This was a triumph!

I’m making a note here — “Portal 2” is a huge success. It is hard to overstate my satisfaction with this game given that it had to live up to the success of the original.
The game’s story takes place years after the original, leaving the main character Chell in the crumbling remains of the Aperture Science facility. After a brief introduction by a robot companion named Wheatley and a few mishaps, GLaDOS is awoken and angry at Chell for killing her. GLaDOS’ idea of revenge is to send Chell back to testing forever, and that is where gameplay starts.

The gameplay is like chocolate mixed with bacon: an odd mix of first-person shooter with a puzzle game that creates a wonderfully delightful experience. Each test requires the player to place down entrance and exit portals in walls that they can walk through to get to buttons, platforms, gels and loveable Companion Cubes. These tools are used in combination with the portals to help the player reach the exit of the test chamber to move onto the next.

Puzzles require not only thought but also skill, and the player never feels like the game is cheating them. Each test chamber is as creative as the last, and the game is so addicting you can play for hours and not even realize it. This is partially due to witty dialogue voiced by talents such as J.K. Simmons of the “Spider-Man” franchise and Stephen Merchant of “The Ricky Gervais Show.”

The game will sometimes have you on the ground laughing at quotes, like when GLaDOS says, “Your test results say you are a horrible person. That’s what it says. You’re a horrible person. We weren’t even testing for that.”

The story continues to get better and better, and without spoiling anything, potatoes play a key role in the plot. The single player game will take the average person between four to six hours to beat, but those hours are so good, it is sure to have many replays.

Two-player co-op mode is also included, which is a blast with friends. Co-op requires teamwork and many times, your virtual life depends on how well you can trust your partner.

Many a fun night can be passed on the couch with “Portal 2,” and it more than justifies its $60 price. So go out and buy it — for science, you monster.