Pros:
- In terms of gameplay, it's very smooth (the trusty Source engine never fails) and easy to learn while also being fun. The game can also run perfectly even on low-end machines.
- Obviously, the game is primarily based around its puzzles. They are always fun to solve and the progression of difficulty is perfect. The puzzles and the various gameplay mechanics (portal gun, reflection cubes, light bridges, etc.) are extremely simple concepts to grasp, yet the puzzles can still be challenging enough for the game to avoid being too easy. (It's never too difficult, either.)
- The dialogue is fantastically written. It's hilarious and at times, touching. This is probably one of the best-written games ever. It's near the top of the list, at least.
- The voice acting is one of my favorite parts about the game. Seriously, it's spot-on. There aren't many characters that have a speaking voice in the game (right now, only 4 or 5 come to my mind), but every single voice role in the game is perfectly cast. GlaDOS' voice actress gets a lot of deserved praise, but I feel that the real star is Wheatley (voiced by the impeccable Stephen Merchant). The speech/personalities/voices of the characters make them ALL extremely likable.
- The plot progression perfectly balances exposition through the characters' speech and through exploring/observing the environments on your own, which gives the game's setting a much more realistic (and ominous) vibe.
- The cooperative multiplayer is very creative and requires participation and communication between you and your partner. It's certainly not just a lazy re-hashing of the single player campaign. (ahem Call of Duty spec ops missions ahem)
- The story seems rather simplistic at first, but deepens over time at a reasonable pace. The ending is also satisfying (which I feel is abnormal for a lot of story-driven games these days).
Cons:
- Nothing negative immediately stands out to me, but if I HAD to pick something I don't like about the game, I'd say that the loading times are too frequent. There's a loading screen almost every time you progress from puzzle to puzzle, but the good news is that they're not too lengthy, so this complaint is very minor.
- It feels like it's over too soon. (The length of the game is perfectly fine, but you'll never want it to end.)
Overall, I definitely recommend this game to ANYONE who plays games. I'd even go so far as to call it a must-play. (If you never played the first one, that's fine. You don't need to, and if you want to catch up with the story, a Wiki plot summary does the job just fine.) Portal 2 is one of my favorite games of all time, so just buy it already!
- In terms of gameplay, it's very smooth (the trusty Source engine never fails) and easy to learn while also being fun. The game can also run perfectly even on low-end machines.
- Obviously, the game is primarily based around its puzzles. They are always fun to solve and the progression of difficulty is perfect. The puzzles and the various gameplay mechanics (portal gun, reflection cubes, light bridges, etc.) are extremely simple concepts to grasp, yet the puzzles can still be challenging enough for the game to avoid being too easy. (It's never too difficult, either.)
- The dialogue is fantastically written. It's hilarious and at times, touching. This is probably one of the best-written games ever. It's near the top of the list, at least.
- The voice acting is one of my favorite parts about the game. Seriously, it's spot-on. There aren't many characters that have a speaking voice in the game (right now, only 4 or 5 come to my mind), but every single voice role in the game is perfectly cast. GlaDOS' voice actress gets a lot of deserved praise, but I feel that the real star is Wheatley (voiced by the impeccable Stephen Merchant). The speech/personalities/voices of the characters make them ALL extremely likable.
- The plot progression perfectly balances exposition through the characters' speech and through exploring/observing the environments on your own, which gives the game's setting a much more realistic (and ominous) vibe.
- The cooperative multiplayer is very creative and requires participation and communication between you and your partner. It's certainly not just a lazy re-hashing of the single player campaign. (ahem Call of Duty spec ops missions ahem)
- The story seems rather simplistic at first, but deepens over time at a reasonable pace. The ending is also satisfying (which I feel is abnormal for a lot of story-driven games these days).
Cons:
- Nothing negative immediately stands out to me, but if I HAD to pick something I don't like about the game, I'd say that the loading times are too frequent. There's a loading screen almost every time you progress from puzzle to puzzle, but the good news is that they're not too lengthy, so this complaint is very minor.
- It feels like it's over too soon. (The length of the game is perfectly fine, but you'll never want it to end.)
Overall, I definitely recommend this game to ANYONE who plays games. I'd even go so far as to call it a must-play. (If you never played the first one, that's fine. You don't need to, and if you want to catch up with the story, a Wiki plot summary does the job just fine.) Portal 2 is one of my favorite games of all time, so just buy it already!