Valve Software's brain-loosening puzzle-platformer Portal 2 came out aaaaaall the way back in April of 2011, but the developer has continued to support it through add-ons like free downloadable content (DLC) and a level editor for the PC version.

Cool new mechanics… After you pick up an item, you can hold out your Move to activate One-to-One, which you can use to rotate objects in real time (hence "one-to-one") by turning your controller; You can also get boxes across gaps, through holes in walls, and around obstacles.

Puzzle solutions are occasionally inelegant In Motion contains moments at which progressing depends on forces out of the player's control, and that's kind of a big deal; I admire the Valve-designed puzzles in both Portal games for their almost mathematical precision.

After the outlandish setting, ingenious gameplay, and hilarious dialogue had all run their course, Portal left you with some pretty big unknowns. Chief among them were, "What happens now" and "How did that whole weird situation come to pass

Immensely clever writing; Portal mechanics combine with new elements for delightful puzzles; Cooperative campaign creates intriguing situations; New characters are hugely entertaining; Smooth Steam connectivity lets you team up with PC players

Frequent load times; No challenge maps or leaderboards to inspire competitive play

Chell, for the uninitiated, is a test subject for Aperture Science who, in Valve's successful first game, navigated through a series of environmental puzzles to escape the depths of the research facility (and the clutches of a clingy mechanized test administrator), using only the walls and tools at...

When I heard GlaDOS's voice way back at E3 2010, memories of traps, puzzles, holes in the sky through which I can fly, and turrets flew through my head. So many turrets. But hearing GlaDOS's voice only meant one thing, and that was a sequel on the way.

Brilliant writing; brand new gameplay elements; more in-depth story; co-op mode; PS3-PC compatibility

Too much music

- I will be the first to admit that I never played Portal, despite the many platforms the title has been released on. Whether it was due to my addiction to FPS and RPG titles at the time or my closed-mindedness to the ideology behind the game, I never got around to playing Portal.

Portal came out of nowhere in 2007 and became one of those games beloved by all. With no guns, no combat and a reliance on respecting the players intelligence, it pretty much stands alone as a bastion of innovation in the First Person Shooter genre. So how do you follow that

Our review isn't a lie, the game is that damn good!

+ Masterful; hilarious story; expertly paced; + Challenging and rewarding puzzles; not simply more of the original; + Incredible Steam and cross-platform integration; amazing co-op gameplay

+ Incredible Steam and cross-platform integration; amazing co-op gameplay

Naysayers, take note: when Valve says they're committing to a platform, they do it. Portal 2 is a mind-blowing accomplishment not only in terms of a console port, but in a sequel that somehow, impossibly, manages to outclass even its predecessor.

Portal 2 introduces players to a host of fresh puzzles and devious new test chambers in never-before-seen areas of Aperture Science Labs. It also reunites them with GLaDOS, the occasionally murderous computer companion from the original Portal.

Portal was one of those "where the heck did this come from" type of games when Valve shipped it as part of The Orange Box. Nothing quite like it had been done before, so reviewing Portal was a bit of a pain.