Portal 2 - Update
- Fixed not being able to play local splitscreen.
Portal fans were eating well for a while. The first game, which introduced portals as a puzzle-solving concept, launched in 2007 to much acclaim and was followed three years later by the equally beloved Portal 2. This expansive sequel added a lengthy co-op mode, new mechanics, and an intriguing continuation of the Aperture Science mystery. Aside from the very brief Peer Review co-op DLC, the excellent Bridge Constructor Portal, and appearances in the likes of Aperture Desk Job for the Steam Deck, there has been little else Portal-wise for us to feast on.
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Portal 64, a very cool-looking Nintendo 64-inspired Portal demake, was cancelled earlier this week because of Valve, but its dev doesn't want you to be mad at anyone.
We all love a good demake, and Portal 64 was looking like it was set to be just that - a demake of the classic puzzle game rendered in a style like that you'd see on the N64. Unfortunately, as announced on the project creator James Lambert's Patreon (via Time Extension), Valve actually reached out about the project, asking for it to be shut down. "Because the project depends on Nintendo’s proprietary libraries, they have asked me to take the project down," Lambert explained - Nintendo is famously litigious after all, so it's a move that makes sense from Valve, even if it's an unfortunate one.
Now, in a new YouTube video from Lambert, the dev added a bit more context to the situation (thanks, PCGamesN). "I can’t say I didn’t expect this at some point. It’s their IP on a Nintendo console. I was hopeful I could get it to completion, but this is not unexpected." To briefly explain what Lambert means there, the Portal 64 dev was actually making the game so that it could be played on a Nintendo 64, using Nintendo's official SDK LibUltra, the tools used to make all N64 games.
Those that are craving a whole new Portal adventure will probably be interested in Portal: Revolution, a big new mod filled with new puzzles and original voice acting.
We're probably not going to get another Portal game from Valve any time soon, but thanks to the series' modding community, there's basically an entire new entry you can play right now. And as it's a mod, it's completely free too! Set between the events of Portal and Portal 2, Portal: Revolution sees you as a new, unnamed test subject who's tasked by a personality sphere called Stirling to bring Aperture back to "its former glory."
It's specifically a mod of Portal 2, meaning it has all of the sequel's mechanics like the paint that makes surfaces slippery or bouncy. According to the game's Steam description, "the campaign contains 40 brand new puzzles making use of new test elements and presents existing mechanics in a new way not seen in Portal 2." New elements include things like a laser cube variant, and a gel cleansing field, though how those work, you'll have to find out for yourself!