I can't believe I actually get to type this. Comedy legend and co-creator of The Office, Stephen Merchant, is going to be the voice of Wheatley, the robot companion in Portal 2. I don't even know where to begin. Stephen Merchant, graduate of Warwick University, is not only the writing partner of Ricky Gervais, he also co-stars in the most brilliant series of podcasts ever: The Ricky Gervais Show. If you have not taken the time to hear the ramblings of Karl Pilkington, then you have not yet learned the meaning of the word dumbfounded.

Back on topic though, Portal 2 is already so high on the list of "DO WANT" games, that I can't imagine Valve needing any more geek cred or good news to sell this game, yet here we are. To me, this shows that Portal 2 is not going to be a shameless sequel to the phenomenon that was the original Portal. The addition of multiplayer is another factor that could have been a gimmick, but from the traces we've managed to glean so far, they have taken the time to make this another part of essential Portal gameplay.

The polish that Portal 2 is receiving is utterly incomprehensible from what Valve has shown off so far, and I honestly believe that this game could surpass its predecessor if there is as much hidden story as the first game managed to contain. Plus, having a member of The Ricky Gervais Show makes the experience that much more easy to understand for all of us British comedy fans out there. I have no doubt this game will be the stand-out of 2011, despite its early release date. Prepare yourself for one of the funniest FPS's in the history of gaming:

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SnZ-EygMrMA

The YouTube comments aren't very positive from what I've seen, but if you've watched Hot Fuzz, then you know Mr. Merchant is a talented individual. Take a look at the trailer with the updated voice and tell us what you think.

Portal 2 is scheduled to pop out of some random hole on February 9, 2011 on the PS3, Xbox 360, PC, and Mac.