There?s no explanation as to why you?re there, why were you neglected for 999999999999999999999999999999999 hours, or why are scientists so obsessed with these puzzles in the first place. There?s no reason for you to want to leave that place, and for a while, the scene is cozy and almost homely. But a robot voice immediately breaks the peace, reminding Chell that she?s in Aperture Science, and there?re tests to complete.
And immediately there?s a problem. Chell is not being introduced to the testing facilities or the portal gun. She?s dropped into an abandoned warehouse with a single goal: get out.
The panels are broken. The walls are graffiti infected. And without saying a word, the player knows exactly what?s happened: whoever?s in charge has abandoned this place. But why?
Soon, though, the reason doesn?t matter. You just want to get out. Somehow the walls feel claustrophobic, and Chell feels trapped without any idea how to escape or even where ?escape? is. Feeling desperate, you confide in the only other intelligence in this universe, Wheatley. If he told you to move on, you moved on, if he told you to turn around, you turned around, if he told you to jump off a building, you?d have done that too.
The only other game that?s captured this sense of desperation and loneliness is Shadow of the Colossus, and just like Portal 2, that was a phenomenal experience.
Without spoiling the game, I can say that the game took a nosedive in the middle in its ?game?-ness, but strangely, that?s not such a bad thing. You?re a desperate girl who?s trapped in an abandoned testing facility, armed with nothing but a portal gun, what?d you really expect?
Everything becomes confusing, unclear, and nauseating. The puzzles are no longer those controlled rooms in the first Portal. There?s no obvious panels and no obvious objectives with obvious obstacles. You?re given a goal, and you must figure out everything else.
This is a big problem in terms of game mechanics because it?s contrary to everything that makes a good puzzle. But in this way, the mechanics makes perfect sense with what?s happening in the game. You?re trapped, and there?s no hint button. You?re not in a game anymore; you?re Chell, and you?re a testing subject for a demented experiment.
Contrasting this atmosphere, narrative, and mechanics is the cast. Each character has its own range of personalities. And they are some of the most developed characters in any games that I?ve played. Sarcasm and humor are the forte of these characters. And their metallic body adds a surprising humanistic personality that?s also believable and sincere. You?re not looking at its face to see if someone?s lying. There?s tone and movement. When GLADDOS is evil, you feel it in your bones. When Wheatley risks his life for yours, you try your damndest not to drop him (perhaps I?ve already said too much?).
But in the end, Portal 2 is not a puzzle game. It?s an adventure. Some moments are frustrating. Some moments are boring and repetitive. But even its must agonizing moments is all building into a phenomenal, memorable, and must-have experience.
original article [http://www.playstation54.com/?p=172]
This is my first review that I post here, so any constructive criticisms are more than welcome. I hope you guys enjoyed reading my review. Thanks for reading.
And immediately there?s a problem. Chell is not being introduced to the testing facilities or the portal gun. She?s dropped into an abandoned warehouse with a single goal: get out.
The panels are broken. The walls are graffiti infected. And without saying a word, the player knows exactly what?s happened: whoever?s in charge has abandoned this place. But why?
Soon, though, the reason doesn?t matter. You just want to get out. Somehow the walls feel claustrophobic, and Chell feels trapped without any idea how to escape or even where ?escape? is. Feeling desperate, you confide in the only other intelligence in this universe, Wheatley. If he told you to move on, you moved on, if he told you to turn around, you turned around, if he told you to jump off a building, you?d have done that too.
The only other game that?s captured this sense of desperation and loneliness is Shadow of the Colossus, and just like Portal 2, that was a phenomenal experience.
Without spoiling the game, I can say that the game took a nosedive in the middle in its ?game?-ness, but strangely, that?s not such a bad thing. You?re a desperate girl who?s trapped in an abandoned testing facility, armed with nothing but a portal gun, what?d you really expect?
Everything becomes confusing, unclear, and nauseating. The puzzles are no longer those controlled rooms in the first Portal. There?s no obvious panels and no obvious objectives with obvious obstacles. You?re given a goal, and you must figure out everything else.
This is a big problem in terms of game mechanics because it?s contrary to everything that makes a good puzzle. But in this way, the mechanics makes perfect sense with what?s happening in the game. You?re trapped, and there?s no hint button. You?re not in a game anymore; you?re Chell, and you?re a testing subject for a demented experiment.
Contrasting this atmosphere, narrative, and mechanics is the cast. Each character has its own range of personalities. And they are some of the most developed characters in any games that I?ve played. Sarcasm and humor are the forte of these characters. And their metallic body adds a surprising humanistic personality that?s also believable and sincere. You?re not looking at its face to see if someone?s lying. There?s tone and movement. When GLADDOS is evil, you feel it in your bones. When Wheatley risks his life for yours, you try your damndest not to drop him (perhaps I?ve already said too much?).
But in the end, Portal 2 is not a puzzle game. It?s an adventure. Some moments are frustrating. Some moments are boring and repetitive. But even its must agonizing moments is all building into a phenomenal, memorable, and must-have experience.
original article [http://www.playstation54.com/?p=172]
This is my first review that I post here, so any constructive criticisms are more than welcome. I hope you guys enjoyed reading my review. Thanks for reading.