![]() (On the other hand, I haven’t played the cooperative campaign yet, so maybe things will be pushed farther there.) ![]() Unlike the original, Portal 2 feels like its left something on the table. If there’s any quibble to be had here, it’s that the puzzle designs don’t feel quite as crisp or complete. They’re extending gameplay while keeping the focus firmly on the portal gun itself. I was pleasantly surprised, however, to discover that this was not the case: Instead of distracting from the portal gun, the new puzzle mechanics feel like they’re unlocking the portal gun’s potential. I thought it likely that the game was going to lose focus in an effort to find “the next portal gun” by throwing mechanics at the wall and waiting to see what would stick. When I saw the previews for Portal 2, I was concerned by what appeared to be a grabbag of new mechanics: Several different gels, launching pads, bombs, and a selection of energy fields. And it wedded that experience to an environment and a plot that were similarly laser-sharp in their focus. It took a single, innovative mechanic and fully explored it in almost every way imaginable. The original Portal, of course, was a gem of a game. I have no decent excuse for this Valve just seems to be the only company that can get me to routinely disregard my own self-interest in this regard. Despite Steam’s DRM and Valve’s demonstrable anti-consumer values, I found it impossible to resist picking up a copy of Portal 2.
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