When I first started this game I thought it was way too similar to the first one. But until you've completed it, you ain't seen nothing. New levels, gameplay elements, a new character and the actual game is quite long. To do the original Portal without cheating (looking up solutions) it took about 4 hours or less but this is 9 hours. There's AT LEAST twice, if not quadrupple the content in terms of the length, so however long it took you to complete portal 1 in first try just triple it. From start to end, the game never fails to keep you entertained and laughing all the way. Very funny humour, easy to understand, excellent voice acting. Really, the only criticism I have of this game (after having justp layed story at time of review) is the highly outdated graphics, but considering it's still using the Source engine it's not bad if you think of the graphics being 2004 standard. Want to know the greatest thing? The challenge mode no longer has least steps! YES!!!! No more stupid glitching. It's just least time and least portals. Considering the number of levels in this game, and the co-op there's easily enough content here to last even the most logical gamer a fair while. A must play if you've not played the original. It's better in every possible way. It's Portal 2.0, but the reason I can't give it a 10 is because really, there's nothing NEW, just a few additions. But that's fine. At least now the ratings can be justified.… Expand

The original Portal was a great deal because even through it was short and had no multiplayer or replay value, it came bundled in the Orange Box. Portal 2 takes the game in a more comical direction with more characters and a stronger narrative, but doesn't expand much on the original's gameplay. There is a co-op mode but it's only worth playing through once, and with the main campaign clocking in at 10 hours tops, you're looking at best 20 hours of gameplay for $20. This is a good deal in my mind but others might be expecting more from Valve. Since it's release the price has dropped significantly and Workshop integration has been added resulting in easy access to thousands of custom maps. Another must-play from Valve.… Expand

Portal 2 is a game that allows you to solve puzzles by defying the laws of physics using your 'portal gun'. This gun allows you to create a portal on one side of the map and instantenously teleport you to the other end of the map. You can also send objects through the portal that are often necessary to solve the intricate puzzles. It is not necessary to play Portal 1 before playing Portal 2 but it is highly recommended to better understand the storyline. Sounds, voice-acting, game-play and overall presentation are, as usual with Valve, top notch. The graphics come across as slightly dated but the large bleak walls and cartoonish models make the world of Portal what it is. To complete the package, Valve has added a very good co-operative campaign that works like clockwork. Some players might consider it 'more of the same' but when the same was a heck of a lot of fun, you won't mind more of that. Must-play for any FPS player.… Expand

Portal is one of the few games to exist in the industry that contains some genuine science fiction. There is no shortage to games set in a science fiction universe but getting to interact with a portal gun gives us a chance to interact with the science of fiction. Its such and obvious opportunity of games but sadly is missing by most popular titles in the industry whom would rather focus on the immature sensation of violence. Portal 2s focus on good design and puzzle solving rather than the immaturity of violence and 'bad-ass'ness is a big plus making it stand out as intelligent from the dumb gaming crowd. It's pacing is for the most part excellent but not better than the original. There is some filler in portal 2 and although a longer game is what fans (including myself) asked for, a longer game does not make it a better game. The visual design is terrific. The simple robot design, architecture, and visual atmosphere enhances the game play, story and brings something new and original to the bloated science fiction side of video games. A big shout out also goes to the music, its worth listening to just on its own. The character development of GlaDos is fantastic, although in the first Portal she is a simply a funnier copy of the A.I character: Dave from 2001: Space Odyssey, Valve explores GlaDos even more and in a slight different direction making her one of the best characters of video games in years and a terrific villain. Its an achievement to how much we actually CARE about the robots in Portal 2. Portal 2 does however fall into the common video game trap of spoon feeding players where to go, and almost not allowing a player to get stuck for too long and then master the gameplay. I read a lot of over praise to how flawless the puzzles are however I cant feel that they did not made them hard enough (which would have made them better) just to keep the story flowing, it is a puzzle game after all, please make some HARD puzzles. Portal 2 is a satisfying title full of memorable moments, witty laugh out loud humour and a plot with unpredictable surprises and joins the handful of must play titles of this generation. It would have been so easy for most developers to screw up, but Valve pulled it off as well as they could. Its not the perfect 10 that people keep screaming, and its not better than the original which I would almost call a masterpiece but is one of the best games this generation.â… Expand

Good sequel to a great game. I can't say I was bedazzled by Portal 2 since the core fundamentals haven't changed from the original game, but there are a few new elements which introduce some cool twists to the puzzles. The ending was indeed lunacy--WOW. Without giving anything away, it is simply an ending worth experiencing. The coop is great fun too. If you enjoyed the first Portal, playing this one is a no-brainer--it is very much the same, only better.… Expand

This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Valve have done it again. It seems games that are their #1's improve when they reach #2, if only we got number 3's (Half-Life). Portal 2 takes place a good few years after Portal. Chell awakes in the dilapidated ruins of Aperture Science and is companied by a personality core named Wheatley (expertly voiced by Stephen Merchant). However things take a turn for the worst when you accidentally awake GLaDOS. After a confrontation you replace GLaDOS with Wheatley and then things get worse. You, now trapped in the ruins of Aperture Science of the 50's up till those seen in the previous game must escape with the help of GLaDOS and uncover the dark secrets to both her and Apertures past in order to defeat the power crazy Wheatley. The game looks much better than the original and now boasts a 12 hour campaign instead of a 90 minute one. It plays largely the same but includes some new components and lots of fresh ideas that keep the fun going.… Expand

Games that completely stimulates your mind are a rarity these days. When Portal came out, it was unlike anything I played. Portal 2 completely realises what Portal have achieved and expanded it into a full scale, mind boggling experience. Portal 2 is a one of a kind game. The simple controls, ingenious game mechanics, humorous storyline and overall mental satisfaction makes this game one of my favourites.… Expand

Portal 2 is everything great from the original mixed with even greater stuff of its own. The puzzles are the same as always, but there are several new elements such as the repulsion and propulsion gels, the light bridge, and the funnel, that make them seem new again. It's even funnier than the original, with the Stephen Merchant-voiced Wheatley as the comic relief and GLaDOS as always providing the dark humor. The story delves into what happened before and after Portal and into the history of Aperture Science. It's still a bit short, but with a game like this who really cares?… Expand

I have very mixed feelings about this game: I had fun playing the single player, even if flawed, and the co-op is without a doubt a great addition. But still, this is definitely the MOST overrated game of the 2011. First of all, the single player has a good plot that, unlike the predecessor, has a very good pace, it always keeps up the curiosity and has good twists now and then. However, the puzzles in the single player are just "good", mainly because MANY resembles previous puzzles just in another format, and the new ideas (like the gels, the energy tunnels, the lightways, etc) are not used at their maximum, and in the end some of the puzzles just look similar to each others. I also heard complaints about the longevity, and I'm not totally sure: it lasted about 7 hours to me, without rushing or being too slow, but since nowadays "adventure games" (or fps, or whatever works for you) don't even last over 4 hours, I say it's "good". About the co-op, I initially had doubts, but when I played I finally witnessed how good it was: the puzzles there are very good thought and actually incite team work AND team thinking...wish they were the same in the single player. These maps infact are good, a LOT, so much that I wanted them so badly in the single player: they were challenging and I had fun to do them, because they were good, and I DARE you to do it with perfect strangers: yes, it is usually better with friends, I know, but If you can't find any friends to play with, these puzzles will make be extremely hard to complete, because I tried over 6 times, with random players, and none of them lasted until the end of ONE single section, leaving me behind and almost quitting this mode ( I have to thank a friend to help me out there, or else I wouldn't be able to judge this mode). It was a mass disappointment to discover that the co-op has good maps, and not the single player. And now, if you hadn't notice, I mainly said "good" from the start, and it is because this game is just good: it's not perfect because this game adds barely much: the co-op is a good addition yes but still this game felt more like an expansion (a costy one) with very few tweaks to the gameplay, and even if the plot is good and the co-op is very fun, I don't feel it is worth the full price (even though it's cheap as hell nowadays). I'm not saying it's a bad game anyway and actually I say to give it a try, especially the first Portal, if you like puzzle games, but it's definitely NOT the best game of the year 2011.… Expand

This game was a joy to play, singleplayer as well as multiplayer, the crazy little emotes the robots do are hilarious, the puzzles are challenging and fun, definitely worth the money.

Portal 2 get's everything that made portal incredible, and builds upon it. Characters, the puzzles themselves, length, depth, and even originality of design. A lot of other game series do this successfully as well, however when a game based off an entirely original concept does it. It deserves even more praise. Masterpiece.

Portal 2 takes the awesome premise and gameplay of the original and incorporates it into a shiny new game, complete with a full-length singleplayer game, new co-op modes, a more developed story, and impressive new graphics and level design. It thereby answers most of the criticisms of the first game without feeling like simply a remake of it. This game has lost much of the dark humor and mystery of its predecessor in favor of a more epic journey mixed with lots of witty and absurd humor. Overall I think it did a good job of taking the original concepts of Portal to the next level and creating a game experience that felt familiar without being stale.… Expand

Despite all the build up buzz... this game is mediocre for a valve game, sure they've expanded on the original, but the campaign and co-op modes wont even last a day before completion...shame but to add insult to injury they chuck a tonne of DLCs for money on day of release.... all of which should have been bundled with it in the first instance... sorry paid DLCs need to be more than cosmetic and the game is waaaaaaay to short.… Expand

This is my third review today and I've been quite positive as it is Christmas, but this game is without a doubt, the Best game of the year. I won't even talk about how great it is, it's simply made to perfection. Here are the top 4 games I recommend this year:

1. Portal 2
2. Modern Warfare 3
3. Skyrim
4. Battlefield 3

This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. This game is almost outstanding with some crucial technical flaws that gave this game rating a four for me. First, the game rating would have been retained as "T for Teen" since adventure and violence are too intense for young children. Second, one level in one map loading at a time makes a lot of players knew it was a ported PC game from the video console. Third, the story is great with some laughs, but redundant drama isn't making a good sense of keeping up the gameplay. Fourth, the SP game campaign is as long as any recent Call of Duty game with a "not-so-worth it" regular price. The co-op campaign was a great addition but having 100+ levels of puzzles and having additional DLC and MP features would have secured a outstanding deal out of this game. I loved the graphics with its recent engine but overall the best game by Valve is always the first Half-Life game, period.… Expand

I knew nothing of Portal or Portal 2 until I saw the second on Steam and gave it a shot. This game sure does get a lot of acclaim, I myself won't make as much noise. I do not think Portal 2 is a bad game, the idea behind it is creative and the gameplay is innovative, but completing the puzzles weren't rewarding for me. Not only that, I got stuck numerous times for long periods and got frustrated after a while. Some may call me names, but this concept isn't for me. If you like figuring out angles and such, you most likely will love this game. Some of the levels are a definite challenge, and I will admit I needed a little advice here and there to continue. I did though, enjoy the story very much and it even made me chuckle a few times… Expand

Portal 2 is a fine game. But Valve seems to have worked on the Alternate Reality Game more than they did the actual game. It's still very short (only 6-7 hours on my first run) and very rarely did I get stuck for more than 5 minutes. Don't get me wrong, everything from gameplay to graphics has been polished to a fine shine, but that's where I start to get disappointed. It feels too familiar. Everything that happens you kind of expect to happen. No big surprises like the last game. The character wheatley feels...out of place and at times, annoying. Portal was largely an out of body experience, with a very light story on the side. With the bigger and better script, Portal 2 is lighter on the gameplay and heavier on the story. Shame. When you get to thinking about it, Portal was an accidental masterpiece, to they point where valve didn't even sell it as its own product for nearly a year. They tried replicating the experience, but ended up copying and pasting many major events of the originals story. Co-Op, so far, is a nice addition. The maps definitely have more challenge to them than the campaign and the robots are very charming to be with, almost to the point where you don't want to talk, just to see the mute bots do their job. My only major issue so far is the price point. Portal 2 is fun, but has no replay value and a very short length. It's simply not worth the price of admission.… Expand

More puzzles, a new hilarious sidekick and more background story surrounding the enigmatic Aperture Science? It seems impossible but Portal 2 is harder, better, faster and stronger (to borrow a line from Daft Punk) than the original.

Portal 2 is an amazing successor to possibly one of the best games that were ever made in a unexpected genre. Portal 2 excels in all aspects that made the first game a success but brings it to a whole new level of quality and enjoyment. The puzzles, music and amazing gameplay will keep you hooked to your PC monitor, and if that is not enough the amazing character design and voice over work will make you coming back for more!… 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.

This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. I have to admit, I didn't have the slightest interest in playing portal 2 when it came it, mostly because it is a puzzle game, which I don't seem to buy into along with RPG's. After getting the Orange Box (including the original portal) and Skyrim and being proved wrong in both areas, I got P2 anyway. This may sound a bit fanboyish, but Portal 2 is perhaps the best game I've ever played: seemlessly mixing a well-told storyline plus a meaty co-op mode, I don't think I've ever had this much fun playing a video game. The puzzles are simple, but satisfying to solve and the characters remain endearing no matter what plot twists might occur. Then I had to put it down about 6 hours later, because I had finished it: don't get me wrong though, it was a perfect length, any longer and it would've just been more flabby than meaty, and I've still got about 75% of the co-op to play through. I throughly recommend this, along with every other valve title. I guess after saying that, I'll have to go play Left 4 Dead to prove my assumptions wrong again.… Expand

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Let me preface this by saying I could give less than two **** about the DLCs. I didn't even know they existed to begin with. Since I just finished the single player campaign, I feel ready to write this review. Why? Because honestly, the single player campaign was awesome. Ridiculously varied from the first game and insanely brilliant puzzles. A lot of people are complaining about the "Please don't turn off your console" dialogue that shows up when you are saving. I don't understand how people can be so immature about this. The entire game feels just as PC tailored as the previous game, and any other fantastic Valve creation. If that little line of dialogue is enough to piss you off, boy you sure haven't played the other PC to console games yet. And rest assured, there is NO cliffhanger ending for Portal 2; everything wraps up perfectly, as you will experience. Honestly, you would be doing yourself an incredible injustice to yourself to dismiss this game on such trivial grounds. One thing that is true however is that the campaign is short. I finished it in 3.9 hours according to Steam (though it's strange because I started at 10:30 pm and ended at 6:00). However, just like with CoD4, this campaign is intensely satisfying, and making it longer would have definitely killed the fun. Personally Portal 2 would have been well worth $60 (I got the PS3 version for $55 with $20 Amazon credit and played the Steam version) but that's just me. Regardless of how much you are willing to pay for it, I definitely recommend that you eventually play this game if you loved the first one like I did. It is a sequel that improves upon its predecessor in every way imaginable. (P.S. This game ran full res/high textures on my Atom 330/nVidia ION netbook so it should run well in most computers)… Expand

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

Portal 2 is simply the best game of the Valve, and It's the best game I ever player. It is clever, funny and a masterpiece. Following the story of the previous game, It haves even better plot than the first Portal game. And the original technology of Aperture Science is even better with some new turrets and mechanics. It haves even the Co- op mode which is even better because of the teamwork, it makes the game more fun.… Expand

Portal's 2 unique design and mind blowing puzzles, are not a surprise. But the new great characters, and the spectacular story make this game a truly masterpiece. I can't say It's perfect, but I can say It's amazing. Both, single player and multi player are great. And, every moment in this game is funny, dramatic and terrific, mixed with the outstanding soundtrack and with the top notch voice acting. Sometimes co-op may be complicated, example, when you're friend makes mistakes, or something like that, but never, ever can't brake your fun, and makes your fun highly more. 98 out of 100… 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.

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...

Good game as expected. Very worth to be played. There were only 2 personal minus points for me. The first one was that while portal 1 managed to suggest the feeling to be somehow lost in its world, leave predesigned tracks, "freely" explore its world within certain limits and solve puzzles in very different ways. In portal 2 i somehow felt to be kept on the very very short lead. Second was that i felt the architecture of the aperture science facilities to be out of touch with the half life universe. They tried to impress with ridiculous huge scales that do not seem to fit in anymore and damage its overal credibility.… Expand