'm not dying over and over trying to complete chambers. I think Valve did alright by Portal 2, and there's enough content here to keep me glad that the Portal 1 story will live on. I took one point off because I, like others, expected a longer game for the amount of hype and price, even if it was amazingly polished!… Expand

A great game that offers a fair bit of challenge and many more hours compared to the original Portal. Multiplayer Coop extended replayability, but is only advisable with a friend. The mechanics of the game are solid, with tweakings and the introduction of new elements that help to expand the variety of the game. The focus of this however seems to be slightly more glamourised, as L4D2 was to L4D, there is a lack of seriousness in comparison to its predecessor. While Portal can be considered a mysterious and dark game, Portal 2 is more of a Black Comedy, with increased elements of sillyness which really detract from its overall themes and interfere with the ability to keep the player immersed. Although the humour is top-notch, the game should have been better if it was darker and not a comedy. Visuals are still quite good, but there have been no monumental steps; but this still stays true to the saying Quality of Quantity, with the game being very polished and smooth. A better engine and gameplay mechanics are more suitable than extreme graphics. Extremely disappointed with the DLC-Cash-Grab Store. Just like TF2's online store, but with far less appeal and merit to the game as a whole. It really is just a cash-grab, and Valve should not be commended for acting in such a way. A serious concern as to the direction of the company; are they focusing on the games during production, or the money spending opportunities. Overall, a very pleasing buy, but there is too much hype for the game for monumental praise. The game does however deliver on everything it promised, it's just that people tend to overblow expectations.… Expand

First of all I would like to clarify the "$80 DLC" comment a number of other reviewers have written about. As of today, when you spend "$80" on Portal 2 you are buying Potato Sack + Portal 2 which has 14 games (1 of them being Portal 2), 1 DLC hat for TF2, and 1 DLC skin for Portal 2. In more detail; on Steam there are currently two "versions" of Portal 2 available for purchase. The 1st is Portal 2 for $49.99 http://store.steampowered.com/app/620 . The 2nd is Potato Sack + Portal 2 for $83.71 http://store.steampowered.com/sub/7880/ . Potato Sack + Portal 2 is 13 Indie games from various developers, a potato hat for TF2, a character skin for Portal 2 Co-op, and Portal 2. You can also purchase Potato Sack by itself for 38.72 http://store.steampowered.com/sub/7586/ . I have to assume that the majority of reviewers that commented negatively about the "$80" DLC mis-read or didn't read Potato Sack + Portal 2's package info, and were very disappointed when they realized that the only DLC Potato Sack contains for Portal 2 is a co-op skin. My only complaint regarding Portal 2 is that it did not ship with the editing tools. If it had I would have rated the game a 9/10. If you liked Portal 1, tackled the levels multiple times to clear them with better times you will enjoy Portal 2.… Expand

I'm not going to go into the whole DLC stuff because I don't care. However, to all of these people that say the game is only 4 hours long. Shut up. I just finished playing though just the single player and it took me about 7 hours. Add in the fact that there is a whole co-op campaign that is different from the main story, you've got way more game here than 4 hours. Again, to all the 4 hour people, shut up you stupid sheep.… Expand

Most of the complaints being submitted are completely unfounded. Please see this article which addresses some of the nonsense being spouted on this rating site:

http://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2011/04/19/lets-address-some-portal-2-nonsense/

Portal 2 probably is NOT a "10", but it certainly isn't a "0" or "1". Thus, to counterbalance this nonsense, I am giving the game a "10".

Wow. Just wow. This is easily THE BEST game i have ever played. The storyline was absolutely phenomenal and was the most original story I have ever seen. You just cannot predict this stuff. The puzzles were on the perfect borderline of difficulty by not being too easy and boring while at the same time not being frustratingly hard. The different environments and testing obstacles keep the fun coming. Portal was really more of an experiment then a game (a very successful one at that), but Portal 2 is the real deal.… Expand

This game was absolutely amazing, the story telling, complex(-ish) puzzles, the color theme, everything, not to mention it has a lot of replayability values. Valve truly has made a masterpiece here. There really isn't more to be said, oh and to the people who complain about the length, this is a free-roam game, you're not being bound to someone leading you everywhere and telling you what to like, like in CoD or some other generic shooter for the mindless masses. Valve, keep doing what you're doing ;)… Expand

Valve did an awesome job carrying on from where Portal 1 left off, the twists and turns in the story were as entertaining as they were unseen. I've yet to beat the single player campaign, but finished the whole co-op campaign in 6hrs. Honestly, I have no idea where people are pulling "It's just a 3hr game" from, because unless you're just rushing through everything without even caring about the storyline/graphic design/changes to the spaces there is just no freaking way you can beat the whole game (single player and campaign) in just 3hrs. And if you're seriously just buying this game to rush to the end, then you need to stop playing video games, because they are meant to be enjoyed.

Yes there is a DLC store, but the items it provides are not at all needed to complete the game or even have fun with it, they are nothing more than hats and other crap to customize your character in co-op. NOTHING MORE.

This game is well worth the price tag if you enjoyed the first game, even more so if you're a fan of co-op games (which the portal 2 co-op experience went way over what I was expecting it to be!).… Expand

Simply put the best experience I ever had in a game.
The humor ist so tremendous I hardly laugh while playing but with Portal 2 I REALLY could not stop laugh out loud. The story is fantastic, lightning up every heart that cares about the aperture universe.
And I don't really want to even talk about the game-play.... it makes a cover-based shooter with quick-time-event look like a tricycle trying to keep up with a rocket heading to a new planet.… Expand

Portal 2 is brilliant cause it doesn't just have the same kinda layout as portal 1 and it is much more graphical and if you look closely at each scene there is much more going on than it seems

It's sickening there are so many failed trolls and /v/tards that are rating this game lower than it's actual given content. Portal 2 took a great leap forward from most games, including it's predecessor, and gave me a product that I will never forget. For one, it has an amazing and beautiful story, but I will not go into too many details due to spoilers. VALVe also managed to integrate amazing and hilarious jokes in, which have already began spawning new memes, as all VALVe games do. Now, gameplay-wise, Portal 2 is also gives us a great amount of relief. There is now multiple new items and science to use to solve the puzzles, such as the gels and aerial faith plates. It's a great break from the casual arcade shooters that are being released by Activision, which have plagued the gaming industry, but VALVe has still managed to stay gold-- Portal 2 is brilliant and pure. I find it difficult to believe anyone would give this game lower than a 9, I guess an 8 would be good too if you have a rotten taste in games, but this game is surely the best release of the year so far. If I could, I would definitely award it with higher than a 10, say a 15/10, but I cannot, sadly. If you enjoy good humor, good puzzles, an amazing story, good visuals, and a great game overall, I suggest purchasing yourself a copy of Portal 2.… Expand

All of the 0's are just trolls readers. Here's what's what: I've been playing the game for about 6 hours now, indulging in every single detail (because I'm a Valve and Portal fan), and have only reached halfway through. If you just keep on going and skip all the minor details, i expect this game to last at least 8 hours for you. However, this game is great, hands down. The story isn't the best, but out of what's coming in the recent industry with modern shooters, this is second to none. I thought I'd be seeing the same things from Portal 1. And for the first few hours, it did; then it brought out the big guns. Bottom line: I've been having a blast with this game.

ALSO ABOUT DLC: There is none. If you're familiar with Team Fortress 2, they have a Mann Co. Store where you buy skins and little things for your co op robots. **DLC will be announced later on and will most likely include levels for the co-op campaign and new items for the robots. If they follow their fashion with Team Fortress 2, THESE UPDATES WILL BE FREE (on PC).**… Expand

Didn't think they'd be able to do it again, but once again Valve has created an actually GREAT game. Which is saying something since there are so few great's within the last 10 years. Just like Portal, Portal 2 has nigh infinite replay-ability, and I'm sure by the end of the month there will be tons of video's showing the tricks to each chamber and hardcore professional's showing off speed runs. It is a challenge and requires you to think (of course, it IS a puzzler!). If i could i'd give it a 20/10, but alas, 10/10 is as high as the slider goes, so it will do. It is awesome, amazing, and completely worth the price. Very glad I got the pre-order, as I'm sure the price will rocket up. I'd say more, but what follows is my response to the children downrating the game. Read if you're curious as to why these children are saying what they are saying.

Now, gotta give my $.50 to these kids/idiots/trolls down rating this obviously great game. You should not read further if you think garbage like Halo, Guitar hero, CoD, TF2, etc. are 'great', as you're too young to understand what even a good game is. Turn off the computer, go back to you're homework. If you are not young and still insist those are great, you are NOT a gamer. Now, the one's claiming "4 hours gameplay...$80 dlc..too easy.." etc., are obvious trolls and have NOT played this great game. Do yourself a favor and do NOT listen to them. Took me about 12 hours total to beat both single player and co op, with less than 15 or so deaths (and I'm accident prone). DLC? I dont know what the %&@$ these guys are smoking, but I want some. The "DLC" is NOT "DLC". It is ALL purely cosmetic additions for your co-op bot. That it. No extra levels, no special short cuts, no special bonuses, absolutely nothing that will give you anything except a slightly altered character model design for your 1 (ONE!) partner at a time that will see it when you play co-op. It is obvious that it was put in purely as a service for the generation of 'lookz i haz hatz lawlz', which are almost entirely very young gamers (or not even actual gamers at all). Also, some of them can be earned thru achievements. As for being too easy, again, I want whatever it is these guys are smoking. If you could do a 10-15 minute speed run of portal 1, without cheats/hacks/altering of code, so ya know, legitimately do the impossible, then yes it MIGHT be easy. Not bragging but to give an example, my personal best for a speed run of portal 1 was 22 minutes, and I did not find portal 2 to be 'easy' by any means. It was challenging and required thinking as well as fast reflexes, more than I can say for most shooters or puzzlers released in the last 10 if not 15 years. As for it being short, again, either they are either a- smoking something really, really potent b- idiots or c- trolls/people who never played either Portal. Many can average 20-40 minutes on a sped run of portal 1, with a first run taking a couple hours or more. Valve lived up to and beyond their advertisement of 4x more game time, and that's from my personal experience of time spent so far. While I am not nearly as good as some at it, the average gamer will easily spend hour's upon hour's on either play mode, and that is just the first play thru's before one gets faster and/or learns tricks. Console port? Far far from it. It is obviously made for the PC, with the PC gamer in mind. The reason they say 'its a port' is cause of the half second that text will occasionally flash when you actively save that says "do not turn off the console". Know what that is? Easier coding on their part, and any gamer will know what they mean regardless. Upset about the ARG? Well, as they saying goes, that's what happens when you assume, you make an ass out of you and me. NEVER did Valve say, directly in a press release, that "Playing all these games will release it days early!". Nor did they put a gun to your head and tell you to buy the sack, as well as play it. It was a fun event meant to build up excitement for it, as well as promote a dozen indie games. BTW, Valve lost or didn't gain as much money on the sack, fyi. Majority of the money for that went directly to the indie company that created each game. If you did buy it, good for you! You helped at least 1 or several smaller game companies make a bit more money and promote their games, which guess what, are at least good if not great too for a small price. If you jumped into it, spending the money on the sack and spending the hours upon hours playing expecting days earlier instead of the already great 12 hours, it is YOUR fault.… Expand

The game so far has been great, I'm almost done with single player and it's met my expectations. People complaining about day 1 DLC, it's hats and skins for co-op and has no effect on game-play. If you don't like it don't buy it, it's not there for everyone. I'm looking forward to getting started on co-op.

Hands-down the best Valve game to-date. The experience is hilarious, suspenseful, perfectly paced and crafted. The graphics look and run superbly, and the world is gorgeous and intriguing. The story and its twists are incredible, and the characters are all flawless. Single-Player is less than 10 hours, which many will gripe about, but it was well worth the money.

I think this game is awesome. It's better than the first. The people hating on this game have no clue at all.

1.) The game took me about 7 - 10 hours to beat. I honestly was expecting just 4 hours and even if it was just 4 hours long, I would have been perfectly happy with that! I GOT MY $59.99 MONEY'S WORTH. The game does something that not many games can do. It kept me entertained though and through. Not once did I feel like the game was needless padding itself out, nor did I feel the "Come on. GET ON WITH IT." I felt with other games. (Like I did with games from the Halo, Gears of War and Call of Duty series)

2.) Those who are complaining about the DLC. First of all, it's COSMETIC. You do not have to buy it in order to enjoy the game. I didn't spend a single dime on it, and you know what... I STILL GOT MY $59.99 MONEYS WORTH FROM THIS GAME!

3.) Those who are complaining about the graphics being dated. Get a better computer! Seriously! If the textures and graphics look bad then you are playing the game on the lowest settings, because your computer cannot handle this game. Get a job, and build a better computer, or go play it on the consoles and STFU!

Valve. I applaud you guys for making this game and I really hope you make another portal game.... after you finish Half Life 3! XD

The developers did an excellent job and I give this game a 10/10.… Expand

This is a travesty. Not the game, these reviews. First of all, it's clear that nobody complaining about the "console ports" understands how the Source engine works. IT WAS WRITTEN FOR PC. The port was from the PC to the CONSOLES. Not the other way around. It's stupidity bordering on malice to claim that. Stupidity being 'not understanding the Source engine, and not thinking to look it up' and malice being astroturfers, or people trying to sink the game. Valve probably overlooked some of the menu text, hidden in a little translatable text file somewhere.

Second, who does this in 4 hours? I'm a competent FPS gamer, and I did it in 6. This is what they said it would take. But I rushed a little. If I did it again, I'd spend more time looking around and listening to dialogue, but that's because I'm looking to have fun. I missed whole hidden areas in the first game that I found later. And I'll be able to play the *other half of the game* (another 6 hours) with my friends over the next few days. Then I'll replay the one-player now that I can focus on the world and story - much like I did with Portal 1.

The gameplay is entirely different. The gels, funnels, and bridges almost entirely change the way you think about modifying the game world, in the same way the portals did in the original game. Again, to claim otherwise suggests that somebody either didn't play the game or is trying to sink it.

Do I think the store is stupid? Sure, that's why I won't buy anything from it. If it really bothered me, I wouldn't play with anybody who did - but I'm not a braying jackass, so I'll just not sweat it. You're welcome to, though, and the store is limited to stickers and hats and that sort of thing - so what's the big deal?

Come on everyone. You should be ashamed of yourselves.… Expand

I found the first half of the game even better than the original, but the second half just blew my mind. Quite possibly the best game I have ever played. Took me about 8.5 hours for the single player game with only a few pauses when stumped, so don't put much stock in reviews that say 3-4 hours. There is obviously some kind of coordinated effort to discredit the game, but you're seriously missing out if you don't play it for yourself.… Expand

This game is amazing, another valve classic. It is better than the first one, don't know why people say it is not, more puzzles and longer game with more story = better in my book. The dialogs in the game are really funny and make the adventure really enjoyable along with the awesome BGM.

Don't pay attention to the moronic reviews from a bunch of haters who only came to spam, this game is great and no amount of hate is gonna change that.

There's some debate going about some hat store or something, but I really don't a crap about hats and if they are in there well cool for those who do like them, I'm busy having fun playing the game instead of giving a hoot about an in-game store.

So go buy it, what are you waiting for?!… Expand

Best game of the year. The ending was beautiful and the game ran perfectly on my laptop when tf2 doesn't even run that well. The DLC is fine lets you do what you want to your character without affecting game play but maybe this will show how little people will care about the DLC but what ever.

Now, this game is a piece of art, I can't understand why people are disagreeing on the marketing and lowering the score just for this, the thing is: Portal 2 is a very, VERY, good game, it will probably get the GOTY easily, if another contender won't appear. And honestly, the soundtrack is good, the outro is good too, why are people hating?

This is, by far, the most polished game I have ever played. I can't even imagine how much prime content was cut out of the prerelease copies to leave the pristine diamond-sharp game of Portal 2.

The writing, the audio, the dynamic sound effects - they are all absolutely perfect! I finished the single player campaign in about 12 hours over the last two days. I've only spent about 20 minutes in multiplayer but I can't wait to spend more! A perfect 10.… Expand

Just finished this game, and it is honestly one of the most atmospheric and rewarding games that I have ever played. I understand that the humor may not find an audience for some people, even though it is quite lighthearted despite being somewhat "dark." The writing is very clever and Valve melds in multiple seemingly standard tropes into an quirky, unique product. The game really shines in terms of overall polish; glancing at the environment just supports this overall perspective that this game is complete and that all the puzzles were thoroughly mapped and designed in a way that can sometimes be challenging, but not impossible, and extremely rewarding. Valve took a lot of the same puzzle mechanics from the first game and expanded on them. The graphics themselves are sort of dated, but Valve more than makes up for this by having an art style that is distinct and engaging.

Honestly, if you're looking for a game that is evidently polished and, although short, redeems itself by being just plain satisfying: Portal 2 is a breath of fresh air.… Expand

Portal 2 is amazing plain and simple. The arguments of those who rated the game 1 and 0 make no sense In the actual context of the game. Short gameplay seems to be the main problem, but if you blitz through the puzzles, you will be missing half the game such as the excellent voiceacting and beautiful scenery. The point is to take the game slow and let yourself be immersed in it, not just run through the puzzles. The graphics are brilliant for a 7 year old engine and though the dlc and the potato thing was disappointing, the actual game itself is close to flawless.… Expand

To all these users saying the game is 4 hours, IT'S FALSE. I rushed a fair amount-I mean I listened to all the dialogue, but I didnâ

The best Valve game that I have played so far. Definitely one of my favorite games of all time.
Well paced, good story, great atmosphere. Even the somewhat short length of 4 hours didn't detract too much from the game because of how well everything flowed.
The puzzles could have been harder, and the linearity, at times, was frustrating, but overall a great game and definitely one worth the money I invested in it.… Expand

The first Portal was indeed a great value, and well worth the $10 or so it goes for now. I was a devotee of the original game. Portal 2 is not as great a value.

The first Portal was a single player game and could be finished in an evening, 4-5 hours, overall about $2 per hour by current prices. Portal 2 barely manages to double that time for its single player portion, 9-10 hours at a whopping $50. Even with the added coop content you're looking at about $4 per hour.

I'm convinced that the game reviewers were bought on this one. No honest person could say that Portal 2's content was more remarkable than Orange Box, Half Life 2, or even the original Half Life.

I was really surprised it ended so quickly. I do feel cheated. The game is well done. It has charm. The developers should be commended. But the team should be ashamed for shipping half a game.

I don't regret buying the game. However, Valve has taken a direct hit in my mind regarding brand loyalty. Especially since the game oozes of marketing influence.

All quantifiable dissatisfaction aside, the story was actually pretty inferior to the previous game. Portal had a clear vision, elegant progression, and very memorable characters. Portal 2's story was much less elegant, putting me in a strange mood where I feel forced to carry out orders from characters I don't trust and not at all surprised when the tables turn on me. There is no clear plot flow in this game, and various stories are introduced and discarded. The new characters are cute, but much less memorable. I would have gladly traded 50% of the cinematic theatrics, animations, and dialogue for more actual gameplay. The gameplay which is included is markedly better. The new fluid mechanics are very well done and intuitive to manipulate. The new and old elements work well together too, and the puzzles are good head scratching fun. The boss fight was on par with the first game but forgettable.

I give it a 5 simply because the my expectations for single player game time were woefully unfulfilled. Portal 2 is a $25 game.… Expand

This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Portal 1 was one of my favorite games of all time. Absolutely loved it, but Valve simply can't do glaDos right. In their hands, the game becomes a trite presentation of what was a truly unique world... at least for the first 4 - 5 chapters. Around chapter 5 when you reach the levels designed by the guys who made TAG: the power of paint, the game becomes good again, and the story line in this part is exhilarating and hilarious. I won't spoil the narrator of these gel based missions, but Valve did manage to nail him, his audio dairy raised in various PSAs is just great. Yet, I still feel like the game was flawed, we learn to love glaDos so much, and the other characters are just adorable, but the game still has plot points that fail, such as Wheatley's role as an intelligence inhibitor seems far to convenient. Additionally, they don't build him up as what he is, in actuality a rather clever manipulator, fast enough. The game also jumps out of what are good puzzle based levels and instead puts us on rails so the characters can walk through what are basically cinema scenes. Portal is such a lovely world, and Portal 2 did nearly make me cry, but the game's vast loveliness, loneliness, and the way it makes us want to be there is truly compelling, Portal 2 starts out a fluke and works up into what is a rather good game, I just wish Valve had spent the time making the first levels better for the rest of us, if you've never played Portal you'll find the first 4 chapters an addicting and humorous good time.… Expand

Brilliant story and experience. Though the puzzles could have been harder, still the best game in a very very long time. I wish more games were this good.

This is Valve's best game, bar none.

Amazing writing, humour, level design, art design, animation - one of the best games ever made, and a triumph that it was simply able to overcome such enormous expectations and hype.

Bravo.

This is a perfect sequel, everything is better than the first one. There is no downside except that the game is short, but that's normal for almost every game released on this generation. Valve did it again, they created another masterpiece. The co-op is fun and has some great challenge in it. This is simply one of those games you shouldn't miss out this year.

All the people who gave negative reviews dont know what they are talking about. With portal 2 Valve showed they are still the number one gaming company on the planet and I cant wait to see what Half Life 3 and source engine 2 will bring to the table. Portal 2 shows that puzzle games can also be story driven epics with highly detailed environments and characters that you wish you could meet in real life. Coop and single player combined took around 13 hours to complete and I will definitely be jumping back in game for more.… Expand

Brilliant. An example of gaming done right, without resorting to violence yet still exciting. Imaginative and intelligent plot, music and gameplay with equal parts drama, introspection, loneliness and action. And comedy, of course!

The sheer quality of Portal 2's content is incredible. The characters are so well written and acted, the plot for a game which has little more to its core than shooting portals is truly epic in every sense of the word, the source engine still looks incredible and in my opinion better than most newer engines currently being used. As you progress you're just drawn further and further into the plot, and the two main characters (other than yourself) really make the story, and thus the game, providing all kinds of banter, twists, reveals, and so on. The levels are always satisfying. I was never left perplexed for more than 5 or 10 minutes at what I needed to do, but then getting it done in the correct order would be another task in itself, and most of the rooms/puzzles are truly satisfying to take on. The game length is fairly short, but any longer would have left the concept to become stale - so as a one time play-through, it's about the right length. However there-in lies its downfall - it is just a one time play-through (same with co-op)and the reason why i can't give it a higher score despite very much wanting to, and everything else about the game being deserving of it. I would also liked to have seen some more complex and twitch-based or portal-loop based chambers including some of the features removed from the game during playtests, as these looked in videos, to be some of the most exciting and fast-paced - I suppose this is the other reason why I can't give it a 9. At times the lighting really wowed me, and to think this is a rather dated engine, what it can produce with a few updates is pretty amazing. To top it off, you also have a fair bit of co-op that provides a lot of fun, and no doubt many mods and content to come from valve and the community. Hopfully valve and the community will be releasing new test chambers soon.â… Expand

I honestly don't know what all the fuss is about. I haven't beaten it yet...around 5 hrs in...but I'm close. The game is superb. Yes it feels similar to the first, but why mess up a broken formula? There are so many great new mechanics that keep the game fresh and exciting. The graphics are a little less than they could have been, but IMO still look fantastic especially on an older engine. Honestly the graphics don't look a whole lot weaker than some of the other subpar games released within the past year or so (looking at you CoD...). The game is very inventive...great puzzle that require thinking to solve. Portal 2 also has incredible voice acting and sounds. The story is even a thrill.

To the people complaining I don't get it. The DLC complaint is just ridiculous. You know that it's just silly things then why buy it? Valve doesn't force you to buy the hats and gestures. Who cares if your robot can twirl or wave in coop? Seriously....if you need new ways to communicate with your partner in coop there's two programs called Ventrillo and TeamSpeak that can handle that for you.

I'm tired of seeing good games get bad reviews cause everyone is sour on this DLC material. Yes it's annoying, but there's not much going to happen. The industry is going this way so deal with it. If you don't want the material, don't buy it. At least with Portal 2 the DLC is ridiculous things that don't matter...they didn't put part of the storyline in there or anything so people should just calm down.

Bottom line...buy this game and fully enjoy the game of the year candidate. Honestly this is avg a 95 by critics right now?! Cmon they can't all be paid off =P. If you skip out on this cause of the ridiculous things people are throwing negative reviews at it for...then you're missing out on one of the best experiences I've ever had in gaming.… Expand

The negative reviews aren't even logical- an obvious console port? It's A VALVE GAME. The dialogue is excellent- you really feel for the characters. Valve took a risk at trying to put emotion into robots, and they sure as hell succeeded. I was crying at the end of this game. The storyline is really gripping and pulls you into the plot.

Story aside, the puzzles are a lot more challenging, but the game eases you in really nicely- my sister had no trouble picking up the controls and mechanics right away.

A++++++… Expand

Downloaded Portal 2 48 hours ago. Played it through (not rushing - stopping now and then to look around) but did the lot in 3 hours 20 minutes.
The puzzles have moved on a bit since Portal 1, and I know there are multiplayer options (I dislike multiplayer games) So for me (and I know this is my fault becasue of my aversion for multiplayer) £35 for less than three and a half hours play time is probably the worst value I've ever got out of a game. Sure it's fun. the game plays well, it's beautifully scripted, and I'm not going to give it a "h8orz" score, but over £10 per hour is worse value than Max Payne 2 was 8 years ago.
If you think you will enjoy the multiplayer (why do I always end up with some sweary nasty little 16 year old whenever I try my hand at MP games) then this game might "just" be worth the slightly over the average price tag.
It took me longer to complete Defense Grid than this (and that cost me £2.99 and I think I ienjoyed it more) I would have given this 8 or 9 had it cost £10 - but for £35 ($55) for a single player game most will complete well inside an afternoon, I can only give it 6… Expand

Another great game by valve, highly polished and the graphics are good. Singleplayer is around 6 hours long if you get the hang of it, co-op is around 3-4 hours. What I find dissapointing is the lack of a deeper concept behind portal 2; Nnither the co-op nor sngleplayer offer much replay value. As the old formula in portal 1 of solving tests and "escaping" etc. was established i expected some development into making portal into more than a puzzle game with a story like its predecessor. Sadly this was not so, though a brilliant concept and game its structure is such that once you have played through it there is not much to bring you back to play it more than a few times. Lastly portal 2 weighs in at a hefty £30 ($45) on PC more than the cost of the orange box which included 5 amazingly developed games. Portal 2 plays though like a well developed game and you'd be hard pressed to not have fun. But AAA titles at this price have an expectation to deliver a long well developed game thats fun to play. Portal 2 is fun and well developed but its a bit much to ask for £30 for a game with such little replay value. The original portal came with 4 other games and many titles such as Mass effect, Crysis 2, Fallout 3 at this price range have Mutliplayer or multiple ways of playing through the game to greatly boost their playtime beyond the 20 hour mark.

I enjoyed portal 2, but i completed the singleplayer and the co-op in a day, (10 hours). Today i just went through the game again and did all but one of the SP achievements, but i feel a bit let down as i'm already getting bored as I've run out of interest having cleared all the content before. IMO portal 2 feels like it was rushed out of development to meet the console demand for it. Closing comments: A good game with fun gameplay, not a lot of content and no replay value, for its price tag i expected more but it's still a great game.… Expand

I'm shocked that there are so many bad reviews on this game. The single player is funny, and well made. I was skeptical about the multiplayer, but it works out really well. Yeah there is DLC, but it's not like they make you buy it; it's just an option for those wanting to blow there money away. As far as the length of the game, well it seems like you can beat everything in 4 hours these days. Just remember it's not about the time you put into it, it's about the quality and experience of the game.… Expand

Normally I would not rate a game, any game, especially a Valve game, this low, but the crazy people rating this game a 10 need an offset. First off, let me say I LOVED the original Portal. As much as I loved my purchase of Orange Box, Portal, the little addon, was my favorite part of it. I still go back and play it now and again. Now, with this poorly executed console port known as Portal 2, I have my first ever disappointment from Valve.
While the game was not terrible by any means, it was just... Lacking... The voice acting is ok. The characters are ok. None of it was outstanding. However, the level development is where the game really goes south. NONE of the levels took more than one or two tries to complete. At the current price point this game is a HUGE waste of money. The fact that they are on day ONE charging people for DLC just shows that Valve has succumbed to the greedy views of other game companies.
Porting Portal 2 from the console to the PC was bad. Just bad. You now no longer need to "aim" yourself into a portal. You sorta just get auto piloted into them. The puzzles are so easy because, well, there is no where to place a portal except in the correct spot. Where there is not a correct spot, there is some of the white stuff to make the right spot. With the addition of the light bridges, blue and orange gells, there could be sooooooo much more and better level design.
Most of the levels are simple minded click here click there win designs. You don't even get into the new gels until most of the VERY short game is over.
I played through the entire game in half a day casually. I was expecting to get at least a couple of days of play out of it. I was sorely disappointed. The "rat in a maze" feeling I got from this game left a very sour taste in my mouth for Valve...
The ending... wow, what a let down...… Expand

I really don't like rating games 10, because no game is perfect. So think of my 10 as more of a 9.9 or a 9.8. This is without a doubt not only the best game I've played this year, but the best game I've played in a few years now.
The game is NOT 4 hours long. Until I see a video of someone going through the game in 4 hours, I will never be able to conceive how they could possibly do that without cheating. The game is easily over 8 hours long and that's just the single player. Not to mention you are bound to spend time on your first or second play through looking for easter eggs, hearing all the audio and getting stuck on some of the harder puzzles.
The Co-op is great, if anything it's almost as good as the single player, because it adds the extra challenge of the puzzles needing use of all the portals. It's packed full of content separate from the single player campaign and is just great.
There is NO DLC! Some idiots seem to believe that there is day 1 DLC, I will confirm that there is not. People are possibly confused because in the co-op campaign, there is a store that allows you to customise your character. But they are all aesthetics, they bring nothing new to the game and they take nothing away, so there is no reason to buy them and therefore no reason to complain. It's not like they're forcing you to buy the co-op or something.

My GOTY 2011. It's early in the year but I don't see how any games being released this year are going to be better than this (except maybe LA Noire, but we'll see).

If you're going to get the game, get it on PC! The game is not a console port and is best played PC!… Expand

Portal is a great game. Portal 2 adds additional length, difficulty, and humour, an excellent co-op gameplay mode, and vastly improved graphics. The end result is something truly fantastic - one of Valve's best offerings to date.

My only complaint is that the ending is a little cheesy. Hilarious, but cheesy.

Portal 2 is engaging, smart, funny, well written, and looks absolutely fantastic. It also offers some of the best 2 player cooperative gameplay you will ever experience. I can't believe how many trolls have given this game a 0 because of the DLC and so called short lengh. First off nobody is forcing you to buy the DLC, it is literally cosmetic changes and has absolutely no impact on gameplay, don't want the DLC? then don't buy it, because it makes no difference. As far as the game lengh goes, with the single player and coop and incredible immersion on offer it is probably a lot longer than most games these days. Valve are truly the gamers developer and Portal 2 is one of their best games to date.… Expand

OH NO DAY 1 DLC... oh wait, it's only cosmetics and I don't have to buy them to get the full gaming experience. That being said, Portal 2 is great. Not Portal 1 great, but still damn near perfect. My biggest issue is that Portal 1 worked so well because it was short. I was really scared Portal 2 would just simply be too long and lose its pacing. I'm glad it barely didn't. There's a lot of variation between levels and types of puzzles, and every chapter has its own little funny quirk. Recommended for people that aren't potato batteries.… Expand

If this game was just an expansion of the first portal, then I would have been dissapointed. However, Portal 2 offers additions: reflection cubes, various coloured paint, wall/bridges & pull/push beams to keep the gameplay varied and ultimately this game has very impressive level design. I didn't find the game that amusing, but there are more lines from NPC's to make you smile. I think this game is far superior to the original and I highly recommend it.… Expand

This game has far surpassed what I expected. They had a huge hurtle to jump over with creating a sequel to such a unique experience, but they did it. Bravo.

I'm very confused as to why everyone is complaining about the length of the game. I played for more than six hours last night and still didn't finish it. I took my time with some puzzles, but I don't think I'm slower than the average player. I have yet to play the co-op campaign, so I'm looking forward to at least another six hours of gameplay there. This game is definitely more than four hours long.

There seem to be a lot of complaints about the ARG and the potato collection game. This optional extra didn't force anyone to take part, and didn't push the release date back; it was a chance to have the game released early, but it didn't work out. I didn't bother to buy any of the Potato Sack Pack games, so I have no unwarranted complaints about the price of that.

The paid DLC isn't good if you don't like spending money, I'll agree, but once again that stuff is entirely optional, and it's also entirely cosmetic. Even if you don't touch the DLC (which is my plan), you aren't missing out on anything. Valve isn't selling new levels or important plot points, just skins and accessories for your character. They've obviously based this decision on the popularity of their Team Fortress 2 DLC.

Portal 2 is one of the most polished, funny, challenging, and all-round fun games that I've played. The dialogue is written and acted well; the score is atmospheric and emphatic; the visuals are gorgeous and the gameplay is challenging without being frustrating. It has more than its fair share of 'Wow!' moments, especially when you've been working out a puzzle for five or ten minutes and then you finally figure out how to do it.

Don't listen to the trolls; this game is great, and it is definitely worth buying for you and/or a friend.… Expand

Nothing short of amazing. I was hooked from start to finish with this game which brings a whole life to the original game. The game uses the source engine, although old still looks fantastic. I remember every step of the way being blown away with the landscape which it is clear valve has spent months perfecting. The game also brings a whole new range of gimmics which which creates numerous fresh challenges and ideas that are challenging but not frustrating and often make you feel like a genius for solving them in the creative ways that valve has layed out. The story is full of twists and turns that keeps you glued to your screen. At a very respectable length that leaves you fulfilled, engaged and simply wanting more. If you enjoyed portal 1 then this game is a must!!… Expand

Don't listen to the bad reviewers, unless they are some sort of portal expert, finishing the game in 4 hours is impossible, and an online store hardly counts as DLC in the context they are putting it in. This game is a masterpiece with excellent, witty dialogue and puzzles that are easy enough to not get you frustrated, but still hard enough to catch you off guard if you are not prepared.

The lack of money required to post a score on metacritic causes great disappointment in reviews. Portal is a great game, cosmetic dlc microtransactions are the norm, deal with it.

Wow.. I'm really dissapointed in the community. Portal 2 is an amazing, innovated and polished game that does not deserve the backlash it's been getting.
#1. People that say the game takes 4 hours have clearly not finished it. I'm currently 4 hours into the campaign and 2 hours into the co-op play. #2. The gameplay is amazing. There's nothing wrong with it, and people game Portal 2 so many 0s and 1s and didnt even take this into account.
#3. Who the f**k cares about the DLC? It doesn't impact the gameplay at all. If you dont want it, dont buy it. I can understand why people would give Portal to a 7 or 8 because the DLC bothers them... but the game itself is WAY to good.

Again.. I'm really disappointed. I thought people were above rating a game that is beautiful, funny, innovated a 0 because they donâ… Expand

If Portal 2 doesn't make every single end-of-year Top 5/Top 10, we will have had the best year for games, ever. Or, to put it another way, I highly doubt there will be 5 games better than this all year long. I've been playing games for 25 years--this is one of the most complete, thoughtful, and humorous games ever released. People on here seem to be whining about the DLC--what in the world does that have to do with the game itself? You're really going to trash a game because you don't want to spend 2 dollars on an animation? Dude--don't buy the DLC, then. It's not hard. You're picking, literally, the smallest thing about the game and letting it cloud your judgment. If you like games, you will LOVE Portal 2. It's that simple. If you like sitting alone in a basement and nitpicking tiny things on the Internet to make yourself feel better, then you'll hate it.… Expand

I played the original Portal about a year after it came out, after hearing some good reviews. It was, in my opinion, one of the best games I had ever played.

Fast forward 3 years. Portal 2 is announced, and I can't wait. The day draws closer, and I can't wait. I followed the ARG, and was refreshing the Glados@Home page constantly hoping for an early release. When it released, I played for about an hour or so before heading off to bed, as it released around midnight here. Played it throughout the day.

Going into playing it, I had extremely high expectations. My biggest worry was that Portal 2 would be unable to meet them. Far from it. Portal 2 has incredible attention to detail, different types of puzzle, and immense amount of story crammed into a 6-8 hour game. While it is short, it is 2-3 times longer than the original. There has been so many new quirks introduced that the game never got repetitive. There are a ton of puzzles in here that will keep you occupied for hours. Once you are finished with single player, there is a cooperative mode for you and a friend/random online person. This allows for much more detailed puzzles, as there are 4 portals to work with and an extra weight. It is a great addition to Portal, making it much more replayable. Put simply, if you like physics puzzles, get this game. If you liked Portal 1, get this game. If you want to say you've played one of the best games released, get this game.… Expand

I seriously doubt that any of the people panning the game even played it. This certainly tops Valve's first effort with Portal. The game is significantly longer, has much more of a storyline, and is quite a bit more complex than it's predecessor. One of the best games I've played in years. Would recommend.

Great game, you can see the quality in all the little details. I'm not buying any hats and i don't plan to but i'm also not butt-hurt because valve is selling them.

Best Valve game ever, if you like the original portal, this second part is your game. Good graphic , Good history and the perfect cooperative mode. Thank you Valve.

This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. I don't know why there are so many sub five reviews for this game. Maybe just a lot of over-reactions from people. Anyway, I'll write this to help balance it out.

Portal 2 is not a 10/10. It's close. But it doesn't quite make it.
The single-player storyline was great. The characters all fill their roles well and we were given a much larger background on the Aperture science facility. Valve also manages to get some pretty epic moments in there as well as adding some great new mechanics like the gel and what not.

However, after the story-line there are no advanced chambers to keep challenging yourself and your friends with time trials, least portal challenges etc, etc. But with the addition of a pretty awesome Co-op play where you have to work together to complete various test chambers (As well as crushing bros with the panel thingys) it's not so bad. But still, it would have been nice (As well as a possible DLC area. Which brings me to my next point)

**** day one DLC. Seriously. I don't have a problem with DLC in general. Expanding on your game later is awesome for keeping the game fresh and interesting. But shipping the game with content that you have to buy to unlock is just bad.… Expand

Very enjoyable. The game looks extremely nice and runs smoothly. Extremely funny characters and brilliant voice acting. Love this game. The price is perfect. Co-op is extremely fun with friends or random people. I found many lovely random people that were nice and had good humor. The Campaign and Co-op are over 10 hours and with hopefully some mods a lot more time. The story line made me laugh and throughly enjoyed it.… Expand

this is my first review on metacritic.
since there is a lot of troll screwing with this user score im gonna post 10. but honestly this game is a solid 9.
is one of the best game i have played this year. is a strong rival for goty. the source engine an engine from a game for 2004 is still one of the best looking engine. the game has so many great moments. the humor is so great. valve always succeed doing funny lines on their games. sorry the bad english. the game took me about 8 hour to finish and i did not get stuck at any puzzle more then 10 minutes.

the coop is fantastic. one of the best coop experience since i can remember. feels like real cooperation.

overall. great game. you can not miss.
sorry my bad english. :^P… Expand

I give this game a 10/10 for two reasons:

a) To offset the idiots who are giving it a 0/10 because it has a bunch of completely optional DLC that isn't necessary at all and will not benefit your gaming experience unless you feel you need new skins and expressions. Also to offset the ones who have clearly not played the game. If you say it lasts 3 hours you're simply wrong, among my friends, many of whom are experienced gamers, not one has completed the campaign, nor has one logged less than 4 hours. Talking to other people who have played, I am 3.5 hours in and a bit over half way done. Maybe if you power through every puzzle and never stop to enjoy the game you could finish in 5-6 hours, but 3 is absurd. 9 seems to be the most reasonable estimate.

b) Because it's a fantastic game. The level design is simply put brilliant, and as with the original the writing is razor sharp. They took the already fantastic concepts seen in Portal and expanded them in every way possible. All the tiny tweaks they've made here and there serve to make one of the finest games we've seen in years. And something I didn't expect at all: a good backstory! As opposed to Portal, which posed a bunch of questions but gave literally no answers whatsoever, Portal 2 seeks to reveal the past of Aperture Science and go much deeper into the psyche of everyone involved. There are more characters, more ways to beat a level, more variety (particularly regarding environments)... I could keep going on and on, but simply put, this game is fantastic. A masterpiece side with the critics on this one, not the users, the majority of them have not even played it or have insignificant gripes with it.… Expand

Mindbending puzzles, brilliantly funny and sometimes bizarrely thought provoking script, incredible haunted post-pre-dystopian atmosphere (somehow!), amazing soundtrack, excellent visuals (that run on highest settings on my 3 year old machine).... what's missing? Too short maybe? Well, I haven't even started the co-op and I really can't wait to do that, so no. Thank you Valve.

The atmosphere of Portal 2 was dark and moody. The humor was spot on. Gameplay was challenging without being obnoxiously difficult. None of the puzzles felt contrived or particularly monotonous. The single player game length felt right (It took me roughly 10 hours to play through)

Just a couple of minor points felt a bit silly to me is the only reason I don't give the game a 10.

Great game, great graphics. Well Worth it. Enjoyed it very much!~
Don't get why people are **** about DLC. It's not necassary, and especially not necessary to base the game's review over such a retarded point.

I'd like to preface by saying, I have been reading reviews on here ever since steam started including a metacritic score, and lead me to this site. That being said, I have read plenty of reviews on this website prior to almost all my purchases (excluding some preorders that have recently been very hit and miss). The most miserable thing is to read all these reviews, and see about 90% of the posts come from accounts that were just created, and have only 1 review done, and it of course is Portal 2. There are plenty of these accounts made for spamming going around, but DA2 and Portal2 have definitely brought out the worst in blanketing reviews.

The one thing I would urgently stress for readers, is to realize there is an extreme amount of exaggeration for reviews here. With that "disclaimer" aside, I think this game has been great, and I have yet to explore multiplayer. I'm about 90% of the way through the game, and it plays out tremendously. Its single player campaign on average is shorter than most, but is much more engaged than any I have come across in quite some time. The dialogue, the voice acting, the environment, the humor, it all plays a huge roll by taking you into the world and making this game almost feel like an interactive movie. I understand many games try to do the same thing with cinematics and such, but you feel engrossed the entire time. The puzzles are definitely there, and in greater number which is always a plus.

Closing: So many critics here reference the first in the series. So, if you enjoyed Portal, and loved the world that it was, its a no brainer that you should pick this title up. If you have not played the first one, try it out and that will be a determining factor to whether or not you would be willing to spend 50$+ on similar, but very enhanced content.… Expand

This game is a vast improvement on everything from Portal 1.

The dialog and story was incredible, the levels were incredible, and the new gels, bridges, lasers, and funnels added much more variety to the puzzles and gameplay itself. The length of 5-8 hours (depending how fast you are) is just perfect considering how far they can stretch the story before it becomes boring and repetetive. But it on Steam to save money and not consoles. This was made for PC.

The only thing that detracts from this wonderful game is the loading screens, hence why I can't give it a 10. I would bash the DLC, but seeing as how you can get everything by achievements and DLC isn't game changing at the moment, then there is absolutely no problem with it.… Expand

Registered here to counter the whining kids who didn't get to open their presents early for the, fair enough, rather crass, but 'optional' marketing promotion that gave some Indies boost (a good thing for them).

Anyway fantastic game, great humour, levels and happy with the length of the game, on that note if you decide to finish in one sitting you probably won't fully appreciate it (too much of a good thing isn't and all). Its a different beast to Portal v1, with more focus on story and characterisation, but the new environmental toys are cool and the overall feel and ending are superb.

Given Valves background in supporting games for years (e.g. TF2) no doubt there will be more to come, and I'm sure its a game that will keep on giving and don't be surprised to see more stuff in future.

Finally the DLC... its optional, as in TF2, if you don't like it, don't buy it, I'm pretty sure I won't unless its for some worthy cause.… Expand

Fairly uninspired. Co-op is ill advised, and single player is short and not worth the asking price. Ending was weak, and the middle managed to drag even when the game is only 3 hours long.

Easily one of Valve's best games. The story was incredibly paced, the plot had superb depth, the characters were humorous and believable, the atmosphere is phenomenal and the ambient soundtrack (with smooth jazz!) fitted perfectly with the game. The Source engine remains the pinnacle of modular AIO game engines and the entire game ran beautifully on a 6-year old desktop PC.

As for the gameplay, it was highly innovate and much more challenging than its predecessor. The learning curve at the beginning was flawless, it taught the controls and mechanics without being patronising. This followed throughout the game when new mechanics were introduced.

Best game I have played all year by a long way.… Expand

One can hardly call this collection of puzzles challenging, unless you're a six year old, but as a whole P2 is pretty good production value. So what does this mean? Well you're going to need your thinking cap for about 1/8 of the game, otherwise just connect the dots rinse and repeat. So yes, it's hard to believe a puzzle game is so ridiculously easy, and before long just laboriously boring. So what pulls you in? Well the story is sort of interesting, and dialog(on occasion) is witty and well acted... definitely not $50 witty though. The Source engine is dated, and feels like a Half Life2 flashback. Wait for the bargain bin.… Expand

Best things about this game are the atmospheric locations and monologues of the characters, but sadly not the puzzles itself. Its also too short, and lacks replayability factor. Its a game you will beat in few days, and never return to it.

I had a great time with the original portal and overall the second has disappointed me a little. At least with the first one there was some skill involved in hitting your portals that you placed, Now you practically get funnelled into the portal. I enjoyed wheatleys comic relief but overall it became a little annoying and personally I think they should have left. I certainly hope there are some advanced maps like in portal 1 because some of those were really challenging and I loved the time trials and the take only this many steps part.… Expand

It is a brilliant game with lots of puzzles and fun throughout! It also has a fantastic story line you unravel and begin to piece together. Its a fantastic game, and what a sequel should be. It is one of valves greatest games.

Valve releases another winner with Portal 2. Every puzzle is challenging without being frustrating; every joke and voice-over is laugh-out-loud funny. The backstory of Aperture Science is also approached in an interesting way. Those who are complaining that they beat the game in a half-hour, rating it a 2 and asking for their money back need to stop it...no one's impressed. Because in the end, those people aren't playing games for the right reason anyway. Just go out and buy Portal 2 now...well worth it.… Expand

Easily the best game I've played so far this year. This game exceeded my expectations in almost every way (which is saying a lot, my expectations were quite high). The characters are amazing, the story equally so, and all the dark humor that made the first one so enjoyable has been absolutely perfected in the sequel. Yes, the single-player story might be a tad on the short side (I believe I finished up in 6-7 hours without rushing), but I'm a firm believer in quality of quantity. To give some comparison, I clocked in 30 hours in Dragon Age 2, and even considering that I feel as though I completely wasted my money on that game. With Portal 2, I finished feeling as though I got my money's worth and so much more. Now on to the co-op story!… Expand

I loved every second of it, its amazing. For all the people rating it low because it should had been added as DLC? Seriously? It may have been fairly short but it was worth it. You wouldnt had have the same expierence on the old source engine. The new one pushes everything to the max. The ending is amazing too.

A brilliant, mind-bending puzzler that improves upon the original in every way. Full of brilliant puzzles, lots of personality & hilarious writing. The co-op is also one of the best out there, and tests your ability to co-operate. Overall, the game is another Valve masterpiece.

Okay... I've already given Portal 1 10, so I will just say my score out. Portal was worth about 96% to me, and Portal 2 was just 10 times better. If you thought Portal was awesome or even only good, then this will blow your mind! This game hits every beat correctly, the gameplay is so addictive that you'll want to play the whole singleplayer again, just for the dialouge. The wit and humor of all robots has shown us what Valve are capable of. For the amount of hype is delivers and it delivers very well. Totally worth the $50.00 price tag on Steam (That's nearly half as much as a typical AAA game such as Homefront or Call of Duty: Black Ops, and it's double as good.). So to me my final verdict is 98% (not as good as HL2 but very high up.). Great game Valve!… Expand

This game is amazing, a masterpiece if I ever played one. The music is superb, great story, and fun characters and classic lines. It's been a long time since I played a game as engaging as this. If i had a gripe, I can't say it lasted more then 20 hours so far doing multiplayer and singleplayer missions, I know the SDK is coming down the line soon, so we'll be seeing an influx of user generated maps soon. I still feel like I got my monies worth, Portal 2 was designed so well, I felt it was still a very satisfying experience.… Expand

imho, Portal 1 had a much better skill gameplay, and was a complete better value than Portal 2 has been. If a game is going to have HL2 era graphics, then it should be cheap. This isn't the case, and let's not even get into the cash shop bs.

Somehow Portal 2 has surpassed Portal 1 and in doing so has earned its place as one of the best games of all time. The puzzles are all great and the co-op mode is a fantastic addition to the game which brings the puzzles to an all new level. Of course it's the writing that stands out the most, almost every line spoken is hilarious and the voice-acting is incredible. If you don't like this game you're probably a bad person or just stupid.… Expand

Brilliant characters that shine till the very end, a story that makes you change your perspective multiple times, and fun gameplay make Portal 2 a must buy for everyone. One of the few games that feel like a work of art and love.

Portal 2 has the absolute BEST single player storyline of 2011, or anything since 2008. Maybe a few frustrating things like me not catching a few places to jump or place my portal on, the game was fun, it was funny, it was challenging, and it makes dry dead humor a pleasure to hear. The awesome thing about the game is that it makes impatient and non-observant people like me suffer, but even with those traits of missing an important white space to place your portal in, the gamer no matter what personality will continue to strive, and it's not to finish the game... Or get the cake... No, but to have all ears on the next joke, no matter how dry or funny, and then laugh, or have their feelings injured, which is good. One thing I love about this game is the stupidity one of the characters display; it's funny because his funniness distracts the player from the major flaw that the user can use to escape his/her dilemma. Great game.… Expand