"Hello, this is Cave Johnson speaking..." Game Review (no spoilers)

I'm making a note here: HUGE SUCCESS.

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We were waiting for the old good Portal, just bigger and better. And we didn't get it. Portal 2 is really a completely different game. Completely different yet fundamentally the same... However, I will temporarily silence my inner fan and try to talk about this remarkable game objectively.

About the story

The game is divided into two parts: single-player and cooperative. The bad news: there is no story in multiplayer. The levels are interconnected, GLaDOS (the overlord of the entire complex) does talk quite a bit, but no story has been brought in.

The good news: the single-player game has a story, and it advantageously differs from the first part. Basically, as before, we're told a tragedy. But, quoting Gladys: "Comedy is tragedy plus time." And we have plenty of time.

The single-player game is divided into 8 chapters. This division is merely for formality and carries no special thematic weight. The inter-level loading has become somewhat more intrusive (instead of a small text in the center of the screen, we are now forced to face loading screens), but thanks to decent optimization, they won't take much time.

But perhaps it's time to talk about the essence of the story. Briefly recapping previous episodes: the main character, Chell, woke up in an unidentified Laboratory, went through a bunch of tests, killed the maniacal GLaDOS (AI), and then found herself in a kind of hibernation chamber that resembles a cheap motel room.

A hundred years later, we are woken by a personality core named Wheatley. The single-player game can be divided into four parts: awakening, the first cycle of tests, behind the scenes, the second cycle of tests. Periodically, these parts intersect. The duration matches the promises: the single-player game can be completed in approximately 6 hours.

Deja Vu?

THAT WAS A JOKE. HA-HA. FAT CHANCE.

The game world has become much more "humane." Sterility has disappeared, protocols are gone in the same direction. GLaDOS has completely "lost her mind" (or vice versa, she has normalized — it depends on the perspective) and now she continuously ribs (bordering on insults) her old acquaintance. As for Wheatley, silencing him seems impossible, with rare exceptions.

Thus, the jokes are no longer what they used to be. Of course, technical humor still pops up ("Do you want to initiate the module replacement procedure?" — "What do you think?" — "Your murky response is considered 'yes'"), but overall its focus now extends into the workings of Aperture Science. Due to a certain dilapidation of the complex (for obvious reasons), we will often have to listen to old recordings, "to promote science in post-apocalyptic conditions."

Aperture Science v 1.0. Yes, in Portal 2 we learn a lot about the history and structure of the complex — today's and yesteryear's.

In short, one of the main "features" of Portal 2 is the black humor on the verge of surrealism.

Graphics and sound

The quality of the graphics in Portal 2 has increased sharply. Finally, there are proper liquids. The color palette has also undergone changes. The first third of the game is destruction, a wild mix of white walls, moving blocks, various plants everywhere. Then — a gloomy backstage. And finally, we conclude in relatively sterile conditions... but still with its own quirks, particularly based on the fact that the levels can move. Only according to the story, though, but nevertheless.

There are no complaints about the sound. The turrets still endear (especially the defective ones), localization is excellent. At least, there has been no desire to spit, smash everything around, and urgently change the voice-over language in the settings at any point. However, this was forced by journalistic duty. Overall, it's comparable. Wasn't fond of Still Alive? Well, English is your choice. If it’s not particularly crucial for you, it’s better to play in Russian.

"Pew-pew on the crosses"

Portal 2 has become much easier. No, not in terms of solving puzzles — in terms of carrying them out. Dying has become harder: both deadly water and bottomless pits are few in the game. The only real chances of dying are near turrets and various conveyors.

Between the lines: it was very hard to get used to the fact that Portal 2 has normal, non-lethal water.

It is practically impossible to die from the local laser or gels... well, okay, it is theoretically possible, but it would take a lot of time.

The number of "tools" has undergone changes. The energy ball has disappeared, completely replaced by the local variation of the laser, light bridges have appeared, passing through portals and "tourist funnels" — a kind of lift that allows one-way movement.

Radical changes are not only in the test chambers...

The largest new addition is certainly the gels. There are three of them: the speed gel, the repulsion gel (aka bounce gel), and the one that allows portals to be created on it. Overall, they look not as bizarre in the game as expected (even relatively fitting), but the inconsistency of the amount of gel poured with what ends up on the floor is somewhat disconcerting. In general, there are sadly several small inconsistencies with logic in Portal 2.

The laboratory is large. VERY large. Terrifyingly huge, one might say. And while its total area is not subject to precise calculations, for the part we will have to visit, it can be said unambiguously: it has become roomier, especially "behind the scenes." In parentheses, I’ll note that this has led to a type of "pixel hunting," where you have to look around in a huge hall, searching for "patches of land" where portals can be placed. However, new ability helps here: by pressing the middle mouse button, you can "zoom in." In simpler terms, it zooms the camera. It is quite conveniently implemented.

However, the test chambers in Portal 2 are quite modest in size.

Despite minor miscalculations, the tasks have become more diverse, and their difficulty remains moderate — perhaps, this is Valve's biggest success in Portal 2.

A few words about robots

Briefly about the cooperative mode. As mentioned, we are greeted with a bunch of cameras here. With comments from GLaDOS, but nonetheless. There are more than forty of them, and the duration of the cooperative mode is generally comparable to that of the single-player game. "Goal marking" and other means of subordination work adequately, and the difficulty is also within normal limits. There are no new "features" among the equipment compared to the campaign.

We play as two robots, Atlas and P-body. Their portals are, respectively, blue/purple and red/orange. It can be said that the "puzzling" essence of Portal 2 is revealed in the cooperative mode and seriously risks breaking the mind of an unprepared person. It is still recommended to start with the single-player game.

It is worth noting that Portal 2 includes a shop for skins, hats, and gestures for the robots. A sad addition, of course, but not critical.

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What conclusion can be drawn? Well... Valve created their most insane, unique, and perhaps truly "the best game in the company's history" — as promised. We didn't get "the same thing, but better." We got something completely different — with its advantages and disadvantages, but still making us demand more at the final credits.