Running though Aperture Science, flying through the air with the greatest of ease, and escaping death over and again is just another day of testing in the lab for Chell and nefarious AI GLaDOS in Valve’s smash-hit Portal 2. However, how different would it have been if all of those common devices were suddenly gone?

Writers Chet Faliszek and Jay Pinkerton sat down with Rock, Paper, Shotgun to divulge some of the more interesting tidbits of the game: spoilers, Easter eggs, and more surprisingly… how Portal 2 was nearly a prequel without all the devices, gamers are accustomed to. Submerging into development two years ago, Faliszek explained that during the initial stages of development, Chell’s handy portals and antagonist were stripped away.

“The original goal was the have the sense of Portal, the feel and vibe of Portal, and what else happened was open. A lot of those experiments then get integrated into the core experience.”

Pinkerton went on to admit that two years ago, when Cave Johnson dialogue was leaked, Cave Johnson was supposed to be the villain while GLaDOS sat in the wings. Depending on how you look at it, how it worked out turned out for the better

“Originally we were almost seeing how far we could push the line, and at some point, with saner heads, we realized, you know what, we want to see GLaDOS again. We want Chell back. It was us trying to try new things, but then I think realizing that we missed a lot of the elements that made the Portal 1 story.”

The interview goes on to explain how they filled out the story of Portal 2 and some of the more “spoiler-esque” portions of the game, yet for those who have played though the entirety of the single player campaign, how does the idea of “Founder and CEO” Cave Johnson sound when referred to as an antagonist? Make no mistake that Valve’s team understands how to spin a captivating story, but do you agree with Faliszek and Pinkerton on the need to have GLaDOS, Chell, and everything Aperture?

With upcoming DLC packs slated to hit, players may very well see snippets of the past, giving more insight on how things were run “way back when.” In the meantime you can be assured that we will bring you the latest happenings. Portal 2 is available now for PC, PS3, and Xbox 360.

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Source: Rock,Paper, Shotgun