Portal 2: Storytelling Like No Other

Disclaimer: This article contains major spoilers for Portal and Portal 2. 

For many gamers, the story is one of—if not the most important—aspects of the experience that a video game provides. Most big budget titles nowadays tell their stories through the use of linear, cinematic storylines broken up into cutscenes by the gameplay. While such a method is effective in easily telling a story, it has become rather par for the course for video games as the medium has progressed. However, Portal 2, released by Valve in 2011, tells its story in a method not often seen in games released nowadays. Rather than rely on cutscenes heavy with exposition or a large cast of main and supporting characters, Portal 2 tells one of the most intriguing stories in gaming through its impressive and unsettling environments as well as its unparalleled voice acting.

The first of Portal 2’s many storytelling techniques is its use of its environments. The game is set in a laboratory meant for “testing” buried in the depths of the earth and run by a malicious and sarcastic AI named GLaDOS (an acronym for Genetic Lifeform and Disk Operating System). In the first game, the player is left in sterile white rooms to complete puzzles. However, in Portal 2 the player character wakes up an undisclosed amount of time later to find previously pristine rooms overgrown with flora. This contrast tells a story in and of itself, of a once-immaculate facility long gone to ruin. Later, after the player character has been cast into the depths of the Aperture Science Enrichment Center, the scenery changes once again, replacing the white walls of the testing chambers with rusty girders and large, empty caverns. This derelict, dimly lit scenery fosters a sense of unease in the player, as at first glance it is unclear what happened to leave the early center in such a state. However, as the player progresses, they learn of the downfall and desperation of Aperture’s founder, Cave Johnson, which is reflected in the surrounding environment. Aperture’s environments, whether pristine, overgrown, or derelict, all serve to further the story in a way not often seen in current titles.

The second of Valve’s genius storytelling choices in Portal 2 is that of the specific choices that make up the main cast. Only four real characters exist in the game: the player, GLaDOS, another AI named Wheatley, and Cave Johnson. The player character, named Chell, is a silent protagonist, and Cave Johnson can only be heard through voice recordings over a PA system and is never seen. The only characters who are actually viewable are GLaDOS and Wheatley, but, since they are robots, their models can only display a certain level of emotion. This creates a rather interesting dynamic, where most of the exposition and story is implied and inferential rather than explicitly acted out, as human characters in a current title might do. While some might view this as a weakness of the game, it is rather one of its greatest strengths. The lack of traditional exposition allows the environmental storytelling to shine exceptionally bright compared to most titles, and it allows the voice actors for the main characters to have somewhat caricatured performances. Whether it’s GLaDOS with her biting sarcasm, Cave Johnson with his gruff yet humorous “testing” instructions, or Wheatley with his lack of wit and sense in general, all of the characters are taken to the extremes of their personality traits, making for extremely entertaining dialogue. This rather unconventional dialogue system is yet another of Valve’s excellent choices when crafting this title.

Overall, Portal 2 is a brilliant game. The story is genuinely fantastic, full of twists and turns, and highlighted by its alternative methods of storytelling. Since the main focus of the game is using the titular portal gun to solve puzzles, telling the story in this somewhat indirect way allows it to complement the gameplay all the way through, rather than stopping and starting with jarring expositional dumps.  This ensures that Portal 2 is an absolute blast from start to finish, and an easy recommendation to anyone.

Photos

Cover. 072020-Portal-2-Valve.jpeg by NME. https://www.nme.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/072020-Portal-2-Valve.jpeg

Figure 1. Depths by Josiah Long.

Figure 2. Lovely Pyramid by Josiah Long.

Figure 3. Don’t Fall by Josiah Long.