Sunday: Still Alive

First and foremost, I’d just like to say Happy Fathers Day.

Now that I’ve said the most important thing I needed to say today, I’ll get into the prelude to my narration of how awesome Portal 2 was… so if you’re video game intolerant I suggest you leave now.

That prelude involves the episode of Covert Affairs I probably should have talked about on Wednesday, but I’ve actually had topics since then.  Now, the only problem is that I’ve forgotten most of it.  All I can say is that I liked it quite a lot more than the season premiere, probably due to the lack of annoying backstory, and I’m recording the series.  The best character has to be Auggie, I just unconditionally love any blind character.  They’re always really deep and just… awesome.  Other than that the rest of the characters are good… not NCIS worthy but good.  And it is definitely better than SVU… just saying.

Now for the main event.  A hole was just both filled and emptied in my soul, a hole about the size of Portal 2.  I beat it, and it was probably the most bittersweet ending to anything (video game, book, movie, et cetera.) I will ever see.  The game’s ending itself was genius, and the final battle was even more mind-twistingly brilliant and simple than the first Portal.  And the moon… that was just perfect.  This game was a full out action – puzzle – comedy, and probably one of the best you or I will ever see.

But then Valve couldn’t leave it there… they go into epilogue mode.  And this also must have been the best epilogue I’ve ever seen.  (Spoilers coming, be warned!)  GLaDOS finds her conscience and promptly deletes it, then lets you go because it’s easier than trying to kill you.  You ride an elevator though a hall of singing turrets, and then emerge into a wheat field followed by a special friend you supposedly incinerated in the original Portal.  Of course there are the end credits, and a song that, while not measuring up to Still Alive, is great in it’s own techno-poppy way.  Finally there’s Wheatley, floating all alone in space… supposedly regretting trying to kill you.  It should have been impossible to make a perfect ending to a more than perfect game (not to mention making that more than perfect game from the perfect original), but they did.  I’m sad that it’s over.  I’m serious, I think I teared up a bit.  And I don’t think I even want a sequel, that’s how wonderfully perfect this was.  A masterpiece.

Now to compound it all, and take Anthony’s request that I not string three days of U2 in a row, I will present to you all three songs from the Portal franchise.  The first is definitely the best, but the second is still great, and the third is incomparable in it’s unique awesomeness.

SONG(S) OF THE DAY: STILL ALIVE, WANT YOU GONE, AND THE TURRET OPERA

 

 

 

And now, before I expose my geekiness any further (who am I kidding, I already have), I’ll say goodbye.  And I promise this will be the last time I ever talk about Portal… or Portal 2… or any video game whatsoever.  Or at least make a whole post about them.  Alright, no promises.  Who am I kidding, I probably will.  Oh well… goodnight.