The Final Hours of Portal 2

by Geoff Keighley

The Final Hour of Portal 2 takes you deep within the top-secret offices of Valve, creators of Half-Life, for an unvarnished look at the creative process behind the new video game Portal 2. Journalist Geoff Keighley was granted unprecedented “fly on the wall” access to Valve over the past three years to create this story. From the hush-hush Portal prequel that was shelved to the last minute scramble to complete the game’s story, The Final Hours of Portal 2 is a gripping and dramatic story.

Please note the Kindle version does not include as many photos or the videos that are available in the iPad version.

Genres: Nonfiction, Video Games, Games, Game Design

79 pages, Kindle Edition

First published April 21, 2011

Reviews

[Austin Barrett · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was very interesting to read. I recommend reading his articles “The Final Hours of Half-Life” and “The Final Hours of Half-Life 2” first to get the most enjoyment out of this (both are freely available online). All of them are very interesting looks inside how Valve works and the issues they had to overcome while making these games.

This was originally released as an interactive iPad app and ported to Steam, which kept the interactive elements. There is also a text-and-image-only version available on Kindle, but it does leave out some parts of the interactive version (including all the videos), plus the pictures are black and white.

The iPad app is definitely the intended way to experience it, but nowadays, it’s nearly impossible (if not impossible) to get ahold of it, since you’d need an iPad with iOS 10 in order to run the 32-bit app and even then some online components may no longer work.

For the best experience, I’d recommend going with the Steam version of this book, since it retains the interactive and video components and is available. Some online components are broken, like a few of the videos (which I was able to find on YouTube), the iTunes previews of songs (instead you can listen to the full songs on your streaming service of choice), and the embedded polls. I did have to restart the app once or twice after clicking a video that opened a pop up with a loader that never completed and could not be dismissed. Overall, it takes some work to get through the full experience of this now, but it is worth it in my opinion. It does show the downside of using what at the time was an innovative new way to tell the story, but now leaves us with an incomplete archive of it.

[Dave Ritchie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Enjoyable backstory about the creation of the sequel to a popular game at one of the leading companies in the gaming industry.

It is a well written narrative discussing the challenge presented a new storyline without diverging to radically from the original.

[Sinclair Adams · Rating 4 out of 5]

An intimate and informative glimpse into the making of what is still one of the greatest video games ever made. I wish this short book was longer, and I wish that Valve as a company truly held up to the vision of an innovative company that pleased its fans.

[Hadad Alzicna · Rating 4 out of 5]

Senang bisa melihat proses kreatif dibalik Portal 2

[Andy]

Worth the read if you are interested in the experience of making a game, especially one that follows a hit game like Portal 1.

[Sid S · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's amazing how this interactive book blended together the in-game Development Commentary, the Lab Rat comic, and the two games on which it is based.

This is a must read for anyone wants to know about the creative and intellectual process of designing a game like Portal 2. It states facts throughout and never makes outlandish claims on how awesome Valve is. It narrates how the best people suited for the job face immense challenges because of the nature of game design.

As a connoisseur of the Portal series, it was absolutely necessary to read the book. It's amazing to see the decisions that are taken by Valve to recruit straight-out-of college kids from institutes like DigiPen based on their capstone projects and turn them into the most memorable games for everyone.

I never imagined reading a book on a video game, but this series by the talented Geoff Keighley makes me want to delve into this genre even more.

This, and the Developer Commentary in Portal 2; and you can proudly call yourself a Portal fan. And whenever life gives you lemons, make life, not lemonade! The cake is a lie, remember that always!

Highly recommended for video-game enthusiasts.

[Jorge Figueroa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Se lee en unos minutos, si no fuera tan desordenado y estuviese todo el tiempo brincando de actividad, les diría que en una sentada.

Es un buen vistazo al método de toma de decisiones en Valve, su perspectiva sobre el futuro en aquel entonces (hoy podemos ver como lo están concretando con sus steam machines y el hecho de que ya no quieran ser intermediarios en la tienda de steam... y su sucia campaña contra windows 8 )


Tengo un razer hydra que compré ya hace casi tres años, sólo para jugar este título, y es el día que no me he podido dedicar a ello, pero me encantó ver el esqueleto de algunas partes de su procesos, el personal reclutado, la formación del equipo, ver a una persona de soporte técnico brincar a diseñar niveles, con tood y el potencial de spoilers ha valido mucho la pena.

[Steven Pautz · Rating 3 out of 5]

A fun book with well-done electronic elements. Although a bit heavy on the fandom at times, it gives an interesting and entertaining look into the people, the decisions, and the moments (but mostly the people) behind the Portal and Portal 2 games.

It's admittedly rather brief about things: most of the discussion about the game itself is just blunt plot points (and spoilers, for anybody who hasn't played it) but it's entertaining nonetheless. It doesn't go deep into any topic, but does provide enough breadth to be engaging.

While it won't win any literary awards, the Steam version's interactive format -- filled with picture galleries, videos, and the occasional cliche online poll -- was exceptionally well-done and deserves recognition in its own right. I suspect I wouldn't have enjoyed a paper copy nearly as much. 3.5 stars with a bonus for innovation and execution, rounded down due to its shortness and (subjective) shallowness.

[Jack · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5

[Krzysztof · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you're a fan of the video game industry and you like to read up on the stories behind the games you love, this is easy to recommend. Just keep two things in mind. First, this isn't so much a book, as it is an extended article - it's short, it's not too in-depth, but that also means it's a fast and easy read. Secondly, the title is a bit of a stretch. Yes, those titular "final hours" do figure in the book, but they take very little space compared to what this actually is - a summary of bios for many of the people involved, and a look at the history of both Portal and Portal 2.

But yeah, in the end, it was a pleasure to read this, so I have to recommend it :)

[Mitchel Broussard · Rating 5 out of 5]

For a Valve and Portal uber-fanatic like me, this was pretty much crack. It reads smoothly, perfectly portrays the intense stress that was behind the making of Portal 2, and the euphoria of its release. The behind-the-scenes theme to it all makes it feel personal and secretive; like you're the only one seeing all of it. And the snazzy iPad app features, like rotating vistas of the Valve offices, interactive demos and timelines make this any Valve fanboys (or girls) wet dream.

Now where's the cake?

[Inatmon · Rating 4 out of 5]

ไม่ได้ซื้อเวอร์ชั่นสตีมนะซื้อเวอร์ชั่น iPad มา ไม่เสียดายเงินสองเหรียญที่จ่ายไป หลายหน้าเพิ่มลูกเล่นหลายๆอย่างลงไป ที่เจ๋งที่สุดๆมีสองอย่างคือ
1. Panorama view ที่ลากนิ้วดูสตูดิโอของ Valve แบบรอบด้าน กับ..
2. ระบายภาพถูๆไถๆเป็นอีกภาพนึง
ถึงทักษะอังกฤษอาจไม่ได้ดีเด่ แต่ลูกเล่นในเล่มช่วยได้เยอะเลย ใครเป็นแฟนเกมของค่าย Valve แนะนำให้ซื้อมาอ่านครับ

[Matt Dillard · Rating 3 out of 5]

I loved the video games Portal & Portal 2, and I'm a software developer, so this book was targeted squarely in my direction. It was interesting to read about how various ideas made their way into the game. There wasn't a great deal of substance to the book, but it was a quick, enjoyable read that makes we want to play the games again.

[Daisuke Yamaguchi · Rating 4 out of 5]

A light-hearted but in-depth view into the creation of the Portal games. A wonderful look into the world of Valve Software and the characters that comprise it. The iPad version contains slideshows, video clips and infographic gameplay demos-THE edition to read.

[Sean · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a good look into the world of software development. if there is a programmer in your life, you should read it. It's very entertaining as well as truthful. If you're not a gamer, it demonstrates what all the fuss is about. Amazing stories are being told.

[Andrew Mueller · Rating 2 out of 5]

An interesting behind-the-scenes look into Valve and the hectic life of the development team trying to put together Portal 2. I've never played the games, but I've heard many good things. There was nothing wrong with Keighley's work, its just that nothing really jumps out at me.

[Natalia Dołżycka · Rating 2 out of 5]

Książka ewidentnie napisana na zamówienie Valve. Wszystko jest tam świetne, bezproblemowe, a Valve to najlepszy pracodawca i basta. Niby można dowiedzieć się co nieco, ale chyba nie więcej niż z PRowej broszurki...

[Jason · Rating 3 out of 5]

Quite shorter than I expected and light on details. I suppose I was spoiled by Polygon's excellent series on Defense Grid 2. This book spent half the time introducing people that weave in and out of the product, but still had some interesting tidbits that I didn't know.

[Ralph · Rating 2 out of 5]

Essential reading for Valve software fanatics; this Kindle book feels like an extended magazine article with limited insights written at a sixth-grade reading level.

[Nathaniel Rosa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Awesome read, wish I was smart enough to be a game developer - better yet a game developer at the only company I'd ever want to work for: Valve

[Drew Weatherton · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great view into the development of Portal 2 and the inner workings of Valve.

[Klim · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's alright. Short. Maybe a little too grandly dramatized.

[Tony Grosinger · Rating 5 out of 5]

Full of information that has not been exposed anywhere else. A very interesting insight into creating games at Valve.

[David · Rating 4 out of 5]

A quick behind-the-scenes account of the creative process and chaos surrounding the development of Portal 2.

[Matt Davis · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fun and interesting insight into one of the great game companies and one of its very best games.

[Andy Parkes · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved both Portal games and this insight into the goings on at Valve that led to the creation of the second game was very interested. Recommend if you're a fan of the games

[Stephen Hope · Rating 4 out of 5]

Inspirational.

[Katie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Same as my comment. It is a great look at the people involved with Portal 2 and the behind-the-scenes work.