#2 portal bundle how to#
#2 portal bundle series#

And just when you thought that its genius came not only from its mechanical rigour and wit, but also its startling economy and brevity, Portal 2 came along and demonstrated that Valve had the chops to thread the Narbacular Drop concept into a larger, richer narrative just as impressively. I still remember The Orange Box as one of gaming's best deals, and despite being the shortest of the games included, Portal left the biggest impression. If you’re playing via split-screen, the game also lets you choose whether to orient the screen vertically or horizontally, which is a nice little touch. It’s not as involved as the main campaign, by any stretch, but if you’ve got a friend that you’re able to link up with, it’s well worth playing. Valve went the extra mile here, too, introducing two unique characters specifically for co-op play with a completely fresh narrative to boot. Not only that, but Portal 2 also offers up a co-op mode that’s compatible with split-screen, local, and online multiplayer. Overall, having released as a standalone experience back in 2011, Portal 2 feels like a more complete package with a lot more weight behind its presentation. The game takes place hundreds of years after the first with the testing facility in total disrepair, making the task of traversing around the rooms much more complex but also introducing some truly beautiful visuals in the process. Simmons as Aperture's founder Cave Johnson, alongside the returning McLain. The narrative is also a lot more satisfying, introducing Stephen Merchant as the charming (and ever so slightly creepy) robot Wheatley, and J. The sequel, Portal 2, is pretty much more of the same, but it bulks the experience up considerably with new mechanics like the paint-like propulsion gel and laser guiding. Captured on Nintendo Switch (Handheld/Undocked) Expertly voiced by Ellen McLain, GLaDOS’s constant berating of the protagonist is a source of endless humour and it’s no surprise that the gaming community holds the character in such high regard to this day. Right from the start of the game, your character is accompanied by the voice of GLaDOS, an AI personality core who oversees the testing procedures within Aperture Science. But what elevates Portal even further is the incredible writing. Valve could have left it at that and been done with it we’d still be left with one of the best puzzle games ever created.

#2 portal bundle how to#

It might sound complex, but Portal’s pacing is absolutely masterful the way it teaches you how to accomplish certain tasks without actually telling you anything is remarkable, and it makes you feel like a bonafide genius when you eventually work it out for yourself. Essentially, by jumping down towards a portal lying below you, the effect of gravity allows you to build momentum and fling yourself out of the other portal in whatever direction it's pointing, propelling yourself over gaps and reaching areas that would otherwise be impossible to get to. Not only that, but the game eventually makes use of movement and momentum to allow the player to accomplish absurd feats of traversal. By using the gun to shoot out two coloured portals - one mapped to each trigger -you’re able to effectively teleport yourself from one end of a room to another by walking through one or the other. These might simply require you to move from point A to point B, or you might need to trigger switches to open doorways, but the key factor is its use of the Aperture Science Handheld Portal Device, or simply the 'portal gun'.

#2 portal bundle series#

Captured on Nintendo Switch (Docked)įor the three of you who might not be in the know, Portal takes place within the Aperture Science test facility in which you need to progress through a series of chambers. While the Switch has seen a number of games take inspiration from Valve’s classic, including Q.U.B.E 2, ChromaGun, and the criminally overlooked Superliminal, Portal is finally available to show the rest of the pack that it’s still the king of first-person puzzlers. Despite some criticisms aimed at its short length and limited narrative, the general consensus was that it stood as one of the most original, unique games ever created, and that’s still the case to this very day. The first Portal launched back in 2007 as part of a compilation known as The Orange Box.

Is this the case for the Portal pair? Thankfully, not at all. Perhaps the frame rate takes a hit, or maybe the visuals aren’t up to scratch. Two of the best puzzle games of all time on the go, you say? Yes, please! Naturally, when certain games get ported to Nintendo’s hybrid system, there’s an accompanying fear that they might not run quite so well on what is effectively a handheld device.

When it was announced that Portal and Portal 2 would be making their way to the Nintendo Switch as part of the Portal: Companion Collection, fans collectively choked on their cakes.