Valve's Storytelling Secrets

[DigiQ8]

In a new post on IGN, Valve's writers, Chet Faliszek and Erik Wolpaw talk about how they crafted the story for Portal 2. From the visual and audio jokes to the witty dialogues, Portal 2 shapes up to be a brilliant experience.

Mike Morasky, the sound director, has introduced procedural music for certain puzzles, as well as bringing his background in film scoring to bear. "There are pivotal late game moments, but you playtest them and people don't get it. Next you layer in the animation and it starts to become more comprehensible, and then the music comes in, underscoring the rhythm and different emotional beats and (he clicks his fingers) they get it. It's not rocket science, people do it in movies all the time." A good example of this is the excursion funnels, the slow-moving tractor beams we've seen in the trailers. "When you're in one, there's very soothing, calming music- but when you jump out, Mike does something procedurally that smoothly transitions into whatever the music is outside."

Read the full article here. (Spoilers).

 

[DEATH eVADER]

At which point he confirms that they've managed to secure another celebrity for an in-game character, but won't say who

Christopher Walken?

 

[MFL]

They've managed to secure Charlie Chaplin to provide the voice for Gordon.

 

[DEATH eVADER]

Robin Williams

 

[kupocake]

Keith David's sexy voice?

 

[Shakermaker]

Carl Pilkington!

 

[Plissken]

Patrick Stewart? MAKE IT SO!

Cerebro. Magneto.

Maybe Felicia Day?

 

[Suicide Machine]

Charlie Sheen

 

[RestInPeas]

Charlie Sheen

Or maybe Mel Gibson as the, even more, trash-talking brother of GLaDOS..

 

[kupocake]

The rogue AI has, after all been overdone. An Anti-Semitic AI on the other hand...

 

[Barnz]

Robin Williams

He'll be back one day.