Main Menu

Tip jar

If you like CaB and wish to support it, you can use PayPal or KoFi. Thank you, and I hope you continue to enjoy the site - Neil.

Buy Me a Coffee at ko-fi.com

Support CaB

Recent

Welcome to Cook'd and Bomb'd. Please login or sign up.

March 28, 2024, 10:23:35 PM

Login with username, password and session length

Portal 2 [split topic]

Started by madhair60, March 02, 2010, 11:38:12 AM

Previous topic - Next topic

Claude the Racecar Driving Rockstar Super Sleuth

I'm fairly certain that this took me longer to complete than the first game did, but the story felt more episodic this time, which made it seem like less of a monolithic challenge somehow.

It is perhaps inevitable that it would feel a bit anticlimactic. The first game was such an out of the blue [nb]or orange, if you want to get picky[/nb] masterpiece that a sequel, no matter how good, was never going to match its impact. And it is very good sequel (in single player anyway, I've yet to try co-op). I think they did a good job introducing new play mechanics. I could watch propulsion gel bubbling through anti-gravity all day. The few complaints I do have are very minor and mostly relate to the aesthetics. For instance, while I enjoyed the
Spoiler alert
Cave Johnson
[close]
bit, wandering through
Spoiler alert
abandoned '50s style areas seems a little derivative of your Bioshocks and Fallouts
[close]
.
Quote from: Up T Bloody Tree on April 20, 2011, 09:19:49 PMThe dialogue isn't as slick, and seemed a bit too silly at times.
Yeah. Even when it became apparent how mad she was in the first game, Glados always remained plausible as a computer AI. I actually thought Merchant gave a decent performance at times but, for the most part, I thought he was far too broad and whacky, which obviously wasn't helped by those Barclays adverts. Similarly, the seemingly infinite void outside of the testing chambers stretched believability to breaking point. And then there's the ending...

Still really enjoyed it though. And I was given it as a present, so the brevity didn't bother me.


Now can we pleeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeaase have a release date for Episode 3?

Lt Plonker

#61
Have any Xboxers had any trouble with the first propulsion gel puzzle at all? It's the one that starts off with
Spoiler alert
Potato GlaDos wondering why she knows Cave Johnson's voice, and you have to get the box to lift the ramp up.

Well, I just can't make the jump to the upper level bit. The ramp is up, the gel is spread over it but I just can't make the jump. I keep getting stuck just under the landing grate. I checked this on the internet and the only, alleged, solution to this is to swap controllers, which seems insanely odd.
[close]

That's the room I had the most trouble with. I can't really remember what I did. It might have involved shooting upwards somewhere to a higher up room, possibly through a grate.

Oh wait, I might be thinking of a different room without a box.

I hated that part of the game, it was fiddly and rubbish. Actually, fuck all of the stupid gel bits, they're awful. I hate the gel.

The Masked Unit

Lt Plonker, I really think you should spoiler that bit.

Lt Plonker

Done. Yeah, sorry about that. :)

There's a good series of walkthrough videos on YouTube which should help you out:

http://www.youtube.com/user/TheMediaCows

The Masked Unit

So who made it through without the aid of a walkthrough? I think I needed assistance with about 4 tests.

I didn't use a walkthrough. I only actually had problems with some of the white goo bits, which were awkward. There was that very high chamber with white goo that I found frustrating, and I wonder if I even did it in the intended way. My least favourite puzzles involved trying to find where the goal is. I don't like having to look around, I think that the games should mark out the goals/exits very clearly. Looking for something isn't the fun of the game.

Milo

Quote from: The Masked Unit on April 24, 2011, 03:24:37 PM
So who made it through without the aid of a walkthrough? I think I needed assistance with about 4 tests.

Me me me!

As a general rule I find the best thing to do when I am completely, headbashingly stuck is to stop playing for a bit. When I load it back up a solution tends to come to me.

Lt Plonker

Quote from: waste of chops on April 24, 2011, 02:45:13 PM
There's a good series of walkthrough videos on YouTube which should help you out:

http://www.youtube.com/user/TheMediaCows

Cheers for that, I did it in the end. I'd solved the puzzle alright but wasn't pushing down on the control stick hard enough. Hrumf.

Penfold

I made it through the game once without help but with a lot of forehead slapping.

I missed a couple of achievements so used youtube for those.

The
Spoiler alert
condemned aperture labs
[close]
section was kind of annoying but once I learned to look for
Spoiler alert
the bright light pointing at the white wall which was usually up
[close]
it was ok.

Still loved it though.

Lt Plonker

Loved it.

Spoiler alert
Working your way through Aperture's long-buried history was wonderfully epic and, importantly, unobtrusive - the story hangs around in the background and doesn't get in the way of the gameplay. Really, really effective. It's almost a shame they didn't litter the abandoned labs with little mini-stories a la Fallout 3.

Still not quite sure about Merchant. It worked at times for me, other times not so much. All I could think was "Ricky Gervais probably hates computer games."

But come on, that ending was fucking great!
[close]

Milo

Quote from: Lt Plonker on April 24, 2011, 11:32:58 PM
Spoiler alert

But come on, that ending was fucking great!
[close]

Yep, loved that.
Spoiler alert
Tossing a portal onto the fricking moon, for crying out loud!
[close]

The Masked Unit

I did really like Merchant's contribution; a lot more than I expected actually, but I get the impression that he had a bit too much autonomy in what he was saying, and the script could have done with a bit of tightening up in places.

Specifically, I'm referring to that annoying thing that he (and I think Gervais) does, where (apologies for the poor description) says something, and then adds a single word with a lot of emphasis on a second or two after the sentence to drive it home, with hilarious consequences of course. For example, and these aren't from the game, obviously:

"So I did a voice-over for a Barclays advert and I got paid a massive sum for half an hour's work.                        Thanks"

"So yeah, we got another award for writing that and the papers said, and I quote, Genius.     Their words, not mine.             Not for me to say"           "Absolute dynamite"

Am I making myself clear there?

Claude the Racecar Driving Rockstar Super Sleuth

#74
Here's something I spotted in the Bring Your Daughter to Work Day area.
http://img688.imageshack.us/i/portalbo.jpg/

The more I play this game, the better it gets. I replayed the original the other day and I think I may actually prefer the sequel now.
Quote from: Milo on April 25, 2011, 09:05:04 AM
Yep, loved that.
Spoiler alert
Tossing a portal onto the fricking moon, for crying out loud!
[close]
That was entirely awesome. I'm not so sure about the
Spoiler alert
turret choir
[close]
though. Also, I realise it's another ridiculously minor thing to focus on, but did anyone else think it was a bit odd to see prerendered FMV in this day and age? Especially in a Valve game.

Spoiler alert
The turret choir seemed like a nice idea that didn't work in execution. I didn't like the seams between the rendered action and the game stuff, although I can see the technical reasons why they did it (much easier to have a video than to write those custom actions for the turrets and get the shed, grass etc. looking right.

Apparently the turret song translate to this:

Dear, beautiful, my dear, beautiful girl, oh Chell, what a shame, what a shame, well, My dear, farewell. My girl, dear, why don't you stay away yes, away from science? Dear, dear, my girl, my beautiful, my dear, my dear, my girl, my dear, my dear...
[close]

hpmons

Finished the co-op, really enjoyable.  Taking my time over the single-player though, just started chapter 7 I think? My friend thinks co-op is more challenging, and so far I agree.

If anyone wants to play co-up, I'm hpmons on steam.

actwithoutwords

I think the
Spoiler alert
turret chorus
[close]
is brilliant. Unexpected and oddly beautiful. Much better than the
Spoiler alert
credits song
[close]
anyway.

The first lot of DLC has been announced:

http://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2011/04/29/portal-2-dlc/

QuoteThe first full-on DLC for Valve's lovely Portal 2 will be free (on all platforms), and promises "new test chambers for players, leaderboards, challenge mode for single and multiplayer modes, and more."

hpmons

Just finished single-player yesterday.  Very enjoyable game, lots of humour.  I thought Merchant was great, and at the beginning I continually waited around when he asked for me to do something, because there would always be five or six replies (e.g if you don't immediately open the door at the beginning,
Spoiler alert
he speaks to you in spanish
[close]
).  The ending was bizarre, but enjoyable: I particularly liked
Spoiler alert
Seeing the "animal king" turret in the background of the turret chorus thing
[close]
.

Co-op took
Spoiler alert
six (minus achievements)
[close]
hours; not sure how long single player took me, maybe
Spoiler alert
ten hours, though my testing partner said it took him eight...Uh...I'm not dumb! Promise!
[close]
.  So not entirely worth the money perhaps, but with the free DLC it probably will be.  My testing partner claimed co-op was harder than single-player, though I'd say they were about the same.  Maybe thats because I really suck at finding the white surfaces, specifically
Spoiler alert
when walking around outside testing chambers
[close]

Anyone else an achievement whore? I've got 6 left, including that bastard "Complete Test Chamber 10 in 70 seconds".  Timed myself and I was always about five seconds short - I even watched a video to check I was doing it the right way, and I was... The "Complete Course 4 with neither you nor your co-op partner dying" was terrifying and then...and then... I died right at the end of the last section of Course 4.  SO PAINFUL.

Quote from: madhair60 on April 20, 2011, 09:39:05 AM
and I definitely wouldn't play co-op.

Why not?

Rev

Not strictly game-related, so don't let me derail y'all, just a reply to this from the previous page:

Quote from: mcbpete on April 21, 2011, 12:02:26 AM
So the proof of concept was already laid down and Valve then bought the development team to make a new version to fit into the Half Life universe (well obviously that's a rather simplistic take on what happened but you get my drift ...)

Narbacular Drop proved the idea, as much as such things need proving, but wasn't Portal originally framed as an extended demo for something that would be featured in Episode 3?  Proof-of-concept, from Valve's point of view, being that the idea would work with the engine.  Maybe I'm misremembering, but I recall part of Portal's charm being that we expected it to be a rather dry preview of a concept that would pay off later, so the wit and love poured into the thing came as a complete surprise.

Big Jack McBastard

Anyone else think it was a bit too easy?

I just finished it 5 minutes ago, loved the gels and slapping colour all over a level and buggering about with their various effects and while I'll agree they put it all to good use I found it a breeze for the most part. Only two or three rooms/areas really taxing me with regards my next move.

I'm sort of split, I'm glad I didn't need a walkthrough but it would have been nice to have been tasked with something that made me at least think about looking for one.

Liked the
Spoiler alert
potato battery thing
[close]
and GlaDos in general again was great, nice to get a bit of backstory on her, that and her reactions to the recordings of the old boss at Appeture were a treat. Merchant while a bit OTT, [nb]I suppose can be forgiven since he's playing against her[/nb] got better as he went more mental.

I'm hoping I missed some hidden bits.

Audacious ending, made me laugh.

Little Hoover

Well maybe I'm just stupid but the long sections outside the actual test chamber bits are frustrating me. Looking around for white bits of wall and figuring out where to go is just a bit tedious. And I spent ages on that bit where your supposed to propel yourself through one of the letters on the big Apeture Science innovators sign, before I gave up and looked online. It's odd because some bits are too easy, but for that section it seemed like there 3 possibilities of where I was supposed to be going and normally they do all they can to point you in the right direction.
I've done a few of the propulsion gel rooms now and all the test chambers are still a lot of fun, but the bits in-between just drag on and on. I like solving puzzles, I don't like feeling lost.

Little Hoover

Well on the whole, I don't think I found it easier than the first game. Very good stuff overall but certainly lacks the finesse that portal 2 put into every part of the game.

I guess I want to play co-op, but I've a limited monthly bandwith and don't know if I'll be able to.

And I'd prefer to play it on my own, I'll feel stupid if I'm with someone else.

Claude the Racecar Driving Rockstar Super Sleuth

Quote from: Little Hoover on May 16, 2011, 04:07:35 PM
And I spent ages on that bit where your supposed to propel yourself through one of the letters on the big Apeture Science innovators sign, before I gave up and looked online.
That bit had me stumped for ages too. I felt stupid once I worked it out, as they give a pretty huge clue, with the middle of the sign falling down as you approach it, but the design of the room draws you towards the opposite door.

Did anybody mention that iPad app that came out, The Final Hours of Portal 2? The one that's like an interactive book all about, well, Portal 2? 'Cos it's out for the PC now, £1.50 on Steam. From what I've heard, it's definitely worth it if you're remotely interested in behind-the-scenes stuff.

Little Hoover

I can't help wishing they'd kept this level in the game, I can see why they'd drop it, but it feels like they really didn't do that much with deadly traps in the game that I got the impression they would from this preview.
Portal 2 - Propulsion Gel

And I can understand why they scrapped scrapped the pneumatic diversity vent as it doesn't look that challenging, but it still looks like so much fun.
Pneumatic Diversity Vent

Still they're rumored to be appearing in DLC.

hpmons

Quote from: Little Hoover on May 17, 2011, 09:11:22 PM
And I'd prefer to play it on my own, I'll feel stupid if I'm with someone else.
I did feel a little like that myself; I tend to spend the first minute of levels just looking around and taking it in, while my testing partner manages to pretty much figure it out in ten seconds...

Quote from: Little Hoover on May 18, 2011, 03:22:37 PM
I can't help wishing they'd kept this level in the game, I can see why they'd drop it, but it feels like they really didn't do that much with deadly traps in the game that I got the impression they would from this preview.
I think there's more deadly traps in the co-op.  Well, at least two that I can remember, and I have a terrible memory.  There's a nice one where one partner has to navigate though a series of traps, and the other one has to press buttons to move the traps, or switch the funnel direction...Verrry tempting to kill one another.

Obel

My favourite traps in co-op were the ones outside the testing area with the DVD's. They were always imaginitive, the one with the giant fan I especially enjoyed.

AsparagusTrevor

Quote from: The Masked Unit on April 24, 2011, 03:24:37 PMSo who made it through without the aid of a walkthrough? I think I needed assistance with about 4 tests.
I cheated once, on a bit that seemed so obvious when I looked it up, so I was quite ashamed afterwards. I often got frustrated at the bits outside the old condemned labs, where it was often just a case of spotting the tiny portal surfaces in the distance than actual skill, but managed to resist the walkthroughs for those, just. Took me about 12 hours to complete all in all, but I wonder how much of that was wasted on hypnotically watching gels floating like in a lava-lamp. I did also try to listen to a lot of the dialogue too rather than just rush through everything.

Now I just need a very patient and forgiving person to play co-op