The Portal franchise is one of the most legendary accidental hits in video game history and the original game is still celebrated to this day. Now, it appears that one of the series that put Valve on the map is coming back in the form of a brand-new spin-off. Valve recently announced a new Portal spin-off called Aperture Desk Job that will allow players to return to the glory days of Aperture Science.
Aperture Science is one of the main antagonists of Portal and Portal 2, but the company is typically overshadowed by its malicious AI creation GLaDOS. This situation is further complicated by the fact that by the time of both games, Aperture Science has largely ceased operation, with GLaDOS being the only remaining employee.
Gamers have had access to a rough outline of the fall of Aperture Science and the rise of GLaDOS since the very first game. However, further details became available in Portal 2, which further explored GLaDOS' backstory and the decline of Aperture Science founder Cave Johnson. Now, it appears that Aperture Desk Job, a free playable short made specifically for Valve's new Steam Deck mobile PC, will give players even more insight into the workings of this disastrous scientific research company.
Long-time Valve fans may be disappointed that Aperture Desk Job is not Half-Life 3 or Portal 3, both titles that veteran gamers have been waiting for. However, this new title is both completely free and taking place in the same universe as both the Half-Life and Portal franchises, which may be reassuring. A short trailer showcases some of what fans can expect from this title: talkative robots, deranged inventions, lots of Portal's trademark dark humor, and explosions. It appears that Aperture Desk Job will be a unique take on the walking simulator where gamers are tasked with sitting behind a desk instead of walking around, meaning that gamers will be unable to escape whatever Aperture Science has in store for them.
Reportedly, Aperture Desk Job was made specifically to show off the recently-launched Steam Deck. It will be partly a walkthrough of the device's controls, making it another Valve tech demo with attitude. Despite the short length, it might be comparable to Half-Life: Alyx, both games being free launch titles for new pieces of Valve hardware. Regardless, the developers have made it clear that Aperture Desk Job will make sitting behind a desk just as tense and nerve-wracking as Portal's puzzles.
