The first is easier than this game. But I never looked at this series as a challenging puzzle series or anything, more like a cool idea which was pushed even further (with actual narrative!) in the sequel.
Anyways that song The National wrote for this game was really good (that you hear on the radio).
Glados was really catty and hilarious, and JJJ was funny as Cave Johnson. But Stephen Merchant by far stole the show. And it felt like some of those lines were his own, since it was in that conversational manner that podcast listeners would recognize right away.
Glados was really catty and hilarious, and JJJ was funny as Cave Johnson. But Stephen Merchant by far stole the show. And it felt like some of those lines were his own, since it was in that conversational manner that podcast listeners would recognize right away.
books and Machiavelli felt like a total riff. With GLaDOS moaning "Ugh, he's playing classical music," right before that, it really showed how fantastic the two were together.
The first is easier than this game. But I never looked at this series as a challenging puzzle series or anything, more like a cool idea which was pushed even further (with actual narrative!) in the sequel.
Neither Portal 1 nor 2 are particularly hard. But they are rewarding, and nearly every single puzzle is intelligently designed. It's really a testament to the designers that solutions can be as clever as they are while the challenge is still easily overcome by most any player. They prepare us for things we don't even realize they are preparing us for, or indicate in the most subtle ways what we should be looking for. I've brought up Crysis 2 as a comparison to Portal 2 a few times here, but I think it's applicable; one highlights everything and tells you basically "this is what you should do," while the other provides the most subtle of clues and lets you work on your own. That's Valve's brilliance. Empowering the player. Even when we've been set up for an answer, we feel smart for figuring it out.
Anyone having any issues with minor juddering on the PC? It's very subtle, but quite annoying. It's similar to Doom 3 engine games before you disable the com_precisetic and com_fixedTic. It's like a tiny hiccup every couple of seconds.
I'm seeing it in Portal 2 in certain areas and I'm not sure why. If I disable v-sync, my framerate goes up to 225+fps so it's clearly not a performance limitation and FRAPS reports my framerate as a solid 60 fps all the time. Things like that really drive me nuts.
I'll probably just go back to the PS3 version for now, but hopefully there is some cvar I can adjust to fix this.
Yes, I've been seeing this and it really pissed me off (but I still played through as quickly as possible to avoid spoilers). In my case, it happened whenever the game needed to load a new sound like dialogue. The game would hitch for a second before playing the new line (especially noticeable in scenes where GLaDOS or Wheatley have several lines all in a row). But I also saw more minor hitching and stuttering throughout the whole thing. Really hope a fix is found.
Neither Portal 1 nor 2 are particularly hard. But they are rewarding, and nearly every single puzzle is intelligently designed. It's really a testament to the designers that solutions can be as clever as they are while the challenge is still easily overcome by most any player. They prepare us for things we don't even realize they are preparing us for, or indicate in the most subtle ways what we should be looking for. I've brought up Crysis 2 as a comparison to Portal 2 a few times here, but I think it's applicable; one highlights everything and tells you basically "this is what you should do," while the other provides the most subtle of clues and lets you work on your own. That's Valve's brilliance. Empowering the player. Even when we've been set up for an answer, we feel smart for figuring it out.
It's certainly incredibly polished in terms of teaching the player. There was one instance where I didn't know what to do and I felt it was their fault, but other than that, everything felt completely fair, and very rewarding at times. Valve are the best at what they do, no question.
EDIT: I didn't look it up or anything, it just took longer than it was intended to.
Alright, I'm at Chapter 8. Still loving it. There were two puzzles that I got stuck on and had to look up solutions for (to my eternal shame), both involving the gels. Whenever I have to do that, I was like "OH MY GOD, I'M A MORON." So dead simple.
But asides from that, pretty awesome. JK Simmons is kind of awesome as that mad corporate scientist guy.
I just beat the single player. This game was certainly an experience and it will be remembered for years as a must-play title for any gamer. Even though the game is only about 7-9 hours, it feels as epic as any 50 hour RPG due to the dynamic nature of the game. It's always introducing new ideas and taking you to simply stunning areas. I enjoyed the original Portal, but this game completely destroys it in every area (except for maybe creepiness, the first game was quite good at that). I think you'd be hardpressed to find any game with presentation values better than Portal 2. There are just so many memorable moments, quotes, scenery etc. I thought the puzzles were also pretty fun, but some people are criticizing them for being less twitch-based. Honestly I prefer the type of puzzles where you can beat it once you figure out the solution instead of "use X amount of portals in X amount of seconds). The timed segments in the first Portal were the most frustrating so I'm glad they were limited in this game.
I am a little bit disappointed that they didn't use all of the elements in one epic puzzle. I loved the hard light bridges, but they barely showed up at the end. Although they will probably address them with DLC or challenge rooms or whatever else they have cooked up.
I've done a bit of co-op, finished the first two areas. Here's my Steam ID: http://steamcommunity.com/id/Forkball if anyone who hasn't gone past me wants to co-op, just add me and send me a message. I want to go through it with someone who hasn't beaten it yet, it's just more fun that way.
Although I must suck at exploration because
I only found one Ratmann den and didn't see the Borealis.
The thing that stuns me about Portal 2's sheer single player campaign length (just when I thought it was gonna end, another arc began) is just how fucking MASSIVE they make Aperture Labs seem. Once you go underground you realize that this thing must be the size of a god damn metropolis.
I beat the game and what a ride in terms of story, environment, and acting. Gameplay-wise not so much. The gameplay seemed really easy and repetitive from what was seen in Portal 1.
The Wheatley Rooms
is where the game got fun, and really made this game. Everything before that was honestly way to easy (felt like a tutorial) and just straight up repetitive (in terms of seeing similar puzzles from Portal 1 with a few new mechanics added in). Of course the new mechanics did add some interesting new gameplay features. The co-op is definitely where it makes you think for a bit, and was really fun to play, but once again I felt that the puzzles were a bit easy. I really liked some of the latter puzzles in Portal 1, because you actually had to think about it, this just seemed to conform around console players in terms of being more simplified for the mass audience. I really hope some good PC levels come out that really test your thoughts.
Also, I don't understand how people had trouble with the
second last wheatley puzzle (with the 3 turrets guarding the button).
It was a bit tricky, but very easy to accomplish, took around 6 minutes. It is a great game, but at full price, I don't know... I beat the single-player and co-op in less than 2 days of purchase. Also not a fan of the credits song.
I don't know, maybe I'm being too harsh with the surprise and awesomeness that Portal 1 was, but then again shouldn't Portal 2 be completely revolutionary, given the time they had to make the game. Maybe once you play a portal game the whole concept just wears on you.
Finished the SP today. What a fantastic experience through and through. Valve has really released produced something special here and I hope that the gaming public will recognize that.
So anyone having issues with the PS3 version of the game not fitting entirely on the screen? It was fine last night and then today all of a sudden the screen doesnt fit on my tv: its too big. It even affects the UI overlay when pressing the home button. However, once i leave portal the screen resolution looks great. Anyone have any ideas as to what is going on?
I don't know, maybe I'm being too harsh with the surprise and awesomeness that Portal 1 was, but then again shouldn't Portal 2 be completely revolutionary, given the time they had to make the game. Maybe once you play a portal game the whole concept just wears on you.
According to a behind-the-scenes thing Geoff Keighley just released, it WAS going to be revolutionary. It wasn't even going to have portals and GLaDOS. Then sometime in 2008 they realized that playtesters hated the idea of Portal 2 having entirely different mechanics and setting, so in December 2008 they restarted the game from scratch.
So anyone having issues with the PS3 version of the game not fitting entirely on the screen? It was fine last night and then today all of a sudden the screen doesnt fit on my tv: its too big. It even affects the UI overlay when pressing the home button. However, once i leave portal the screen resolution looks great. Anyone have any ideas as to what is going on?
Although you could get away without playing it, there is no reason not to. It is only 3 hours long, and is probably one of the best games ever. Not to mention you will appreciate porttal 2 10000x more. And if you have steam, and dont own it by now, just PM me and Ill send you a copy.
Just finished SP. I'll echo the sentiment that the game is generally easier and does more hand-holding than 1. There were 2 puzzles I got stuck and had to sleep on it (
big entrance cavern where you have to fly through the Aperture logo and using blue gel to knock out the 3 turrets on the right side
) but other than them, puzzles were easier and far less open-ended than the first one, as that NerfNow comic illustrates.
I also noticed that portal placement seems a lot more "pre-baked" for lack of a better word; in 1, the portal would always go exactly where you pointed at the wall and its alignment would always be relative to your vantage point. Whereas in 2, it didn't seem to matter where you placed a portal from, it would be placed in exactly the right position and alignment needed for the puzzle, even if that meant the portal flipped upside-down from where you shot it. I'm sure Valve did this to improve accessibility and remove some frustration, but I found it an immersion-breaking sign of the hand of the designer. If I want to shoot a portal to go upside-down, dammit, that's what I should be able to do.
Even though it took me 10 hours I still think it was short as far as puzzle length. The new gels, while cool, felt under-used (especially white, there were maybe 4 puzzles that used it). I know Valve's thing is all about cutting anything not absolutely necessary and not over-extending a game's length, but I think they were too aggressive (especially since there are no challenge tests).
OK, that's enough for the negatives. Overall, though, it's a fantastic ride. I absolutely loved the design and the way they show
different sides of the (unbelievably ginormous) facility having aged and being abandoned. Was anyone else reminded of the horror movie Cube? I found seeing the absolutely massive machinery in between test chambers rather creepy and unsettling, there's just no earthly way this place should exist, but the fact that it does makes you feel totally insignificant and weak. The abandoned offices, the eerily quiet atmosphere that makes you imagine what happened to this place, it's sublime Valve storytelling through environment.
Guys I have a Portal 2 question that i a bit off topic. I gifted a friend Portal 2 but he said he does not have an extra copy of Portal (he already had Portal 1). If he did not receive the free copy of Portal 1 where is it? Is there a chance I may still have it and can gift it to someone?
just finished the coop mode with a friend
the coop mode is so addictive as we finished it within 3 sittings of 2 hours each
now it's the time to start playing the single
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.
No challenge rooms along with no editor really makes me sad. All the new mechanics could be made into levels that are insanity inducing. So much potential wasted(unless they put it into DLC, still cheap way out)
Guys I have a Portal 2 question that i a bit off topic. I gifted a friend Portal 2 but he said he does not have an extra copy of Portal (he already had Portal 1). If he did not receive the free copy of Portal 1 where is it? Is there a chance I may still have it and can gift it to someone?
According to a behind-the-scenes thing Geoff Keighley just released, it WAS going to be revolutionary. It wasn't even going to have portals and GLaDOS. Then sometime in 2008 they realized that playtesters hated the idea of Portal 2 having entirely different mechanics and setting, so in December 2008 they restarted the game from scratch.
Oh wow, thanks for that tidbit I had no idea. I would've loved to see the original concepts to that Portal 2 game. Although not having GLaDOS in it would've been a huge mistake, IMO.
