Aperture Tag is a surprising and fresh revival of Portal 2’s familiar puzzle elements. While its puzzles occasionally require twitch movement, the game is still very focused on thinking through layered conundrums. The level design does an excellent job of teaching all the new paint gun skills while making sure to showcase death-defying thrills in the solutions.

The intro and climax moments of the story really show off the effort that went into the game and make it feel complete. There were several times when I was confused by the plot, but the funny moments and conclusion really shine through as big wins. Toward the end, the game introduces a new test chamber theme (that I won’t spoil) and it’s so good that I feel stupid for never thinking to include it in Portal 2. The music also stands out as natural extension of Portal’s themes with great flavor of its own. This is one of those games that could be worth it for the soundtrack alone.

The game is fairly short (which I like), but still longer than I expected. While it piggy-backs on the Aperture world and mechanics, it doesn’t get bogged down in referencing old jokes. It can stand on its own, but at the same time will be more enjoyable if you play Portal 2 first. If you’re a fan of Portal’s gameplay, these test chambers have some great twists and won’t let you down.

Aperture Tag is a surprising and fresh revival of Portal 2’s familiar puzzle elements. While its puzzles occasionally require twitch movement, the game is still very focused on thinking through layered conundrums. The level design does an excellent job of teaching all the new paint gun skills while making sure to showcase death-defying thrills in the solutions. The intro and climax moments of the story really show off the effort that went into the game and make it feel complete. There were several times when I was confused by the plot, but the funny moments and conclusion really shine through as big wins. Toward the end, the game introduces a new test chamber theme (that I won’t spoil) and it’s so good that I feel stupid for never thinking to include it in Portal 2. The music also stands out as natural extension of Portal’s themes with great flavor of its own. This is one of those games that could be worth it for the soundtrack alone. The game is fairly short (which I like), but still longer than I expected. While it piggy-backs on the Aperture world and mechanics, it doesn’t get bogged down in referencing old jokes. It can stand on its own, but at the same time will be more enjoyable if you play Portal 2 first. If you’re a fan of Portal’s gameplay, these test chambers have some great twists and won’t let you down.