Portal 2. Gamer Review.

Now, it's been for some time now that I beat this game, but the early start of my third year in med school isn't really helping now, does it? The sequel to the hit game by Valve, Portal 2 brings you back to the aperture science laboratories where ingeniously laid out experiments created by a maniacal AI await you in every room. For science. Of course, you start off where you left off in the previous game. Somewhat. You run through the ruins of Aperture Science laboratories since you destroyed the place in the previous game. You meet Wheatley, a blue eyed core with an amazingly hypnotic British accent that you would totally love the first few times he speaks, and he's there to help you escape the facility. Of course, stuff happens along the way or else there wouldn't be Portal 2 in the first place.

As with the original and as what the title implies, you solve puzzles thru some pretty neat and creative ways especially that you have your two-way portal gun which allows you to create two portals in certain spots in the room and allow you to go from portal A to portal B. Just hope where you’ll be landing won’t kill you. But for a game of science, it sure does ignore the fact that falling from great heights break bones, but besides that one strange mechanic, physics also play a key role to a whole deal of your daredevil acts of portal trotting. Turrets, box cubes, elevator like lights, a whole lot of buttons will accompany you through this gloriously exceptional adventure. The whole deal reels hou in.

The mood of the humor the game brings out is just as smart as the gameplay and, hell, hilariously stupid yet I still end up loving every bit of their witty sarcastic and occasionally silly jokes anyways. Although the game may be very scripted, the way events unfold around you have that certain charm even as they try to pull off zany preposterous situations you wouldn’t expect to experience ever in a game. The plot itself was pretty awesome in its own way. Nothing totally epic, but nothing to scoff at either, but due to its scriptedness, replayability might be next to nil, unless you play 12 months later or something. The characters each have their own distinct adorable personalities who are very original in their own right The typical run of conversations are littered with witty scientific jokes that I otherwise wouldn't have thought of. Burn your house down with lemons. HAHA. Ok, that sounds funnier when they say it.

The puzzles are tricky but let me assure you, I don’t really think they’re unsolvable. You just have to get pretty creative, and that should give you around 10hours of puzzles worth of mental exercises unless you’re some wonder kid rocket scientist, which most people aren’t mind you. Now, I don’t really consider myself to be queasy and easily spun, but I found myself forced to stop playing Portal 2 a bunch of times so that I wouldn’t end up cursing that I wasted my whole day playing Portal 2 and end up nauseated on top of the bed. If you’re the type to get dizzy, I suggest shorter play times. Portal Traveling isn’t for the inexperienced.

Graphics-wise, if you’re familiar with the Source Engine, then well. Simply put, it’s the source engine. If you aren’t, then Half-life 2, Counter-strike: Source, the original Portal are some examples more who use such. Still not familiar? In this modern day and age of gorgeous graphics, Source Engine doesn’t suck, but neither does it turn heads. Simply put, plain jane graphics who haven’t lost its touch, but fails to catch up on the pack. Nothing too major to worry. Just making an observation, mind you.

Portal 2 has a cooperative gameplay which I would’ve liked to try out and finish the game but...I simply don’t have such a partner to play with. Maybe in the future when I can get 2 computers or so, or something.

Portal 2 is very unique in its own way. It’s funny, quirky, charming and makes your brain cells reproduce (No, actually they don’t). The whole adventure is amazing the first the you go through it, not so confident about the second one. The gameplay is solid, and bound to entertain you for hours to come. Don’t mind the dizzyness if ever that were to occur, that’s inherent in the business of flying with portals. Give it a try, you might end up finding out you’re a wonder kind rocket scientist.

Rating: 8/10