The console release of Portal 2 has taken place in Russia. Why is this important and who is with me in the cooperative?
Gone are the days of the PC exclusive Half-Life 2, and now every major Valve game consistently visits multiple platforms. But should PC gamers have cared about this? Orange Box, Left 4 Dead 1-2 – there is no argument to buy them anywhere but on a computer. Paid expansions, which are fewer than in Steam (yes, Team Fortress 2 has long been abandoned there), the lack of modifications and social features of Steam… The ability to play together on one screen is a minuscule counterbalance, especially since you can enable such a mode on PC through the console.
Has anything changed since the release of Portal 2 for Xbox 360 and PS3? Yes. While it is still too early to talk about the X360 version, the PS3 version of Portal 2 is an important milestone not only for Valve but for the entire industry.
A post with thoughts on a bright future and where the experiments of Valve will lead is reluctantly postponed – PSN is dead, meaning there is no way to access PS3-Steam for now. But actually, the main purpose of this post is to boast, share first impressions of the console version, and propose an interesting experiment. The console versions have finally hit the shelves in our country. **PS3 version** and **Xbox 360 version**, at GameZone, were among the first to resolve issues with Russian customs, for which they deserve great thanks. Even though there are no extra trinkets or stickers in the box, our industry is capable of growing to that level, as long as players and publishers have the mutual desire. First, a couple of photos to show how it looks.
For those who were afraid that the publisher of the game was EA Partners: I found not a single mention of this company on the packaging. Only Valve. The flip side – there is not a single word in Russian on the disk, unlike the other EA releases. Fortunately, the game itself is fully translated (with the option for English voice acting).
For me, it is still somewhat surreal
Evaluate the graphics
All the PS3-Steam windows available at the moment (without connecting to PSN):
Now a few reasons why the PS3 version of Portal 2 deserves to be a guide into the console world for PC gamers:
Shooter mechanics, but no quick reactions are required. You can practice running, jumping, and shooting accurately without any nerves – useful for the next games;
Graphics utilizing all the strengths of the PS3, including anti-aliasing technology from Uncharted and God of War.
Cross-platform chat and friends list in Steam – you can consider it staying in your comfort zone;
Cross-platform cooperative. Show PC players from personal experience that gamepads and first-person shooters are compatible enough, and friends will transition to consoles following you;
Steam key for the PC version included. You can return to your beloved mouse and keyboard without hurting your wallet.
Furthermore, Portal 2 can gather the whole family in front of the TV – watching is at least as interesting as playing, with no blood or violence involved. The joys of the PC version remain: the ability to change the voice acting language separately from subtitles, free expansions, developer commentary… And of course, Portal 2 on PS3 still remains, ahem, one of the best games of the generation. The only downside is the lack of PlayStation Move support, although it might be possible in the DLC.
For now – let's evaluate the cross-platform cooperative! PSN** promises to launch this week, and right away we can break down platform barriers and go save science with a mouse and a gamepad. Achievements or simply testing the strength of the console gamer – it doesn’t matter. If you want to join, write here or add me on Steam - AQuaRity.**
And if anyone is intrigued by the idea of seeing the console messiah from Valve in person – once again: **PS3 version** and **Xbox 360 version**.
Don't disappoint me, or I'll make you wish you could die!