Video Game Audio Critique

In a video game, lighting is very important because it helps focus attention on important objects, invoke emotion, and create shape and depth. I chose portal 2 because it has an aesthetically beautiful environment with creative and puzzling game play.
A good example of using lighting to create emotion is given right at the start of this level. After falling through a tunnel, you end up in a mysterious place, with bright fires that create harsh shadows in the corners.
PAUSED: The hard lights that point to the wall helps the player identify which walls they can shoot portals at. There are three lights; one closer to the player that is usable, one that is not, and one that is usable but on the other side of the fence. Without those intense lights above the walls, it would be difficult to separate them from the rest of the less intensely lit environment and would result in much slower game play through a part that is supposed to be pretty easy.
Most of the usable walls are lit with lights, especially if they are far away. Here are a few examples.
If this tiny pathway wasn't lit brighter than its surroundings, many players wouldn't think to jump and walk on it. Because it is brighter, it is separated and easily identified.
When the "do not enter" signs start popping up, the player knows that something difficult is coming up. The lighting creates an affinity with the danger signs when it progressively gets darker as the player moves on, up to where it is almost black. The game designers put this as a very symbolic way to create a buildup of suspense when traveling down this path.
PAUSED: The way lighting can create space is used when the player looks up at the ceiling of this seemingly endless room. The top of the room through the fog seems to be really bright, reinforcing the idea that you are reeeallly far down when contrasted with the dark corners that are all around you. It is also very blue, creating a mysterious or sad emotion, while dispersing throughout the entire room. When the light gets more dispersed, it helps create distance between the player and that object.