Is the cake a lie? Step into this phenomenal time-space disruptor to see
Format: PS3, Xbox 360 (version played), PC Dev: Valve Pub: EA Out: 21/04/11
Players: 1-2
“You’re looking for a gun that makes holes… not bullet holes.” This is the sequel to the Half-Life maker’s breakout 2007 spatial puzzler, Portal. Portal 2, younger, fresher and more finely tuned, builds upon the innovative gameplay and story of the original which became a cult classic, enabling it to brandish over 70 gaming accolades to its name – and no doubt this will match it.
Something seemed all too familiar in this game. If you’ve ever heard the Ricky Gervais Show or seen Extras, then you may recognise the voice of Wheatley, the personality sphere which shadows you throughout the game, who is voiced by the lanky comedian, Stephen Merchant. Oddly his ad-lib Bristolian accent works well, something the game creators wanted to really emphasise to set Wheatley apart from GLaDOS – the living machine in control of your environment, the Aperture Science Facility.
The game throws platform and physics based puzzles at you, and using the Aperture Science Handheld Portable Device – or portal gun to you and me – you must find a route around obstacles to progress through the activity chambers. Returning players will know the aptly named device creates wormholes when fired at flat services to transport you around the level. What returning players won’t have any hands-on experience with is the array of new objects which the player must interact with. These include weighted crates and the exciting propulsion and repulsion gels/liquids which speed up and slow down your speed respectively, changing the dimension of Portal’s gameplay.
The graphics portray the mechanics of the game effectively with the physics of object reacting as you’d expect, such as moveable crates and the movement of the gels. There tends to be very little action on-screen, which doesn’t exactly challenge those wonderfully crafted pixels in your HDTV, but the pictures you do see are flawless. Make no mistake, Portal 2 looks good, and has the intelligence to go with it. Think of it as that coursemate you quite like – attractive, funny, and when you look in their eye time skips forwards.
If you’ve got a friend or family member beside you shouting instructions like the eponymous backseat driver, fear not, the co-operative mode will put their skills to the test. Co-op mode comes with its own dedicated story, characters and gameplay, which will guarantee those extended gameplay hours. Players will have to work together to solve even more illogical puzzles and, get this, both of you are armed with a portal gun. But with more portals to play with comes more mind-bending puzzles. Team up via split-screen or go online and vent your superior logic on someone else halfway round the globe.
If you’re a newcomer to this already branded cult classic, don’t be put off by the brain power you might have to use. You’ll find yourself welcoming Portal 2 with open arms in between all that shooting from COD and celebrating from FIFA. Go ahead, put your wits to the test.
Aaron Stevens
