Portal 2 Box Art
  • Genre
  • Platform
    PC, PS3, X360
  • Release date
    Apr 19, 2011 (US)
    Apr 21, 2011 (EU)

This game was released on April 21, 2011 and is no longer available to pre-order. Any incentives that were offered are listed below.

Portal 2 is an upcoming sequel to Valve’s wildly popular game Portal, which came out back in 2007. According to the developers, it is going to be at least twice as long as the original. Portal 2 will also include new gameplay elements (such as the Repulsion Gel) and more complex puzzles.

Besides the single player campaign, the game will offer a multiplayer co-op mode which will allow players to take control of two cute robots and use teamwork to progress through the dangerous levels.

Portal 2 plot

In the updated ending of the original game, Chell (the protagonist) gets dragged away by an unseen robot and loses consciousness. The story of Portal 2 will pick up several hundred years later, with Chell waking up from a stasis and finding herself in a now-decrepit Aperture Science facility. Of course, our favorite insane AI – GLaDOS – is still alive, and eager to do science again. As for the aforementioned co-op mode, it will have its own unique plot and setting.

Portal 2 preorder details & bonuses

Valve’s popular digital distribution service, Steam, seems to be a good choice if you’re after the PC or Mac version and want to save some money. On the other hand, if you pre-order Portal 2 for Playstation 3 or Xbox 360, Amazon will give you $20 in-store credit for your next purchase.

  • Amazon: $5 off the original price (all platforms) + $20 store credit (Xbox 360 & PS3 only).
  • Steam (PC / Mac only): buy one copy, get 10% off and a free Portal game (the first one). Likewise, if you buy two copies you’ll get a 20% discount and 2 giftable copies of Portal.
  • GameStop: custom bot skins for the co-op mode (all platforms).
  • GAME.co.uk: double points on GAME Reward Card.

Thoughts on the sequel

Portal 2 will be much longer and bigger than the original. While it’s true that the first game was short, and most of the levels looked similar with that stylized, clinical feel, all that was part of its charm. The sequel will have a different visual style, with more detailed environments and overgrown foliage all over the place. The puzzles will also include a whole array of new elements like air currents from the Pneumatic Diversity Vents, and Propulsion / Repulsion gels.

I hope all these new features will make the game better, but it will still retain the things that made the first Portal so awesome. For me that was the antics of the wonderfully insane GLaDOS, and constantly wondering whether she’s lying or telling the truth. (The image of the burning Weighted Companion Cube still haunts me in my dreams).

For science, you monster (Portal 2 teaser trailer)

The game is going to be released for PC, Xbox 360, Playstation 3 and Mac at the same time (April 19th in North America, and 21th in Australia & Europe). It will support cross-platform multiplayer between PS3 and PC / Mac platforms. Visit ThinkWithPortals.com for more info.

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