So the people that follow my Youtube Channel, UmbreonMessiah, know that I've started a Portal 2 Let's Play. I believe one person voiced a little disappointment that I jumped on the bus to LP Portal 2, but I still think it was the right decision. I've played through the game so much by this point that it won't take overly long, which gives me a chance to voice my thoughts over everything.
I suppose an overview of what's going on is in order though, isn't it? Well, the story of Portal 2 is not necessarily simple, but it definitely is not complicated: Chell, our hero from the original Portal, was dragged and forced into cryogenic storage after her victory over GLaDOS in the first game. Thanks to the sacrifices of Doug Rattman, Chell was able to survive her stay in stasis while all the other test subjects died. She survived for several centuries, until the reserve power finally ran out and she was forced awake. Mysteriously aided by a personality core on a rail, Chell must try to escape the facility once more. Unfortunately, her efforts to escape are dashed when she and Wheatley accidentally reactive GLaDOS, the murderous, insane AI that runs Aperture Science in the absence of any human scientists.
Chell's partner for the beginning of the game is Wheatley, an adorably ineffective personality core that tries to make himself sound smart and amazing, when in reality he isn't. Wheatley is voiced by Stephen Merchant, who gives little Wheatley a lot of added life and character, which make him possibly the funniest character in the game. He's sort of a breath of fresh air: GLaDOS is hilarious, but relying solely on her dialogue all game would get repetitive. Wheatley offers his own brand of humour that plays off GLaDOS from earlier. It also helps that he's about as smart as a melting ice cube.
I find myself wondering what it must be like for Chell to wake up centuries after her last cognitive memory. Part of what makes the Portal universe so incredible is that so much of it's story is not told to us, but left for us to figure out on our own. It's an interesting choice for telling the game's story, seeing as how we already know it has something to do with the Half-Life universe, but Valve is very careful with its foreshadowing and dropping hints. It makes understanding Portal and Portal 2 just as much fun as playing the games, which is a feat in and of itself.
Getting back to the point, imagine you were to wake up after 2 or 4 centuries. What would you think of the world around you if that were the case? Chell only appears calm because she is mute and does not offer a vocal or physical reaction. This is done for one of two reasons: either it's the Gordon Freeman style of trying to immerse us in the game, or it's a play on this style of game and they're really making fun of the poor mute girl. Either way, Chell is forced to relive memories of her last testing experience at GLaDOS's hands, albeit in a rundown facility that is being slowly reclaimed by nature. I personally think more of it should have been taken over by now, but what are you going to do?
Wheatley says the appropriate reaction to hearing you have brain damage is alarm. I would imagine Chell would be a bit more alarmed about being woken up in Aperture Science yet again. I personally think all of Chell's reactions are up to the player: it's up to you whether Chell is terrified, angry, or eager. Whether she plans on charging through Aperture Science Laboratories with gusto or with care. She's the greatest test subject out there: rejected because she never gives up.
Makes me wonder if I'd have that kind of fortitude, given the situation.
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