Youāve heard of Portal 2, but are you ready to play Portal 2? Do you need help determining which part of the game to play first? Want to know how to find the gameās coolest hidden items?
The answers to that and much more are below (some of them hidden behind links, to protect unspoiled eyes.)
Should I play Portal 2?
Yes. It is very good.
Console version or computer version, which should I play?
The computer version is supposed to have mod support, so if you really like Portal games, Iād nudge you in that direction. I played it on Xbox 360, however, and had a wonderful time. The PlayStation 3 version is also an excellent option, especially since buying it gets you the PC and Mac editions for free.
Do I need to have played the first game?
No, but it would be nice if you did. Itās true that playing the first game will diminish some of Portal 2ās magic. The seriesā ingenious puzzle design can only be brand-new once. But a quick five-hour zip through the first game will give you a good handle on who the few main characters of this series are and why a certain someone feels the way they do in Portal 2. The simpler gameplay of the first will also help train your brain for the tougher portal manipulations of the sequel. (You can find the first one cheap for PC or consoles; the downloadable Portal: Still Alive on Xbox 360 includes bonus challenges.)
The game has a single-player campaign and a co-op campaign. Which should I play first?
While you are technically able to play either campaign first ā without fear of one spoiling the other ā I recommend you start with the co-op campaign. The co-op campaign doesnāt have much story to it, but the little it contains will do more to inform the story of the solo campaign than vice versa. The drawback to playing co-op first is that youāre going into the deepest end of the Portal 2. The gameās toughest puzzles are in co-op. (Note: I should point out that, in terms of timeline, the single-player campaign starts first, but I believe itāll be more rewarding to play the game in the order Iām laying out, saving the solo campaignās magnificent final sections for last.)
If I play co-op, who should I play it with?
I strongly suggest you play with someone else who is new to the game. Figuring out the puzzles together is more satisfying than being led around (or having to do the leading). That said, on my second play-through of some of the co-op campaignās chapters, I struggled to remember how to solve some of the rooms. The game is tough enough that youāll forget some of its puzzle solutions. So, if youāre replaying, I hope you have a short memory.
How long is co-op going to take? And when can I take a break?
The co-op campaign took me about seven hours to complete, but its five-chapter structure encourages players to commit to about one to two hours per session. Once you hit a chapter ending, you might as well take a break. Thankfully, you can actually take a break mid-chapter as well. The game saves your progress after you to the elevator to the next challenge(s) in a chapterās eight or so sections. The game remembers the progress of each player and allows any paired players access to all the challenge areas that the more advanced player reaches. (The game also tracks each playerās steps walked, hugs given and other silly stats, combining that data of each co-op pair to show how those numbers add up for the duo youāre a part of at the moment.) Add this all up and it means you donāt have to worry about playing through the co-op campaign all at once, nor with the same person all the way through.
But this game has a reputation already for being short?
True. Thereās heated debate about whether the gameās worth a full $60 on consoles ($50 on computers), but with the single-player campaign taking about nine hours for me to finish, and never hitting an unpleasant patch, I say thereās plenty of value here. Thereās less value for people who want to be able to replay their games, though the game does reward repeat players with an option to activate developerās commentary.
https://lastchance.cc/the-people-are-panning-portal-2-5793543%3C/a%3E%3C/p%3E
A few, including a hidden song and a reference to another Valve game. Hereās how to get to them
https://lastchance.cc/how-to-find-three-of-portal-2s-best-secrets-5794033%3C/a%3E%3C/p%3E
One of Portalās claims to fame was its end-credits song, āStill Aliveā by Jonathan Coulton. There is a different song playing during Portal 2ās end credits. (Listen here.) I didnāt like it as much, but itās still pretty good.
This is a spoiler-free article, so Iāve put the answer here
https://lastchance.cc/for-those-who-were-expecting-or-fearing-a-cake-joke-in-5793655%3C/a%3E%3C/p%3E
Iām stuck on a puzzle and donāt know the solution. What do I do?
You can figure it out. I believe in you. (And if it helps, the problem is almost never a matter of timing or finicky angling of portals; youāre probably just trying the wrong thing. Shoot those portals somewhere else.)
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