Screenshots & trailers
What players say
Why the number is what it is: aspect mentions counted across 435 sampled Steam reviews (428 positive / 7 negative), recent and most-helpful. Plain keyword counting, fully reproducible; nothing here is written by a machine.
What positive reviews talk about
- Story & writing27% mention it
- Multiplayer & servers10% mention it
What negative reviews complain about
Negative reviews don't converge on specific aspects.
Satisfaction by hours played
Same score, different games: see how sentiment holds up the longer people play.
Under 5h
98%
44 reviews
5-15h
99%
219 reviews
15-40h
97%
112 reviews
40-100h
100%
41 reviews
100h+
100%
19 reviews
Review sentiment over time
Weekly positive-review rate (green) and review volume (bars). Dashed lines mark significant patches; the amber line is the start of the current scoring window. Hover the dots to see what drove a dip or a jump.
How this score was computed
The VGC Score is a weighted blend on a press-comparable 0-100 quality scale. Steam approval rates are first calibrated (95% positive on Steam ≈ 89.5 quality, since Steam approval skews high). Press and tracked creator reviews each count ~2x a player review and share one cap against player evidence (creator buy/skip calls pool into an approval rate, calibrated like Steam approval); all-time sentiment is capped and halved (it's context, not verdict); reviews of the current build carry the most weight when a fresh patch anchors the window; and a 'typical game' prior keeps small samples from pegging the scale. Because press reviews and Metacritic user aggregates describe the launch build, their weight decays as the game ages (3-year half-life after a 1-year grace). That's how a game that launched rough can outgrow its old reception once updates win players over. Reviews under 2h playtime (the refund window), non-Steam activations, and free copies are downweighted.
| Component | Positive | Quality (0-100) | Weight (pseudo-reviews) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Press reviews (Metacritic) | – | 95 | 6 |
| Creator reviews (1 tracked) | – | 90 | 0 |
| All-time Steam reviews | 99% | 95 | 1668 |
| Metacritic user ratings | – | 93 | 27 |
| Post-patch Steam reviews (trust-weighted) | 98% | 94 | 695 |
| Calibration prior (typical game) | – | 72 | 50 |
Scoring window: last 30 days (no significant patch detected) · 300 reviews sampled · 1987 total reviews in window · weighted 238.1 up / 5 down · computed 2h ago · full methodology →
Press & Creators reviews (66)
Individual verdicts from outlets we track: scored reviews first, most trusted outlets first among them. The small badge is each outlet's trust score: how well its scoring history aligns with players.
- 94
“It is engaging, clever, genuinely funny, and all-around unique. The puzzles are always a challenge, but none of them go into the realm of the impossible, clever thinking and analysis is always enough to solve them, and gives a sense of accomplishment when you get it right.”
read full review ↗ - 100
“If there was ever any doubt that Portal could be expanded into a big, narrative experience with all the bells and whistles of a mainstream gaming hit, have no fear. Valve solved that puzzle with Portal 2.”
read full review ↗ - 90
“Between real, actual co-op and Chell's adventure, Portal 2 provides a stupendous package. So stupendous, in fact, that I feel tremendously guilty admitting that somewhere, way deep down in whatever critics have in place of a heart, I kind of wish it didn't exist.”
read full review ↗ - 95
“The gameplay, while brilliant and innovative, can drag a bit at times, but the writing carries the game through those times, and the mostly great graphics and perfect audio seal the deal. There's a lot more content than most may be expecting, too. On the whole, it's an amazing game from a company known for making amazing games. It's a truly worthwhile sequel that lives up to its predecessor, and that alone is rare enough that the game is worth checking out.”
read full review ↗ - 100
“Never before has a review embargo had us screaming inside so badly that our mind eventually goes hoarse. We've wanted to shout from the rooftops about how Portal 2 not only betters the original Portal, but completely annihilates it...If you thought the original Portal was a masterpiece, prepare to have your mind blown.”
read full review ↗ - 95
“Fantastic writing, excellent gameplay, and a level of polish and playtesting so high that you know it's got to be a Valve title, Portal 2 is simply a game that can not be missed. ”
read full review ↗ - 90
“Portal 2 is in the business of defying players' expectations. Valve never wants you to predict what's going to happen at any moment, and delights in subtly setting those pins up and knocking them down. Even more than the clever gameplay mechanics and sharply written story, the smiles and laughter that such a carefully crafted game can extract from you mean this one will stay with you for years to come.”
read full review ↗ - 90
“Portal 2 is more of the same, but only in the best of ways. Valve didn't mess with a winning formula, and the end result is that Portal 2 is a better game than its excellent predecessor.”
read full review ↗ - 95
“Portal 2 isn't dessert - it's a delectable multi-course meal at a five-star restaurant. Make your reservation now.”
read full review ↗ - 80
“The best sequel we could have expected. The levels just plain aren't as challenging, but the new toys and characters manage to distract enough from the cracks in the paint to keep the whole ride breezing along. It astounds in some ways and disappoints in others, which, while not perfect, is good enough for science.”
read full review ↗ - 100
“Portal 2 is a masterpiece. Valve did everything possible to evolve the original concept, creating an almost perfect experience only disturbed by a couple of minor issues. With both an intense single-player mode and a perfect co-op multiplayer Portal 2 is a true must-buy.”
read full review ↗ - 90
“Your return to Aperture Science is a joyful one in this immensely appealing, laugh-out-loud funny, and thoroughly satisfying sequel.”
read full review ↗
The A.V. Club
GameWatcher
Worth Playing
The Escapist
Eurogamer
GameSpot…and 54 more tracked reviews.
Patch history
- Portal 2 - UpdateJun 29, 2026
- Portal 2 - UpdateJun 26, 2026
- Portal 2 - UpdateFeb 5, 2025
- Portal 2 - UpdateJan 20, 2025
- Portal 2 - UpdateJun 24, 2024
- Portal 2 - UpdateJun 3, 2024
- Portal 2 - UpdateFeb 5, 2024
- Portal 2 - UpdateFeb 2, 2024
- Portal 2 - UpdateFeb 2, 2024
- Portal 2 - UpdateJan 5, 2024
- Portal 2 - UpdateApr 26, 2023
- Portal 2 - UpdateMar 25, 2023
- Portal 2 - UpdateMar 14, 2023
- Portal 2 UpdateJan 17, 2023
- Portal 2 - UpdateDec 15, 2022
- Portal 2 - UpdateNov 19, 2022
- Portal 2 - UpdateJul 21, 2022
- Portal 2 - UpdateApr 29, 2022
- Portal 2 - UpdateFeb 24, 2022
- Portal 2 - UpdateFeb 1, 2022
- Portal 2 - UpdateJan 31, 2022significant · resets scoring window
- Portal 2 - UpdateJun 2, 2021
- Portal 2 UpdateMay 19, 2021
- Portal 2 UpdateMay 17, 2021
- Portal 2 - UpdateMar 2, 2021
- Portal 2 - UpdateMar 1, 2021significant · resets scoring window
- Portal 2 Authoring Tools - UpdateFeb 19, 2021
- Portal 2 Update ReleasedOct 10, 2015
- Portal 2 Update ReleasedOct 10, 2015
- Portal 2 Update ReleasedJun 17, 2014
- Portal 2 Update ReleasedJun 17, 2014