October 9, 2008 – 7:00 pm
Can’t get enough Portal? You’re not alone. An independent student developer has created and released Portal: Prelude on the PC. As long as you have Portal and Steam installed, you’re good to go.
Portal: Prelude, as its name states it, is an unofficial prequel to the game Portal. Its story revolves around the pre-GlaDOS epoch, even before she was plugged in. At this time, test subjects were monitored by real Aperture Science employees whose work was tedious, lengthy and repetitive. This is why they decided to build a great artificial intelligence that could both replace them in these difficult tasks, but also take responsibility for many other tasks within the complex and compete with Black Mesa’s superiority. All employees of the Aperture Science complex are now eagerly awaiting GlaDOS. Maybe even a little too eagerly, as the upcoming events will tell…
Sounds like a plan to me. I’ll be downloading later today on my Windows laptop to give it a whirl. If you have Portal already on your PC, get Prelude. It’s free, so there’s no reason to not get it.
Have you been wondering just exactly what Portal: Still Alive for the XBLA is going to be? Well, wonder no more. According to Valve’s PR, this is a standalone version of Portal that comes bundles with the Orange Box, but with some additional non-story levels tacked on. So don’t expect any GLaDOS in the extra levels.
No word on pricing just yet, but I’m wondering if Valve will offer any price breaks for people who already own The Orange Box. Since Still Alive is basically the same thing with new maps, maybe they’ll offer the expansion pack as a cheaper download for those who already have the game? Only time will tell.
February 22, 2008 – 11:00 am
The Orange Box was worth the price of admission for Portal alone. The innovative gameplay was a breath of fresh air for the industry, leaving gamers and critics clamoring for more. The wait will soon be over, as Valve has confirmed Portal 2.
Kimberly Swift, lead designer for Portal, let the cat out of the bad on last night’s episode of X-Play on G4.
No time frame was set, but expect the sequel either later this year or early 2009.
