Portal 2

A great example of mould-breaking gaming at its best. [June 2011, p.100]

Portal 2 has enough appeal to welcome any gamer no matter what type they claim themselves to be. The end result is a gaming experience you will not soon forget.

It's hard to overstate my satisfaction. Play Portal 2 as soon as you can.

Impatience aside, Portal 2 is an exceptionally well-crafted, intelligent, entertaining, humorous game. You will laugh. You will feel like a freaking genius. You will want more. And yes, you will probably be hearing quotes from Portal 2 for the next three years.

Sporting some of the best writing and voice work in years (as well as some deviously designed puzzles), Portal 2's single-player campaign is superior to its predecessor in every way. It's the co-op mode, however, that makes this 2011's first must-play game -- even for those gamers that don't like first-person or puzzle games.

Portal 2 couldn't be Portal, but it's the next best thing. It's a longer, funnier, more emotional plummet through Aperture's perplexing laboratory, and its meticulous detail, perfect pacing, and kinetic, mind-expanding puzzles make it a blazingly memorable experience. It's so damn memorable, already feel nostalgic about it.

Genius is an often overused word but Valve's work on Portal 2 is genius in the truest sense. The studio has exhibited exceptional creativity in the game, even compared to some of its other masterpieces. If we could give it 11/10, we would.

Naysayers, take note: when Valve says they're committing to a platform, they do it. Portal 2 is a mind-blowing accomplishment not only in terms of a console port, but in a sequel that somehow, impossibly, manages to outclass even its predecessor.

While it's unclear if we'll ever see GLaDOS or Chell again, this much is certain: Portal 2 is one of the best games of this generation.

Never before has a review embargo had us screaming inside so badly that our mind eventually goes hoarse. We've wanted to shout from the rooftops about how Portal 2 not only betters the original Portal, but completely annihilates it...If you thought the original Portal was a masterpiece, prepare to have your mind blown.

Except maybe a lesser second act, Portal 2 delivers an adventure with impeccable and unique flavour. It's impeccably directed and narrated, loaded with humor and wit. The numerous new mechanics renew the puzzles, it's longer than expected, the coop mode, locally or online, is bliss, and even though the ending couldn't surpass that of the original, it concludes a rollercoaster ride of pure sensations and genius ideas.

A mere ten minutes here will yield more memorable moments than you're likely to squeeze out of the entirety of most other games this year. In all aspects of its design, Portal 2 is genius.

There was a certain magic to the first game that will never be recaptured. That being said, Portal 2 is better in just about every way possible. The puzzles are more intricate, the writing is better than most movies or TV shows I've seen, and the production value is everything you've come to expect from the guys that brought you Half-Life.

Portal 2 is better in every possible way when compared to its predecessor. The writing is brilliant and the voice actors have managed once again to bring the robots to life perfectly. Valve proves to be an amazing developer and brings us what could be the best game this generation has ever known.

After completing Portal 2, it's great that Valve have continued on their original premise because this is the perfect game for those gamers caught in the doldrums of endless first person shooters, racers and sport games. Originality is the key here and Valve have succeeded on just about every surreal and cerebral level with its puzzles.

Without a doubt, Portal 2, if not the best game of 2011, will be amongst the top of the heap when the year closes out. The fantastic story, excellent pacing, interesting and engaging puzzles and other incredible facets to the game make it one that people should experience at any cost.

Made of gimmicks but not gimmicky, funny but never throwaway, challenging but never irritating. It's magic. [June 2011, p.68]

It starts slowly and at first might seem like an expansion, but it has many epic moments waiting for you. It is not the perfect game, but comes dangerously close.

Portal 2 continues the original's model, both in terms of gameplay and humor, and reviewing it poses just as many challenges. So let's just get this out of the way right now: Portal 2 is videogame nirvana for the thinking man.

No fruity descriptions, no fancy words: just buy it. [Issue#205, p.80]

Fantastic writing, excellent gameplay, and a level of polish and playtesting so high that you know it's got to be a Valve title, Portal 2 is simply a game that can not be missed.

One of the few games that can be classified as art.

Chell is still locked up in the Aperture Laboratories and you are trying to escape for the second time. This time you'll play a singleplayer with ten hours of gameplay and brilliant puzzles. The humor is great and the new co-op mode is fantastic. Valve delivers with Portal 2 one of the best games of 2011 already.

The single-player campaign doubles the length of the original, and is crammed with even more hilarity and devious puzzles than ever before, as well as extending the concept with the introduction of larger environments and new mechanics like the gels. The co-op is amazingly fun, and while the story is less complex, the gameplay is even more concentrated insanity than the single player.

Portal 2 is the great game that fans hoped. GLaDOS is back to make our life difficult. It doesn't allow us out of this hell that is the Aperture laboratory. Vegetation, more puzzles and many new challenges for one or two players.

Creative, funny, and utterly absorbing, Portal 2 is the best puzzle-platformer game on the planet.

Portal 2 has an enormous warmth that makes it easy to adore, even when you're up against its many frustrating brainteasers. An amazing gameplay experience merged with a very unique, engrossing concept. Truly an exceptional experience that almost any gamer should give at least one go.

It could be argued that Portal didn't need a sequel, such a unique and complete experience as it was, but since it got one, it might as well be this; a game that stays true to the spirit of the original, while at the same time expanding and adding onto it, without over-complicating the experience. If this is how Valve chose to spend their time instead of developing Episode 3, we're not going to be the ones to complain!

Portal 2 is one of the most thrilling puzzle experiences ever created.

The game's quality stays consistently outstanding throughout; there isn't a minute of filler content to be found anywhere in single-player or co-op.

Makes the original look like the prototype it was. It's filled with a larger cast of characters vividly brought to life through brilliant writing and some of the best voice acting in video games...From the beginning of the single-player story to the end of the co-op mode, Portal 2 is a novel, unforgettable experience.

Testing, exhilarating and full of personality, this is an essential buy. [June 2011, p.74]

The dialogue from Stephen Merchant, J.K. Simmons and, of course, Ellen McClain as GLaDOS steals the show. The writing is top-notch, and you will actually be upset if you miss some of the quips and humorous banter.

Wonderful humour, a thrilling story, innovative new gameplay elements and hours of mind-boggling puzzles - Portal 2 is a masterpiece. If you liked the prequel, you will love this one.

Portal 2 is a memorable, challenging, beautifully designed sci-fi story.

Portal 2 includes groundbreaking gameplay, a collection of deep and nuanced characters, a completely insane story, and some incredible gaming moments you'll probably never forget.

The qualities of Portal 2 are rarely seen in a videogame. Compelling, lasting and smart: each and every minute of gameplay is filled with incredible content. If you love gaming, you can't miss this masterpiece.

It's not only a worthy successor, it's more like a game that sets standards once more. A must-have puzzler for every platform, not only the PS3, and this will leap off the victory march of GLaDOS.

That Valve has been able to imbue so much depth to what is, at its heart, a sophisticated puzzle game proves once again it's not the genre that counts. It's the talent. Combine it with a superb physics-based game mechanic and you've got an experience that defies easy categorisation and can be recommended without reservation. [June 2011 p.67]

Portal 2 is everything a good sequel should be. It continues the story without repeating it, and adds new modes and features without mucking up what worked about the first game. And, most importantly, it still feels fresh.

Portal 2 is an amazing puzzle game that, thanks to ingenious puzzles and an especially homourous story, keeps you gleud to your screen for hours on end. And you'll play it all with a big smile on your face.

Instead, much like Bioshock 2, the single-player portion can't quite recapture the magic of the original, but there is no denying Portal 2 is a brilliant and satisfying game in its own right. [June 2011, p.72]

Between the marvellous story, perfect pacing, evolving/subtle soundtrack, challenging but not frustrating puzzles, and one of the absolute best ending sequences the likes of which may never be seen again, there is literally nothing to complain about this game.

Ultimately, you have to weigh up the cost against the replay value – which is low, unless you're into collecting trophies or DLC. For us, this was the only downside to an excellent overall package, and a truly worthy sequel to one of the most engrossing and popular puzzlers around.

Not as perfectly formed as the original, but close enough - with some of the best story-telling and voiceover work in all gaming.

Portal 2 is more of the same, but only in the best of ways. Valve didn't mess with a winning formula, and the end result is that Portal 2 is a better game than its excellent predecessor.

Portal 2 is an accessible, clever, and downright hilarious adventure into the eccentric world of Aperture Science.

Games like this don't come around very often, and if you miss out on this one you'll be skipping one of the finest examples of the medium the industry has to offer: Portal 2 is compelling, exciting, wildly capricious and, most importantly, laugh out loud funny. And who knows, maybe there'll be a surprise waiting for you – at the end.

By no means as revolutionary as the first game, but still lots and lots of fun. For some the overall playthrough time might be too short though, but Aperture is a place to visit again and again.

Even with its high praise, Portal 2 isn't perfect, but it's imaginative, it's sophisticated, and one of the best puzzlers we've played in years.

The only other gripe - and this was true for Portal as well - is that Portal 2 has zero replayability...It's more Portal, not a better Portal. Regardless, if you're looking for a challenging puzzle game and a great coop experience, Portal 2 is a must buy.

While it doesn't quite feel so new or exciting, the central premise is as brilliant as ever and Valve has enough tricks up their sleeves to keep it challenging, interesting, and hilarious as always.