Episode 2, Portal and you
<div class="IPBDescription">Discussion, Speculation and Spoilers aplenty</div>Yet another topic on the Orange Box, I know, but I felt that people were holding back on making good comments in order to avoid spoilers. Here's a discussion for those of us who've finished both and want to speculate freely.
To get the ball rolling, what did you think of the connection between Portal and Ep2? I personally find that Portal ties in beautifully with the HL universe. The leap from local portals to the intergalactic ones of HL isn't far. The rivalry between Black Mesa and Aperture is also fun but of course the Borealis is the big mama. I wonder if the portal gun will make a cameo in Ep3?
To get the ball rolling, what did you think of the connection between Portal and Ep2? I personally find that Portal ties in beautifully with the HL universe. The leap from local portals to the intergalactic ones of HL isn't far. The rivalry between Black Mesa and Aperture is also fun but of course the Borealis is the big mama. I wonder if the portal gun will make a cameo in Ep3?
Comments
In EP3 gordon will find a dead body with a portal gun lying next to it.
Portal2 will be released together with EP3 and in portal2 you will play yet another mice-lab that after a while joins forces with the girl from portal to escape together. At some point one of them will die and leave the portal gun behind for gordon to pickup.
--Scythe--
<span style='color:#000000;background:#000000'>at the end of HL2 you got to use a ridiculously overpowered gravity gun, but could only use it while inside the citadel, which shows its possible to have some ridiculously overpowered weapon if the scene is set up correctly. valve could make it so players only acquire the portal gun in special *puzzle* rooms inside the borealis, and have gordon destroy the gun /have it destroyed in some way. eli said that you should "destroy the borealis and all it contains" so it's going to be part of your mission in ep3.</span>
I don't think that theory is totally out of whack. My money's on Borealis being where Portal is set, you know... AI goes nuts and the ship disappears. You blow it up as the girl and it comes back, leaving you dead on the sidewalk.
Details, details...
Apparently Episode 3 has been in production as long as Episode 2 has. It also seems that the Borealis was planned to be in HL2. Maybe we can hope to see Ep3 come a bit quicker. What struck me from the commentary in both Portal and Ep2 is the insane amount of playtesting Valve seems to do. It looks like that alone took many months.
I am SO glad they are bringing back the Borealis, since I was sad it got nixed from the game. On the subject of Gordon using the portal gun meaning it would need limited use... Gordon going to the combine homeworld to kick ass ala HL1, anyone? They could make some more strange environments like we had with Xen that are suited for portalling <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/tounge.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":p" border="0" alt="tounge.gif" />
I do agree that they'll introduce a new weapon, though. They know that everyone has been seeing relatively the same thing for 3 years, and by the time Episode Three comes out, four or more years. The only way Gordon will be going to the Combine's homeworld is if he has a ridiculously powerful gun, and even then, it might be more of a sneaking in type thing and killing the leader (telepathically controlling the army?). But from what I can see, the portal gun is no where near this caliber.
Things that I really am looking forward to: how to fight advisors, possibly killing Breen (he's supposed to be in a host body, so he could make an excellent boss), seeing if you get to save Eli like you did for Alyx, hopefully a new weapon, a massive battle (striders, Combine troops, hunters, gunships, etc. all at once), and of course, the story.
Yeah I don't think Gordon would be ready to go and rambo against the Combine. I also think the Borealis will offer enough content to fill an whole episode (or even more), and including a trip to the Combine homeworld(s) would be too much new stuff for one episode, unless they make it much longer than the two first.
<!--quoteo(post=1655996:date=Oct 14 2007, 06:39 PM:name=Malevolent)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Malevolent @ Oct 14 2007, 06:39 PM) <a href="index.php?act=findpost&pid=1655996"><{POST_SNAPBACK}></a></div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->Things that I really am looking forward to: how to fight advisors, possibly killing Breen (he's supposed to be in a host body, so he could make an excellent boss), seeing if you get to save Eli like you did for Alyx, hopefully a new weapon, a massive battle (striders, Combine troops, hunters, gunships, etc. all at once), and of course, the story.<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
I thought Breen didn't have time to get his host body. He talked about it, but I thought he needed it in order to escape but you screwed his plans at the end of HL2. Maybe he survived though but I doubt it. Although seeing his transmission again in EP1 makes me wonder if this wasn't a hint or something... I guess time will tell <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/smile-fix.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":)" border="0" alt="smile-fix.gif" />
While Portal itself may be much more jovial than HL2 is, I don't see how that would stop a tie-in attempt.
The way I see it, Portal takes a look at the dark-humor of Aperature Science, with GLaDOS's narration.
The HL side of things could focus on the actuality of Aperature Science, that is the darknes and depression the other test subjects seemed to endure, and the ruins of the Aperature Science facility. The content of the AS system as a whole would really fit in well with the drama of HalfLife, and without GLaDOS to lighten things up I really think it would easily be made dark enough for the half life universe.
As far as I know, it's been stated by valve that there are no plans for a half-life 3. The story will effectively be complete by episode 3. I don't doubt they'll come up with something fresh afterwards though.
While Portal itself may be much more jovial than HL2 is, I don't see how that would stop a tie-in attempt.
The way I see it, Portal takes a look at the dark-humor of Aperature Science, with GLaDOS's narration.
The HL side of things could focus on the actuality of Aperature Science, that is the darknes and depression the other test subjects seemed to endure, and the ruins of the Aperature Science facility. The content of the AS system as a whole would really fit in well with the drama of HalfLife, and without GLaDOS to lighten things up I really think it would easily be made dark enough for the half life universe.<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
There's already a tie-in. Didn't you play Episode 2?
Hmm, really? Wikipedia says that Valve plan to continue the Half-Life series after Episode Three. I've never seen anything from Valve saying that they are going to start a new IP afterwards.
And to me, it just seems like it would be incredibly hard to finish the series in one more episode (so many things left unanswered, etc); the last one would have to be the length of a regular game to do it. If they did manage to fit it into 6 hours of gameplay, it'd probably feel rushed and uneven.
--Scythe--
Imagine a Garg stomping down towards a strider, that desperately tries to use its freaky blasty thing but only slowing Mr Garg down, then getting its legs punched out from under it, and get stomped in the <b>FACE. </b>By a<b> GIANT, BLUE, ALIEN FOOT</b>.
Or the Garg could go all RIP AND TEAR and remove the legs from the strider altogether.
they own the Borealis..man you really weren't paying attention.
--Scythe--<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
<img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/wink-fix.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=";)" border="0" alt="wink-fix.gif" />
<div align="center"><img src="http://dev.podded.us/images/lol-copy3.jpg" border="0" class="linked-image" />
<!--sizeo:4--><span style="font-size:14pt;line-height:100%"><!--/sizeo-->Now you are thinking with portals.<!--sizec--></span><!--/sizec-->
<!--sizeo:2--><span style="font-size:10pt;line-height:100%"><!--/sizeo--> you see on the left side we have sunny ohio with a blue portal
and on the right we have god knows where with its iceberg. yes its an iceberg not a mountain.<!--sizec--></span><!--/sizec-->
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