Convince me, Escapists. Is Portal 2 worth $25?

[Tim Mazzola]

For the next 13 hours, Portal 2 is $25 on Steam. I don't know whether or not it's worth it. I enjoyed Portal, but a lot of what made it great was its brevity and self-containedness (yes, I know that's not a word.) I remember thinking when it was announced, "This is like if they put Kuribo's Shoe in Super Mario Galaxy... it was special because it was there, it came and went. Now they're ruining that."

So, is Portal 2 just a money-grubbing gag? Is it actually well-designed? Does it actually bring anything semi-new to the table? Or does it amount to nothing more than what could easily just be DLC for the first one?

 

[sunami88]

It's a completely new game. It's even got a coop campaing for you and a friend after you've beaten the "main part" of the game (even though the coop is easily as long as the main campaign).

It's a steal for $25. Buy it.

 

[2xDouble]

Ahem [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/videos/view/zero-punctuation/3153-Portal-2].

$25 is more than fair for Portal 2.

 

[Chaos James]

I don't know about deep down in the game (I'm either too tired or didn't notice anything that might of soured the game). I know off the top of my head that Yahtzee didn't like it as much as the first one, but of course that's his opinion not my own so not a lot of help.

I say, for $25, I sure enjoyed it. Multiplayer was fun with a few challenges (challenge in the game all depends on the person though) and the singleplayer was humorous and the new gels they added into the game can be fun.

So that's a yes from me, but I'm sure others will have a better opinion.

EDIT: So yah, looks like my points were more or less taken. I probably would of been the first post had I not talked so long and just said "It's a steal."

 

[Aleate]

Yes. Portal 2 is great. It is a lot more story based, but the variation of different areas is fun compared to the first game which was only in the Aperture Science area. Also, there is more dark jokes that will make you giggle. The puzzles... aren't exactly challenging, save for a few later ones, but the Co-op ones are the best. If you have a friend with it, its a definite buy. If you don't... its still a very good buy.

I bought it at $60 and I thought it was worth it then.

 

[Kahunaburger]

YES

Especially if your friends have it on PC as well - co-op is really fun (at least the first time haha)

 

[OpticalJunction]

I say yes, it's a very good game. The only major flaw it has is that it has little to no re-playability, but as a puzzle game that can't really be helped.

 

[MortalForNow]

Yes, bought it day one and I don't regret it. Also, it helps if you aren't familiar with anything in the game before playing it because, just as in the first, the experience and humor should be your own without any prior exposure.

It's nowhere near the out-of-left-field surprise that the first Portal was, but after my own fears that it wouldn't live up to the hype, I felt that the entire package, single player and co-op, was entirely justifiable and worth the money. For less than half price, I can assume that feeling will be more greatly magnified.

 

[sluggyfreelancer]

What's with the sudden influx of 'convince me' threads? Also, what I've heard, yes it is.

 

[Ruiner87]

Bleh, honestly I feel you'd get just as much enjoyment out of watching a Let's Play of it. The gameplay took something of a backseat to the story and humour, and the gameplay seems like nothing more than a medium for the story to be expressed. May as well just watch it.

Although, if you're absolutely set on buying it, you could do a lot worse than $25.

 

[Zelda_Lover26]

Hey, I paid more than $25 dollars for portal 2, but I'm not bitter. why? Cause I had a blast with it. I'd tell you what my favorite parts of it were, but I'd probably be giving away 50% of the games story.

$25, thats a steal for an awsome game. Don't let the opportunity slip through your fingers. It may not be as good as the first, but I think it holds its own pretty well. Plus, like others have said, there are quite a few new toys GLaDOS wants you to play with... oh, dear, I think I may have said to much...

Also, if after the final boss you are not asking yourself "did that really just happen?" (In a good way), then cancel your next doctors appointment because you have died.

 

[ThatDaveDude1]

Honestly, it's worth the full $50. Buy it. It's one of those rare games that gets everything right.

Allow me to echo the above sentiments, however, and suggest the Valve Complete Pack as opposed to just the game itself.

 

[Zelda_Lover26]

Honestly, it's worth the full $50. Buy it. It's one of those rare games that gets everything right.

Allow me to echo the above sentiments, however, and suggest the Valve Complete Pack as opposed to just the game itself.

I probably would have done that too, but, and no offense to anyone, Half-Life is not a game I could get into... maybe...

That, and I already owned portal and TF2, and don't have any friends that I could have given the copies to...

 

[SonicKoala]

I've only completed the single-player portion, and I'd contend that alone is worth the game's full price. It has gorgeous level design, fantastic passive story-telling (it is Valve, so that should be no surprise), the same biting humour present in the first game, that aura of mystery and intrigue also present in the first game, and the puzzles are pretty damn fun, as well. Yeah, they aren't that hard, but they feel so varied thanks to the new mechanics that they're certainly entertaining, if anything.

So yes, $25 dollars is a freaking steal for what is currently my favourite game of the year.

 

[Vault101]

For the next 13 hours, Portal 2 is $25 on Steam. I don't know whether or not it's worth it. I enjoyed Portal, but a lot of what made it great was its brevity and self-containedness (yes, I know that's not a word.) I remember thinking when it was announced, "This is like if they put Kuribo's Shoe in Super Mario Galaxy... it was special because it was there, it came and went. Now they're ruining that."

So, is Portal 2 just a money-grubbing gag? Is it actually well-designed? Does it actually bring anything semi-new to the table? Or does it amount to nothing more than what could easily just be DLC for the first one?

let me tell you with 100% certainty that Portal 2 is worth the $79 I paid for it (well actuall $42, I had a gift card)

Portal 2 is EPIC as it should be, because lets face it Portal 1 was not a full game at its release, and I sure as hell wouldnt have paid full price for the first portal

so anything less than a full game and I would have felt cheated (if Im expected to pay for it like a full game), I dont really care what some gaming hipsters say, persoanlly I think they are being stupid, "ohhhh no we cant make the game tooo long..then it wont be ART"

I mean they COULD have cobbled together a few test chambers...but no they went all out with this one

trust me the game has alot of surprises and twists and turns, Im not saying youll be as amazed by it as I was but its worth it,

I was at first worried that it might not feel long enough...but no the length was awsome,

 

[Nabirius]

Shut up and buy it.

 

[A-D.]

No. A single Game, with the total Singleplayer Length of 6-7 Hours, with a Co-Op which does not last much longer and has little to no replay Value is not worth 25 bucks. Unless you are shitting Money.

Either wait for the Price to drop further, or get one of the bigger packs where its included amongst other good Games.