Preview of Portal 2. Especially for Gamer.ru
It's been a long time...
Nearly 3 and a half years have passed since the whole world got acquainted with the wonderful first-person puzzle game - Portal. The game was just a small addition to the Orange Box collection, and VALVe did not expect such huge success. Portals are indeed a very cool idea, and fortunately, the developers managed to skillfully create the place where we could use all the delights of the portal gun: Aperture Science. The organization where we managed to go through 19 test chambers, fall in love with an inanimate object, escape from the Lab and meet one of the smartest computers - GLaDOS.
Is the time right?
In March 2010, Valve delighted fans of the first game by officially announcing Portal 2, and in the summer at E3, they showed a dynamic and intriguing teaser trailer. It was initially planned for the game to be released in the fall of that year, but later it was postponed to spring 2011. The creators noted that Portal 1 was merely an experiment, whereas Portal 2 would be a full-fledged game with new features.
Plot
The ending of the first game was open-ended - no one really understood what happened to the heroine. In Portal 2, a whole century has passed since the events of the original story, but we will be playing as the same Chell. No, don't worry, we're not playing as the old lady. Most likely, we were frozen, but there is no exact information about what happened. Except for spoiler videos that I haven't watched. Valve recently announced that they would soon tell us about the events that occurred during such a long gap between Portal 1 and 2. So.
What do we know?
So, the Labs are destroyed, Aperture is overgrown with vegetation, and many years have passed. Chell discovers that GLaDOS is back in action. Surprisingly, the evil computer is in no hurry to take revenge on us for what happened at the end of the first game; on the contrary, she thinks that "we need to forget about the discrepancies. For the sake of science." GLaDOS is now deeply focused on science, completely restructuring Aperture Science, and the main heroine will have to explore the Lab's expanses again using the portal gun. This time most of the game will take place directly in the "backstage" of Aperture. As for the white turret robots from the first game, they will also be in the second.
According to the developers, players will spend about 6-7 hours to complete the game.
Cooperative
A significant part of the game will be the cooperative mode. You will have to find a close relative, friend, or, at worst, a stranger to complete this mode. It can only be done in pairs. The levels will be a bit more complicated, and some of them can be completed in multiple ways. Stock up on nerves, as you will have to argue and think a lot, hee hee. In cooperative mode, there will be a separate story about two characters - Atlas and P-Body - robots that GLaDOS created as subjects for testing chambers using portals. Apparently, people are not suitable for GLaDOS after what Chell did to her. The developers stay mum about the storyline, but it will take approximately the same amount of time to complete as the single-player mode.
For convenience in communication between players, there will be special icons in the test chambers so that a partner can pay attention to the necessary object or perform a specific action. There will also be minor actions - such as giving a gesture to your teammate or breaking into a joyful dance.
In the cooperative mode, players from different platforms can meet. A PS3 owner can play with a PC player, etc.
Here they are - our Cooperative characters
Music
The music in Portal 2 has received much more attention from the creators than in the first part. Knowing how popular the song Still Alive became among players, Valve invited its author - musician Jonathan Coulton - to contribute significantly to the soundtrack for the sequel. It is also known that some songs in the game can be "unlocked" as you progress through it.
One of the songs for the Portal 2 soundtrack will be recorded by the American indie rock band The National.
What's new?
In Portal 2, a significant emphasis will be placed on physics, as its importance has increased even further for completing various levels. We can expect a lot of new elements. For example, the game will feature a kind of air duct - a tube that sucks in everything close to it. This can be used to keep turrets out of our way, for example. :D There will also be different types of fluids. So far, two are known: orange and blue. Both can change the properties of the surfaces they are applied to. The orange gel will increase the player's speed, while the blue will push the player into the air; essentially, a trampoline.
Another new element - the transport funnel. A tunnel made of blue spiraling energy lines through which players and various objects can move, including turrets and the aforementioned gels.
Along with the cubes we know from the first part, a new type will be introduced - the redirecting cube. It will have special sides capable of refracting light. With them, the player can reflect laser beams.
There will also be new characters. Let's be honest, walking alone as poor Chell with just the occasional remarks from GLaDOS would be a bit boring. Currently, three new heroes are known:
Wheatley - a spherical robot with artificial intelligence who talks a lot. He will be our guide and assistant.
Wheatley in the flesh
Cave Johnson - founder and chairman of the board of Aperture Science. It is still unknown whether we will see him in person or only hear his voice. It is only known that he will be voiced by Jonathan Simmons, who played J. Jonah Jameson in Spider-Man 2.
Remember the writing on the walls The cake is a lie? Rumor has it that in the sequel, we will meet the author of this phrase. His name is Doug Rattmann - the first test subject of Aperture Science.
On everything else
We have repeatedly confirmed that Valve has excellent humor, and the first part of Portal is no exception. Everyone liked the cake joke so much that it is still memorable and popular. As the developers promise, there will be plenty of humor in the game, but no more cake jokes, although some kind of reference to the first part has been promised.
So?
Valve is a very smart company with talented people. They haven't had any missteps for several years now. Whatever game they release, it quickly gathers its own army of players. Games like Half-Life and Counter-Strike are many years old, yet they still enjoy immense popularity among a vast number of people. Using their engine, Valve manages to create high-quality games that are appealing to many. Gabe Newell - the head of Valve - claims that Portal 2 is the best game in the company's entire existence.
We will receive a ~15-hour puzzle with engaging gameplay, high-quality graphics, good humor, and magnificent level design. Are you still hesitating to buy the game? I believe doubts should not remain for anyone, let alone fans of Valve games.