Understanding Games in Culture - Task 2

 Understanding Games in Culture - Task 2

When Portal 2 was announced in 2011, it definitely grew a lot of attention due to the success of the first game, Portal. Many gamers became huge fans of the two-portal, puzzle platformer and wanted more. Not, just puzzles but, more of the story as well. As the first game had a deeper meaning than just a series of puzzles featuring portals. 

To summarise the first game; Chell, the main protagonist of the game, wakes up in the lab, Aperture Science. She's selected to participate in a series of tests, using the portal gun to help guide her way. As you're playing as Chell, you realise that the facility seems bare & empty, unitl you're greeted by an A.I Supercomputer, GLaDOS. She provides an introduction to the testing track before you begin & will provide some guidance to help further along. At the end, she was promised cake. Instead, she almost falls to her death as the A.I. Supercomputer, GLaDOS (anatagonist of the 1st game), tries to kill Chell. Chell escapes but is dragged back into the treacherous science facility after she fights GLaDOS and is appeared to be unconcious. The second game, picks up after the events of the first game but, several years later.  

Portal fans wanted to think more with portals, they wanted new mechanics, slightly harder chambers and more of a story element in the second game. They needed to know what Aperture Science was about, how it originated & the origins of GLaDOS, the A.I. Supercomputer. The way Valve did this was to expand the story, make it take place several years after the first game. Not only that but, add a plot twist in the story, which I won't be mentioning, which enables the story to unfold the origins of Aperture Science & it's CEO, Cave Johnson & his assistant, Caroline and how GLaDOS came about. 

Since the fans wanted more puzzles and new mechanics, Valve introduced the 4 Gels. The Propulsion Gel, the Repulsion Gel, the Conversion Gel & the Cleansing Gel. 

Repulsion Gel - The Repulsion Gel is a light blue substance that, when you coat it on a surface, it acts like a trampoline. Which means if you jump on it, you jump really high. Any objects such as the cubes or the turrets which interact with this gel either bounce away, if a section of the floor is coated, or they can bounce everywhere across the room if they're coated with this gel. 

Repulsion Gel

Propulsion Gel - The Propulsion Gel is an orange substance which increases the velocity of the player if they run on it, making them run faster than their normal speed. Any objects such as the cubes or turrets which interact with the gel, can slide across, if a section of the floor is coated with this gel. And if the cubes or turrets are coated with this gel, their friction is reduced causing them to slide across the floor easily.

Propulsion Gel

Conversion Gel - The Conversion gel appeared as a white, grey-ish, substance which was made from ground moon rocks. When in use, the conversion gel makes a good portal conductor, meaning if a surface can't open the portals, coating that surface with the conversion gel can inverse that disability, making it open portals. 

Conversion Gel

Cleansing Gel - This may be water but, the cleansing gel is used to wash away any of the other gels that an object, like the cube or a turret, maybe be coated in. It doesn't affect really anything other than surfaces or objects that have been coated.

Cleansing Gel

(Taken from "Understanding Games in Culture - Task 1" by Mohammed Sharif)

These four gels opened up whole new possibilities in puzzle solving and allowing players to experience these mechanics through their own way. Not only that but it allowed players enjoying & having fun with these game mechanics as no other game had these styles of mechanics before. It gave them the freedom to test these game mechanics out so, they could get used to these game mechanics.

Another way that Valve attracted the game in the market was how it made the players nostalgic despite the story taking place several years after the first game. This is due to the player exploring the ruins of Aperture Science and going through the first few test chambers from the first game again. 

Test Chamber 4 in Portal

Test Chamber 4 in Portal 2

The only difference is, that the old test chambers are in ruins.

Portal 2 made a huge, positive impact in the gaming world. A lot of references, memes, fan made movies & merchandise came a lot from the game. 

Cave Johnson's infamous "Take the Lemons!" speech on a T-shirt

Many fans of the game, even went to make fan-made short films which faithfully preserved the story of the game. One great example is Portal: Survive! by ColinandConnor.

 Portal & Portal 2s success was even greater when the action figure company NECA made a replica of the Portal Gun, which was accurately detailed and featured lights & sound effects. Which was made perfect for cosplayers who wanted to dress up as Chell.

Cosplayer dressing up as Chell with the Replica Portal Gun made by NECA

The character, Wheatley also made a huge impact to the gaming community and wanted to own a Wheatley core. A user going by the name of Mr.Volt, on Youtube, made his own  animatronic version of Wheatley which, moves about & says uses dialogue from the game to speak.  It proved to be a huge success! Mr.Volt made this animatronic, this year 2022. This shows how long lasting the fandom are alive of the game and how faithful they still remain to this day since, Portal 2 was released in 2011, over 10 years ago!

Overall, Portal 2 made a huge, positive impact to the gaming community. And many gamers enjoy the culture which was shown in the game.