While at PAX East yesterday I had the opportunity to interview Erik Wolpaw, a writer for Portal 2. Sadly I had left my recorder at home so I was unable to record the conversation. One of my first questions pertained to the game’s length, something which was hinted at during the PAX demo. While the original Portal was thoroughly enjoyable from start to finish, the game itself was relatively short. For the sequel Wolpaw gave me a rough estimate of about 5 times longer, including the new co-operative mode.

You can catch more information, including the difficulty of the game and how PC users will be rewarded with the game following their PS3 purchase.

One of my main concerns about Portal 2 after seeing the various trailers is how complex the game will be with the new game elements. Some of these new elements include repulsion gel, propulsion gel, excursion funnel, aerial faith plates, etc. So with all these new elements being introduced the puzzles will undoubtedly become more complex and confusing, or that’s what one would think.

Wolpaw assured me however that throughout development they had this in mind constantly. Just like the first game, the players will be eased into the game and if you’ve played through the game since the beginning you shouldn’t have any problems with the puzzles. It was one of my biggest concerns about the game and I was glad to hear it wouldn’t be as difficult or complex as expected.

Finally I inquired about the deal involving a free version of Portal 2 for the PC when you purchase the PS3 version and how you’ll be rewarded the PC version. It’s a relatively simple process, just log into your Steam account with Portal 2 on the PS3 and you’re account will be automatically be gifted with the PC version. So of course that means you’ll have to have a PS3 in order to unlock the PC version.

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