Nintendo Okie

Well here we are again. It’s always such a pleasure to be back in the Aperture Science Laboratories, and this time, GLaDOS doesn’t want you gone. So strap on your Long Fall Boots, get out your Aperture Science generic orange jumpsuit and grab your Portal gun, as we head back to the Lab in Portal 2’s new, and free DLC, ‘Peer Review’.

The most obvious thing to point out about Peer Review is that it adds no new dynamics or characteristics to the gameplay, and instead builds upon the existing framework laid out in the main Portal 2 game. This means that the game still retains its puzzle/shooter qualities and all the quirks of the main game, be it turrets, gels or just crazy Portal jumps. Unfortunately for early adopters of the game, the absolute myriad of techniques and logic skills required to ‘think with Portals’ will have been lost slightly since you last played the game, so you will need to take a few moments just to get your bearings back. It is amazing how difficult the game can be when you aren’t thinking properly.

The DLC itself is split into two components – a brand new Co-Op area and a Challenge mode for single player and co-op, both of which prove to be very welcome additions to the already extensive offerings given by the main game. The fact that this is free DLC only makes the deal sweeter, and despite concerns that it is a cheap way of selling more copies of the game, the opposite is true. Rather than feel like a hurried job, the DLC crafts new areas of the game that extends it’s life, just as gamers are starting to forget just how brilliant Portal 2 really is.

The big draw for the DLC is naturally the new co-op area, which introduces a 6^th set of 9 test chambers to complete with a friend and continues the story on from where we left it. It would seem that GLaDOS has been experimenting with the humans, but after a certain length of time she has decided to re-assemble P-Body and Atlas again to show them some ‘art exhibits’, also known as new test chambers. Naturally all is not what it seems and along with the typical GLaDOS goading (all new dialogue has been recorded by Ellen McLain) the plot takes numerous twists and turns before coming to a somewhat abrupt ending.

But that’s not the key attraction here at all. Rather than dedicating the area to just one type of puzzle like the first 5 areas were, area 6 throws everything together, tasking you to think with not only portals, but everything from aerial faith plates to light bridges to make your way to the end of the level. If that wasn’t enough to get your head around, the difficulty and ingenuity of the levels has also been ramped up, making this new area one of the most difficult parts of the whole of Portal 2; and it’s an absolutely brilliant addition to the game.

The other new feature that Peer Review brings in is the Challenge mode, which works for both the single player and co-op test chambers. Much in the same way as the original Portal’s Challenge mode, this new addition to Portal 2 tasks you with finding the quickest way to complete a test chamber, and also the best way to complete it using the least number of portals. It’s a simple way to artificially extend the lifespan of the game, but it works brilliantly thanks to Valve’s creative use of Steam.

To add a crucial competitive element to the new mode, Valve have integrated your results with your friends list, allowing you to see their times and the number of portals they needed to complete the chamber. This data is also pooled into a worldwide database, with a graph showing the optimal time/portal number, and your place along it. Rather than just beating your own times, you are now competing against your friends and the world, and it adds in an addictive quality to the overall experience. After all, you can’t let your friend beat you by half a second, can you?

The only drawback to the Challenge mode is that it pulls test chambers directly from the main game, with no alteration at all. What this means is that for chambers which had dialogue before you entered, for example when Wheatley is attacked by the bird, you have to wait for these to finish before you can proceed. On the first run through this isn’t particularly annoying, but when you are trying to get the quickest time possible through the age-old technique of repetition, it’s somewhat annoying to be presented with a minute of dialogue before you can proceed. And yes, the clock continues ticking during the dialogue.

Peer Review is an example of DLC done right. Not only does it successfully draw you back into the world of Aperture Science, but it also expands upon the original game’s plot and extends the lifespan of the game almost indefinitely, adding in a competitive element in a way that only a game like Portal can. The fact that this is free is irrelevant; if it was paid DLC it would be entirely justifiable and would be worth every penny you spent on it. Truly, it has never been a better time to pick up your Aperture Science Handheld Portal Device and head back to the test chambers.