Portal 2, built using the positively ancient Source engine, is still one of the best games I’ve played this year. It’s filled to the brim with distilled, undiluted clever, and is one of the year’s most critically and commercially successful games.
It’s going to get better.
Valve has announced that it will be releasing a second update to the game that will add an in-game map editor. Users will be able to create – and rather importantly – share their own custom created single and co-operative levels. Crowd-sourced thinking with portals? Yes, please!
The update will bring "an easy-to-use in-game map editor that will let users design, build and share their own single-player and co-op test chambers with the community,"says the press release. There’s no mention of platform or price; The last bit of DLC, Peer Review, was given free on all platforms, but Microsoft’s odd policies means Valve will probably have to charge for this next update; a little extra cash for Gabe Newell’s doughnut fund. The Steamworks-enabled PS3 version will probably go free, as will its PC counterpart.
The press release does mention that it’ll be available “early next year,” which in Valve Time means probably mid-2013.
Here’s the Press release :
October 21, 2011 – Valve, creators of best-selling game franchises (such as Half-Life, Left 4 Dead, Team Fortress, and Counter-Strike) and leading technologies (such as Steam and Source), today announced the second game add-on for the year’s highest rated multiplatform game, Portal 2, is in development and targeted for release early next year.
This major update will feature an easy-to-use in-game map editor that will let users design, build and share their own single-player and co-op test chambers with the community, who will be able to view, play and vote on them with a simple click.
Portal 2 was released April 19, and currently holds a Metacritic score of 95%, making it the top-rated multiplatform game of 2011. Its first content update, "Peer Review", came out two weeks ago.
A hilariously mind-bending adventure that challenges you to use wits over weaponry in a funhouse of diabolical science, Portal 2 features expansive single and cooperative multiplayer game modes. For more information on Portal 2 and its downloadable content, please visit http://www.thinkwithportals.com.
Last Updated: October 24, 2011
