Portal 2 end game

But the guilt is still there, nagging. It may sound silly, especially to a non-gamer. But even though I never really had a choice, even though it was some developer or designer that made that call, and not me, I feel as if I did.

You feel yourself develop, as the character. This emotional investment continues to multiply as the story progresses. Sure, the new puzzle elements keep it fresh, entertaining. The dialogue keeps it amusing. But that emotional investment is what makes you feel as if the game is real. As if, bit by bit, tiny pieces of you are fused with the story.

And the fact that what seems right is constantly changing helps keep the emotional immersion alive in the later parts of the game. Among the many diverse worlds of scenery created in Portal 2, the abandoned halls of retroth century Aperture Science create some of the creepiest ambience. She talks quite a bit about understanding how Wheatley feels — how the central mainframe of Aperture encourages hunger for power and an almost murderous drive to pursue the furthering of scientific research.

Her origin story and connection to the player is teased and hinted at, leaving the player to draw their own conclusions. You begin to wonder if she was ever truly your nemesis at all. This is just one moral quandary. Forget the heart-wrenching bits, how is it that the mechanics keep you entrenched? And they do, believe me, and I will detail that, briefly, in a little bit. But as I started writing this, I realized something.

The sense of loyalty to the characters, however few there are. The immense loneliness of certain parts of the game. The fantastic way you felt at the end.

The freedom to not just play a character, but be a character. Now, for a quick word about the actual gameplay features, as promised.

There are a huge number of puzzle elements, from boxes, to big buttons, to little buttons, to blue goo, and more. All are introduced pretty much one-by-one, and by the end of the game, you feel like a mad scientist for understanding how they all work together. The level design is truly amazing. Starting out in a level, even though the goal is pretty clear get to the exit door, activate any necessary buttons , it feels almost open-world somehow.

This is due to brilliant mapping on the part of the designers. Most levels have a multi-room, open feel, and even those that are more linear in layout still feel open-world somehow. Looking back after solving a level, the solution may seem obvious. However, their are often a number of different orders in which to execute the necessary steps.

Plus, the many, many puzzle elements, especially in the late game, lend themselves well to experimentation. It helps that the game uses strongly positive in the form of progression and more dialogue, albeit often snarky rather than negative reinforcement.

Though the game is organized into a definite level structure, expansive spaces like this retain an open-world feel. This encourages exploration rather than penalizing it, which is great for those of us that love to find Easter eggs, of which there are quite a few which, by the way, also serve to enhance the story and backstory, a welcome addition. Which is much easier said than done in many cases. It can get frustrating at times. And the adrenaline rush when you do solve a level of which there are many, all told over fifty, and most very large is amazing.

Coupled with the immense draw of the story, this rush keeps you playing, keeps you craving more. Portal 2 is a wonderful drug. I intend to make this journal mostly about gameplay experience and story design, but I simply cannot pass on the opportunity to compliment the artistic side of Portal 2. After all, visual and aural stimuli are integral to the enjoyment of any game. Portal 2 is a brilliant blending of visual styles — sort of a grungy look, which tells a very complex story.

The designers of the world have taken an evidently once-pristine laboratory, styled in brilliant whites and chrome, and aged it significantly. Foliage and corrosion is expertly placed, balancing technological sophistication with the cruel hand of time.

Many of the levels and spaces in the newer part of the laboratory are aged and updated versions of their counterparts from Portal.

As I played the titles in reverse order, I came to appreciate this fact more on my subsequent playthroughs, and it is a really nice touch. In the later parts of the game, new scenery, colour schemata, texturing, and architectural designs are introduced. However, they still fit incredibly well with the overall style of the game and work to create a visual experience that is both cohesive and diverse.

Visual transition is something this game accomplishes with astounding finesse. Portal 2 is a huge game. Geographically and mentally, its scope is largely unmatched, especially in the realm of puzzle-based games. The scenery is constantly changing, but it never feels forced or unnatural. The inter-level transition spaces are just as impressive as the levels themselves, and keep you totally immersed.

Another example of brilliant set design in Portal 2. This richly designed lobby setting serves as a transitional area guiding the player into the massive level space of the middle portions of the game. Thus, the comparatively few characters may seem like an odd choice. Not so. Fewer characters means closer relationships between those characters by default. This is a brilliant point of execution for the writers, actors, and sound direction team.

Not even specifically with reference to this journal, just in general. View Points Shop Items 3. Points Shop Items Available. Publisher: Valve. Share Embed. Read Critic Reviews. Shop Merchandise Now. Shop For Portal 2 Merchandise. Add to Cart. Bundle info. Add to Account. View Community Hub. About This Game Portal 2 draws from the award-winning formula of innovative gameplay, story, and music that earned the original Portal over 70 industry accolades and created a cult following.

The single-player portion of Portal 2 introduces a cast of dynamic new characters, a host of fresh puzzle elements, and a much larger set of devious test chambers.

Players will explore never-before-seen areas of the Aperture Science Labs and be reunited with GLaDOS, the occasionally murderous computer companion who guided them through the original game. This new mode forces players to reconsider everything they thought they knew about portals. Success will require them to not just act cooperatively, but to think cooperatively.

Product Features Extensive single player: Featuring next generation gameplay and a wildly-engrossing story. Complete two-person co-op: Multiplayer game featuring its own dedicated story, characters, and gameplay. Advanced physics: Allows for the creation of a whole new range of interesting challenges, producing a much larger but not harder game.

Original music. Massive sequel: The original Portal was named 's Game of the Year by over 30 publications worldwide. Editing Tools: Portal 2 editing tools will be included. System Requirements Windows. DirectX: Version 9. Minimum: OS: Ubuntu See All. See all. Customer reviews. Overall Reviews:. Review Type. All , Positive , Negative 3, All , Steam Purchasers , Other 55, All Languages , Your Languages , Customize. Date Range. To view reviews within a date range, please click and drag a selection on a graph above or click on a specific bar.

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