Wednesday's Nintendo Direct had a lot to offer for eager viewers, outlining the near-future plans, tech, and games for all things Nintendo. Arguably one of the most exciting things to come from the presentation is the re-ignition of the Portal franchise via the announcement of Portal: Companion Collection for the Nintendo Switch.
Portal: Companion Collection is set to bring ports of both Portal titles to the Switch, much to the delight of long-term fans. The iconic puzzle-platformer games, having been originally released in 2007 and 2011 respectively, are perhaps showing their age in their current transferability to handheld consoles, but that isn't to say that the charm and allure of the mind-bending titles have waned in any way. Interestingly, Portal 2 has been confirmed to port over with its beloved co-op mode, which will transfer perfectly over to the gameplay ethos of the Switch and its multiplayer.
Why Portal 2's Co-Op is a Fan Favorite
It would be good to first contextualize why Portal 2's co-op was so well received by fans to begin with, to then fully understand how it will translate so well to the Nintendo Switch. After all, with Portal 2 being considered one of the most influential sci-fi games ever, it must have got a lot of things right. Not just awkwardly adding a duplicate character model to the same puzzle rooms as the single-player story, Portal 2's co-op creates its own unique lore and place within the Portal universe.
The premise of Portal 2's co-op is that a player and a friend play as two robot test subjects who solve puzzle rooms as part of the Cooperative Testing Initiative created by Aperture Science. Loosely guided by the infamous and murderous AI GLaDOS, gamers play as either Atlas or P-body, two uniquely shaped and dispensable robots who are plunged into increasingly difficult courses as part of the co-op campaign.
Not only does this co-op mode provide key additional context to the mysterious inner-workings and purpose of Aperture Science, but it additionally provides an excellent facet to Portal's gameplay that many gamers never even realized they wanted. Turning the eerie and isolating gameplay that the Portal series is famous for into a dynamic and interactive co-op experience is an excellent addition to the puzzle-based gameplay, with the robotic characters of co-op not breaking the immersion or validity of the campaign's themes of seclusion and mystery.
The necessity of two people needing to work symbiotically to complete courses within classic Portal gameplay provides a unique and fresh twist, with the level of communication and synchronization needed to solve some of the co-op campaign's harder courses providing for some of the best co-operative experiences that games can hope to offer.
Why the Translation to the Switch Makes Sense
With the Nintendo Switch offering itself so well to party and co-operative gameplay experiences, perhaps more so than most other consoles currently on the market, it is extremely fitting that it is the Switch that is offering Portal 2's co-op another chance to shine. With the relatively short and sweet nature of this acclaimed co-op campaign, it provides an on-brand experience to Switch users who want to get involved in mentally-taxing yet extremely entertaining and rewarding co-op gameplay.
On top of this, the standard Nintendo Switch and its two joy-con controllers foster and aid the ultimate couch co-op environment for Portal 2. This allows each player to control their respective character on a split screen with a joy-con each for a predictably fun gaming session. Owners of the joy-con-less Switch Lite need not worry, though, with Portal 2's co-op offering full online multiplayer access, as well as a local and split screen play. After over a decade since its initial release, it's good to see that Portal is still alive.
Portal: Companion Collection is set for a 2022 release on Nintendo Switch.
