DOCSLIB.ORG

Portal 2Changes Enough from Its Predecessor, Makes for a Solid

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Portal 2Changes Enough from Its Predecessor, Makes for a Solid Arts&Entertainment Portal2 changes enough from its predecessor, makesfor a solid sequel between dimensions BY maTT VINSKO interesting, challenging puzzles. Many rooms, for example, now combine the sleek metal of ven though it was released as part of a a science facility with the lush green of trees compilation series (Valve’s The Orange and nature. Navigating in, out and even under E Box), the original Portal was a land- Aperture Sciences does enough to differentiate mark game that combined humor and heart in Portal 2 from its plain-looking predecessor. a way very few puzzle games manage to do. The game’s aesthetics aren’t the only In case you have not experienced the thing to get an upgrade. Portal 2 introduces a original Portal, gameplay involves firing two ton of new gadgets at Chell’s disposal, includ- different portals through an environment in ing propulsion and repulsion gels, which help an effort to reach the end of each test. After the player move faster and jump higher. Even a few trial runs, the play- though the majority er was introduced to the of puzzle solving still charming, yet evil GLa- involves the use of the DOS (voiced by Ellen OnTheShelf portal gun, these new McClain), a villainous AI additions do a good job who wanted nothing more keeping gameplay in- than to treat the player like teresting. the lab rat he or she was. If the single-player Four years later, Por- isn’t enough, Portal 2 tal 2 puts players back in also incorporates a two- the shoes of Chell, the player mode in which protagonist from the origi- players take the role of nal Portal. After defeat- two quirky little robots ing GLaDOS and (almost named Atlas and P- escaping) the Aperture Body. Though it offers Sciences facility, Chell little in terms of story, finds herself dragged back co-op play is amazingly into the testing chambers addicting and humor- by a silly little AI named ous for players looking Wheatley (Stephen Mer- to tackle Portal-style chant). gameplay with a friend. After a few tests that Video Game Review Online co-op is avail- help the player get back able for those without a into the swing of things, friend at hand. Chell accidently reani- Portal 2 My only com- mates GLaDOS. Once plaint with Portal 2 again, Chell must survive involves its short-play gravity-defying illegal ex- time (single-player can periments (and GLaDOS) be beaten in roughly to escape the facility and discover Aperture 10 hours, whereas co-op takes about half that ****RETIREMENT AUCTION**** Sciences’ true intentions. time) and its lack of replay-ability. Once a Despite featuring the same hero and vil- puzzle is beaten, it’s a cinch to go back and COMPLETE LIQUIDATION OF lain, Portal 2’s one-player campaign expands beat it again, even if you want another dose of HATHORN WELL SERVICE on the original, and in doing so, provides for the game’s magnificent story. Allowing com- May 7, 2011 - Saturday - 9:00am a solid story that expands on the themes of the petitive play online or even the ability to cre- 1403 W. Hwy 66 - Milan, New Mexico original. ate user-generated puzzles would add more Not only is Portal 2’s writing top-notch depth; hopefully Valve releases a patch some- Exit 79 off of I-40, north to Hwy. 66, east two (2) block to Auction site! (full of the zings that kept matters light amid where down the line to cater to these needs. Watch for signs! Consignments being accepted! the grim story of the original), but the game’s In the end, Portal 2 is an amazing game beautiful graphics tell a story in their own that will both challenge and amuse gamers. For further information call right. Set years after the original Portal, Ap- Through slick writing and solid gameplay fu- Charles F. Dickerson, Inc. International Auctioneers erture Science has been torn down follow- eled by Valve’s Source Engine, Portal 2 will Ofc: 575-526-1106 Cell: 575-644-7445 ing GLaDOS’s destruction. Portal 2 features keep most players firmly entrenched in GLa- Photos/Lists/Directions/Webpage: www.cfdauction.com a plethora of environments that help create DOS’s clutches until the final credits role. April 28 - May 4, 2011 | The Lumberjack 27.
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Now We Are All Sons of Bitches
    Now We Are All Sons of Bitches MICHAEL BONTATIBUS “Wake up, Mr. Freeman. Wake up and smell the ashes,” the enigmat- ic G-Man murmurs as he leers into the camera, finishing an eerie opening monologue—and so begins Half-Life 2, Valve Corporation’s flagship game. The last time we saw Gordon Freeman, the protagonist, the same rigid and mysterious (though more poorly animated, since the prequel was released six years earlier) G-Man was handing him a job offer after witnessing the former scientist transform into a warrior, bent on escaping from the besieged Black Mesa Research Facility alive. Now, suddenly, Freeman finds himself on a train. No context.1 Is it a prison train? The three other individuals on it wear uniforms like those the inmates wore in Cool Hand Luke. The train soon stops at its destination, and we realize that it is a prison train, in a way—Freeman has arrived at the Orwellian “City 17,” where the ironically named Civil Protection abuses and oppresses, where antagonist Dr. Breen preaches poet- ic propaganda from large monitors hung high above the town. In the years since scientists at the facility accidentally opened a gateway between dimen- sions and allowed a bevy of grotesque creatures to spill into our universe, Earth has been taken over by the Combine, an alien multiplanetary empire. Breen is merely Earth’s administrator—and we realize that the ashes the G- Man spoke of were the ashes of the prelapsarian world. It’s classic dystopia, complete with a Resistance, of which Freeman soon finds himself the “mes- sianic” leader (HL2).
    [Show full text]
  • Chell Game: Representation, Identification, and Racial Ambiguity in PORTAL and PORTAL 2 2015
    Repositorium für die Medienwissenschaft Jennifer deWinter; Carly A. Kocurek Chell Game: Representation, Identification, and Racial Ambiguity in PORTAL and PORTAL 2 2015 https://doi.org/10.25969/mediarep/14996 Veröffentlichungsversion / published version Sammelbandbeitrag / collection article Empfohlene Zitierung / Suggested Citation: deWinter, Jennifer; Kocurek, Carly A.: Chell Game: Representation, Identification, and Racial Ambiguity in PORTAL and PORTAL 2. In: Thomas Hensel, Britta Neitzel, Rolf F. Nohr (Hg.): »The cake is a lie!« Polyperspektivische Betrachtungen des Computerspiels am Beispiel von PORTAL. Münster: LIT 2015, S. 31– 48. DOI: https://doi.org/10.25969/mediarep/14996. Erstmalig hier erschienen / Initial publication here: http://nuetzliche-bilder.de/bilder/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/Hensel_Neitzel_Nohr_Portal_Onlienausgabe.pdf Nutzungsbedingungen: Terms of use: Dieser Text wird unter einer Creative Commons - This document is made available under a creative commons - Namensnennung - Nicht kommerziell - Weitergabe unter Attribution - Non Commercial - Share Alike 3.0/ License. For more gleichen Bedingungen 3.0/ Lizenz zur Verfügung gestellt. Nähere information see: Auskünfte zu dieser Lizenz finden Sie hier: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0/ http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0/ ­­­Jennifer deWinter / Carly A. Kocurek Chell Game: Representation, Identification, and Racial Ambiguity in ›Portal‹ and ›Portal 2‹ Chell stands in a corner facing a portal, then takes aim at the adjacent wall with the Aperture Science Handheld Portal Device. Between the two portals, one ringed in blue, one ringed in orange, Chell is revealed, reflected in both. And, so, we, the player, see Chell. She is a young woman with a ponytail, wearing an orange jumpsuit pulled down to her waist and an Aperture Science-branded white tank top.
    [Show full text]
  • PORTAL 2: PLAYER IMPACT GUIDE Ages 8+ | 1-2 Hours
    Spatial Awareness PORTAL 2: PLAYER IMPACT GUIDE Ages 8+ | 1-2 Hours “There’s a lot of challenge in trying to figure out how as the player is moving through this, in terms of a story space, how can you make a gameplay space out of this so they can travel through it in an interesting way.” --Jeep Barnett, designer and engineer In Portal 2, portals are used to navigate obstacle courses filled with deadly hazards inside the mysterious Aperture Science Laboratories. To navigate the game, you must move through the space by following a simple concept: anything that enters one portal—including boxes, lasers, bridges, and you yourself—will exit the other without changing speed. In order to escape Aperture Science and defeat GLaDOS, the lab’s computerized overlord, you must think in three dimensions and use physics to solve puzzles in unusual ways. In this guide we invite you to think about the ways Portal 2 challenges players’ special awareness. As you play, reflect HOW TO on your experience. How is spatial awareness important in Portal 2? How is it important in your life? What kind of USE THIS impact does it leave on your understanding of how the world works? GUIDE Answer the questions below and add up your points when you’re finished! What is a “portal?” How do portals work? [+1] What are some tricks for using portals? What happens when you put a portal directly above you and another one directly under you? [+1] GAME What do the different types of gels do? [+1] How do the Excursion Funnels work? How are they different from Hard Light Bridges? [+2] How does the game indicate the steps you need to take when solving a puzzle? [+3] Many Portal 2 marketing materials use the tagline “Now you’re thinking with portals!” What do you think it means to “think with portals?” Do you find yourself “thinking” in this way as you play the game? [+1] What challenged you when thinking about using “space” in the game (e.g.
    [Show full text]
  • Portal: Impact Guide for Players
    Portal: Impact Guide For Players Portal and Portal 2 are games developed by Valve Corporation available for consoles and PCs. The games are first-person puzzle solving games but also provide rich narrative development, interesting characters, and have developed a strong cultural impact including merchandise and a popular series of internet memes. The popularity of the Portal series stems from the quality of the games and from the way the games teach players how to play them so seamlessly. Indeed, Portal is one of the very best games at presenting players with embodied learning and scaffolded instruction – a model for 21st century teaching. How to use this guide: Players – We’ve identified several interesting or important themes in the game. As you play through, reflect on your play. How have you experienced these themes? Are there other important ones present in the game? What kind of impact does your play allow in the larger world? Answer the questions we’ve provided – but feel free to add more at www.gamesandimpact.org. Warning: Questions contain some spoilers about the games. Theme: Problem Solving Portal begins with a player alone in a test chamber; solving puzzles is a key mechanic for both the gameplay and for the story of the game. Puzzles gradually get more difficult as players are given tools sequentially in order to build on top of their previous solutions. Game Why do you think the game doesn’t give you the portal gun immediately? What is the point of limiting you in the early part of the game? Why do you think the test chambers are designed the way they are? What do you think the game’s designers are trying to teach you? At the end of the 19 test chambers, you begin the second part of the game where you get to face GLaDOS directly.
    [Show full text]
  • Portal Prima Official Mini Eguide.Pdf 2008-05-31 12:20 3.1 MB
    PRIMA OFFICIAL GAME GUIDE DAVID SJ HODGSON STEPHEN STRATTON MIGUEL LOPEZ Prima Games David SJ Hodgson A Division of Random House, Inc. Originally hailing from the United Kingdom, David left his role as a writer of numerous 3000 Lava Ridge Court, Suite 100 British video game magazines (including Mean Machines, Computer & Video Games, Roseville, CA 95661 and the Offi cial Nintendo and Sega Saturn magazines) and a bohemian lifestyle on a dry-docked German fi shing trawler to work on the infamous GameFan magazine in www.primagames.com 1996. David helped to launch the fl edgling GameFan Books and helped form Gamers’ The Prima Games logo is a registered trademark of Random House, Inc., Republic in 1998, authoring many strategy guides for Millennium Publications, registered in the United States and other countries. Primagames.com is including The Offi cial Metal Gear Solid Mission Handbook. After launching the wildly a registered trademark of Random House, Inc., registered in the United unsuccessful incite Video Gaming and Gamers.com, David found his calling, and States. began authoring guides for Prima Games. He has written over 30 Prima strategy guides, including The Godfather: The Game, Knights of the Old Republic, Perfect Dark © 2007 by Prima Games. All rights reserved. No part of this book may be Zero, Half-Life 2, and Burnout Revenge. He lives in the Pacifi c Northwest with his reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, wife, Melanie, and an eight-foot statue of Great Cthulhu. including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage or retrieval system without written permission from Prima Games.
    [Show full text]
  • Super Mario Portal Game
    1 / 2 Super Mario Portal Game Lessons of Game Design learned from Super Mario Maker ... The portal gun is one of those mechanics that sounds like it has an unlimited .... The game combines the elements of the two popular video games: the platforming Super Mario Bros and the puzzle solving Portal. The game retains the traditional .... It's a mashup of Nintendo's classic Super Mario Bros. platform game with Portal. That's right – Mario now has a portal gun, which he can use to .... New Super Mario Bros. U is a game ... Portal 2, like Minecraft, is a highly popular console game that encourages experimentation and flexibility.. Last August we were promised to be able to play the classic Super Mario Bros. with 1 major difference integrated into the game. Aperature ... mario portal game · super mario bros meets portal game · blue television games portal mario.. Mario Bros Mappack Portal Mappack Mari0 Bros Mappack No WW Mari0 ... If you enjoy this game then also play games Super Mario Bros. and Super Mario 64.. Much like nuts and gum, Portal and Super Mario Bros. are together at last.. Click on this exciting game of the classic Super Mario bros, Portal Mario bros 64. You must help the famous Mario bros to defend himself from all his enemies in .... and Portal hybrid from indie game developer Stabyourself.net. Yup, it's the old Super Mario Bros. with portal guns, user created content, a map .... Mario and Portal, a perfect mix. Super Smash Flash 2. A fun game inspired by Super Smash Bros.
    [Show full text]
  • Science of Gaming
    Science of Gaming Learn about the effects of gaming on your brain and learning capacity! Discuss whether or not games like Portal, Bioshock or Fallout are plausible in reality! February 23rd, 2015 3:30 PM - 4:30 PM Mitchell Hall 121 Attend S3 event for a chance to win a FREE Kaplan course, Explora! Membership or $40 to Rude Boy Cookies Like Our Page At: Facebook.com/S3UNM Support, Strength, Success Support, Strength, Success S3 is dedicated to creating a community of support, friendship, and resources for your journey as a Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) student at UNM and CNM. @S3UNM Facebook.com/S3UNM [email protected] http://goo.gl/pNs0qB What Is Happening? Main Character: Chell Robot narrator: GLaDOs (Genetic Lifeform and Disk Operating system) Weapon: the Aperture Science Handheld Portal Device The Aperture Science Handheld Portal Device Nature of Portals A doorway that connects two distant locations separated by spacetime Instantaneous transport of an object Could be used for teleportation, time portal, other planes of existence Fun with Portals: Perpetual Motion Inconsistencies There must be a power source with a finite level of power Cannot create energy, no free energy Possible solution: energy is generated as objects are moving through the portals What happens if the portal closes when there’s something in it? Object should be bisected or object blocks the portal from closing but are instead ejected from portal Bioshock Trailer http://youtu.be/zHRNLIx6qwY What are Plasmids? Small, circular DNA found in bacteria Different bacterial plasmids do different things Plasmids traits can be passed to different organisms via horizontal gene transfer Can be manipulated for use in genetic research Inconsistencies Sea slugs are not bacteria Why inject them into orphaned girls? Superpowers? Questions/Discussion Time!.
    [Show full text]
  • The Heroic Journey of a Villain
    Háskóli Íslands Hugvísindasvið Enska The Heroic Journey of a Villain The Lost and Found Humanity of an Artificial Intelligence Ritgerð til MA-prófs í Ensku Ásta Karen Ólafsdóttir Kt.: 150390-2499 Leiðbeinandi: Guðrún B. Guðsteinsdóttir Maí 2017 Abstract In this essay, we will look at the villain of the Portal franchise, the artificial intelligence GLaDOS, in context with Maureen Murdock’s theory of the “Heroine’s Journey,” from her book The Heroine’s Journey: Woman’s Quest for Wholeness. The essay argues that although GLaDOS is not a heroine in the conventional sense, she is just as important of a figure in the franchise as its protagonist, Chell. GLaDOS acts both as the first game’s narrator and villain, as she runs the Aperture Science Enrichment Center where the games take place. Unlike Chell, GLaDOS is a speaking character with a complex backstory and goes through real character development as the franchise’s story progresses. The essay is divided into four chapters, a short history of women’s part as characters in video games, an introduction to Murdock’s “The Heroine’s Journey,” and its context to John Campbell’s “The Hero’s Journey,” a chapter on the Portal franchises, and then we go through “The Heroine’s Journey,” in regards to GLaDOS, and each step in its own subchapter. Our main focus will be on the second installment in the series, Portal 2. Since, in that game, GLaDOS goes through most of her heroine’s journey. In the first game, Portal, GLaDOS separates from her femininity and embraces the masculine, causing her fractured psyche, and as the player goes through Portal 2 along with her, she reclaims her femininity, finds her inner masculinity, and regains wholeness.
    [Show full text]
  • Machinima As Digital Agency and Growing Commercial Incorporation
    A Binary Within the Binary: Machinima as Digital Agency and Growing Commercial Incorporation A thesis presented to the faculty of the College of Fine Arts of Ohio University In partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree Master of Arts Megan R. Brown December 2012 © 2012 Megan R. Brown. All Rights Reserved 2 This thesis titled A Binary Within the Binary: Machinima as Digital Agency and Growing Commercial Incorporation by MEGAN R. BROWN has been approved for the School of Film and the College of Fine Arts by Louis-Georges Schwartz Associate Professor of Film Studies Charles A. McWeeny Dean, College of Fine Arts 3 ABSTRACT BROWN, MEGAN R., M.A., December 2012, Film Studies A Binary Within the Binary: Machinima as Digital Agency and Growing Commercial Incorporation (128 pp.) Director of Thesis: Louis-Georges Schwartz. This thesis traces machinima, films created in real-time from videogame engines, from the exterior toward the interior, focusing on the manner in which the medium functions as a tool for marginalized expression in the face of commercial and corporate inclusion. I contextualize machinima in three distinct contexts: first, machinima as historiography, which allows its minority creators to articulate and distribute their interpretation of national and international events without mass media interference. Second, machinima as a form of fan fiction, in which filmmakers blur the line between consumers and producers, a feature which is slowly being warped as videogame studios begin to incorporate machinima into marketing techniques. Finally, the comparison between psychoanalytic film theory, which explains the psychological motivations behind cinema's appeal, applied to videogames and their resulting machinima, which knowingly disregard established theory and create agency through parody.
    [Show full text]
  • The Computational Complexity of Portal And
    1 The Computational Complexity of Portal and 2 Other 3D Video Games 3 Erik D. Demaine 4 MIT CSAIL, 32 Vassar Street, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA 5 [email protected] 1 6 Joshua Lockhart 7 Department of Computer Science, University College London, London, WC1E 6BT, UK 8 [email protected] 9 Jayson Lynch 10 MIT CSAIL, 32 Vassar Street, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA 11 [email protected] 12 Abstract 13 We classify the computational complexity of the popular video games Portal and Portal 2. We 14 isolate individual mechanics of the game and prove NP-hardness, PSPACE-completeness, or 15 pseudo-polynomiality depending on the specific game mechanics allowed. One of our proofs 16 generalizes to prove NP-hardness of many other video games such as Half-Life 2, Halo, Doom, 17 Elder Scrolls, Fallout, Grand Theft Auto, Left 4 Dead, Mass Effect, Deus Ex, Metal Gear Solid, 18 and Resident Evil. These results build on the established literature on the complexity of video 19 games [1, 3, 7, 18]. 20 2012 ACM Subject Classification Dummy classification 21 Keywords and phrases video games, hardness, motion planning, NP, PSPACE 22 Digital Object Identifier 10.4230/LIPIcs.FUN.2018.19 23 Related Version arXiv:1611.10319 24 1 Introduction 25 In Valve’s critically acclaimed Portal franchise, the player guides Chell (the game’s silent 26 protagonist) through a “test facility” constructed by the mysterious fictional organization 27 Aperture Science. Its unique game mechanic is the Portal Gun, which enables the player 28 to place a pair of portals on certain surfaces within each test chamber.
    [Show full text]
  • The Computational Complexity of Portal and Other 3D Video Games
    The Computational Complexity of Portal and Other 3D Video Games Erik D. Demaine* Joshua Lockharty Jayson Lynch* Abstract We classify the computational complexity of the popular video games Portal and Portal 2. We isolate individual mechanics of the game and prove NP-hardness, PSPACE-completeness, or (pseudo)polynomiality depending on the specific game mechanics allowed. One of our proofs generalizes to prove NP-hardness of many other video games such as Half-Life 2, Halo, Doom, Elder Scrolls, Fallout, Grand Theft Auto, Left 4 Dead, Mass Effect, Deus Ex, Metal Gear Solid, and Resident Evil. These results build on the established literature on the complexity of video games [Vig14, ADGV14, For10,Cor04]. 1 Introduction In Valve’s critically acclaimed Portal franchise, the player guides Chell (the game’s silent protago- nist) through a “test facility” constructed by the mysterious fictional organization Aperture Science. Its unique game mechanic is the Portal Gun, which enables the player to place a pair of portals on certain surfaces within each test chamber. When the player avatar jumps into one of the portals, they are instantly transported to the other. This mechanic, coupled with the fact that in-game items can be thrown through the portals, has allowed the developers to create a series of unique and challenging puzzles for the player to solve as they guide Chell to freedom. Indeed, the Portal series has proved extremely popular, and is estimated to have sold more than 22 million copies [YP, stea, Cao,steb]. We analyze the computational complexity of Portal following the recent surge of interest in complexity analysis of video games and puzzles.
    [Show full text]
  • The Performative Interactivity of Video Games
    SHALL WE PLAY A GAME?: THE PERFORMATIVE INTERACTIVITY OF VIDEO GAMES Michael J. Beck Thesis Prepared for the Degree of MASTER OF SCIENCE UNIVERSITY OF NORTH TEXAS August 2014 APPROVED: John M. Allison, Jr., Major Professor and Chair of the Department of Communication Studies Justin T. Trudeau, Committee Member Shaun Treat, Committee Member Holley Vaughn, Committee Member Mark Wardell, Dean of the Toulouse Graduate School Beck, Michael J. Shall We Play a Game? The Performative Interactivity of Video Games. Master of Science (Communication Studies), August 2014, 113 pp., bibliography, 61 titles. This study examines the ways that videogames and live performance are informed by play theory. Utilizing performance studies methodologies, specifically personal narrative and autoperformance, the project explores the embodied ways that gamers know and understand videogames. A staged performance, “Shall We Play a Game?,” was crafted using Brechtian theatre techniques and Conquergood’s three A’s of performance, and served as the basis for the examination. This project seeks to dispel popular misconceptions about videogames and performance and to expand understanding about videogaming as an embodied performative practice and a way of knowing that has practical implications for everyday life. Copyright 2014 by Michael J. Beck ii TABLE OF CONTENTS Page Chapters 1. INTRODUCTION ........................................................................................................ 1 2. LITERATURE REVIEW .............................................................................................
    [Show full text]