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Get ready everybody. Portal 2 is this week. I've been able to manage my hype extremely well for this game and the excitement is peaking just in time. But still I have some resignations about one of my most anticipated titles of the year, so here they are.
Let's remember that Portal was a piece of a larger puzzle when released in the Orange Box. It was a smaller chunk-sized game and wrapped up nicely. The game hit you with it's best shot, then it was over. I'm afraid Portal 2 is not going to have the freshness or novelty over the course of however many hours the game ends up. For me personally, I'm going in expecting to be presented with all these great series of events. I want be be wowed like I was in the first Portal.
So to compensate for this, Valve has added a butt-load of new skills and items. There's a bunch of cool stuff they've showed involving liquids properties but my fear is that this will over complicate game play. It's not that I don't think the game will be fantastic. I think most have a lot of faith in Valve and I'm not one to doubt their track record. I'm just a little hesitant of the game being too complex too soon and focusing less on the awe of the situation.
And of course, there's the Co-Op. I love Co-Op experiences. Throughout my game career, I've always opened up to playing cooperatively. I love working as a team much rather than something like a versus match. There are examples of great games and some not so great games I've played just because there was the option. For example Kane & Lynch 2 and Army of Two: 40th Day. So then what are my reservations about Portal 2? This isn't your usual Co-Op experience.
Portal is essentially a Puzzle Series. Much of the first game was spent figuring out a solution and on of the products of that was people having played the game differently. Where as one person may have solved a puzzle in a few moves, someone else may have come up with a round about overly complicated one, but still finding success in their method. Part of the fun was seeing others play and seeing what their solutions were.
With Portal 2, Co-Op will rely a lot on your partner. But I could very easily become a situation where one person is the mastermind figuring everything out while the other just follows directions. That's not necessarily a bad situationm but I could see it causing some problems with enjoyment.
David
Comments
13 years ago
Valve has already mentioned that they are going to present these new items and stuffs at a good speed. Not just like HERE GEL, HERE OTHER GEL, MAKE GO.
And I'm pretty sure I heard it was going to pretty even with coop. As in one guy wouldn't just be yelling at the other guy to do this and that. They did include a new thingy where you say hey put your portal here so no idea if the could be possible or not.
13 years ago
someone delete this comment before anyone else reads it -.-
13 years ago
If you right i swear i am gonna track you ip, come to your house, and slay your entire family.
jk, but still, u better be wrong
13 years ago
lol, yeah, i play portal for its cute lil story. Try harder.
13 years ago
WHY ISNT ANYONE DELETING THIS!!!!!!!!!!
13 years ago
No spoilers.
13 years ago
thnks, pretty much ruined the game for me, but at least nobody else has to have it ruined for them
13 years ago
I just hope Half Life is now officially Valves next priority for the sake of my own sanity. Could care less for Portal, the hype and in-your-face advertising put me off.
13 years ago
for the portal 2 co-op you should just not use voice chat at all or to agree not to give out directions, to prevent "...where one person is the mastermind figuring everything out while the other just follows directions." It would be better to just use the "mark" mechanic that valve put in than to tell your friend what to do verbally. Of course this is only if you and your friend agrees to this. It shouldn't be that bad though david, just have fun like when you played lara croft and the guardian of light.
13 years ago
Don't worry about the new elements, Valve has always stuck tp their introduction code with their games, show the player an idea, make sure they understand it, challenge them to use it in new ways.
13 years ago
wow, lots of hate in up here....all I say is that I agree, it could sink if they didn't put their all into this game.
13 years ago
The way I expect Co-Op to work is not a mastermind with retard but rather I expect it to be like scientists working on a project. The solution will present itself only when the two players combine their brains into one think tank and figure it out.
If anyone can pull that off, its Valve
13 years ago
I was talking with a friend and suggested that we try out the crossplay thing, me on PS3, he on PC. He laughed it off and said "I will be moving around like a champ with my mouse and keyboard while you lag behind with your gamepad".
I just realized he's right.
13 years ago
I can't wait for portal. But I agree the problem of dictation from one party or persons could arrive. I say, play with a friend. That way you will listen to each other.
13 years ago
I agree completely. Portal was great as the 3 hour experience it was. Dragging it out too long might not be good for it.
13 years ago
Sure is fanboy up in these comments.
Anyway, I don't think the pacing will be a problem, as the first game was very good at teaching you a concept/how to use an object/what its function is, and then making sure you understand it before moving on to the next thing. It was fun listening to the Dev Commentary as I played, really got to see how much time they really put into making sure the pacing was perfect, among other things.
As for the co-op, from what I've seen of it at least, you spend a fair bit of time separated from your partner, making it impossible for him/her you just direct you around while you mindlessly follow their directions. And one of my favorite things about Portal is that many puzzles have multiple solutions, so maybe your partner sees it one way, but you see it another, and so begins working together towards a goal as you discuss what the best way to go about the puzzle is. Either way, it's very obvious that communication is going to be very important.
13 years ago
im not so much worries about the quality of this game, i have high expectations for that. and trust valve on the puzzles. but its otherpeople i dont trust as he mentioned one person just being the mastermind. yes thats ok in some situations if you are stuck but if your trying a level for the first time and your friend has already beat it before and they beat it for you. it takes out alot of the excitment and mystery of it
13 years ago
To get myself ready ive been playing some portal, now im preordered and ready to go for 2, bring it on valve! Nice post!