SPOILER ALERT: Naturally, the next piece accommodates important spoilers for each Portal 2 and Stray.
Having just lately accomplished the transient journey platformer Stray, I used to be struck by how a lot the ending jogged my memory of Portal 2’s conclusion. Following on from this, I began realising how a lot your complete premise of Stray jogged my memory of that of Portal – not simply narrative-wise but in addition how the sport world is introduced to the protagonist, and consequently the participant.
The tales of each Stray and Portal are dystopian, each a mirrored image of human society gone astray. Whereas each worlds reached their decrepit state by completely different means, the end result continues to be the identical. Dystopia is nothing new in storytelling, a lot so within the literary world that dystopia is its personal fully-fledged style. Likewise, for gaming, varied types of dystopia have lengthy been a well-liked premise. Half-Life‘s alien-totalitarian Metropolis 17, BioShock‘s heartless libertarian paradise Rapture, and Fallout‘s post-apocalyptic society are all high-profile examples.
So, what ties Portal and Stray collectively particularly? Put merely, each video games offer you that foreboding sense of feeling trapped. Then, at their respective conclusions, each video games instil a sudden burst of freedom, virtually like every little thing you simply went by was value it for that one decisive second.
Chell is trapped within the decaying stays of the Aperture Science facility by the sardonic synthetic superintelligence GLaDOS, who’s intent on utilizing her for testing functions. The titular Stray in the meantime, has fallen a number of ranges inside Walled Metropolis 99 to an unfamiliar and harmful world.
Whereas the stray’s jail is much less confined than Chell’s unlucky circumstances, a robust want to flee is imbued in each protagonists. For the stray, the robotic companion B-12 guides your paws proper from the very starting of the sport. B-12 is pushed by a must see the skin world as he regains his reminiscence, and the cat is the one who finally sees this aim to its completion.
Chell is guided as nicely, her first escape was out of necessity as she flees GLaDOS’ try to eliminate her, however the second time round, the discarded character core Wheatley performs a giant half in shaping Chell’s motivations. Although Wheatley and Chell don’t keep pleasant for lengthy, the comedic deuteragonist acts as a voice for the silent protagonist’s motivations.
Each Portal 2 and Stray play out in an identical method, the participant is imprisoned from the outset and the remainder of the sport is a sequence of steps in direction of escape. The sense of confinement is compounded by the shortage of contemporary air and daylight current in Aperture and Walled Metropolis 99. It doesn’t matter how giant the 2 places are in actuality, with out entry to nature, they’re each prisons.
Each Chell and the stray are silent protagonists; they don’t vocalise their want to flee themselves however as a substitute, categorical it by their actions. This can be a tougher manner of exploring a story, however one that may be much more rewarding because the participant tasks their very own traits onto the characters.
Chell by no means verbally explains that she needs to go away the testing program, she by no means does something specific that will make the participant really feel sympathy for her. However regardless, we’re all completely happy to see Chell escape on the finish of Portal 2. The cat doesn’t say a phrase (until meowing counts), however who may also help themselves from feeling a way of satisfaction when he steps out of the Walled Metropolis?
However let’s return to why this comparability clicked in my head within the first place: that unimaginable sense of freedom that each Stray and Portal 2 offer you once you see them by to the tip. When GLaDOS locations Chell on the elevator out of Aperture, the sound of birds tweeting greets the participant earlier than they will even see the skin world. The clear blue sky and the wheat fields so far as the attention can see are the right illustration of what you’ve labored so arduous for – the final word sense of freedom. With the solar overhead and a contemporary breeze within the air – you’ll be able to’t really feel it, however you simply know it’s there – you’re feeling like you’ll be able to go anyplace and do something. Chell is lastly free. Although, if the Mix from Half-Life continues to be in cost on Earth, that freedom may very well be a poisoned chalice.
The Stray ending performs out a bit slower, as you’re capable of observe the opening-up of Walled Metropolis 99. You witness the daylight pierce even the depths of the town, wiping out the companion-eating Zurks within the course of. As you method the overgrown exit of the town with the sunshine beaming within the door, a way of pleasure builds. Upon reaching the skin, the digicam strikes backwards and the cat turns and stares at it. They’re taking a look at you, they’re grateful, however the exterior is just not so that you can see, it’s for them to expertise. You’ve earned the cat its freedom however you’ll be able to go no additional. It’s a proud second.
Although the video games are dissimilar in style and even broader narrative, each Portal 2 and Stray have endings that paint the pure world as freedom itself. Their respective technologically-charged worlds had been charming and well-designed, however the final aim is to return to nature. Each Chell and the stray achieved their objectives, and we, the participant, had been capable of obtain it with them, even when we ourselves by no means bought to expertise that freedom by their eyes.
