Countless release dates have poured out of Gamescom in the last week, including Crysis 2, Rage, Dragon Age II, and now Portal 2 has joined the party. After delaying the title from holiday 2010 to an ambiguous 2011 release window and cancelling its E3 press event, Valve has finally secured a precise launch day for the first-person puzzler: February 9, 2011. That goes for all platforms, including PC (both Windows and OS X), Xbox 360, and PlayStation 3.
The sequel takes place hundreds of years after the original, but players will still control the same character, Chell, who was apparently in stasis for that timeframe. Awakened by one of GLaDOS' personality cores, Chell inadvertently wakes GLaDOS and thus begins the twisted journey of dodging personified turrets and escaping deathtraps. Besides polished graphics and co-op, Portal 2 features new gameplay elements including tractor beams, paint-like gels and more.