Poll: The best new tool in Portal 2?

[Leemaster777]

So, I just beat Portal 2 about 5 minutes ago (I know I'm a bit late to the party, I've been kinda addicted to Mortal Kombat), and I have to say, I think Valve has outdone themselves. Portal 2 is everything Portal 1 was, but bigger, badder, and better.

Anyways, since there are a TON of Portal 2 topics, I'm somewhat surprised that there hasn't been a topic devoted exclusively to which new gameplay mechanic everyone liked best.

Personally, I'm going to have to go with the Hard-Light bridges. Those had some really neat applications in-game.

Runner-up goes to the Conversion Gel, which I thought was REALLY cool, but I don't think they did as much with it as they could have.

And an honorable mention has to go to the Thermal Discouragement Beam, which I thought was a HUGE improvement over the energy balls from the previous game.

(Also, while it isn't really a gameplay mechanic, I'm glad Valve didn't use as many timed button presses as they did in the last game. Those were the most annoying part of the last one, and I think there were only two in this one.)

EDIT: Gah, I forgot the Aerial Faith Plate. Added to poll.

 

[Onyx Oblivion]

It's okay. I just beat it yesterday morning, myself.

Honestly?

The excursion funnel is like a one-way hard light bridge that results in timing being a serious factor, unlike the bridges, which rely more on proper placement. These require timing AND placement.

As it introducing timing beyond just when to jump, I gotta give it to the bridge.

 

[SovietSecrets]

Blue repulsion gel. I can jump on those things for hours and listen to the sounds that come with them.

 

[Leemaster777]

It's okay. I just beat it yesterday morning, myself.

Honestly?

The excursion funnel is like a one-way hard light bridge that results in timing being a serious factor, unlike the bridges, which rely more on proper placement. These require timing AND placement.

As it introducing timing beyond just when to jump, I gotta give it to the bridge.

Don't forget, the Hard-Light Surfaces DO have one application that the Funnel doesn't. It can be used as a turret shield.

 

[Onyx Oblivion]

It's okay. I just beat it yesterday morning, myself.

Honestly?

The excursion funnel is like a one-way hard light bridge that results in timing being a serious factor, unlike the bridges, which rely more on proper placement. These require timing AND placement.

As it introducing timing beyond just when to jump, I gotta give it to the bridge.

Don't forget, the Hard-Light Surfaces DO have one application that the Funnel doesn't. It can be used as a turrent shield.

True enough, but I quite enjoyed using the funnels to drop gel on them significantly more than just blocking their bullets.

 

[DustyDrB]

I loved the Gel puzzles. Having to combine the Propulsion and Repulsion gels was a blast. If I have to pick one...the Propulsion gel.

 

[Daystar Clarion]

Repulsion and propulsion gels for me.

Not only do I love the way the gel is rendered (I love big globules of liquid), but there were some really good puzzles, having to combine both the gels to overcome them.

 

[Dorian]

I'm rather fond of the Excursion Funnel. It's like a Hardlight Bridge, except it can move shit around too.
And instead of setting your hair on fire, it fills your lungs with asbestos!

The Thermal Discouragement Beam was fun, but it could get.... messy if you don't line everything up right.

The gels are entertaining, but the Conversion Gel one was a flat-out pain to deal with. The Repulsion Gel was pretty up there, but could get aggravating if you forgot to hold down CTRL when you fall half an inch. Propulsion Gel was also good. Just took me for-bloody-ever to realize that running into a wall-portal and out of a floor-portal would send me a-soaring.

Hardlight Bridges are good, but basically only Excursion Funnels that can't move things.
And get in your way.

Aerial Faithplates are a good idea, but not a major idea. More like the tape that holds a lot of the fun puzzles together, but not really a groundbreaking innovation in science.

 

[EternalFacepalm]

Voted for the Hard-Light Surfaces.
- Why?
Because I loved removing the bridge under my Partner in Science. And dying is fun in co-op, kinda, so that's all justified. Don't kill me.

 

[Vie]

The Spooge Cannon.

Oh ok, the Conversion Gel - being able to dictate where you place portals (assuming you can aim at the surface you want) is very useful.

Plus its fun to jump into a shower of moonspooge.

 

[C95J]

I loved the excursion funnel puzzles so I would have to go with that

 

[s0merand0mdude]

Well, for fun, I'd say the Aerial Faith Plates, just because they were entertaining to use.

The propulsion gel is the one I'm most excited about, since I anticipate a lot of great user-created maps that use it. It's really versatile, and the game only gave you a few glimpses of what it can really be used for in custom maps. This goes for all of them, but the propulsion gel sticks out to me.

 

[SomeBritishDude]

It would be Conversion Gel but Valve missed the oppitunity to call it Money Shot Gel.

 

[Abengoshis]

Excursion funnels because they can range from being really annoying to really useful very quickly and easily. I like a good frustrating tool...

On another note...I wonder if Valve will make Conversion Gel cover cubes and turrets like Repulsion Gel...that would be interesting...

 

[TheYellowCellPhone]

A tie between the bridges and the faith plates. However, faith plates are as fun as it gets.

 

[badgersprite]

Well, for fun, I'd say the Aerial Faith Plates, just because they were entertaining to use.

The propulsion gel is the one I'm most excited about, since I anticipate a lot of great user-created maps that use it. It's really versatile, and the game only gave you a few glimpses of what it can really be used for in custom maps. This goes for all of them, but the propulsion gel sticks out to me.

I agree with this comment completely. The plates and the propulsion gel were the most entertaining for me to use.

 

[Outright Villainy]

Probably the orange gel.

Wheeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee.

 

[LoFr3Eq]

I voted for the thermal discouragement beams because as the OP said they are alot better than the silly balls of light in portal 1.

I also like the faith plates, some of the puzzles in co-op are just diabolical.

 

[Mute52]

Repulsion and Propulsion add so much variety to puzzles, i can't wait to see what Valve does in the DLC and what the community does with the SDK.