There were a lot of video games that came out over 10 years ago that are widely considered instant classics. But I was­— like most of us— either not capable of buying them, couldn’t afford them or just didn’t have something to play them on. This year, I’d like to change that. There are so many wonderful games out there that I’d like to try, even if only for a little bit. I want to see if they truly live up to the hype. And arguably— even more importantly— if they can stand the test of time.

Portal 2 is one of those ‘must play’ games, and I can definitely see why. Even in the first hour, you can tell that this game is funnier than most. I feel like a lot of modern-day games I play either have a great story/characters or great gameplay. Not both. This is one of those games that does both really well. If you want to turn on the subtitles to make sure you don’t mishear anything, then you know it’s good.

That is not to diminish the gameplay. Normally, I hate puzzle games. Sometimes they introduce a mechanic but then don’t use it enough. Other times, the game does too much hand-holding or I just have no idea of what’s going on with the puzzle. But the way Portal 2 paces itself makes it feel like it’s a good balance of difficulty and fun. The way they introduce a new mechanic, give a couple of new puzzles with it and then wash, rinse, repeat. It’s that fun gameplay loop that keeps people coming back even eight years after its release.

Also, the main mechanic in that game, the portal gun, is just so fun to use. There are just so many uses for it, both intentional and unintentional, that make it one of the most memorable video game items of all time.  It truly has you “thinking with portals”

All in all, I am looking forward to finishing Portal 2. I really think that it will become one of my favorite games of all time. Once I finish the main campaign, I’ll definitely try and find someone to do the co-op campaign with. Just makes me wish that they would make a third one. 

By Jack Dunn | World News Editor