Portal 2 Collector's Edition Guide Overview
Greetings, fellow portal enthusiasts. I am excited to share with you that I've finally gotten my hands on the divine little book "Portal 2 Collector's Edition Guide", and it would be a bit wrong if I didn't tell you about it.
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First, let’s take a look at the book externally. Here’s what the front looks like:
Here’s the back view:
The book weighs about a kilogram. It has 384 pages. The cover is hard. The pages are glossy. Inside, there are two very nice bookmarks in different colors. I think you can guess which ones. Yes, blue and orange.
Okay, let's move on to the content. Firstly, I want to say that this book is filled with tons of information about [Portal 2](/games?search=Portal 2). There might even be more than you want to know, and certainly much more than you need to know if you haven’t played yet. Newbies in the world of Portal 2 will find plenty of interesting insights if they read alongside the game.
The book begins with a story titled "The Story So Far...". This is a brief, one-page overview of the story of Portal 1, in case someone hasn’t undergone testing at Aperture Science yet. The text introduces us to the beginning of the original Portal, the Rat Man, the Companion Cube, the escape from the laboratories, the finale of Portal, and the start of Portal 2.
Next, the reader is introduced to the world of Portal 2 in a small chapter that discusses everything they will interact with in the game. It starts with defining the mechanics of portals and then covers everything else: turrets, cubes, buttons, gels, aerial faith plates, and light bridges. In this same section, we're informed about the cooperative mode, explaining why gestures are important and who Atlas and P-Body are.
The bulk of the book is taken up by the next two chapters. They include a complete walkthrough of all the chambers in both single and cooperative modes. Essentially, these two sections guide the player step-by-step to the game’s finales. Naturally, it's not just the usual dry text like "Go there, grab this, place it here". Each chamber has its complete schematic. If there are multiple ways to complete a test, we’re definitely told about all of them. Additionally, we’re informed about any hidden messages and such things, if they exist in a given chamber. I think that’s all I need to add about these chapters.
The next chapter can be roughly divided into three parts: Achievements, hidden information, and speedrunning Portal. The first part is a detailed guide on earning achievements. Comprehensive help on the achievements with pictures is a win. In the second part, we learn about Easter eggs in the game. Here’s a fun fact: The Companion Cube from the end of the game is the same Companion Cube from Chamber 16 of Portal 1! And other similar interesting tidbits. This chapter also pays attention to quotes: Top 10 GLaDOS quotes in single player, Top 10 GLaDOS quotes in cooperative mode, a similar number of quotes from Wheatley and Cave Johnson, and a few funny phrases from the Space and Adventure modules. The third part helps you complete the original game as quickly as possible. It includes a detailed guide and tips for speedrunning.
The last chapter is The World of Portal. A fantastic addition with exclusive and somewhat informative content. This chapter includes a lot of artwork related to both Portal 1 and 2. Here, we can see original designs for GLaDOS, Aperture Laboratories, and weighted cubes. We can read a detailed history of Aperture, starting from the mid-50s. Aside from what’s been described earlier, a significant part of the chapter is a dialogue with the creators in a "Q&A" format. I want to note that the questions posed to the developers are very amusing. For example, "Who would win in a fight, Chell or Alex?" and so on.
The book closes with images of Atlas and P-Body, and the last page, as unexpectedly, looks like this:
In conclusion, I would give this book a 10 out of 10. It’s a delightful addition to any collection for fans or newcomers. It’s a pleasure to flip through the glossy pages and admire the images. Stylish, beautiful, and pleasant. Of course, reading this marvel is equally enjoyable, so knowledge of English is a must. Unfortunately, it takes a lot of money, time, and nerves to get hold of this book, but it’s worth it. Well then. I hope you found something interesting in this review. Happy portals, yo.