Valve explains why Portal's Companion Cube had to die

by Justin McElroy on Nov 2nd 2009 2:30PM

When we cursed the heavens and asked tearfully why our beloved labradoodle, Cagney, had to die in a horrific snow plow accident, leaving behind her best friend (our maltipoo Lacey), the only answer we received was the stony ambivalence of a silent autumnal sky.

When we cursed Valve and asked tearfully why our beloved Companion Cube had to die by our own hands, Portal's writers calmly explained to Gamasutra that it was to develop a stronger bond with the Cube and teach the mechanics of the incinerator.

See how it's done, God? Was that so difficult?

Source

Tags: companion-cube, erik-wolpaw, orange-box, portal, valve

Reader Comments (51)

Maybe I thought Portal was too easy. I didn't really care about burning the Cube. Was the little heart on the cube supposed to create an attachment?

I mean what was I going to do, not play the game past that point. The Cube helped me through the level by holding down floor switches. To get out of the room you have to burn the Cube, so what. It's not like there was a few hours of character creation to get attached.

I really don't get all the immense praise for Portal. Grim Fandango had harder puzzles. Hell Professor Layton can sometimes make Portal look like a cakewalk.

Previous 50 Comments