After Gabe Newell’s shocking E3 announcement that Portal 2 will be showing up on PS3 in addition to 360, PC and Mac, it was official, Portal 2 is going to be huge. To celebrate the impending hugeness, Valve is releasingnew Portal 2 videoseveryday this week, which so far includes an introduction to one of the game’s sidekicks, a personality core named Wheatley, and introductory videos for some new Aperture Sciencegizmos.
Above: "Asbestos, the Excursion Funneland you" an Aperture Science pamphlet
The personality cores are little disembodied spherical computers that travel around on ceiling mounted rails, and can apparently provide access to locked doors and other functions. Wheately is apparentlyresponsible for wakingChell up, and comically prattles on in hischarming Cockney accentduring the trailer (though allegedly his voice is only a placeholder provided by one of the animators).Whilehe's somewhat handicapped by being bolted to the ceiling, your gravity gun makes a great impromptu stroller as you can see:
The other two videos Valve has released reveal the new Faith Plate and Excursion Funnels, two wondrous new technologies from Aperture Science. The videos start off with some clever instructional footagethat resembles official Aperture Science media. The Faith Plate is like a mini catapult, quickly bouncing Chell or an object in one direction; It looks likethey're activated by anything that touchesthem. As an added hazard, the ones in the video are placed precariously over some possibly lethal liquid:
The Excursion Funnel is apparently a tunnel of liquid Asbestos, designed to transport objects and players around the level. While to location of the Funnel seems fixed, you can shoot a portal atone of its endpoints to redirect it like so:
Wow, if these are just the introductory videos we're already worried our minds are going to overheat trying to crack some of these puzzles. Valve's got even more new stuff to reveal, so make sure to check back tomorrow to see what other miracles, and disasters,Aperture Science has in store.
Jun 29, 2010
