Test With a Friend
I thought Portal was a great game, but Portal 2 is even better! As you would expect from a sequel, it revisits a lot of the same concepts (even some of the same test chambers), but it also adds a lot more, such as a cooperative mode, longer single-player, and gels that let you bounce, run faster, or place portals where you otherwise couldn’t. Solving the puzzles with a friend (your partner in science) is great fun, and once you’ve solved them all there are player-created maps you can download and try!
GlaDOS makes a return, and so does Aperture Science’s knack for naming supplies as exemplified by the new “edgeless safety cube” (which is actually a sphere). The chambers are more interesting since they’re in disrepair yet they actually feel somewhat alive since they are made of panels on the ends of robotic arms that rearrange themselves and even try to push / pull debris out of the way.
I wasn’t expecting to like the gels but that actually turned out to be a very enjoyable part of the game. You end up visiting a closed-off-since-the-70s-or-so section of Aperture Science, which is clearly a much larger complex than I had imagined playing the first Portal. The voice and dialog of Cave Johnson fit in great with the world of Aperture Science and are a welcome change from simply listening to GlaDOS all game long (of course the first Portal was much shorter).
I did miss the energy balls, but the new lasers made a pretty good replacement. I also didn’t notice much tie-in with Half-Life — just a reference to a certain ship brought up near the end of Episode 2. Instead it brought Team Fortress 2 tie-ins, such as co-op robot appearance changes through hats, flags, etc. The gestures are actually entertaining but I have no interest in buying robot hats, and I only managed to get 2 for free (the second as a prize from the Steam summer camp sale).
I thought I would like the co-op mode, but underestimated just how much I would like it. This game was definitely worth splitting the 2-pack preorder with a friend!