Portal 2 Could’ve Made You Feel Sick and Stupid, But Valve Is Too Nice
In an interview with EA this weekend, Portal 2’s lead writer Erik Wolpaw casually informed us that our weak stomachs prevented even more awesomeness from being packed into Valve’s “mind bending first-person puzzle game”. At one point, Portal 2 had a fourth type of goo (I won’t spoil what the first three do) that allowed you to walk up walls, but Wolpaw said that “the effect was so disorienting that it made people nauseas [sic]”. In fact, Valve even made other, less noticeable changes to help people who normally feel nauseous playing FPS games so that individuals who don’t normally play FPS-type games could still enjoy Portal 2.
This sort of broad appeal is apparent in multiple areas of the game design, as Wolpaw said that they “extensively tested Portal 2 with outside play testers to insure [sic] the game was not made too difficult”. At the same time, special tricks were included to let the hardcore players still strut their stuff and challenge themselves with the game. Along with an extensive advertising campaign, Valve’s attention to this sort of detail could really pull more casual gamers away from Farmville into something that’s actually fun. Plus, now my comeback “your mom was up all night playing Portal 2” might actually be true, and my boss might stop rolling his eyes every time I say it. [Ed. note: Nope.]
I personally felt the puzzles had a minor dumbed down feel to them, especially toward the end of the game where it should have been getting more and more difficult.
also, am I the only one who nooticed the missing excursion funnels. the ones that were clearly in the trailers for the game? the ones that sucked up turrets and pulled panels off the wall? Anyone see those in the game? Anywhere at all in the game? Here’s hoping for an update to the game adding more single and multiplayer maps and puzzles, featuring the stuff they left out. And hoping that it isnt in DLC form.
I can’t remember where I heard it, but I believe excursion funnels will be in the challenge levels and map-builder.
As for difficulty, I definitely understand what you mean. My friend and I finished quite a few co-op maps saying “wait, that was it?” and I never got stuck on any of the SP levels. Here’s hoping we can get some Portal: Prelude-esque difficulty with the new map components.
Here’s hoping that the map builder and the challenge levels aren’t dlc.
Additionally, why the hats and stuff for the co-op. It was bad enough when it was just the roll cage from the gamestop preorder. But now its hats. This whole micro transaction drain you of every cent stuff from valve is annoying. The bots looked great un modified. The hats completely ruin any immersion i might have into the co-op. I’m hoping that there will be an option to turn off hats so that you cant see them.
You don’t have to buy the hats. It isn’t some malicious attempt to take your money. They’re there for those who want it (most of those people probably aren’t the wisest spenders, but hey, it’s not gonna’ hurt you if they pay Valve more money, so long as they keep pumping out quality games.)
I was wondering where the **** the map builder was (and those awesome vacuum portal things from the trailers). That will be a really ******* move if Valve releases the builder as DLC.
That kind of thing should be standard for any PC game that wants to be really successful.
For some reason I remembered the original Portal puzzles to be relatively easy, and some of the Portal 2 levels to be frustratingly difficult. I do admit though, the Portal 2 levels were frustrating finding the panels in which portals could be placed, while the original game gave you an abundance of places to put portals, but you had to keep finding the right one to use. I think it’s a different kind of difficulty for each. I don’t know how difficult they could have made them while still keeping in the casual crowd.
Perhaps having two different paths in the game at some point, an easier one for casual players, and a ‘hardcore’ one for experienced players, rewarded with extra storyline, dialogue, etc. would have been a good way to go.
Yeah, the puzzles most definitely felt dumbed down to me, a lot of the earlier puzzles in the first Portal were more difficult, but the game is damn hilarious to compensate for that.
Agreed. Really wish this game was more of a challenge. I think that there was only 1 or 2 instances in which I actually had to stop, survey the situation and THINK about what to do. The first Portal made me do so on many occasions because it was the first time you think about “flinging” and stuff like that.
Once you know these tricks, it’s just similar iterations over and over.
Absolutely loved the game and I’m hoping my purchase on the PC will allow mods and updates to create a more challenging experience in the future.
Since beating the game I definitely agree that the puzzles were dumbed down…it was too easy to figure them out just by looking at where portals could go.
If you want to play with this gel that was left unused by Valve, play the DigiPen game Tag. It has all the gels as paints from a water gun (just no the portal one, obviously). The wall stick paint is cool and disorienting! Fun times!
I thought this game was superb, even though it wasn’t as headache-inducing as Portal.
I know it’ll for sure get a ton of love by Valve in terms of updates, I just hope that carries over to the 360 as well.
But will they be updates or DLC
They need to release a hardcore DLC pack with all the levels that are guaranteed to bend your mind and twist your stomach until your brain is in your stomach and your stomach is on your keyboard.
And the hard core dlc needs to be free as an apology to all of us who were disappointed that the game was too easy.
Seriously? Why the hell should you be entitled to free DLC? Because the game didn’t live up to your standards? That’s total bullshit.
So, falling from crazy heights to be flung out of a high portal is less nausiating than climing a wall? Hmm…
as such a nauseous gamer, I really appreciated the concern, although I would liked to have at least tried to stomach it
Even though they “dumbed it down”, I still hope they release advanced maps and hopefully the 4th goo along with it in the future. Custom maps are already getting made with a alien swarm SDK and maybe someone can create extremely challenging maps for people who like being frustrated like me.
This is what differs developers from great developers.
Good Job Valve!
Ok, I’ll play Devil’s Advocate here. Valve is telling us about the awesome stuff left out of Portal 2 to get us excited for the eventual $10 map packs. Valve are THE masters at producing hype (ARG). A few more weeks of this and we’ll be begging to pay for more maps.
The blue gel was the first thing that threw me off when I played Portal 2 as they changed it from the sticky wall-climb gel in Tag to the bouncy gel in Portal 2
As a person who can’t play FPS due to motion sickness I am kind of happy to see that this issue was discussed by developers.
It is kind of a double edged sword however; sure they kept people like me in mind but at what cost? I agree with Synep to a degree, Valve will make a lot of money with the ten dollar map packs but at the same time I wish they had just put the fourth gel in the game a long with everything else they talked about.
Maybe instead of limiting the game and saying it was because they were thinking about people who get motion sick, they should figure out a way to make a setting that people who want to play FPS but have motion sickness would be able to use and not throw up all over their screens.
When a developer goes through the process of things that appeal to all players, then you know you have a good game at hand. I will admit, I did get motion sick playing the first portal but this one was very well done that the only thing I felt was the thrill of playing. I applaud Valve on this game.