Portal 2
- Thread starter OdoWanKenobi
- Start date
Stop winding up the poor non-zoners. They're not used to it.
Good game. 
As with the first game, I found myself wishing for a difficulty setting, since I discovered that my puzzle-solving skills were sometimes not up to the challenge, toward the end.
This is something I've noticed on IQ tests: I always score lower on perceptual organization than on, say, verbal comprehension and working memory. Plus, my tolerance for frustration when playing games is pretty low. I get enough frustration in real life.
Fortunately, walkthroughs are readily available. Sometimes all I needed was the first piece, and I could figure out the rest of the puzzle myself.
Interestingly, the story fit pretty closely into a pattern that I've noticed in first-person shooters, and which I discuss in an article I'm revising for publication.
As with the first game, I found myself wishing for a difficulty setting, since I discovered that my puzzle-solving skills were sometimes not up to the challenge, toward the end.
This is something I've noticed on IQ tests: I always score lower on perceptual organization than on, say, verbal comprehension and working memory. Plus, my tolerance for frustration when playing games is pretty low. I get enough frustration in real life.
Fortunately, walkthroughs are readily available. Sometimes all I needed was the first piece, and I could figure out the rest of the puzzle myself.
Interestingly, the story fit pretty closely into a pattern that I've noticed in first-person shooters, and which I discuss in an article I'm revising for publication.
Jeez, that was no lie. Thought I was never going to get to end of that level. Got kind of annoying actually before it was over. If I'd played that level before buying Portal 2, I probably would have passed.
Now on to Portal 2.
No much really, but Valve has promised free DLC this summer with more challenging chambers.
Also you can go 'achievement hunting' in both SP and coop.
I didn't think that this needed its own thread, so I'm putting it here.
Valve is releasing the official soundtrack through the game's website: Music to Test By (Part 1)
While I know that this is only part one of three, there's some good tracks in here!
And the best part - it's free!
Valve is releasing the official soundtrack through the game's website: Music to Test By (Part 1)
While I know that this is only part one of three, there's some good tracks in here!
And the best part - it's free!
finished the single player finally... i dont think it was as good as the first game. there was a long stretch in the middle, when you are out of the typical test chambers, that had pretty bad level design. i'd end up just shooting randomly to try to see where valid surfaces are. it was also hard to figure out where the "end" point for those levels were.
but when i was in a test chamber, it was great fun.
but when i was in a test chamber, it was great fun.
And I loved Cave Johnson's crazy recordings!
While I think that comparing the game against portal 1 is unfair, it is difficult not to. I love both games, but you only ever have one first time thinking with portals.
That said, bring on Portal 3, I'll buy it!
While I think that comparing the game against portal 1 is unfair, it is difficult not to. I love both games, but you only ever have one first time thinking with portals.
That said, bring on Portal 3, I'll buy it!
my main critique (and comparison between the two portal games) is with the level design, and generally, you'd expect level design to improve with a sequel.
some think the level design was better in 2. for main test chambers, maybe. but again, in the non-test chambers, they got worse (and they had the same issues in portal 1's non-test chamber levels).
i can see what you mean. i'd prefer if the challenge was figuring out how to navigate the environment, not figuring out what parts of the environment are okay to navigate.
some think the level design was better in 2. for main test chambers, maybe. but again, in the non-test chambers, they got worse (and they had the same issues in portal 1's non-test chamber levels).
i can see what you mean. i'd prefer if the challenge was figuring out how to navigate the environment, not figuring out what parts of the environment are okay to navigate.
I haven't picked up the game yet, but I have to give a major kudo to Valve for making the game available for not only PC but for Mac as well. I honestly didn't expect to see that. The recent Sims Medieval was also done for Mac and I saw a new port of Grand Theft Auto San Andreas (granted an old game, but still a major one) for Mac a while ago. Things are looking up.
I have my fingers crossed that Half Life 2 Episode 3, if we ever see it, will also be a hybrid...
Alex
I have my fingers crossed that Half Life 2 Episode 3, if we ever see it, will also be a hybrid...
Alex
Once they brought Steam over, they got really good with cross-platform stuff, really fast. Bringing in a lot of the back catalogue, keeping it updated with insane regularity... they're really awesome. IIRC, they even promised that all future Valve titles would be same-day release Mac and PC, which ranks them up there with Blizzard and... themselves.
Though I remember when Portal 2 was first announced and co-op multiplayer was such a big part, I was disappointed, since in my experience, "co-op multiplayer" meant "console split-screen," so I, as a computer user, couldn't take advantage of it. Then I remembered that Valve is a PC game company first, not a console game company, so if it was a flagship feature, it'd have to be in the computer versions. Then I was happy.
I posted this on The Sims 3 fanpage with the caption "Who knew that GLaDOS was a Sims fan? I guess testing on actual humans just didn't cut it anymore." It's received a lot less attention than I thought it would. But I'm sure someone here will appreciate it!
I posted this on The Sims 3 fanpage with the caption "Who knew that GLaDOS was a Sims fan? I guess testing on actual humans just didn't cut it anymore." It's received a lot less attention than I thought it would. But I'm sure someone here will appreciate it!
How much did they soak GLaDOS for the expansion that included the deadly neurotoxin, so she could kill her sims with deadly neurotoxin?
I posted this on The Sims 3 fanpage with the caption "Who knew that GLaDOS was a Sims fan? I guess testing on actual humans just didn't cut it anymore." It's received a lot less attention than I thought it would. But I'm sure someone here will appreciate it!
GLaDOS: Sims provided creative ideas for new tests. I'm gaming for science.
