Post

How's it going guys? Pokemon fan of LambdaGen here. I've had this question in my head for awhile now, but why does GLaDOS look different in Portal 2 and not like how she does in Portal 1? And how did she get back into the facility after the ending of Portal 1? Is there any lore I missed out on or..?

glados3
Skyspawn
Skyspawn
Mar 21, 2023

I think one of the reasons why Valve decided to change her design was because they wanted a way for her to emote more. Her Portal 1 design was very static and could only sway back and forward a bit. But since Portal 2 was going for a slightly more ambitious story they really needed to turn GLaDOS her model into something that can convey emotions better. Now she can animate her visor, her head, etc which will help players connect with her a little more easily.

ThatAlex14
ThatAlex14
Mar 21, 2023

There is no solid lore reason but what people theorise is that the eye piece or covering broke off after portal 1. And why she's in her chamber again? Well some say her back up conciousness deployed bots to bring her body back to the chamber for power up. However the scientists did not give her the access to power up unless a core or human game command for it (This can be one of the limitations glados had while being in charge like how we see she can't do anything once the core transfer has been initiated)

Fangyboi
Fangyboi
Mar 21, 2023

I think the personality cores she had limited her movement (if I were to guess it was to avoid her killing nearby scientists when she was powered on by throwing herself around)

Reply to Fangyboi
ThatAlex14
ThatAlex14
Mar 21, 2023

That is quite true. The cores did limit her movement and expression a lot. Her voice changes to something more like the Portal 2 glados right after the Morality core is destroyed. And she even starts moving a lot with each core's destruction

Reply to ThatAlex14
Fangyboi
Fangyboi
Mar 21, 2023

Which explains why glados has more emotion in portal 2

Reply to Fangyboi
ThatAlex14
ThatAlex14
Mar 21, 2023

Yep that's actually explained somewhere I think. Glados is in full control of her movements and expression and even most of Aperture. I think she was also restricted to do a lot of things in Aperture, like moving test chamber parts, etc. But in both the games she does not have access to the behind the scenes (or maintenance) areas. So the scientists did keep a few things away from glados' control just in case things went wrong (which definitely did)

Reply to ThatAlex14
Fangyboi
Fangyboi
Mar 21, 2023

So technically chell saved and doomed aperture in both games but mostly saved in portal 2, (this is gonna be off topic as it already is but anyway) if they make a portal 3 it should be focused before glados was activated and be from the perspective of a scientist/test subject and have hints of Gman having something to do with the glados sabotage that's hinted at the red phone line being cut

Reply to Fangyboi
ThatAlex14
ThatAlex14
Mar 21, 2023

Oh yes the red phone! I personally like to believe it was a black mesa spy rather than the gman because overall Aperture doesn't play much of a part in the half life story (besides the borealis) Also a third portal game should definitely be set before Portal 1. Since old Aperture is largely unexplored still. Or maybe a sort of psychological horror puzzle game through the eyes of Rattmann. There are quite a few possibilities

Reply to ThatAlex14
Fangyboi
Fangyboi
Mar 21, 2023

Where to progress in certain puzzles ratman has to take the companion cube with him or a mental wall won't let him

Reply to Fangyboi
ThatAlex14
ThatAlex14
Mar 21, 2023

Yeah pretty much. I think it should also have certain hallucinations which make obstacles for him (somehow) and altough Rattmann isn't really the main protagonist he should have to solve some test chambers (i think he did since he has the cube). Also the game could show how his colleagues were killed and in very brutal ways. This could make him see and view things very differently. And I think this game would work well in VR. Something kind of slow paced like HL: Alyx (as compared to HL2)

Reply to ThatAlex14
Fangyboi
Fangyboi
Mar 21, 2023

Yeah that would work really well with the portal games actually, it would attract a bigger audience to the series that's for sure.

papis802
papis802
Mar 28, 2023

my headcanon is after the explosion, the wind rearranged the parts of her

🏳️‍⚧️//Buckettz_//🏳️‍⚧️

1. She shares certain design traits with the original, some things can be excused as damage, others just being design retcons like all the other facility tech in P2. 2. Maybe the giant hole visible above the central chamber.

Never
Never
Mar 21, 2023

Retcons. Also what Robo said, I think that decision to have GLaDOS to emote more was an incredibly fantastic one in the long run.