--- title: "Game Review: Portal 2" description: The first Portal game was a fun romp through a mad scientist's lab, run by an insane machine. How do you make a sequel to that? John Konecsni reviews Portal 2 for our Tech Talk team. --- [![catholic-mom-logo-v2](https://www.catholicmom.com/hubfs/_catholicmom/images/catholic-mom-logo-v2.svg "catholic-mom-logo-v2")](https://www.catholicmom.com/) [![facebook](https://www.catholicmom.com/hubfs/_catholicmom/icons/social-icon-facebook.svg)](http://www.facebook.com/CatholicMomCommunity) [![twitter](https://www.catholicmom.com/hubfs/_catholicmom/icons/social-icon-twitter.svg)](http://twitter.com/CatholicMomCom) [![instagram](https://www.catholicmom.com/hubfs/_catholicmom/icons/social-icon-instagram.svg)](http://instagram.com/catholicmomcommunity) [![youtube](https://www.catholicmom.com/hubfs/_catholicmom/icons/social-icon-youtube.svg)](https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCAuUqHCVPDzyMgSMaMZxxug?view_as=subscriber) [![search-icon](https://www.catholicmom.com/hubfs/_catholicmom/icons/search-icon.svg)](https://www.catholicmom.com/articles/2014/05/10/game-review-portal-2#) [MEDIA](https://www.catholicmom.com/articles/tag/media) # Game Review: Portal 2 May 10, 2014 7:00:31 AM  |  by [Guest](https://www.catholicmom.com/articles/author/guest) [![](https://www.catholicmom.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Imported_Blog_Media/TechTalk-sized-652.png?width=326&height=244&name=TechTalk-sized-652.png "TechTalk sized")](http://catholicmom.com/2012/09/16/tech-talk-digest-for-last-week-13/techtalk-sized/) The first Portal game was a fun romp through a mad scientist's lab, run by an insane machine. How do you make a sequel to that? ![Portal2 box](https://www.catholicmom.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Imported_Blog_Media/Portal2-box.jpg?width=238&height=332&name=Portal2-box.jpg) ### Genre First person puzzle ### Platform Mac, PC, PS3 Xbox 360. ### Story Set years after the original Portal, Chell, the protagonist from the first game, has been preserved in the Aperture Science testing facility.  Upon being awakened, she must escape Aperture Science once and for all.  That is, until she runs into an old friend who is Still Alive.  In order to make it out with her skin intact, Chell has to team up with an unlikely ally, and discover all of the strange, unusual, dark secrets of Aperture Science. ### Gameplay/Mechanics As with the last game, you have a gun that shoots portals that you can go through, playing games with physics. However, in this game, you also get other items to play with, such as acceleration gel that allows you to move faster as long as you slide along the surface, a gel that allows you to bounce off of surfaces. ### Music/Graphics The music is appropriate for the game, with a finale that isn't as good as Portal's "Still Alive," but it's fun.  The graphics are shiny, and they add to the atmospherics immensely. ### Morals/Appropriateness I found this one completely inoffensive. Throughout the game, players must avoid hazards such as stationary gun turrets, toxic substances, poisonous gas, and giant pistons; some sequences are accompanied by realistic sounding gunfire. Robot droids can also be destroyed; for example, in one boss battle, players must defeat a robot by throwing small bombs.  According to ESRB, the words 'damn' and 'hell' can be heard in the dialogue, though I must confess that I didn't hear it. ### Community/Multiplayer There's a co-op version that plays from the perspective of two robots running around the facility. ### Addiction Danger I don't really find this one very addictive. There are parts where you're going to come across a puzzle and go "Not tonight," and shut the game off. ### Problems/Ending Comments I was impressed with this one. Honestly, this was a good, solid puzzle-solving game. And the voice of JK Simmons steals the show. There is still little replayability to it, as the game's puzzles can only be solved in a finite number of ways. In fact, there seems to be only one solution to each puzzle. **ESRB Rating: [E for Everyone](http://www.esrb.org/ratings/synopsis.jsp?Certificate=30729) ** **My Rating:  8/10. **A solid game. It has an interesting plot, thoughtful puzzles, and brilliant voice acting. ***Copyright 2014 John Konecsni*** ### Share this article [![Share on Facebook](https://static.hubspot.com/final/img/common/icons/social/facebook-24x24.png)](http://www.facebook.com/share.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.catholicmom.com%2Farticles%2F2014%2F05%2F10%2Fgame-review-portal-2%3Futm_medium%3Dsocial%26utm_source%3Dfacebook) [![Share on Twitter](https://static.hubspot.com/final/img/common/icons/social/twitter-24x24.png)](https://twitter.com/intent/tweet?original_referer=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.catholicmom.com%2Farticles%2F2014%2F05%2F10%2Fgame-review-portal-2%3Futm_medium%3Dsocial%26utm_source%3Dtwitter&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.catholicmom.com%2Farticles%2F2014%2F05%2F10%2Fgame-review-portal-2%3Futm_medium%3Dsocial%26utm_source%3Dtwitter&source=tweetbutton&text=Game%20Review%3A%20Portal%202) [![Share on Email](https://static.hubspot.com/final/img/common/icons/social/email-24x24.png)](mailto:?subject=Check%20out%20https%3A%2F%2Fwww.catholicmom.com%2Farticles%2F2014%2F05%2F10%2Fgame-review-portal-2%3Futm_medium%3Dsocial%26utm_source%3Demail%20&body=Check%20out%20https%3A%2F%2Fwww.catholicmom.com%2Farticles%2F2014%2F05%2F10%2Fgame-review-portal-2%3Futm_medium%3Dsocial%26utm_source%3Demail) ** #### About the Author ![Guest](https://www.catholicmom.com/hubfs/Profile%203.jpg) ### [Guest](https://www.catholicmom.com/articles/author/guest) We welcome guest contributors who graciously volunteer their writing for our readers. 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To inquire about serving as a guest contributor, contact editor@CatholicMom.com. ## Related Blog Articles [ Game Review: Portal: Still Alive Read ](https://www.catholicmom.com/articles/2013/03/02/game-review-portal-still-alive) [ Catholic Gamer - Portal 2: Co-op Review Read ](https://www.catholicmom.com/articles/2011/05/29/catholic-gamer-portal-2-co-op-review) [ 8 Ways I Foster the Love of Science in My Children Read ](https://www.catholicmom.com/articles/2015/04/30/8-ways-i-foster-the-love-of-science-in-my-children) ## Comments ## Donate now [![Support Catholic Mom](https://no-cache.hubspot.com/cta/default/275132/10016573-1c5c-4aa5-baba-c2ac91fe7545.png)](https://cta-redirect.hubspot.com/cta/redirect/275132/10016573-1c5c-4aa5-baba-c2ac91fe7545) [![CatholicMom_hcfm_logo1_pos_871c_2728c (002)](https://www.catholicmom.com/hs-fs/hubfs/CatholicMom_hcfm_logo1_pos_871c_2728c%20(002).png?width=1806&height=731&name=CatholicMom_hcfm_logo1_pos_871c_2728c%20(002).png "CatholicMom_hcfm_logo1_pos_871c_2728c (002)")](https://www.catholicmom.com/) ##### Subscribe to Catholic Momcast on iTunes or Spotify [![itunes-logo-black](https://www.catholicmom.com/hubfs/_catholicmom/logos/itunes-logo-black.svg)](https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/catholic-momcast/id1362352357)[![spotify-logo-black](https://www.catholicmom.com/hubfs/_catholicmom/logos/spotify-logo-black.svg)](https://open.spotify.com/show/15CoipHL7z61IDcYErV0b8?si=hqaQJSxDQgq7S1hxCwsoxQ) ##### CatholicMom on Social Networks [![facebook](https://www.catholicmom.com/hubfs/_catholicmom/icons/social-icon-facebook.svg)](http://www.facebook.com/CatholicMomCommunity) [![twitter](https://www.catholicmom.com/hubfs/_catholicmom/icons/social-icon-twitter.svg)](http://twitter.com/CatholicMomCom) [![instagram](https://www.catholicmom.com/hubfs/_catholicmom/icons/social-icon-instagram.svg)](http://instagram.com/catholicmomcommunity) [![youtube](https://www.catholicmom.com/hubfs/_catholicmom/icons/social-icon-youtube.svg)](https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCAuUqHCVPDzyMgSMaMZxxug?view_as=subscriber) ##### About Catholic Mom [Who We Are](https://www.catholicmom.com/about-us) [Contact Us](https://www.catholicmom.com/contact) [Support CatholicMom.com](https://www.catholicmom.com/support-us)   ##### Associated Links [Holy Cross Family Ministries](https://www.hcfm.org/) [Family Rosary](https://www.familyrosary.org/) [Family Theater Productions](https://www.familytheater.org/) [Congregation of the Holy Cross](https://www.holycrossusa.org/) [Father Patrick Peyton, C.S.C.](https://www.fatherpeyton.org/) [The Peyton Institute for Domestic Church Life](https://www.peytonfamilyinstitute.org/) ### **Stay connected!** Don’t miss a thing! 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