PORTAL 2 (XBOX 360)

PC
*****
Ohne Frage ein sehr geniales Spiel, in dem auf sehr viel Story gesetzt wurde. Gefesselt hat es mich allemal, und auch der Ko-op Modus ist sehr interessant und unterhaltend.

Einziges Problem: Der Wiederspielwert ist viel zu gering!

Man hofft auf viele DLC's, Erweiterungen und Custom Maps von Spielern, dann kann ich vielleicht auf 6* erhöhen...

PC
******
I was quite a bit late to this, but it's one of the best games I've ever played.

"Portal" is a game that starts off feeling like a simple mechanic used on increasingly complex puzzles, but the further you go through it, it reveals to be so much more, as the voice that initially felt pre-recorded turns out to be very alive and grows to loathe you more and more before culminating in the final showdown.

For what it was, you couldn't really ask for much more out of it. It really was the surprise package of The Orange Box. As beloved as HL2 & TF2 are, they never quite reached the ubiquity of "Portal" due to its surprisingly involved storyline, and endless mountain of memes.

So a few years later, a sequel emerged. It takes place after the first game, where GLaDOS is incapacitated, and Aperture Science is in ruins. You've been in hibernation for a long time but are suddenly woken up by the only other character you will ever meet in the game, Wheatley. He really elevates the game whenever he's around, with his haphazardous speaking pace proving incredibly effective at not breaking the immersion of the game. Valve did a great job of giving him so much to say in every situation that he almost never has to shut up. He's also just quite funny with his general stupidity, like when he fails to recognise something very obvious and you get to hear his entire thinking process out loud. There are so many great quotes from it.

Without wanting to spoil too much, you end up going back to Aperture, accidentally waking up GLaDOS and going through a similar set of tasks to the first game. Don't let that make it sound boring though, the change of scenery from the cold functionality of "Portal" to the messy, animated goings on in "Portal 2" make it feel fresh. And if that's not enough, there are loads of new mechanics that make it fresh and exciting. New concepts are eased in gradually, and they do a great job of letting you occasionally have the 'Eureka!' moment upon working out a puzzle.

Now, these puzzles are great, but I really have to emphasize that it's the plot and characters that turn this into a masterpiece. Who would have thought you could have so many emotions in a game with 2 robots and a human who doesn't talk? It also ties up a lot of great loose ends. What is Aperture Science even there for? Where did it come from? Where did GLaDOS come from? Why is no one else around? One of the most clever framing devices they use is in the middle portion of the game where you get to see Aperture Science from its beginnings, and see it (and its founder) gradually deteriorate as you progress further.

This game is very, very good. You’ll laugh, you’ll cry, it’ll change your life.

also, SPAaaaAAAAAAAAAaaaAaaaaaaaaaaaAAAAAAaCEEEEEE