Portal Stories: Mel
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| Portal Stories: Mel | |
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| Developer(s) |
Prism Studios |
| Release date(s) |
June 25, 2015 |
| Genre(s) | |
| Mode(s) | |
| Platform(s) | |
| Input | |
| Engine | |
| Writer(s) |
Ian Wiese |
| Composer(s) |
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Portal Stories: Mel is a Portal 2 modification exploring the story of Mel, a protagonist cut from Portal 2.
Contents
Plot[edit]
In 1952, Mel, an Olympic track runner, participates in an Aperture Science Extended Relaxation test. The experiment goes wrong, and Mel wakes up to find the facility in ruins. Guided by an individual claiming to be Cave Johnson, she acquires a 1970's Portal Device and goes through a series of old tests. The fake Cave Johnson at first pretends it's still 1952, coming up with various excuses for the numerous changes, but eventually gives up and reveals that it's the far future and he is actually a Personality Core named Virgil. The duo soon finds itself under threat from a strange robotic voice, which begins flooding the Enrichment Center with deadly goo.
Mel enters the new Aperture facility and helps Virgil by placing him on a management rail, but the unknown voice detects and starts targeting them, as well as an unknown third target. The Olympian goes through Virgil's Testing Track, while the core learns the strange voice is a malfuctioning AI named AEGIS (Aperture Employee Guardian and Intrusion System), which believes its three targets to have eliminated the Aperture Science staff. In an attempt to escape it, Mel and Virgil venture to the dilapidated upper parts of Aperture, where the overgrowth interferes with AEGIS' biological sensors. The duo eventually reaches the rogue AI's "lair", and sabotages its defences, including by reprogramming the Turrets to target the AI's servers.
Mel breaches AEGIS' central core and destroys its servers using the altered turrets before it can kill her by rendering the oxygen concentration lethal. This allows the duo to access an AEGIS command console and stop the incoming goo flood. They also learn - to Virgil's horror - that the third target was GLaDOS, who had exterminated the Aperture Science Team before being killed by a tenacious test subject, and that their actions have given her a chance to come back to power. Mel shuts down AEGIS before parting ways with Virgil, and she rides an elevator to the surface, finding herself in the post-apocalyptic ruins of Aperture.
In a post-credit scene, AEGIS, in its final moments, drains the facility's reserve power and awakens Test Subject 001 - GLaDOS's killer Chell. An announcement is then heard, informing the test subject she has been in suspension for "9999999..." - the story ends at the beginning of Portal 2's first chapter.
Gameplay[edit]
Portal Stories: Mel contains 22 new levels[1] featuring largely the same mechanics and gameplay as the base Portal 2. The sole exception is a new testing element called the "Death Fizzler", which acts as a combined Emancipation Grid and Laser Field - it blocks portals, destroys objects and instantly kills on contact.
Characters[edit]
- Mel
- AEGIS
- Virgil
- Rainbow Core
- Cave Johnson (voice only)
- Caroline (voice only)
- Doug Rattmann (scribblings and mention only)
- Sentry Turrets
- Chell (mentioned only)
- GLaDOS (mentioned only)
- Wallace Breen (appears on a photograph)
Development[edit]
Portal Stories: Mel was developed over the course of four years by a small independent team of fans under the name Prism Studios.[2] Development for the mod was first announced in May 2011,[3] and it was originally intended to launch in early 2012.[4] On July 27, 2014 it appeared on Steam Greenlight and got approved by Valve within the following week,[5][6] before being released free of charge on Steam on June 25, 2015.[1]
Reception[edit]
Portal Stories: Mel has gained critical acclaim since its release, which was reported by several major websites. PC Gamer praised its length and the lack of a price tag,[7] Polygon described it as "impressive",[8] and The Washington Post called the mod "imaginative " and noted its "unusually difficult" puzzles as a unique aspect.[2] As of March 2025, user reviews of Portal Stories: Mel on Steam are overwhelmingly positive, with 96% of reviewers praising the game one way or another.[1]
Gallery[edit]
Logos[edit]
Steam header.
Steam hero image.
Steam logo.
Screenshots[edit]
The Train Station.
The Enrichment Sphere.
The Destructed Park.
The Test Chamber.
The Maintenance Area.
Test Chamber 03 (Virgil's Testing Track).
Dilapidated Test Chamber.
Ditto, with old Portal Gun.
References[edit]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2
Portal Stories: Mel on Steam
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Portal Stories: Mel is a surprisingly difficult but imaginative game made by fans on The Washington Post
- ↑
Portal Stories: Mel - A lot more info on Mod DB
- ↑ Portal Stories: Mel : Coming soon! on Mod DB
- ↑ Portal Stories: Mel on Steam Greenlight
- ↑ Portal Stories: Mel has been Greenlit! on Steam Greenlight
- ↑ Portal Stories: Mel is huge and challenging and free on PC Gamer
- ↑ Portal Stories: Mel is a fan-made prequel to Portal 2, and it's fantastic (and free!) on Polygon
