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Portal 2 |OT| Sleep. Spuds. Science.

F

Four_Chamber

Member
Jack Scofield said:
Believe me, you're not missing much . Just two hours of shitty, tiresome jokes delivered with no comedic timing in the most monotone voice you can imagine.

EDIT: Or wait, are you saying that you bought Portal 1 when the price was dropped, or that you bought Portal 2 when the Portal 2 price dropped? I CONFUSED.
Click to expand...

No I bought Portal 2

My mind is fried from playing the game for a couple of hours.
 
S

sn00zer

Member
Posted this in the Spoiler thread:

Look what I found in the model viewer
rgxfft.jpg

2yuhu8w.jpg
 
F

Four_Chamber

Member
Jack Scofield said:
In that case, you made the right decision.
Click to expand...

Would you guys recommend buying Orange Box for Portal to flesh out the story for those of us who are newbs to the Portal series and who got started with Portal 2?
 
B

blamite

Member
Four_Chamber said:
Would you guys recommend buying Orange Box for Portal to flesh out the story for those of us who are newbs to the Portal series and who got started with Portal 2?
Click to expand...
you definitely need to get the Orange Box. Especially If you've never player TF2/HL2 and the Episodes. Getting all that for about 20 bucks is easily the deal of the century.

If you just want Portal though, I'd recommend the XBLA version, which is $15 and has a new set of bonus levels.
 
S

SHAZOOM

Member
I'll be frank. I kind of wish they used Chell's old model, just for consistency. She's obviously hotter in Portal 2, but it doesn't ... gel with me. Eh, let it slide.
 
B

blamite

Member
SHAZOOM said:
I'll be frank. I kind of wish they used Chell's old model, just for consistency. She's obviously hotter in Portal 2, but it doesn't ... gel with me. Eh, let it slide.
Click to expand...
Eh, maybe she just cleaned up in the bathroom of the relaxation chamber? :p
 
B

Buckethead

Banned
Just finished the game.

Really great stuff although I wish that there was more story stuff.
They build the lore and you never get a look beyond the surface.

I may be in the minority but think it'd be cool if they made a Portal 3 that was more of a hybrid action-adventure with maybe a bit of Mirror's Edge thrown in.
 
H

Hawkian

The Cryptarch's Bane
Hitokage said:
People like me. I loved that area.
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Treefingers said:
Agreed, those are probably my favorite segments, just for the atmosphere alone.
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Me too. The attention to detail and art design are incredible for a game.

I give Portal a 10/10 in my head but even I don't say it's flawless.

I can't think of a game that's actually flawless, even the other 10/10 games I can think of.
 
B

balladofwindfishes

Member
So I think I found one of the main reasons some people think this game is too easy.

In Portal 1, every wall was white unless making that wall would specifically break a puzzle or make it too easy.

However in Portal 2, only the walls that need portals to complete the puzzle are white. In Portal 1, you could place a portal on the wrong wall. This doesn't happen in Portal 2. Only the walls needed to complete the puzzle are white.
 
T

The Technomancer

card-carrying scientician
balladofwindfishes said:
So I think I found one of the main reasons some people think this game is too easy.

In Portal 1, every wall was white unless making that wall would specifically break a puzzle or make it too easy.

However in Portal 2, only the walls that need portals to complete the puzzle are white. In Portal 1, you could place a portal on the wrong wall. This doesn't happen in Portal 2. Only the walls needed to complete the puzzle are white.
Click to expand...
I agree, but I also wonder if the introduction of elements like the light bridges and excursion funnels would completely break some puzzles if you could Portal anywhere.
 
C

Cth

Member
Invert the colors on "Mel" and her jacket turns orange.

Of course, there's the Orange/Blue portal thing..

Nevermind... just babbling :D
 
C

CincyRaz

Neo Member
balladofwindfishes said:
So I think I found one of the main reasons some people think this game is too easy.

In Portal 1, every wall was white unless making that wall would specifically break a puzzle or make it too easy.

However in Portal 2, only the walls that need portals to complete the puzzle are white. In Portal 1, you could place a portal on the wrong wall. This doesn't happen in Portal 2. Only the walls needed to complete the puzzle are white.
Click to expand...


502
 
K

Kimosabae

Banned
Since we're back on the topic involving the game's design, I'll just re-quote this post I made a few pages ago:


Kimosabae said:
I've only played a handful of Valve titles and I think they're the best game developers in the industry (Orange Box and Portal 1/2). I'm sure this has become a cliche, but I see them as the Pixar of the games industry and it's quite clear they look to that company for inspiration (at least to me).

With that said, I haven't finished the game yet, I think I identify with the criticisms made by people such as Giolon and Yahtzee.

I think Portal 2 is more maze puzzle than logic puzzle. Someone smarter than me might be inclined to disagree, but logic puzzles, in my understanding, provide a challenge in the sense that; the solver's capacity to deduce a standard or general solution is threatened by numerous possible (wrong) solutions. The essence and enigma of a logic puzzle resides in that challenge.

Portal 2 doesn't seem to have that challenge. All elements within a room are deducible to only one logical order, making Portal 2 more of a Jigsaw or Maze, than a Rubix Cube. The former largely tests memorization, perseverance and focus, which are more LCD traits in humans. Once the player recognizes this, there's a lack of satisfaction, involved (at least, I think).

I scarcely remember anything about Portal 1, so I won't comment in relation to that game.
Click to expand...


The later portions of the game take this design philosophy to a subtle extreme, which I don't like too much.
 
D

DragonKnight

Member
Just beat it. Easily the best game of the generation for me. Just amazing how much creativity can be placed into one game. Now i'm teeming with anticipation with for Episode 3.
 
S

StevieP

Banned
Kimosabae said:
Since we're back on the topic involving the game's design, I'll just re-quote this post I made a few pages ago:





The later portions of the game take this design philosophy to a subtle extreme, which I don't like too much.
Click to expand...

Valve are in a league of their own. Though I'd say Nintendo is more of a "pixar" in the game industry. Problem is, I wouldn't know what to call Valve because they are equally masterful at their game when they put love into it.
 
S

StuBurns

Banned
It's not my favorite game of the generation, but I do think Valve are the best developer in the world right now. I'd say Team ICO, but they haven't done enough to really gauge till now, and I guess technically they're part of SCEJ, and they certainly aren't anything spectacular.
 
M

mrklaw

MrArseFace
just played through portal again start to finish in a couple of hours. Definitely shorter than I remember first time around, but still really nicely polished and a lot of fun. More kinetic puzzles, but less twitching than I remember, most of the momentum based puzzles give you time to adjust your aim. There are a couple of ones where you have to aim quickly and thats a little frustrating especially when your body is twisting around in space and you have to also get your bearings.

but a great game and anyone considering portal 2 that hasn't played portal 1 - just pick it up, its cheap and only a few hours, and is a great intro to portal 2.
 
Celcius

Celcius

°Temp. member
Jarmel said:
I'm in Act 3. Does this game get any better? Seriously disappointed with it right now.
Click to expand...
I just got to Ch 5 and I'm feeling the same way. I guess I'll finish it before making a final decision, but I'm starting to wish I could get my money back.
 
S

Sibylus

Banned
The_Technomancer said:
I agree, but I also wonder if the introduction of elements like the light bridges and excursion funnels would completely break some puzzles if you could Portal anywhere.
Click to expand...
This kinda goes without saying. There's going to be some downright nasty sequence breaking in custom maps, methinks.
 
T

The Broken Ska Record

Member
Four_Chamber said:
Would you guys recommend buying Orange Box for Portal to flesh out the story for those of us who are newbs to the Portal series and who got started with Portal 2?
Click to expand...
I agree that you should get the Orange Box since it's an amazing value. However, if you want just Portal 1, I have an extra copy on Steam if you want it.
 
E

EmCeeGramr

Member
I'm seriously tempted to back to Portal 1 and show people how many walls were white and how many had blatant signposting for where to fire portals, especially after you got the second portal.
 
S

StuBurns

Banned
EmCeeGramr said:
I'm seriously tempted to back to Portal 1 and show people how many walls were white and how many had blatant signposting for where to fire portals, especially after you got the second portal.
Click to expand...
There were other things too, like red light reflecting from energy gates, and burn dents from plasma balls that show you exactly which panel to put a portal on.
 
T

The Librarian

Banned
EmCeeGramr said:
I'm seriously tempted to back to Portal 1 and show people how many walls were white and how many had blatant signposting for where to fire portals, especially after you got the second portal.
Click to expand...
Do it. I'd love to see a breakdown like that.
 
J

Jasoco

Banned
Yeah, the whole argument is stupid. There are plenty of levels in 2 that have more walls than are needed. Just as in Portal 1 there are a lot of levels with sign posts saying "FIRE HERE!" So get over it and enjoy the damn game. Lest we forget the whole second half of Portal 1 was the same stuff you put up with in the non test chamber portions of 2 anyway. i.e. the games are the same thing except the second is longer and has a newer more awesome story.
 
M

mrklaw

MrArseFace
EmCeeGramr said:
I'm seriously tempted to back to Portal 1 and show people how many walls were white and how many had blatant signposting for where to fire portals, especially after you got the second portal.
Click to expand...

there really weren't that many. Later on you had sections with that darker metally surface, but in a lot of levels it was completely portalable.

They simply used other devices to guide you about solutions. Eg like panels pushing out and then tilting up with a piston, hinting at you having to use that to get to a higher area, or one panel pushed out further than others.

plenty of times there weren't even those, eg the bit just before the cake on the moving platform, you have simple obstacles like the bouncing energy ball or the panels block and the portals are more basic gameplay elements rather than puzzle ones.

StuBurns said:
There were other things too, like red light reflecting from energy gates, and burn dents from plasma balls that show you exactly which panel to put a portal on.
Click to expand...

these too. I don't see that as a weakness or specific telegraphing, its just good game design. When a large portion of wall is white and fairly far away, its difficult to aim a portal at an invisible point where you think the energy ball might hit, or where you need to get it for the energy gate/catcher thing.
 
J

Jack Scofield

Member
Jarmel said:
I'm in Act 3. Does this game get any better? Seriously disappointed with it right now.
Click to expand...

God, I hate questions like this. How on earth are we supposed to know whether or not you'll like the game? Either continue playing it or quit since you don't enjoy it. Whatever you do, don't ask useless questions to people who can't possibly answer you in any meaningful way.
 
S

Sibylus

Banned
A big reason why Act 2 is so heavily "signposted" with single portal panels is because it's so open. Oftentimes you can see the path wrapping around you, which necessitates drastic measures to prevent players from skipping whole puzzles or sections of the level. Having less portals panels is far more palatable than ruining the space with numerous walls (ie "why is everything inside glass/concrete?"). In my opinion, anyway.

Oh, and at least this way there's a consolation of having players navigate the environment between tests using a game mechanic, instead of shuffling down plain corridors constantly.
 
S

SneakyStephan

Banned
Still looking for a fitting avatar, don't suppose there are any chell/gel physics/cube/other non-cake, non-space , non -weatley ones unused floating around :(
 
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