VGOTY 2011 #3 - Portal 2

A guilty confession of mine is that I never really played through the first Portal game. I saw other people complete various test chambers and watched the story through on YouTube. I know I know... I'm a retard. However, this year I had the opportunity to play through Portal 2 and I was literally blown away by this game; for a while it was my definitive choice for number one VGOTY and I still think it is a worthy candidate for that spot. In short, this game is absolutely flawless, easily a 10/10 game and one of the best games of 2011.

One of the most striking things for me regarding Portal 2 is it's story. Told entirely through the first-person perspective and without anything in the way of cutscenes or on-rails segments, this game tells a brilliant and complicated story. The characters also are some of the most memorable... and they're robots!! That Valve pulled this off so well really shows you how skilled they are as a developer when they sit down and make a game. As for the actual gameplay, Portal 2 layers on mechanic after mechanic in such a natural and immersive fashion that the slogan "thinking with portals" becomes an absolute reality. Aside from maybe the odd five minute head-scratcher, most of the puzzles in this game are a joy to play through and the game keeps you constantly entertained and using your noggin' without frustrating you or slowing the momentum of the story.

If there was ever an example of master craftsmanship in game design, here it is! The graphics work perfectly, the music is fantastic and the voice-acting impeccable, but not only that... not only do we have here one of the best single-player experiences of the year... there's also a WHOLE OTHER GAME designed for Co-operative play and it is amazing!! One of my favourite weekends this year was getting together with one of my best friends and blasting through this game in one sitting, as we worked together with four portals to solve some of the best puzzles I've ever seen. As I said earlier, Portal 2 really is flawless in every single way, an absolute classic, and I don't use that word lightly.