Reason 10- FREEDOM

Ever been in that awkward situation where you’re sitting in Nando’s with your Peri-Peri chicken, ready to taste heaven; only for it to be ruined by your best friend canoodling under the table with her hunk of a guy, and being sat next to that hippopotamus she chose as your blind date. Double dates= disaster. Always. Honestly ladies, freedom is a human right! And having that hideous boy sneeze all over your potato wedges is the tenth best reason why you should be single this valentines day.

Reason 9- BOYDOM=BOREDOM!

You don’t like rugby. So why are you telling him that you LOOOOOVE spending all saturday watching him give another guy a bloody nose. Let’s be serious, that time could be spent shopping! Why every week do we force ourselves to wake up at the crack of dawn to catch the 213 bus and watch your boyfriend to get up close and personal with other guys? Come on, that should be your job! Anyway, when do you see him lugging round the shops with you? It is a sport after all. All the currently single girls out there will agree- why watch the scores when you can score in that new dress, baby!

Reason 8- CHICKS BEFORE (BLEEEEEP)

Do you really want to be that one girl with a boyfriend while all your friends are talking about their latest fling? Girls, this one doesn’t need explanation- boys will come and go, but your girls will stay forever.

Reason 7- THE TALK

By now, I’m sure most of you will have experienced THE TALK by your mum (hopefully not your dad!) So why endure the excruciating experience once more after introducing your current man? I’m sure the thought of that is enough to put you off relationships permanently.

Reason 6- BEAUTY SLEEP

Picture this- it’s a school night, you’re in bed, it’s 11:59 and your phone is still flashing! Why wont he just go to sleep? You want to! You might pretend to be a vampire on Friday night, but not during weeknights! You might going to bed at 3 am to your friends, but you know the truth- you get grouchy without sleep. And with those bags; you need all the sleep you can get! And no-one likes pandas THAT much.

Reason 5- PRESENTS

We all know the panic of frantically running around on the 23rd of December, so why repeat it on the 13th of Feb? Your concience and wallet know- you can’t handle it. He’s never gonna like that “retro” knitted jumper as much as you did, so spare the emotions- and the cash.

Reason 4- PARTY!!

You’ve got to love a good party. And what could be more fun than celebrating it with all your single ladies? (Thank you Beyonce!) But remember, if you’re in  relationship you’re gonna miss out on performing the legendary dance you practiced oh so hard for. *Sigh* now only your bedroom mirror will know of your mad skills.

Reason 3- EVEN MORE FREEDOM

The best laughs are often caused by your best lad. And we’re talking about the guy you’re not kissing. Your best guy. Your noble steed. Your trusty labrador, always at your side. But wait, if you’ve got a boyfriend- those friendly texts will be taken the wrong way. You might even have to cut down on seeing him. Imagine that! Your life just lost a few of it’s most precious giggles.

Reason 2-GET FAT!

In our opinion, the top two were extremely close competitors. It’s everyones fantasy to get fat without fear of judgement. And we all know that when in a relationship, the cupcakes are a no-no. However much you trust your guy, there’s still that niggling worry that he might get bored with those too-snug jeans and go for a girl 2 sizes smaller. When you’re single, your the boss of your body. So say YES to those extra helpings of dinner and full fat mayo. *gasp* Don’t lie to us. We have eyes everywhere.

Reason 1- it’s just 24 hours of your life.

Valentine’s Day is only one day out of 365. Why compromise your guy standards to reach that all important looming deadline? And remember, pretending to like that meathead from your english class in order to live up to the ever-growing expectations of others isn’t going to benefit you in the long run. And it’s on your permanent dating record. Eek!

Go on, take a chance! Be different! You don’t need a date to get through the day. Call up your gal pals and organize the party of the year. But if not, you’ve still got When Harry Met Sally on DvD. And invite Ben & Jerry along too

Do us proud girls!

Charlotte and Georgia

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After being teased by a preview chapter, I had spent long, dragging months waiting for this book to come out. Having read the other books by John Green, I was excited for the new adventure to arrive. I had great expectations mainly because of my love for his unique style of writing.

So I waited eagerly after pre-ordering a signed copy on Amazon. And it arrived on the 11th Januray, shipped from America to my doorstep. Boy was I excited!

My passion for reading is indescribable. While my social life was limited, my knowledge in books is quite big.

Yes, I’m bragging.

I began just before midnight, tucked into my comfy bed and ready to go to my place of peace. And I read, I laughed and I cried.

The Fault In Our Stars is dedicated to the late  Esther Earl, a 16 year old cancer patient who made a YouTube journal of her fight through cancer. Written in memory of her, the book also tells the tale of  16 year old cancer patient, Hazel, who is forced to attend a support group, and her experience of love, wishes and cancer. Green, while a man, portrays the emotions of a struggling teen girl perfectly. Others may disagree but we’re all entitled to our own opinions.

SPOILERS!  If you are expecting a fairy tale ending, turn around right now.

The book is not for the light hearted. The novel is realistic. Despite cursing Green for making me sniff, cry and bawl, the novel could not have ended any other way and remained as amazing as it is.

I would like to take this moment to recommend this book to those who would like not just a good read, but a story that teaches you a lesson about life.

The book is now available for order on Amazon. And if you want to, you can check out The Vlog Brothers Channel (Hank and John Green): http://www.youtube.com/user/vlogbrothers?blend=1&ob=4

Or to see John Green’s website: http://johngreenbooks.com/

DFTBA! Aka Don’t Forget To Be Awesome

Written by a Nerdfighter

The series opens in a showdown between Sherlock Holmes and his nemesis Jim Moriarty, in a swimming pool of all places. The gentle banter involving death threats, guns at point blank range, and  a bomb strapped to Dr. Watson is interrupted by a tinny rendition of “Staying Alive”. And with that I was hooked. I am not ashamed to admit I watched the entirety of the 4-and-a-half  hour series in one sitting.

Whilst the other people I know who watch the show, speak only of their undying love for Benedict Cumberbatch (who plays Sherlock), many fail to appreciate how cleverly the script has been modernised from Conan Doyle’s original books. And yes, criticism may arise from the die hard fans of the books, who feel that the series changes the events too much, but it has to be realistic for the modern day. I mean, would the King of a country that no longer exists (Bohemia) really pay a private detective to reclaim a photograph of him and his ex, just sitting together, in this day and age. I think not. However, the titles don’t vary too much, so it is always easy to tell what story it’s based on. For example, “A Scandal in Bohemia” (the example I used) became “A Scandal in Belgravia.”

The series is kept short, with only three episodes; though each is an hour and a half long, so gives viewers a mini-film on sunday evenings. Whilst many wish the series were longer, the shortness ensures that a high standard is maintained throughout. However, a third series has been confirmed, and should hopefully be on our screens before 2012 is out.

So, I’m presuming anyone reading this has watched the series, so I pose a question to you: how do you think he did it?

Taylor Swift is a country musician who is normally lumped in with the other ‘girl teen pop stars’ such as Miley Cyrus, Selena Gomez, or Justin Bieber.

She should not be. For one thing, she is incredibly talented singer/songwriter. While Miley Cyrus and the like make shallow club music designed for the lowest common denominator, Swift writes music because she wants to write music, and that really comes across in her debut self-titled album.

Released in 2006, Taylor Swift was noticed by music critics as being very, very good, and it was a big commercial success. Does it still hold up?

Taylor Swift (2006) track by track review

Track 1: Tim McGraw

Released as the lead single from the album in June 2006, the song depicts a teenage couple listing the things that they will remember each other by as they leave each other, one of them being Tim McGraw‘s music. It follows a fairly standard country music structure, and the lyrics are good. I do like the allegory of Tim McGraw, serving as a metaphor and a homage. Swift confessed that she is a big McGraw fan, and she wrote this song during her freshman year in high school, supposedly about how she knew her and her boyfriend were going to break up once he went to college. The melody is great, and very reminiscent of Strawberry Wine. In fact, I like this song just as much as Strawberry Wine, and I see that as a big compliment. It’s a very sweet, heart-warming ballad about facing reality, but being okay with it. Tim McGraw was a good choice for lead/debut single.

Track 2: Picture To Burn

Picture To Burn, in my opinion, is the best song on the album. It was released as the album’s fourth single in January 2008. It involves a story about a girl basically saying ‘screw you’ to an ex-boyfriend, and burning all the photographs she has of him. The production is perfect, and Swift’s fantastic vocals really shine through as the undeniably likeable lyrics really compliment her extremely confident performance. This was the first song by Taylor Swift that really grabbed me, and I like it just as much now as then. It’s a great song from a great artist. Give it a listen.

Track 3: Teardrops On My Guitar

Released as the album’s second single, Teardrops On My Guitar is a ballad about a girl being in love with a boy named Drew, yet he only notices her as a friend. As she names the person by name, this probably happened to her in real life. The lyrics are fantastic. Part of it is frustration that the person she loves doesn’t see her in the same way, and even has another girl he is actually in love with. Yes, she’s upset, but she doesn’t feel resentment for Drew or his girlfriend. In fact, she’s accepted that that’s what he wants, and he’s happy.

It’s extraordinarily mature for a girl who, when this album was released, was 16!  The music is very nice, and not too loud, and very sweet sounding. It’s a love song made how love songs should be made. In fact, it’s the most country-ish song on the album. It’s about what traditional country was always about: misery, grief, frustration, and finally acceptance. It might be a bit gooey for some people, but it’s still a great song.

Track 4: A Place In This World

Yes, that’s right. A Taylor Swift song that isn’t a love song! Shock horror! What it’s about instead is trying to find a purpose. Here’s some lyrics from the first verse:

I don’t know what I want, so don’t ask me,
Cause I’m still trying to figure it out,
Don’t know what’s down this road, I’m just walking,
Trying to see through the rain coming down.

For a country song, a genre saturated with metaphors and allegories, it’s remarkably literal and straightforward. She wants to find a place, but is kind of stuck. But she still pushes on. It’s a good message, but for me it’s not her best song. Her vocals don’t really shine out anywhere, and the production is a bit too light for my taste. There isn’t all that much happening here that we haven’t seen before. It’s not a bad song by any means, it’s just a bit derivative.

Track 5: Cold as You

Cold as You is the first song on the album I actually didn’t like. Why? Well, it’s just so darn average. There is nothing that stands out about it. It’s perfectly inoffensive, but there’s no real heart to it. It feels like filler. The vocals? Okay. The lyrics? Acceptable. The production? It’s alright. Everything is just kind of mediocre. There’s nothing much else to say. It’s passable.

Track 6: The Outside

Another love song. Surprise! Okay, I’m being too harsh. Is it good? Well, yes, actually. The melody is catchy, the production and music is very good, the lyrics are well-written, and it’s nice. In a time where most pop music music is so dark and grim, a simply sweet, kind, nice song is actually a welcome change. It’s actually quite funny when you listen to the quite happy sounding tune, but it’s not a particularly happy song. It’s about being distant, and wondering what the hell you can do better. Still, it sounds happy, and it never fails to put a smile on my face.

Track 7: Tied Together With A Smile

I don’t fully get this song. My interpretation of the lyrics are that a girl thinks that she isn’t pretty and nobody likes her – she lacks confidence. She gives all her attention to this one guy who completely ignores her. And that’s kind of it. I feel kind of empty while listening to it. It’s from the point of view of a friend trying to comfort her, but then the last lines of the song are:

Goodbye, baby
With a smile, baby, baby

What am I supposed to make of that? It just feels kind of, well, depressing. It’s a very well-written song, as country music normally does make you feel depressed and empty. The track itself  is very good. The steel guitar and violin does a really good job in provoking that emotional reaction that the song was clearly designed to make you feel. It’s a good song, just not a happy one. You have been warned.

Track 8: Stay Beautiful

This is probably the most ‘pop’ song on the album. It doesn’t have particularly inspired lyrics, but it has nice music, and a very catchy chorus. It’s standard love song affair. It’s okay, but not great. It does the job.

Track 9: Should’ve Said No

Okay, I know this song, lyrically, isn’t that great. There is hardly any originality in it, and Swift’s vocals are the most thin they’ve been on the album so far. But my god, it’s just so awesome. The subject matter is similar to that of Picture To Burn. She’s basically rejecting an ex who is asking for forgiveness after he cheated on her. The production is great, and sounds strangely epic. It’s the most rock-influenced song on the album, and is really catchy. I mean really catchy. You will find yourself humming this song for weeks after hearing it. The instruments are very good, especially the fiddle, which really works. I guess you could call it a guilty pleasure. Yeah, it’s unoriginal, but I can listen to it 10 times back to back and still enjoy it. Doesn’t that mean something?

10. Mary’s Song (Oh My My My)

This is a great song. Some may view it as cheesy, and it probably is, but can’t I enjoy a big, cheesy, happy song every now and then? Hell, why do we continue to like cheesy 80s John Hughes movies? Because they’re heart-warming and happy. We know that it’s cheesy and half the stuff happens is really far-fetched and life isn’t really that simple, but it gives us a break from the problems of real life and just fills us with hope for an hour and a half. This is like that compressed into 3 and a half minutes. It’s a story about a couple of childhood sweethearts growing up, falling in love, getting married, and growing old together. Who can’t say ‘awwwwww’ to something like that? It’s just so blissfully happy. It’s like the opposite of what country music is perceived to be, which is songs about misery, drinking, and depression. And that can make for some really good songs. But don’t underestimate the power of cheesy love stories.

Track 11: Our Song

Taylor Swift’s first real breakthrough achievement. Why? Because with this song she became the youngest artist to have Country Top 100 number 1 that she wrote herself with no co-writer. She wrote it in her Freshman year of high-school for a talent show, and it was only a last minute decision to even include it on the album. I bet she’s happy she did now. Not only because it was very successful, but because it’s a really good song. In fact, it’s a fantastic song. Lyrically, it describes a young couple who don’t have a song, so they use real life events to replace one. This is supposedly a true story, and this was written as the ‘song’. It’s an up-tempo track mainly driven by the superbly played banjo, with a brilliant fiddle solo in the middle. It’s a joy to behold, and, along with Picture To Burn, is the best song on the album. It’s catchy, it’s fun, and it’s very well-written. Considering she was probably about 13 when she wrote this, it’s a tremendous achievement.

Verdict

Taylor Swift is a really great artist, and this is a very good album. In a world where people with pretty much no musical talent are being incredibly successful with crap songs like ‘The Climb’, ‘Boom Boom Pow’, and ‘Low’ (seriously, what the hell?), Swift’s talent, of which she has in bucket loads, is a welcome break to the tons of Miley Cyrus clones that the charts are currently saturated with. The album is a great first effort, although there’s no denying that Fearless and Speak Now are slightly better. But, then again, she was 16! I mean, Jesus Christ give the girl some credit! While it drags slightly in the middle, and a few of the non-single songs could be classed as filler, the stuff that’s good is really good, and there isn’t a single overtly ‘bad’ song on the album, at worst they’re average. For a debut album, it’s excellent.

Final Verdict:

James Haves

You’re probably thinking “I’ve never heard of the film Innocent Voices”, and neither had I until a few months ago. But boy golly do I feel happy that I watched it.

The film follows an 11 year old kid in the South American country of El Salvador during the civil war in the 1980’s. The war was fought between rebels of the FMNL against the dictatorship’s regime. However, disgustingly, the government’s army forcibly conscripted children to fight against the poverty stricken rebels during the war. The protagonist character, Chava, is one of those many, many unlucky children.

I’d like to be able to say something negative about this film, so it doesn’t just sound like I’m biased. But, I really can’t.

The acting was fantastic in the film, from all the young children to the adults, there was not a single moment where I was sceptic to believe the tragedies in the storyline, or where I did not feel sympathetic for the protagonists.

Most of us like to think of ourselves as pretty solid when it comes to films, not often crying or getting scared, but this film brought tears to my eyes. As a matter of a fact, this film made me unbelievably furious towards the antagonists! Whenever a fight took place, I was screaming profanity at the screen, and jumping out of my seat. It takes tremendous skill to get someone so into a film like I was.

If you already have existing views on this war, as most Americans would do considering they were involved in it; this film can greatly change your opinions by looking through the window of the poor, Salvadorian citizens. That, my friends, is a very sought-after skill.

After watching the film, it really makes you value what you have as a person. You walk away with a sense of courage that you didn’t know you had. Each person walks away with a different experience – but it will always be a very educational and beneficial one with Innocent Voices.

If you like foreign films, Innocent Voices is fantastic. If you’re learning Spanish, it’s even better. This film is truly one of the best out there in its genre – the hard-hitting genre. I recommend, no, in fact, I urge you to go out and get this film. Its £5 on Play.com and is totally worth it – watch it. You won’t regret it.

In October 2005, Jourgensen launched his own label, 13th Planet Records. Ministry’s first release on 13th Planet, Rio Grande Blood, debuted in 2006 and took Grammy nominations for “The Great Satan” (2005) and “Lieslieslies” (2006). It was followed by the remix album Rio Grande Dub in early 2007.

There has been over 20 former members, but the current members are
Al Jourgensen (vocals, guitar bass, keyboards, other various instruments)
Mike Scaccia (guitars, bass)
Tommy Victor (guitars, bass)
John Bechdel (keyboards)
Tony Campos (bass)
Aaron Rossi (drums)

After 27 years of performing, Jourgensen decided to end the band in 2008, and since then stated that a reunion would never happen. However late 2011 Jourgensen stated that there would be a reunion and and album to come in 2012  ’I think this is actually gonna wind up being the fastest and heaviest record I’ve ever done’.

The new single 99% released on the 23rd December is a great single and come back for Ministry it feels like the never broke up and got back together . The heavy guitars; definite melody; catchy lyrics and roaring voice from Al makes this definitely one of the best songs that have been released in the past 3 months. Initially I wasn’t completely excited about the single but when I downloaded it ,it gave me inspiration for a song i have been writing myself  and i have been addicted to my ipod ever since .

A few youths, ranging in age from 15 to 17, visit Kingston from South Korea, Seoul. Their trip was possible because of the Kingston and Kwanak partnership and are hoping that in the future Kingston youths will be able to visit Korea as well. Arriving on the 13th of January, they hope to stay for 10 days and visit many different places.

They have been to Oxford, London and visited Shakespeare house, but they said that they enjoyed visiting the Mayor the most.

“We came here to experience English culture, learn English, meet the Kingston mayor and also sight seeing.”

To visit England the youths had to apply to their council as individuals from different schools, they were assisted by a few adults as well.

When all the youths from Kingston Youth Council and YUonline interacted with the 5 Korean visitors, many found that their tastes and interests were very similar. At most times, there was no language barrier and on many occassions they spoke very good English.

Many of the visitors said that they liked “Muse, Adele, Taylor Swift.”  As expected, they also had similar hobbies – they liked playing the piono, dancing, art, singing, eating, sleeping, baseball… they had good fun trying to teach Caderyn the Korean language as well.

However lifestlye was very different. The visiters expressed that school started at 7 30 in the morning and it lasted till 4, but they had to attend self study lessons which lasted till 10 in the night.

“It’s hell – school is prison – we have uniform too but on the plus side, there are loads of clubs like cheer leading, religion clubs.” To which I guess we can say that we dislike school here as well… so it’s not that different.

The culture in Korea was comparatively different. “There is a polite way so speaking, and a casual way – you have to bow to greet teachers.”

Graham Mann Smith, a youth worker, expresses that “what I liked about the visit was that in the end it was the interaction between the groups that was most about. It was all about the interaction.”

We asked them what they liked about this is what they said:

- Songyi says that “there are lots of dogs, English dogs are bigger than Korean dogs – but it’s really peaceful here. It’s really busy in Korea. I’ve never had such an experience and I’ve loved it.”

- Harin says ” I had a lot of experience about England. The buildings are so different, there are small houses. We have buildings in Korea.”

Inkyun says “ There are many artists on the street and it was very good. The people use so much gesutre when they talk to each other.”

Kim Dong Geon says “England’s history is very interesting. England is fresher and the England food is good - I like the English food.”

Yoonju says ” This is the first time I left Korea; it is so exciting but I am really tired because of the 9 hour difference. I’ve got a Jet-lag so I can’t sleep. England food is very different, I like English food, I even liked it back home. I can’t remember Korean food. England is very interesting – I like Windsor castle – there is no royal family in Korea. So, yeah, it’s amazing.”

Let’s be straightforward here, what is it about this nation and keeping our clothes in a shrine of overloaded fabric ? (There are such things as bin bags , you know?)

Many people seem to believe that the reasons us Brits don’t want to throw away our ‘precious’ belongings are because they either have a sentimental value or they are so expensive that they shouldn’t be given away. They could be right, in fact, they have a very valid point. But haven’t you already spent the money well by loving the clothes at some point… why not give it away and let others fall in love with it?

Others think that even after 5-6 years they can still supposedly fit in into their clothes again?! But I guess it’s nice to be reminded of something or someone..an old pair of knickers might remind you of your gran perhaps.

Here is Mr Gok wan himself trying to help chatty man Alan carr’s closet…TAKE A PEEK…

Britain economy is not at its best currently; everyone is trying to find the cheapest bargains they can get their hands on…, but there is no need for you to get that size 16 £2 pound dress if you are a size 10.

The most vital part in finding a great bargain is that it fits you. Go back to those days where your parents only let you wear clothes that fitted you. Of course you never liked them, because well… it was not very ‘in the season ‘. It’s important to make ourselves look presentable and very ‘in’. If you want to show your matureness and independence, try something that is fashionable and comfy. Don’t buy that ratty old £2 pound dress. Clothes are best loved if they make you feel comfortable all the time.

The fact that most people are on a budget makes things a bit difficult. But look around the high-street properly, for example, if you want jeans under £20, have a look at the many of the high-street shops, there will be offers somewhere, the list is endless…

Topshop,New look or for on-line brands such as Asos they always have sales and go up to a size 26! for all the curves out their who think you can’t wear fashionable clothes its perfect for you.http://www.asos.com/Women/Curve/Cat/pgecategory.aspx?cid=9577

So if you want to take anything away from the article, take this: First, that when you open the dreaded cupboard doors, think of how you can overcome the fear of placing unnecessary items IN the bin bag and TO the charity shop. The month is January spring cleaning time.No, that does not just mean the toilet seat might need a clean… there is more to it. And second, it’s not always about what’s cheapest to buy, but it’s about what is reasonable and most appropriate. That way, you might save on buying unnecessary items in the first place…

Go on then, don’t be afraid in with the old out with the new !

Number 5

*insert arrow in the knee joke here*

I know, I know. Skyrim at number 5? Am I mental? Well, I didn’t enjoy Skyrim as much as a lot of other people did. Probably because I’m not the biggest RPG fan. I also ran into some AI issues, graphical glitches, and the game crashing.

However, I will admit that I can’t help but admire the sheer size, scope, and effort that was put into this game. The graphics (for the most part) are fantastic, the game-play is engaging, and the amount of stuff to do is unbelievable. Skyrim earns it’s place in my top 5 games of the year.

Hey, Duke. This is how you make an old school shooter.

I love this game. If you have read my review, you know why. The game-play, the voice acting, the utter, utter craziness. I love it all. This is a love letter to the old school Duke Nukem (NOT the new one). The new Serious Engine 3 works like a charm, and I had a blast playing this. Anyone who likes retro 90s shooters with tons of blood and gore, BUY THIS GAME!

I had a future once, then I discovered Minecraft…

Although in Beta for quite a while (so long in fact that several of my friends didn’t think this was a 2011 game), Minecraft was officially released at Minecon in November 2011. Easily the most addicting game since……..ever, Minecraft is a ton of fun. And best of all, it never ends! You can keep building, and building, and building. It’s like computer Lego.

Imagine Batman: Arkham City’s takedowns. With arm blades.

What is it to be truly human? Is it right to defy nature and electronically enhance ourselves? Will it backfire? Are we playing god? Do you sacrifice some of your humanity for enhanced intelligence, strength, or vision? Is it worth it? These are all questions you ask after playing Deus Ex: Human Revolution.

A remarkable story, engaging game-play, and beautiful graphics. Plus a bad-ass protagonist. Deus Ex: Human Revolution is the best FPS of 2011, and I’m shocked that it hasn’t appeared on hardly any lists. Deep, meaningful, and thought-provoking, Deus Ex: Human Revolution is one of those games that makes you question life itself.

Now you’re thinking with portals.

I always have real trouble with puzzle games. The original Portal I never completed on the Xbox 360. I had spent £13 on the Xbox Live Arcade version, without realising that I could buy The Orange Box for about £10 second hand! D’oh! Anyway, I never beat it. Once I got my good computer, I bought Portal 2 (this was back in May), not really for the single player, but for the co-op to play with my friends. Only after I’d bought the damn game did I realise that none of my friends had bought the game or were planning to buy the game (again, d’oh!).

So after I grumbled my way back to my computer (and after spending £39.99), I realised that I had got the original Portal with it. I decided that I should really beat the original before I played the sequel. So I did. Luckily, I was actually pretty far along in the game, but I did have to replay it. After I’d beaten that, I started Portal 2. Obviously, Portal 2 had a lot of hype and very high expectations, of course the original could be beaten in 4 hours by someone who was good at puzzle games. So, is Portal 2 better than Portal? Well, let me say this: I’ve only just beaten it!

The game is rich and massive, and gives you about 16-17 hours of playtime (again, for someone who’s good at puzzles).

Portal 2 is a improvement on it’s predecessor in every possible way. The graphics are more richly detailed. The writing is witty and  the story is engaging. The puzzles are challenging, but not to the point where it becomes frustrating. I love this game so much, I want to hug it. However, I bought it on Steam, so unless I hug my laptop, that is not possible. Portal 2 makes me more happy than any other game I’ve played this year, and may well be game of the year for me. Yes, I’m including Skyrim in that statement. I love this game that much. I urge everyone to buy this game that hasn’t, especially now you can buy it on Steam for £19.99 (or Amazon for £12.99. Link here.). The story involves Chell, our silent (in typical valve tradition) protagonist who looks kinds Lara Croft-like. When Chell wakes up from a ‘relaxation vault’, she finds she has been in the vault for a very long time. So long, in fact, the Aperture Science is now overgrown with vegetation and most things are broken. GLaDOS (the evil AI whom you defeated in the first game) is switched off, and everything seems okay. Well, it’s far from it. Chell is woken up by Weatley (voiced by Stephen Merchant, famous for co-writing and co-starring in the show Extras with Ricky Gervais), a bumbling, British AI who seems jolly enough. After a trying to escape, Wheatley makes a less-than-desirable shortcut through GlaDOS’ chamber. A few mistakes later, and GLaDOS is up and running, and testing, once again.

Don’t worry. It’s just as confusing in context.

The puzzles in Portal 2 are difficult. As someone who doesn’t play puzzle games very much, the puzzles were very difficult. I was so stuck sometimes I was tempted to reach for a walkthrough. I didn’t, though, which is why I’ve only just completed it. However, they’re never horribly frustrating, and they’re more intriguingly difficult rather than throw-your-keyboard-out-of-the-window difficult. The solutions seem so simple once you’ve done them.

The voice  acting is hilarious. Stephen Merchant is really well-cast as Wheatley, and Ellen McLain returns as GLaDOS. McLain is just as superb as she was in the first game, except the character has been much more fleshed out than in Portal. She seems even more sinister, but even more funny at the same time. The writing suits the actors perfectly, with Wheatley seeming at times to be very similar to another character Stephen Merchant played…….

The graphics are much more detailed than in Portal, and the earlier levels depicting the same early test chambers from Portal, but overgrown with vegetation, are only there to show off the new graphics (according to the developer commentary)!

While the single-player is the meat of the game, Portal 2 now has a multi-player feature as well. This co-op campaign features a new story and characters, Atlas and P-Body, two funny robots designed by GLaDOS specifically for testing. The co-op campaign is much more focused on comedy, and it is very funny. Though I do recommend setting up a voice chat with the person you’re playing, because it’s damn near impossible to play without it.

Portal 2 is a fantastic experience. Hours of fun, challenging puzzles, great graphics, some very funny writing, and superb voice acting. I can literally think of nothing wrong with this game and I cannot recommend it highly enough.

And that’s my top 5 games of the year. Keep in mind this was a personal list, so if your favourite game got missed out I either didn’t play it or didn’t like as much as you.

What’s your list? Tell me in the comments section. Follow me on Twitter @Game_Node and like me on Facebook.