What do we learn from the new trailer for Portal 2? Paul has been trying to work that out...
A thirty second trailer for the upcoming sequel to Valve's underrated Half Life 2: The Orange Box puzzler, Portal, has been unveiled to us via the folks at GameTrailers, and what an intriguing little snippet it is.
Opening with two Mario Bros-esque little 'n' large robot companions staring up at the grisly death trap that awaits them, the camera swiftly switches to FPS mode and we are treated to a glimpse of how Portal 2's co-operative test chamber solving will look.
The trailer teaches us three things:
1. There will almost definitely be four-portal madness. The stubbier robot of the duo unleashes both a light and dark blue portal to aid in the taller robot's reaching of the goal, meaning that the taller robot will presumably be able to do the same.
This will inevitably mean that test chambers will veer from satisfying displays of comradery to worrying wastelands of common sense, with your buddy laughing manically as he propels your helpless body from one side of the arena to the other.
2. The robot's have personality. Chell was a Gordon Freeman-esque silent protagonist, taking a backseat to GLaDOS' hysterical passive-aggressive ramblings. While it is indicated from the trailer that the robots will also be mute, they both appear to have distinct personalities, one clearly being the leader of the operation and the other appearing nervous and twitchy, excellent fodder for Valve's patented dark humour.
3. Make a mistake and there will be a nasty penalty. The original Portal found Chell dying in a very limited number of ways. Sure, you could commit suicide via a strategically placed portal and a weighted Companion Cube, but for the most part, the hurdles GLaDOS placed in front of you involved either stationary turrets or murky, perilous water.
Fortunately, the trailer introduces us to a new trap, and a rather gruesome one at that. Hopefully, the co-op campaign will have an abundance of innovative traps that we can 'hilariously' send our friends hurtling into.
Watch the trailer here: