[6][7] The mod incorporates several new gameplay components, such as a gel cleansing shower and paired cubes that ease the transportation of laser beams.

It also reintroduces Pneumatic Diversity Vents, which can suck up components, such as the player, cubes, and gel; these were removed from the original version of Portal 2 during its development.

[4][6][8] Some test chambers include switches that can turn off the power, which remove laser obstacles but also shut off devices that assist the player.

[6] Its campaign consists of 40 test chambers, sorted into eight chapters; new additions to Portal Revolution are explained to the player throughout the game.

In this game, the player assumes the role of an unnamed female test subject in the dilapidated laboratories of Aperture Science.

The game begins with the protagonist being awoken by a maintenance personality core, Stirling, who tells her that she is being trained as part of an "emergency response team" and instructed to solve a series of tests.

After completing them, Stirling reveals that he was misleading her, and his real goal is to activate a powerful device that will restore Aperture's laboratories to full operation.

[1][6] Over time, Heinz's team grew to include voice actors, programmers, 3D modellers, and producers, all of whom learnt the skills while working on the game.

[1] As internal expectations grew, most of its content was replaced or revamped as development progressed, and the team improved the quality of several Portal 2 assets.

[21] PC Gamer writer Morgan Park stated that it had a "high bar of quality and completeness" that proved "Valve left a lot of meat on the bone with the Portal series".

[22] James described the puzzles as "consistently strong", noting that the restriction on shooting portals in the first part of the game "is often used to great effect".

[22] Schütz praised the game's voice acting and called the writing "absolutely successful", though he felt it did not reach the quality of Portal 2.

[6] Park questioned the writing of Stirling in the early chapters, claiming he failed to put "'personality' in personality core" but did not detract from the overall quality of the mod.

[12] Praising the atmospheric variety of the game, Schütz stated that the quality of the environments helped it fit into the Portal universe.