Summary
Following the long-awaited and highly anticipated release of thePortal 2mod,Portal Revolution, it seems that fans want to learn more about Aperture Science’s history even after so many years, meaning it might be time that Valve considers creating its own official prequel. While it’s not unusual for popular games to receive fan-made mods that offer all-new stories and gameplay experiences, such as the upcomingFallout: LondonfromFallout 4orValve’s ownHalf-Lifemod,Black Mesa,Portal Revolutionstands out given thatPortal 2came out over a decade ago. Regardless, though, its success at least demonstrates that players want more Portal games.
However, between the ending ofPortal 2’s main story and DLC, it’s been uncertainwhat directionPortal 3could take, even though Valve continues to toy with the largerHalf-Lifeuniverse through games likeHalf-Life: AlyxandAperture Desk Job. But with some fromPortal 2’s development team making indecisive comments about a threequel and other Valve members suggesting it already has games in the works, the prospects don’t look good forPortal 3specifically. However,Portal Revolutionhas capitalized on the same idea other fan-made mods have had with Aperture’s past, which means that Valve could adapt a thirdPortalgame into an official prequel.
Valve Should Explore More of Portal’s Past
Valve Already has a History of Adopting Unofficial Mods
Unlike most other developers, Valve is among the few that embrace fan-made content, allowing players to have access to its Source and now Source 2 engines alongside tools and mod kits. This has led to the creation of many well-known and popular games, ranging fromCounter-Strike: Global OffensivetoThe Stanley Parable. Beyond this, though, Valve has gone a step further with certain mod projects and provided them with a commercial release just as it did withBlack Mesa. In doing so, Valve’s support indirectly puts fan-made games likeBlack Mesaabove others, something that it could also do withmods likePortal Revolution.
Portal Revolution Isn’t the First Portal Prequel
WhilePortal Revolutionhas its own story which takes place betweenPortalandPortal 2, it isn’t the firstPortal 2mod that exists as a prequel. AfterPortal 2set up Aperture Science’s rich history, it arguably wasn’t surprising whenPortal Stories: Melwas announced with a story dating back to Aperture’s halcyon days.Portal Stories: Meleven served as an inspiration forPortal Revolution, with both games receiving a positive reception. Alongsideother mods, such asPortal Reloadedand its time-travel mechanic utilizing both ruined and pristine testing chambers, it remains clear that there’s more gameplay and stories for Valve to explore.
The Next Portal Game Should Be A Prequel
SincePortal 2already hasPortal 2: Lab Ratas a canonical prequel, it would be unlikely that a prequel game would explore events directly before the sequel, just asPortal Revolutiondid. However, a post-credits scene fromPortal Revolutiondoes link toPortal 2’s lore and climactic Wheatley battle by establishing that Aperture Science has a moonbase where it presumably sourced rocks for Conversion Gel. Since virtually nothing has been officially confirmed, Valve’sPortalprequel could similarly explore this, especially if it looks toPortal Stories: Melfor its main inspiration instead ofPortal Revolution.
More specifically, an officialPortalprequel could explore Aperture Science’s pastin detail rather than glossing over it like most mods. Building fromPortal Stories: Mel’s opening section, aPortalprequel could benefit from being set from the fifties onward, as this would allow Valve the freedom to explore the bizarre history teased throughoutPortal 2. It could also make use ofPortal Stories: Mel’s prototype portal gun andPortal 2’s vintage testing chambers, showcasing how the gun was created, why testing portals became so all-consuming, and maybe even where the endpoint lies for these tests, ultimately leading into the potential final chapter ofPortal 3.
