Portal 2 preview - E310
E3 2010: For science. You monster.
Portal is a game that pleasantly surprised many. Sure, Valve has been taking excellent care of their existing franchises, but Portal was something completely new to the developer. And yet once more, the company took a new project and elevated its quality to the highest of standards. Since the original game seemed a tad short for some, fans are hoping for more of the same quality experience – and that’s a rarity for any franchise.
However, the developers have heard the cries of the fans, and instead gave it its own meaning – to innovate. Fans asking for more of the same gameplay are actually asking to be surprised once again, and Valve is rising up to the challenge. What made the original game good were three parts: A funny and smart story, excellent gameplay, and some great music similar to that of the final credits. With the sequel, all of those aspects were key in the development, resulting in yet another excellent and innovating experience.
The premise of Portal 2 is that some time has passed since the player has destroyed Glados in the original. However, the technology in the lab has started coming back to life and rebuilding the various test chambers in the facility. We get to meet a companion for the game, an eye robot with a funny Australian accent, who is presumably going to accompany us though the game. There is a strong emphasis on humor with this character, as the few minutes we spend with him in the demo are filled with quirky dialogue and remarks. At the end of the short demo video we finally meet Glados, who is reborn and sounds more mature, this time offering the player to put the differences behind them in the name of science.
Next up were a few short videos, very similar to the training videos that were released for the original game as promotions. First up was the Disruptor Beam – it’s a wide beam that has similar characteristics to the lasers in the game – which can be reflected and pass through your portals. The beam itself offers the player a walking space that is suspended in the air, allowing you to reach new parts of the level using it as a transport mechanic. There was also an Aerial Faith plate, offering the player a way to reach incredible heights with a jump. The Thermal Disencouragement Beam acts like a laser, is able to slice enemies in half and can be redirected around a room using portals, as well as new cubes with mirrors. The Pneumatic Vent provides a constant air intake, great for sucking up turrets via cleverly placed portals.
There are also new liquid-based gameplay elements, such as the Repulsion gel. This gel allows the player to jump great distances when spilled on the floor or wall surfaces. The Propulsion gel lets the player accelerate their walking speed to sprinting, giving momentum for some huge jumps and wall runs. Combining these two gels together in the demo created some very breathtaking high speed puzzle solutions, with portals of course. All of these new gameplay elements seem clever and add a whole new set of possibilities to the puzzles that Portal 2 will offer. They are also humorously named, to reflect on what Glados would probably call them.
With Portal 2, fans simply wanted more of the excellent gameplay and story from the original, but Valve will not take any shortcuts. The game will offer a new story, characters, and vastly different gameplay mechanics to further bend your mind and solve even more complicated puzzles. It was revealed that the game will also have 2 player coop, allowing for 4 portals, resulting in a whole new way to challenge the players. All of the charm and originality of the first game remains in tact, and we really look forward to seeing more of the game in the coming months. Portal 2 is set to release in early 2011 on PC, Mac, Xbox 360 and PS3.
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Jun 22, 2010 13:16:30 (Jun 22, 2010 13:16)
