What's so great about the Companion Cube?

[Valiance]

Alright, I just finished Portal after starting at about 2 am, and I seriously don't understand what was so special about the Companion Cube.

This may come as a surprise, as I did find it comical and it was kinda fun to have to take it around with me throughout the test chamber, but I USED IT ONE TEST CHAMBER.

That's right - one. The weighted storage cubes got used in about 18, and we don't care about those?

People made it sound like a traumatic/dramatic experience. I could understand if I started the game with it and had to do each level with it; I could understand if it was more helpful than any of the other cubes... Hell, I don't think I even ever shut down a turret with that cube!

But it's effectively the same thing except with a heart logo on the side.

So, since this forum is generally populated by people who love their Companion Cubes, please explain your love for this inanimate object. Why was it special to you?

Or if you don't care for it, let me know, because I feel like I'm really missing something here, and not understanding the "cool hip awesome" thing about it.

Also, I thought about adding a poll, but it'd be very one-sided.

 

[Vrex360]

'tis a strange thread.

I think mostly the love for the Cube is love of the satire of Portal. That said it was a great help to you and was faithful.

 

[Beefcakes]

Are you kidding? Killing something that only wanted to help me?
Helped me without asking anything in return
Always being there for me, when I needed it most...
And at the instruction of a crazed robot, kill it in cold blood?
How could you not feel for the poor thing...

But its all part of the satire, and its funny
Just something that stood out in an already superb game.
Minus 1 point to the person who first references cake...
Excluding me

 

[wordsmith]

Because the companion cube promised never to stab me.

That's an important factor for people who are close to me

 

[Major_Sam]

But...I love Companion Cube...:'(

What I've found is that non-gamers have been trying to be a "cool gamer" by quoting popular/successful games like Portal, "THE CAKE IS A LIE!!!!1111one" "I miss my companion cube!!!!!!". Sure its funny the first 5 times but when they still do it after a year of it coming out. It's annoying and a loose a certain amount of respect for them.

Ok I maybe be talking about one person but I'm sure everyone knows a person like that.

 

[Swaki]

the funny/great thing about the companion cube isnt really your relationship whit it, its the fact that everyone else who had it fell in love whit it and some even gave up their own life rather than to destroy their companion cube which is needed to proceed, GLOriA or what ever her name was (been about year since i last played portal) also point out that no one ever destroyed their companion cube as fast as you.

 

[crudus]

It's the emphasis that was put on it. If you play with the commentary one you learn that the developers wanted you to keep a box through that level but if it was a normal weighted storage cube people would just use it to climb stairs and be done with it. So they started putting emphasis on the cube so players wouldn't let it leave their side. So the developers decided to make it comical while putting that emphasis on it. At the end of the level it teaches you about the AI incinerator which is how you beat GladOs.

 

[Major_Sam]

Are you kidding? Killing something that only wanted to help me?
Helped me without asking anything in return
Always being there for me, when I needed it most...
And at the instruction of a crazed robot, kill it in cold blood?
How could you not feel for the poor thing...

But its all part of the satire, and its funny
Just something that stood out in an already superb game.
Minus 1 point to the person who first references cake...
Excluding me

I loose 1 point...*goes and cries in the corner*

 

[Overlord Moo]

As I recall, you never bocked one of those energy ball things with a storage cube. OH YEAH!! Companion cube 1, OP 0

 

[Overlord Moo]

It's the emphasis that was put on it. If you play with the commentary one you learn that the developers wanted you to keep a box through that level but if it was a normal weighted storage cube people would just use it to climb stairs and be done with it. So they started putting emphasis on the cube so players wouldn't let it leave their side. So the developers decided to make it comical while putting that emphasis on it. At the end of the level it teaches you about the AI incinerator which is how you beat GladOs.

This

 

[Beefcakes]

I loose 1 point...*goes and cries in the corner*

Don't cry...
It lasted a whole 5 minutes from me saying 'no cake', that 4 more than I thought!
Have a cookie for effort...

 

[Major_Sam]

I loose 1 point...*goes and cries in the corner*

Don't cry...
It lasted a whole 5 minutes from me saying 'no cake', that 4 more than I thought!
Have a cookie for effort...

Hooray for cookie! By the way, re-read my post, sounds mega bitchy and now I feel bad. Ah well, my bitchiness earned me a cookie.

 

[Rhayn]

My cube never said anything. Maybe it despised my lousy puzzle-solving so much, that it decided death would be the only way to rid itself of me?

That, or I have completley misunderstood the point.

 

[ZerOmega]

It was good plot development! Gosh!!

Well, not much of a plot and more of a player's own personality. You see, most FPS games these days don't really bother explaining the main character that much. "There be the bad guys. Go shoot them up." By animating (giving it a life, sorta), the companion cube became a much needed friend in that cold and lonely test enviroment. To me, it was kinda painful to throw that box into the flames after I had bonded with it.

It was just a good story telling in so many dimensions. If you didn't like it, fine. Be an emotionless jerk. And now if you'll excuse me, I'll go an get myself a big carboard box.

 

[CounterAttack]

"The cake is a lie, but the cube is forever." - Ctrl+Alt+Del

Damn right.

 

[Crowser]

Because it promised to never stab or lie to me.

Can't say that for all those other heartless, scheming, knife wielding cubes can you?

 

[Scythos]

Its just another thing to probvide e-lulz like the cake is a lie...so it's been overdone to the max just like everything mildly amusing.


*edit* You do realise you don't euthanise it right ? When you 'burn' it all you really do is send it back to the start for the next test subject. If you look up when you first get it you'll see a very familiar orange glow ;D