[WARNING: SPOILERS] Portal 2 discussion thread
So now that a few of us have finished Portal 2, I wanted to create a thread for us to discuss the game away from the ARG thread so we don't gum it up with spoilers and off-topic. So let's talk controversies, secrets, hidden meanings, the bigger picture, and whatever else this wonderful game has filled our minds with.
*HERE BE SPOILERS. READ AT YOUR OWN RISK*
So I was pretty surprised to see just how relevant the whole potato thing actually was. From the "bring your kid to work day" potato battery projects all over the labs, to the obvious bit of GLadDOS being a potato. Among the children's projects, there was one that was unique - it looked like a potato had grown into some sort of a tree. Did any of you take a close look at what name is on that project?
Oh snap.
Lots of people are tossing around rumors as to who Chell's parents are, especially with that little tantalizing bit of info. I don't believe the talk that Caroline and Cave Johnson are her parents. If I were to subscribe to one of the parents conspiracy theories, I'd buy into the fact that Alyx Vance and Chell share the same parents, if anything because they're both a touch black/asian mix, and we know Eli married an asian woman. This is unlikely though, with the timeline and all.
Also, bonus potato in the 1950's waiting room trophy case:
http://dl.dropbox.com/u/719325/sp_a3_030040.jpg
It was interesting to hear how Aperture and Black Mesa's competition continually chipped away at Cave Johnson and the company. Did anyone notice all the 2nd place trophies in this case? Aperture was definitely ahead of Black Mesa when it came to portal technology (one of the many reasons why the residence cascade happened in HL1), but Cave was driven mad by his hatred of Black Mesa. Everything fell apart before they could be successful with the portal technology.
And finally, one more really interesting bit that I found in that trophy case - Aperture Science is located near the UP of Michigan:
Frigging Valve. So good.
*HERE BE SPOILERS. READ AT YOUR OWN RISK*
So I was pretty surprised to see just how relevant the whole potato thing actually was. From the "bring your kid to work day" potato battery projects all over the labs, to the obvious bit of GLadDOS being a potato. Among the children's projects, there was one that was unique - it looked like a potato had grown into some sort of a tree. Did any of you take a close look at what name is on that project?
Oh snap.
Lots of people are tossing around rumors as to who Chell's parents are, especially with that little tantalizing bit of info. I don't believe the talk that Caroline and Cave Johnson are her parents. If I were to subscribe to one of the parents conspiracy theories, I'd buy into the fact that Alyx Vance and Chell share the same parents, if anything because they're both a touch black/asian mix, and we know Eli married an asian woman. This is unlikely though, with the timeline and all.
Also, bonus potato in the 1950's waiting room trophy case:
http://dl.dropbox.com/u/719325/sp_a3_030040.jpg
It was interesting to hear how Aperture and Black Mesa's competition continually chipped away at Cave Johnson and the company. Did anyone notice all the 2nd place trophies in this case? Aperture was definitely ahead of Black Mesa when it came to portal technology (one of the many reasons why the residence cascade happened in HL1), but Cave was driven mad by his hatred of Black Mesa. Everything fell apart before they could be successful with the portal technology.
And finally, one more really interesting bit that I found in that trophy case - Aperture Science is located near the UP of Michigan:
Frigging Valve. So good.
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Comments
You win regardless of other people's scores.
That's who he reminded me of! I coulodn't figure out for the life of me where i had seen that face.
I couldn't stand seeing those pictures of Cave Johnson. In my mind, he MUST look like JK Simmons.
Did someone say my name?
The last battle was easier, IMO, than Portal 1's, and the final step was ... WHOA WTF... Yeah, that just happened.
Ending credits were just as, if not slightly more, satisfying than Portal 1's
That's what they were counting on
I have to say, that was the most satisfying way to beat a boss ever. Also lulzy. I should have guessed that would happen when they mentioned what the portal paint was made of.
As for the credits... I was disappointed in them. They were amusing but nowhere near as amusing as the classic "Still Alive". Of course, I don't think it's possible to one-up the hilarity that song brought to the table.
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Totally agree. Seeing the age was both fascinating and heart breaking. So good.
Agreed also on "Want you Gone". I love listening to it. I remember when i first beat Portal and heard that song, I knew immediately that it was special. The first thing I did the next morning was find that song on YouTube and listen to it, just captivated by it and what the whole game represented. I had fallen in love with it.
I found myself doing the exact same thing with "Want you gone". I listen to it daily, it's a great tune.
Did anyone find the Rattmann room near the beginning of the game with a radio playing The National's "Exile - Vilify"? Here's a video if you missed it:
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When I first found this, hearing the song while looking at those desperate images painted by Rattmann, and thinking about the pure isolation of the game, it actually made me tear up.
I am currently playing through the developer commentary version... I didn't want the game to end, so maybe I'll find something interesting out... for example: it took 92 days to solve the opening sequence simulation.
92 days to calculate the simulation for the physics and such? Or 92 days to design it?
I really need to play it with the commentary.
Also enjoyed reading the comics all at once in the extras and how Chell came to be chosen. I feel like I missed a lot of the hidden rooms, though. I think I only found two or three scrawlings, and there have to be more.
Today - April 2011
You sure?
To compute the simulation. Its early on in the commentary. Amazing what it takes to run something that is easily taken for granted.