Portal is a gripping puzzle game from the makers of the Half-Life shooters, the American studio Valve Corporation. It is set in the labs of Aperture Science, a corporation from the Half-Life universe that researches portals. Using those portals to move around and solve all sorts of problems is exactly what Portal's gameplay is built on. The heroine is a young woman named Chell, whose mission is to make her way through a series of test chambers.
The original came out in 2007, and in 2011 it was followed by the sequel, Portal 2. It picks up the story of the first game, with Chell once again in the lead role. This time, though, she wakes up in a ruined laboratory after a very long stretch of time. Nobody knows what happened over those years. It all looks highly suspicious, so getting out of there fast seems like the best plan. Luckily for Chell, a personality core that happens to be nearby decides to help her. Still, plenty of tough new tests stand between Chell, her new friend Wheatley and their escape.
Improved physics. The world of Aperture Science is now more varied and engaging than ever. Beyond portals, you can manipulate all kinds of objects in the environment and make them interact with each other, which opens up new possibilities. Some sort of liquid has also appeared in the lab's pipes, or rather several different liquids, and they clearly have an effect on how you play.
An engaging co-op mode. Alongside the single-player campaign, Portal 2 includes a cooperative mode that is completely separate from the solo story. Here the heroes are the robots P-Body and Atlas, who have to work through a series of training tests. The gameplay revolves around the two robots working together, and for many players the co-op mode is reason enough to download Portal 2 for free.
A thoughtfully crafted soundtrack. While building the second game, the developers also decided to make major changes to its sound design. The music beautifully underlines the atmosphere without distracting you from solving tricky puzzles. In other words, it stays in the background while still adding something meaningful to the experience.
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