008 | GLaDOS O Glad

April 19th, 2011 will forever be a turning point in my life. Not because it's the supposed launch date of a certain fictional computer intelligence system that eventually goes rogue and attempts to destroy mankind, but because it marks the day that Portal ceased to be my favorite video game of all time.

You might be asking yourself "What could ever lead a person to decry such a prime example of innovation?" Why, none other than its sequel, of course! Having shown up at midnight to claim my purchase, I swiftly made my way back home in order to embark upon the journey that would transcend every preconceived notion I had about the game.

And after three days of joyful engagement, the verdict is finally in: I've never played anything so incredible before. Round of applause for Valve and every single individual who had a hand in bringing Portal 2 to fruition.

Now you're probably wondering "Okay, so what makes this game so amazing?" I'll begin with the fact that it's actually TWO games. The single player is rather short for an in-box product (although it's definitely longer than the first). However, the co-op makes up for this entirely by providing us with a completely independent storyline. All-in-all, I've probably registered about thirty six hours so far --- and that's just my first playthrough. If one was so inclined as to strive to earn all the achievements, I'm thinking upwards of fifty hours would be the end result. Basically, what seems at first like a very short game can be extended according to the player's will.

In addition, the developers made sure to re-incorporate everything that people loved about the original. For instance, the quirky humor that turned Portal 1 into the cult classic it's known as today is present from start to finish. It also seems as though Valve tried to keep things fresh by knowing where to draw the line in regard to old jokes that have been tired out --- i.e. references to cake are extremely scarce.

Finally (and perhaps most importantly), the smooth gameplay and ingenious level design fuse to create an experience that's unlike any other. Few titles will leave a gamer with such a feeling of exhilaration AND satisfaction in the same breath. Words really aren't helpful in describing this. My advice? Go buy yourself a copy and play it. I promise you won't be sorry. The question I keep hearing over and over: "Is it worth sixty dollars?" The answer: "Every. Damn. Penny."

To view the teaser trailer for Portal 2, click here.