I played the first Portal after my wife purchased The Orange Box. I wasn't t much of a fan of Gordon Freeman's adventures, but Portal seemed a worthy distraction while the disc sat in our X-Box. I fought through the trials of the first game, faced GLaDOS and eventually dealt with her. The first game amazed me and really forced me to wrap my head around concepts in video games I had never really thought possible.
Portal 2 improves upon the groundwork of the first game in almost every way. When I first picked up a copy of Portal 2 I was admittedly skeptical. I seriously doubted Valves ability to match what was essentially one of the most innovative and groundbreaking games in years. It's something that isn't easy to match. Once the mystic of making portals wears off, what is really left in the fist Portal? Valve was forced to make an actual game out of the concept. And they delivered in spades.
The game introduces enough concepts to keep the gameplay fresh, while at the same time introducing a story that keeps you engrossed. Your old nemesis GLaDOS is back, but she doesn't have to carry the story this time. Some great voicework and characters help to flesh out this story, and it really makes for an engrossing playthrough. The first game dealt strictly with portals and your fight with GLaDOS. This time other elements are at play that help to flesh out what Apeture Science really is.
My only complaint is at sixty bucks Portal is a bit pricey for what you get. The game isn't that long and unless you enjoy coop you're not going to get much out of the game after your first playthough. If you can find a friend then the coop mode offers even more mind bending ways to enjoy portaling.
This is a great game.
