Portal 2 is a first-person puzzle-platform with its core mechanic being the ability to join two separate spaces together. Solving a test chamber requires the player to get to the exit with clever uses of portals to move things around or to get to hard to reach places.
Store page: http://store.steampowered.com/app/620/
Gameplay: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XeVmSEvhzQU
Aesthetics
- Clean and simple look.
- Highly expressive characters.
- Use of body language and eye movement to express emotions.
Mechanics
- Solving 3D puzzles to get from the start point to the end point.
- Portals to join two spaces together.
- Paint mechanics that allow a painted surface to bounce or accelerate objects.
Story
- The player is attempting to escape by going through the test chambers.
- Character focused. There’s only 3 core characters in the single player storyline, Chell(Player), GlaDOS, Wheatley.
- Throughout the playthrough, the two NPC will continuously speak to the player or to each other, allowing for an immersive experience.
- The choice of 2 core NPC allows for the players to better know these characters and their personality, as opposed to having more characters but with less time to know them.
Technology
- Joining of game spaces that have seamless transition when moving between the two separate spaces. (Portals).
- Liquid blobs that can interact with surfaces for the paint.
Lens of The Pyramid
At the start, the puzzle introduces the portal concept to the player by allowing the usage of 1 side of the portal while the other side is fixed. This then helps the player grasps the portal and space bending mechanic before allowing the player free reign over both side of the portal. Every time a new mechanic is introduced to the player, the puzzle will primary require use of the new mechanic in a basic manner to reach the exit. This allows the player to understand how the mechanic works and what results he can obtain with it. This also prevents overwhelming the player with a puzzle requiring multiple mechanics in addition to a new mechanic.
Lens of Character Transformation
At the start, the player has a helper and an antagonist, Wheatley and GlaDOS. At the mid point, their roles swapped as the result of an attempt to defeat the antagonist. Wheatley grows more power-crazed and his change is progressively expressed in the new test chambers he designed and his tone of voice as he attempted to kill the player.
Lens of Simplicity / Complexity
The way the game is simple is that the player only has 1 equipment, the portal gun. This helps the primary interaction with the world to be consistent and simple. The complexity elements come from the ability to join spaces with the portals, allowing for some complicated movements. This balance helps the player from being overwhelming as well as getting used to and better at the portal mechanics. Additional mechanics are then utilized through the use of portals, which is sufficient to make complex puzzles.
Lens of Physical Interface
There’s an energy field acting a barrier that the player can pass through but will destroy objects that pass through it. When the player holds an item close to it, a region of the field near to the item will glow and brighten, hinting that the item will be affected and destroyed. Passing through the field also resets the portal gun, closing all open portals. This effect is showed from the portal gun shaking the moment the player passes through the field. When the player shoots at the field, the field flashes, indicating that the shot has been blocked.