Gaming is a strange beast for those of us who choose to look beyond the visceral thrills of shooting an overpowered weapon or comparing kill-death ratios. It can be so much more; transporting you to brave new worlds and weaving interactive, involved narratives that other media could never hope to match. They'd only need to look to games like Portal 2 to see where a good idea can take you.

Gameplay

Portal 2 is a simple game to summarise: it consists of a series of test chambers that you enter and then must exit using the tools provided to you. You play as Chell, a mute vessel protagonist in the tradition of that other legendary Valve hero (a certain Mr Freeman), who awakens from an undetermined period in stasis at a giant underground research facility owing to a goof-up by Wheatley, the resident caretaker robot-on-a-rail. For the newbies among you, the first game had you defeat GlaDOS, the malevolent resident AI that seemed so obviously pleased with having you run from one deadly gauntlet to the next, all the while scuppering your plans of escape to the surface.

The tackily furnished vestibule you were holed up in has clearly been ravaged by time, and Wheatley takes it upon himself to free you from your prison the hard way. What follows is a short, but memorable, on-rails sequence (apparently every great Valve game has to begin this way) that drops you back into Aperature Labs, the devious military contractor-cum-conglomerate that designed and ran the testing facility that held Chell prisoner. The place has obviously seen better days, what with GlaDOS out of operation and the maintenance systems acting up. Right about here is where you'll notice two things. Wheatley just won't shut up! But rather than annoying the living hell out of you, you'll begin to notice that the AI has been given an actual well-rounded character. Brilliantly voiced by The Office's Stephen Merchant, the lovable little runt is clearly British and has a great sense of humour. In fact, you're recommended to stay put at spots just so you'll hear the extra lines he'll spout. This non-stop chatter is so well written, and delivered with such terrific comic-timing, that you'll soon miss him when he goes off on random errands.

Keeping pace

Aside from Wheatley, you'll also notice that the game isn't rushing you forward. The first set of puzzles are harmless enough, seemingly there to introduce you more to the universe and the mechanics of gameplay. The derelict and relatively simple stages soon open up just as the first major plot point hits you (hint: she's back!). Without divulging any more of the story, suffice to say that you'll go places and learn more about the Portal universe and its characters than you ever expected to. There's also a significant chunk of back story to be enjoyed. You'll want to look in every nook and cranny of the levels for obscure voice snippets, paintings and other Easter eggs abound.

Portal 2's gameplay revolves around the concept of entry and exit portals that you shoot out of your ‘portal gun'. Once shot onto strategic portal holding walls and walked into, they can be used to traverse large spaces and otherwise impossible gaps. Don't let Portal lure you into a false sense of security, however. After the first third of the game, you'll be faced with a steady introduction of new variables that you'll need to utilise to solve each new puzzle room. These include liquid gels that speed up movement, increase your jump height, and one that lets you shoot portals on previously inert surfaces. There are also red lasers that can be redirected, energy walkways, tractor beams and spring-loaded plates that launch you into the air. The game never burdens you by throwing in more elements than you're able to take in. It's expertly designed, paced and check-pointed, and barring a few puzzles towards the end, you'll never feel like you're in over your head.

Graphics

The game is a visual marvel, and while it may not stand up to the likes of Crysis 2, the attention to detail and massive evolving environments more than make up for it. The in-game music by Mike Morasky switches between serenely contemplative to tracks that subtly aid in your puzzle solving. It's wonderful to hear the score dynamically evolve as it adds new layers each time you complete a part of a puzzle. Aside from Wheatley, there are also standout performances from Ellen McLain, J.K. Simmons and Nolan North. It isn't often that you come across a game that has you laughing all through the boss fights.

Co-op mode

The game also comes with seamless Steam integration on the PS3, allowing you to play the fleshed out co-op mode online on the PS3 or cross-platform with a willing accomplice on the PC. The co-op mode has a separate set of puzzles and story, and even lets partners point objects of interest out to each other. Barring minor issues, such as frequent loading times and a lack of traditional leaderboard support, Portal 2 is as close to perfection as a video game can get. Clocking in at twice the length of the previous game (and that isn't even counting the co-op mode), there's a tremendous amount of replay value to be had from redoing the chapters, just enjoying the story and dialogue or listening to Valve's commentary track. With an endearing, bittersweet story that delves into depths you wouldn't expect of it, Portal 2 is not only a must-have but also an example of what the medium is capable of when in competent hands. Consider the bar well and truly raised.

Love - Excellent presentation, hilarious script and voice acting, involving gameplay, satisfying story

Hate - Frequent loading

Ratings: 5/5

Price: Rs 2,499 (PS3)

Rs 1,999 (Xbox 360)

Rs 699 (PC)

Publisher - EA

Developer - Valve

Platform - Xbox 360,

PS3, PC

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