Just finished, and I have to say that while it was quite excellent, I sort of felt like none of the puzzles were very hard at all. I whizzed through the game, and only got stuck once. A couple made me feel brilliant for completing them, but most of them were pretty obvious. I thought the original Portal was a lot more innovative and varied in its puzzle designs.
I also felt like the writing just wasn't up to the same level. The original was witty and could have only been told through a videogame, where this was less wit and a lot more back and forth between characters, making it less of a solitary personal experience and more of a play. I also thought the script for Glados, while contextually explained, was far too emotional and expository. (I thought the last joke about deleting a certain thing was the funniest part of the game, and a return the the dry wit of the first game.) Where portal told the story subtly and used mystery and reveals to explain the plot while the player games, this one attempted to be loud and explicit, smashing the story over your head with giant theatrics in between the puzzles, separating them.
The ending (which was almost stupid-easy) follows suite, opting for over-the-top instead of thoughtful, like the first game. The ending credits song isn't good, and not just in contrast to the first.
I felt let down, and even though this game was longer, and I played the original a few months ago and I know it's shorter, the original still feels more dense and well structured. I really did enjoy the over-the-top moments, and they were some of the most well crafted, physically exhilarating moments in a game, but they aren't really what I expect or need out of a portal game. I liked this game more than I'm expressing here, but I think I had higher hopes.
Anyone need a partner for the co-op?
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