It’s difficult to write about Portal 2 to any meaningful degree without chipping away at the wonderful twists and turns and surprises that effectively embody it. That goes for both its exemplary narrative and its evolving gameplay that not only contextually riffs on its portal shooting core, but introduces new elements that fundamentally alter the way you need to think about the challenges that come before you.

“It’s a game that happens around you but never in such a way that your presence seems to dictate what parts of the world exist”

What you need to know is that Portal 2 – like Portal before it – manages what is often thought of as impossible. It is irrefutably, relentlessly video gamey to the point where you’d sooner place it next to Tetris than the plethora of genres that have dominated gaming in recent years, and yet it wraps it all in an incredibly compelling narrative with more heart and character than any flailing, heavy handed attempt at a “cinematic experience” has ever managed. It’s contextual yet never arbitrarily so, it’s scripted but never intrusive. It’s a game that happens around you but never in such a way that your presence seems to dictate what parts of the world exist. It’s a subtle difference from your Uncharteds and Call of Duties, a trait that only Valve fully seem to possess, but it does make all the difference.

What it means for Portal is an amazing sense of being at the mercy of the incredible contraptions, the vast spaces and the awe-inspiring machinery. And yet, at the core is a puzzle game free from the shackles of typical gaming tropes; there are no needless expectations to fire a single bullet or punch a single dude in the course of its 6-8ish hour campaign. It is essentially mechanics, rules, problems, solutions and a gleeful, unrestricted exploration thereof. A video game in the purest sense.

“solving problems is more engaging, leading to a more satisfying gaming experience overall”

And as a video game it is a resounding success and a markedly better game than its already decidedly impressive predecessor. Once you wrapped your head around the main mechanics of Portal it rarely strayed from that core principle, thus grasping it and applying it over and over quickly became an easy enough excercise, having the credits roll in notime. Portal 2 isn’t significantly more challenging per se, but without giving anything away you do juggle more variables this time around, so even when you figure out the main principles, solving problems is more engaging, leading to a more satisfying gaming experience overall.

It will put a massive grin on your face as it introduces a new situation that at first looks entirely disjointed, but then just clicks into place, makes sense, and has you traversing the environment in a way you originally didn’t even remotely percieve.

“‘Let’s Play’ youtubers systematically destroy games for themselves all the time”

As a game it’s exceedingly satisfying, surprising and exciting. “Let’s Play” youtubers systematically destroy games for themselves all the time, but Portal 2 is a particularly heartbreaking prospect to think people won’t explore and figure out on their own. As an experience, largely by virtue of the same factors, it’s unforgettable, thrilling, absolutely hilarious, strangely menacing, and genuinely moving. It operates from a place of humour and self-awareness, but its attempts at sincerity are just as successful.

Its joy to be a thing – rarely displayed by sequels in particular – and its big heart are impossible to ward off; loving it is so amazingly easy it’s simply a game we can all agree on.

Of course, if you don’t, that’s fine too.

You monster.