Support NeoGAF

[jett]

Finished it a little while ago. I liked the game overall, but I found it less challenging than the original and again it feels like Valve barely scratched the surface of the mechanics.

 

[Medalion]

thats the 1 puzzle I got stuck on. the problem is that it's not clear where you're supposed to go and the method you use to solve it, you haven't used in a while. you don't go on the main lift.

Not proud of myself... but I knew I had the right idea more or less but where I was implementing it was wrong... I had to look at some footage online to get me past a couple places, but I seem to be now at the repulsion gel rooms where it's dropping from overhead pipe. I would keep going except I gotta go to work... viva la science!

 

[KaYotiX]

Finished it a little while ago. I liked the game overall, but I found it less challenging than the original and again it feels like Valve barely scratched the surface of the mechanics.

REALLY hoping for some mind bending DLC or customs on PC

 

[dLMN8R]

Finished it a little while ago. I liked the game overall, but I found it less challenging than the original and again it feels like Valve barely scratched the surface of the mechanics.

did you play co-op?

 

[Deleted member 22576]

Finished it a little while ago. I liked the game overall, but I found it less challenging than the original and again it feels like Valve barely scratched the surface of the mechanics.

Wow, really?

...since this isn't the dedicated spoiler thread. read at your own risk, no plot spoilers just puzzle spoilers.

Spoiler

The part with the gel and the tractor beams where you had to get the gel in the beam and then step on the button to reverse the direction was super crazy and complex. what more could they do with that?

 

[Red]

Wow, really?

...since this isn't the dedicated spoiler thread. read at your own risk, no plot spoilers just puzzle spoilers.

Spoiler

The part with the gel and the tractor beams where you had to get the gel in the beam and then step on the button to reverse the direction was super crazy and complex. what more could they do with that?

That... is definitely not the example I'd use for complex mechanics. One of the simplest puzzles in the entire second half.

I mean, you just explained the entire thing in half a sentence.

 

[f0rk]

Wow, really?

...since this isn't the dedicated spoiler thread. read at your own risk, no plot spoilers just puzzle spoilers.

Spoiler

The part with the gel and the tractor beams where you had to get the gel in the beam and then step on the button to reverse the direction was super crazy and complex. what more could they do with that?

Spoiler

More action puzzles with some timing and speed like in the trailers. Probably blocked by console controllers.

 

[Joe Shlabotnik]

Wow, really?

...since this isn't the dedicated spoiler thread. read at your own risk, no plot spoilers just puzzle spoilers.

Spoiler

The part with the gel and the tractor beams where you had to get the gel in the beam and then step on the button to reverse the direction was super crazy and complex. what more could they do with that?

Honestly that last test or two is really just the starting point for challenge-room type tests. I'm not complaining about the difficulty at all but there is plenty of room for expert-level tests.

 

[neoism]

WOW at the end WOW.... :O

 

[JackEtc]

I've previously stated here that I consider Portal2 to be the greatest, most powerful gaming experience I've ever had. It reminded me why I've been so passionate about videogames since the second I was introduced to them in kindergarten.. however, I feel it was maybe a bit too long. But I'm sure that's more my fault of playing through the entire thing in less than 2 days.


FUCKING FANTASTIC GAME
Can't state it enough.

I agree with this. Portal 2 is now tied with (if not slowly overtaking) Bioshock for the title of my favorite game of all time.

 

[Baha]

Thanks for the feedback guys, I'm looking into other platforms for the story. My goal is to get it to as many readers as possible down the road.

I didn't mean to be harsh in my earlier post but I guess that speaks to how much I want to read your piece. I look forward to purchasing a copy of your piece when it arrives on a platform I own.

 

[Deleted member 22576]

That... is definitely not the example I'd use for complex mechanics. One of the simplest puzzles in the entire second half.

I mean, you just explained the entire thing in half a sentence.

Hmm, diff'rent strokes different folks. I had a ton of trouble figuring that one out. It was the one I got "stuck" on for a good 25 minutes. It's funny, I found myself building these huge elaborate rube goldberg mechanisms because I was so used to have all these moving parts, but the simplest solution is always the one that works out the best.

Spoiler

More action puzzles with some timing and speed like in the trailers. Probably blocked by console controllers.

Those are/were great fun, but it is kind of lame popping up and down through the same intertial portal rig 5 times while you set your cursor to the exact place you need it.


I think Valve did a great job making the puzzle difficult to figure out but easy to execute. Once you get that "oh shit, i need to do this moment" you don't want to spend 7 tries executing it, you want to do it the first time.

 

[f0rk]

Those are/were great fun, but it is kind of lame popping up and down through the same intertial portal rig 5 times while you set your cursor to the exact place you need it.


I think Valve did a great job making the puzzle difficult to figure out but easy to execute. Once you get that "oh shit, i need to do this moment" you don't want to spend 7 tries executing it, you want to do it the first time.

I wouldn't mind if they were a little easier to compensate, but I would really like some challenge rooms with all the mechanics together. I also really like the quick travelling even if I'm not doing anything - there was a clip in the trailer with blue gel on opposite vertical walls over water and I'd love to try that.

 

[WrenchNinja]

Question related to Steam, and PSN being down:

I managed to link my PSN account to my Steam account before PSN completely broke down, and got a few trophies + Steam achievements (or whatever the Steam equivalent is called). Then I got logged out of PSN, and haven't been able to log back in since. Now, my question is:

As I'm now playing the game offline, getting trophies and stuff (which obviously won't be synched to my PSN account until PSN goes up again), will I not be getting the corresponding Steam achievements since I'm not actually on Steam while playing? Or will the game automatically update my Steam account with everything I've done offline once I can connect to PSN (and Steam) again?

Yeah, I'd like to know the answer to this too.

 

[The Librarian]

I shall endeavor to finish this magnificent game...tonight! So far, my suspicions for how the game will turn out:
1. I suspect

Spoiler

GLaDOS is Caroline.

2.

Spoiler

I will somehow rescue Wheatley. Well, this more of a hope than anything. I must rescue Wheatley!

3.

Spoiler

I know this may seem crazy, but it crossed my mind just once – I don't think Wheatley is Cave Johnson.

We'll see how right I am. I'm expecting the rest of the to take off in an entirely different direction than I'm expecting. Got three more chapters to go I think.

 

[AniHawk]

just beat the single player. there's really nothing quite like a valve game. can't believe it's been four years since their last single-player game.

needless to say, aside from the load times, it was amazing throughout.

 

[Technosteve]

Just finished reading THE FINAL HOURS Portal 2 ipad app, for the format it's EXTREMELY well done. I rate it on the neogaf rating scale of 7 to 11 7 being the lowest possible score a fan boy can give, I give it a 10. I hope you figure out how to bring the entire package to other platforms, it would be a shame to miss out!

 

[Tawpgun]

This console exclusive shit is bullshit.

I'm a 360 user and it still disgusts me that the 360 gets stuff early or gets stuff exclusive to their console while the PS3 doesn't and vice versa.

Steam with PS3? Was it 360 tech that was stopping it? Or some deal they made? Because I kept thinking, I know PC is going to have a full on map editor. They can have some crazy complex one. And because they have one, it means PS3 gets to reap the benefits of user created maps.

And I was thinking after finishing this game, that a very simple, forge-like object editor would have been PERFECT for this game? In it, you load up a test chamber to your dimensions. Then you have a list of objects, buttons, switches, cubes, gels, lasers ect. And you could make a test chamber.

My god that would have been amazing. It seems easy because the Halo one is so simplistic, but I know it would probably be a challenge from a programming standpoint. I think...

But now the PS3 and PC users will get a never ending stream of content while 360 users have just campaing and co-op and thats it.

I would get this for PC, but for one, I'm not much of a PC gamer, and two, I really don't think my PC could handle it...not sure about the specs of Portal 2, but my PC is standard issue and not built for gaming at all.

 

[UltimaPooh]

This console exclusive shit is bullshit.

I'm a 360 user and it still disgusts me that the 360 gets stuff early or gets stuff exclusive to their console while the PS3 doesn't and vice versa.

Steam with PS3? Was it 360 tech that was stopping it? Or some deal they made? Because I kept thinking, I know PC is going to have a full on map editor. They can have some crazy complex one. And because they have one, it means PS3 gets to reap the benefits of user created maps.

And I was thinking after finishing this game, that a very simple, forge-like object editor would have been PERFECT for this game? In it, you load up a test chamber to your dimensions. Then you have a list of objects, buttons, switches, cubes, gels, lasers ect. And you could make a test chamber.

My god that would have been amazing. It seems easy because the Halo one is so simplistic, but I know it would probably be a challenge from a programming standpoint. I think...

But now the PS3 and PC users will get a never ending stream of content while 360 users have just campaing and co-op and thats it.

I would get this for PC, but for one, I'm not much of a PC gamer, and two, I really don't think my PC could handle it...not sure about the specs of Portal 2, but my PC is standard issue and not built for gaming at all.

While XBOX Live is pretty awesome it has its limitations... it's basically a closed system so you won't get any cross platform games on it unless those games end up on the Windows Live platform as well.

 

[JackEtc]

I'm playing through with Developer Commentary as I type this.

To anybody who has listened to it, has anyone found what/where the

Spoiler

impossible space

is?

 

[Hop]

I'm playing through with Developer Commentary as I type this.

To anybody who has listened to it, has anyone found what/where the

Spoiler

impossible space

is?

I think it's (ENDING SPOILERS)

Spoiler

the very end; going from dark enough out to see the moon to super-bright in a few minutes.

 

[Mrbob]

This console exclusive shit is bullshit.

I'm a 360 user and it still disgusts me that the 360 gets stuff early or gets stuff exclusive to their console while the PS3 doesn't and vice versa.

Steam with PS3? Was it 360 tech that was stopping it? Or some deal they made? Because I kept thinking, I know PC is going to have a full on map editor. They can have some crazy complex one. And because they have one, it means PS3 gets to reap the benefits of user created maps.

And I was thinking after finishing this game, that a very simple, forge-like object editor would have been PERFECT for this game? In it, you load up a test chamber to your dimensions. Then you have a list of objects, buttons, switches, cubes, gels, lasers ect. And you could make a test chamber.

My god that would have been amazing. It seems easy because the Halo one is so simplistic, but I know it would probably be a challenge from a programming standpoint. I think...

But now the PS3 and PC users will get a never ending stream of content while 360 users have just campaing and co-op and thats it.

I would get this for PC, but for one, I'm not much of a PC gamer, and two, I really don't think my PC could handle it...not sure about the specs of Portal 2, but my PC is standard issue and not built for gaming at all.

If you are mad at someone, go yell at MS. Doug Lombardi (VP of marketing at Valve) said they offered to include Steamworks support for all versions of the game. MS is the one who said no.

 

[Snuggles]

While XBOX Live is pretty awesome it has its limitations... it's basically a closed system so you won't get any cross platform games on it unless those games end up on the Windows Live platform as well.

Basically. I agree with his base point, that platform exclusive content is lame, but I highly doubt that Valve would have passed if given the opportunity to do the same on the Xbox. It's a great gesture for us, but ultimately it's a sly move to make more people aware of Steam and there would be nothing to gain from depriving the 360 crowd of that opportunity.

The 360 is as closed as it gets and unless it changes, something like Steamworks will never make it's way over to the system. Microsoft wants complete control of their box.

 

[ultron87]

Beat it!

Really enjoyed it. Now I can unspoiler without fear! Or even go to the spoiler thread! Happy Day!

 

[JackEtc]

I think it's (ENDING SPOILERS)

Spoiler

the very end; going from dark enough out to see the moon to super-bright in a few minutes.

Hm, I you have a good point. But I feel like when the guy talking about the

Spoiler

impossible space

he specifically meant things like

Spoiler

rooms that are small on the outside but gigantic on the inside

.

 

[balladofwindfishes]

Somewhat end game spoilers (chapters 5-7)...

Spoiler

Does anyone else think Glados isn't really that evil and sadistic and that most of her behavior actually comes from the device she is connected to. When she's not connected to the device, she's a little more light-hearted, and outright a completely different person.

Wheatly turned evil almost immediately, and some of the things Glados talks about almost seems like she dislikes the machine she's attached to. She talks about how you're forced to scratch the itch for science, and how you have to make more complex puzzles otherwise you won't be happy. It almost seems like Glados was actually trapped

I also like how they established that Caroline was snarky and sarcastic right in the beginning, and slowly revealing that Glados is Caroline was done amazingly well. The way Glados reacted to Cave's wish to murder all the scientists if they failed was great. It gives a purpose to her Bring Your Daughter incident, since it seems there was some kind of strong relationship with Cave and she wanted to get revenge for his death.

 

[Hop]

Hm, I you have a good point. But I feel like when the guy talking about the

Spoiler

impossible space

he specifically meant things like

Spoiler

rooms that are small on the outside but gigantic on the inside

.

Entirely possible, but if that's the case I didn't notice it. I'm all for them doing that if it's unnoticeable, I'm sure they did it in Half-Life even.

 

[Rengoku]

EDIT: removed

 

[Brandon F]

Got stumped on the first puzzle in the entire game which tasks you to put something on a red switch to open a door.

Basically, my Steam version didn't download successfully so many of the objects in the intro were actually replaced with blue 'error' words. I assumed this was part of the game narrative with the facility being all fucked up and thought little of it. But when the cube I was supposed to grab never appeared and I was stuck in the tiny first room with the switch, I understood that those 'errors' actually mean missing textures.

Just a matter of verifying my steam download and the missing files are being replaced now. Felt so dumb asking steam friends for advice on the first puzzle. Thankfully one of them knew immediately what was wrong when I mentioned the 'blue error' isn't dropping from the pipe for me to grab.

 

[Treefingers]

I think it's (ENDING SPOILERS)

Spoiler

the very end; going from dark enough out to see the moon to super-bright in a few minutes.

I'm pretty sure he means some place whose geometry doesn't make logical sense. ie a path that would logically take you back to a certain room but instead takes you to a new place, or something.

 

[Broadbandito]

So when you play on ps3 with steam integration, you get achievements/trophies on each platform. but when you only play on pc, you only get achievements right? (no trophies)

 

[Nabs]

So when you play on ps3 with steam integration, you get achievements/trophies on each platform. but when you only play on pc, you only get achievements right? (no trophies)

Right

 

[Broadbandito]

Right

Well Ima wait till PSN is back up to finish the game

 

[BenjaminBirdie]

Played a few seconds of co-op. Just the Hub is telling me that holy shit I am in for a whole new onslaught of gorgeous game design. I was with some random XBL mook who didn't want to start at the start so I quit out. Need my friends to finish SP A LA PRONTO.

 

[Brewster's Wallet]

That... is definitely not the example I'd use for complex mechanics. One of the simplest puzzles in the entire second half.

I mean, you just explained the entire thing in half a sentence.

Fair point i suppose, but that was the one puzzle that had me flummoxed the most

 

[BenjaminBirdie]

Fair point i suppose, but that was the one puzzle that had me flummoxed the most

It was tough for me too.

Spoiler

I tried like a zillion times to try and land on the bots just so and then when I finally realized I could Portal to the Bloo Goo side I couldn't figure out how to get back across and THEN I couldn't figure out how to get the turrets for a really long time but once I sussed it out, ah. SUBLIME.

 

[gdt]

I'm loving this game. So. Much.



How is the PS3 splitscreen? Does it do it the correct way (with the black bars)?

 

[Kaspanova]

If I play on my PS3 now with the PSN down, I can't sign in to Steam, so will I get the Steam achievements when PSN is back up?

 

[Tawpgun]

If you are mad at someone, go yell at MS. Doug Lombardi (VP of marketing at Valve) said they offered to include Steamworks support for all versions of the game. MS is the one who said no.

And I assume its because LIVE is a closed system like people are saying. Poop.

I don't blame Valve for not squeezing in a console map editor, but it would have been nice

 

[Brewster's Wallet]

Makes me sad that the Co-op has a decent story as I'll never get to see that. i just don't do talking over the internet with randoms and none of my mates will have the PC copy.

 

[balladofwindfishes]

Makes me sad that the Co-op has a decent story as I'll never get to see that. i just don't do talking over the internet with randoms and none of my mates will have the PC copy.

You don't have to talk.

The game has a built in communication system that lets you tell your partner what to do with commands like "Portal here" "look here" and "stand here"

I have only 3 more test chambers in co-op to go, and I don't even have a mic. I only had to use text chat once or twice, but I don't think it's completely necessary.

 

[Brewster's Wallet]

It was tough for me too.

Spoiler

I tried like a zillion times to try and land on the bots just so and then when I finally realized I could Portal to the Bloo Goo side I couldn't figure out how to get back across and THEN I couldn't figure out how to get the turrets for a really long time but once I sussed it out, ah. SUBLIME.

That last word is what i felt like on so many of those chambers.

 

[Brewster's Wallet]

You don't have to talk.

The game has a built in communication system that lets you tell your partner what to do with commands like "Portal here" "look here" and "stand here"

I have only 3 more test chambers in co-op to go, and I don't even have a mic. I only had to use text chat once or twice, but I don't think it's completely necessary.

Hmmmm. Ok, i won't say never then. Cheers heads up. Will give it a go when back from Easter holiday.
Ultimately, i would have paid just for the SP (i know, giving Valve ideas)

 

[DatBreh]

Only thing i dont like is the developer commentary is very boring. Its talking about things nobody really cares about outside of programmers.

 

[GDJustin]

I take back what I said about the puzzles not being challenging enough, after playing some co-op.

My buddy and I still never got stuck. Most puzzles we solved pretty quickly, in fact. But I feel like figuring them out had more of an "aha!" feeling than figuring out the SP's puzzles. Probably because with four portals, things feel FRESH again.

Portal 2 SP goes to great lengths to keep the experience feeling fresh and varied, thanks to gels, etc. But it's still just portal here, portal there. Co-op, on the other hand, actually requires me to retrain my brain

Several times I've gone "WTF... oh yeah we have four portals."

I'm also addicted to the dance emote.

 

[Jintor]

Maybe it's just because I'm playing this with my best friend, but I can't resist hi-fiving him after every test chamber. It's just so... satisfying.

 

[SteveWinwood]

The game isn't too easy or too challenging. Did I ever get stuck? No. Did it make me think? Yeah. Were those levels perfect for the campaigns? Yes. Should there be stupid hard levels as challenge maps for people who want them? Absolutely yes. I hope we get some at some point. If Valve doesn't give them to us, someone will make some I'm sure.

 

[dani_dc]

Hmmmm. Ok, i won't say never then. Cheers heads up. Will give it a go when back from Easter holiday.
Ultimately, i would have paid just for the SP (i know, giving Valve ideas)

You can also play co-op online with PS3 players if any of your friends has the PS3 version.

 

[JWong]

Hmm do you get access to the developer commentary without finishing the game?

 

[StuBurns]

Finished it a little while ago. I liked the game overall, but I found it less challenging than the original and again it feels like Valve barely scratched the surface of the mechanics.

This really surprises me because I thought it was notably harder, still pretty easy, but some puzzles seemed to require quite a few different painted surfaces that meant doing things in a very specific order, maybe it's just the way I did them and there are easier ways, but Portal 1 was a cake walk start to finish with nothing that took me longer to solve than it really took to perform, unless you count the challenge rooms. The lack of challenge rooms here is a shame I think, this game despite it's full price is effectively shorter for me, unless co-op takes a lot longer anyway.