Portal 2

Portal 2, just like its predecessor Portal, is a first-person puzzle-platformer centered on the portal gun. This device can be used to place connected portals within the environment, allowing the player to travel from one portal to another and bring objects with them. Portal 2 expands on the original through a more elaborate narrative, along with gel mechanics that open up new ways to solve puzzles.

The portal gun mechanic, which is a staple of the original, genre-defining Portal game, functions the same in Portal 2: the player can place two portals on separate walls, and any object thrown into one portal will exit from the other portal. However, Portal 2 introduces some new mechanics. In particular, gels of different colors can now be splattered across surfaces to give them different abilities. Both mechanics, especially when used together, make the player think about the physics of their environment and change them to their advantage.

Portal 2 relies on the player’s logic and spatial visualization skills to determine how to use their portals and any available gels to reach the exit of each chamber. Using the portal gun, players can direct streams of gel to spray specific areas of the puzzle chambers. Each color of gel affects the surface it is sprayed on in a different way. For example, blue gel makes surfaces bouncy, while orange gel makes anything that touches it move faster. Of course, the game does require some simple platforming and precision as well as logic skills. Though the platforming itself is fairly simple, placement of objects as well as the player character sometimes needs to be exact.

Portal 2 also introduces new characters and deeper lore to the Portal world. It follows Chell, the protagonist of the previous game, waking up from stasis once again in a now dilapidated Aperture Science facility. This time, Chell is joined by a bumbling and charming helper: a robot named Wheatley. Voiced by Stephen Merchant, Wheatley is a beloved character who attempts to help Chell escape the lab, provides comic relief, and eventually becomes a bigger part of the story. Lore is also told through audio recordings made by the Aperture CEO, Cave Johnson, voiced by J.K. Simmons. As Chell explores the run-down facility with creepy drawings on the walls, these dark, humorous memos tell the story of the Aperture Science laboratories.

In addition to the story-driven, single-player mode, Portal 2 offers a cooperative mode. Playing as two robot test subjects named Atlas and P-body, the two players are each given a portal gun. This means, the players must work together to place portals, hand off objects to each other, and get through the puzzle chambers. To help with communication, players can “ping” a location, marking where they want their partner to place a portal. Throughout the cooperative mode, GLaDOS provides snarky comments and doesn’t hesitate to pick a favourite player, attempting to drive a wedge between the two characters.

Due to the critical success of the original, Portal 2 was a highly anticipated sequel which has a dedicated fan base and has received an overwhelmingly positive reception. Of course, the gameplay and story is more rewarding to players who have already played Portal. Although the mechanics are explained in a way that makes it possible to start with the second game, references to the first game’s story are scattered throughout. Just like Portal, Portal 2 continues to build upon its lore into the closing credits.

This description was written by Cay Macres and edited by Oriane Tury.