industry news
There Is Science To Be Done - Portal: Prelude Is Released
Posted by Stuart Houghton at 1:40 PM on October 9, 2008
PC Portal Fans, start your downloading engines now. Fan mod prequel Portal: Prelude is finished and available for download now.
The game offers a glimpse (a longer glimpse than the original game, actually) of the events leading up to GlaDOS' little pecadillo with an extra 8 chapters of aperture-wrangling.
You'll need a copy of Portal, obviously. Other requirements here.
Download Portal: Prelude [PortalPrelude]

Comments (AU Comments · US Comments)
There are currently no AU comments for this post.
Kitsune Sniper
Posted 11:09 AM 9/10/08
@Đipic: They still force you to wait in line to download it. Considering how many people are going to try to get this, it'll take a while...
Kitsune Sniper
Kitsune Sniper
Posted 11:08 AM 9/10/08
@Mister_Willy: Thanks, pal!
Kitsune Sniper
Đipic
Posted 11:07 AM 9/10/08
@FlameEye: ...which is free.
Đipic
DoomDoomDoom
Posted 11:04 AM 9/10/08
@Jagged Toaster: @DukeOfPwn:
Glad you two didn't point out that "is", is actually supposed to be "was". Though, the change was intentional, seeing as this release is in the present.
Though, the release is for Portal: Prelude, which is actually taking place in the past...
So it's a past event taking place now, but not in the future...
*brain asplodes*
DoomDoomDoom
Seinosuke
Posted 10:56 AM 9/10/08
Kinda lame that Valve didn't make this :/ I'm sure it'll be good, but...still
Seinosuke
dead_red_eyes
Posted 10:53 AM 9/10/08
@Mister_Willy:
Haha. Nice! Take that exclusivity!!!
dead_red_eyes
Jorw
Posted 10:52 AM 9/10/08
Ugh. Stupid FilePlanet is forcing me to wait 28 minutes until I can download it.
Jorw
Fangeh
Posted 10:47 AM 9/10/08
@Kenny: I'm sure they did. Remember though that you are getting the result of untold hours of work by the developers of the mod for free. Given that, if they make a bit of scratch off a minor inconvenience I can't complain.
Fangeh
chup88
Posted 10:45 AM 9/10/08
@dead_red_eyes: not like you can't get a free account and get it
chup88
Mister_Willy
Posted 10:45 AM 9/10/08
fixed
[www.demonoid.com]
Mister_Willy
Kenny
Posted 10:43 AM 9/10/08
@dead_red_eyes: The Insurgency guys pulled that shit too. They better be getting money or something, there's no other reason for selling out like that.
Kenny
RaptureScientist
Posted 10:42 AM 9/10/08
The whole fan made mod part kinda puts me off of this one. When it comes to story based elements I don't like non-canon.
RaptureScientist
QualityJeverage
Posted 10:41 AM 9/10/08
@Taurus_McGee: And that's why I never buy Valve games on consoles. You don't get the unbelievable mod community.
QualityJeverage
dead_red_eyes
Posted 10:38 AM 9/10/08
FilePlanet 24h Pre-Launch Exclusivity
Lame.
dead_red_eyes
DukeOfPwn
Posted 10:37 AM 9/10/08
@DoomDoomDoom: I'm making a no-
NO! WILL NOT SUCUUMB TO REFERENCING STILL ALIVE! AAAARRGH!
...
-te here, huge success.
DukeOfPwn
Jagged Toaster
Posted 10:37 AM 9/10/08
@DoomDoomDoom: I'm making a note here: huge success.
Jagged Toaster
DukeOfPwn
Posted 10:36 AM 9/10/08
@Fangeh: You just need a FilePlanet account, which is the same as an IGN account. Both are free.
DukeOfPwn
FlameEye
Posted 10:35 AM 9/10/08
@Sap_My_Sentry: And, if you had a FilePlanet subscription.
FlameEye
DoomDoomDoom
Posted 10:34 AM 9/10/08
This is a triumph.
DoomDoomDoom
Sap_My_Sentry
Posted 10:34 AM 9/10/08
I was an idiot for buying the Orange Box on the 360. If I just waited until I built my great new rig I could be playing this right now.
*sigh*
Sap_My_Sentry
Taurus_McGee
Posted 10:33 AM 9/10/08
Lame!! I only have the 360 version. I can't even update my TF2 for cryin' out loud. Stupid Microsoft. :(
Taurus_McGee
Fangeh
Posted 10:33 AM 9/10/08
It looks like it's only for FilePlanet subscribers right now, am I wrong?
Fangeh
stormcrow85
Posted 11:33 AM 9/10/08
I am all over this!!!!!!
I am in Line to download and I am going to say out right this will be a triumph... ok I'm sorry
stormcrow85
90sKid
Posted 11:31 AM 9/10/08
@Taurus_McGee: Tell that to us PS3 owners =(
90sKid
QualityJeverage
Posted 11:29 AM 9/10/08
@Seinosuke: Well that's an odd complaint. Valve games are renowned for their amazing mod communities, and mods like this are precisely why.
QualityJeverage
Đipic
Posted 11:28 AM 9/10/08
@Mister_Willy: It's going so slow though. :(
Đipic
Pupnasty
Posted 11:28 AM 9/10/08
@Pupnasty: Ok....So it is already being torrented, my bad, lol.
Pupnasty
DragonSphere
Posted 11:26 AM 9/10/08
@RaptureScientist: Yea same here. It's pretty much interactive fan fiction, albeit what looks to be a decently designed one.
DragonSphere
Pupnasty
Posted 11:26 AM 9/10/08
@Kitsune Sniper: I see it being on torrent sites veryyyy soon.
Pupnasty
Chaoticevl
Posted 11:19 AM 9/10/08
even if I have to wait 29min to download it once it's going it only took me 10 mins to get it, so i have no problem with fileplanet.
Chaoticevl
Bernard McGraw
Posted 11:15 AM 9/10/08
Ugh, I wish I had a computer that was capable of playing this.
Bernard McGraw
V1L3
Posted 11:58 AM 9/10/08
@DragonSphere: Goddammit, you beat me pretty much word-for-word!
I blame portals. And science.
V1L3
V1L3
Posted 11:56 AM 9/10/08
@RaptureScientist:Yeah, with you on this. It might be very good fanfiction, but it's still fanfiction.
V1L3
Đipic
Posted 11:45 AM 9/10/08
@Seinosuke: What difference does it make? lol
Đipic
ca$h
Posted 12:18 PM 9/10/08
So... to those who HAVE it and've played it.... is it worth a download?
ca$h
Spidery_Yoda
Posted 12:14 PM 9/10/08
In the queue on Fileplanet. I'll be here all night at this rate. Think i'll just go to bed in fact and get it tomorrow. I need to be up in about 6 hours.
Spidery_Yoda
Dudemeister
Posted 12:09 PM 9/10/08
"Fan mod prequel". Eh...I'll probably only ever pick up portal again for the story. So...I'm gonna pass on the fan fiction.
Dudemeister
Nexus6
Posted 12:08 PM 9/10/08
@Sap_My_Sentry: Thats why I traded in my 360 copy. Just got a new comp and will be purchasing the PC version, + it comes with EXTREME Peggle !!!
p.s. Haven't even played Portal yet so i'm looking forward to that.
Nexus6
osteofight
Posted 12:07 PM 9/10/08
If I was the designer I'd make the fans furious by having a ridiculous slapstick plot. A talking pig may be a major character.
osteofight
Chaoticevl
Posted 12:06 PM 9/10/08
so much harder, can't even get past the third room.
Chaoticevl
Gofthick
Posted 12:37 PM 9/10/08
Ran through it quickly with noclip just to get a sense of the plot they've put onto it.
To be honest it's clear the majority of effort went into making the maps nice and challenging. The story is next to non existent and the voice work is quite clearly text to speech.
A map pack with a little extra touch would be the best way of describing it.
Gofthick
Benjammn
Posted 12:35 PM 9/10/08
Already 200 people in the line....:'(
Whatever, I can wait. This has potential.
Benjammn
HELLSRIDER
Posted 12:34 PM 9/10/08
@Taurus_McGee: I know how you feel Taurus, I hate how the updates arent even out yet.
HELLSRIDER
fuchikoma
Posted 12:33 PM 9/10/08
OM NOM NOM...
DELICIOUS CAKE... I MUST EAT IT!!!
But seriously - I'm totally going to download this when it's on a server that doesn't require me to be a member to make use of it.
fuchikoma
ELUNO
Posted 12:27 PM 9/10/08
30 minute queue line?! :'(
ELUNO
antialias02
Posted 12:59 PM 9/10/08
@RaptureScientist: Completely agreed. I'm not a huge fan of this notion.
antialias02
Benjammn
Posted 12:46 PM 9/10/08
@Benjammn:
The wait is ~20 min. I'm around 100 in the queue now.
Benjammn
segamanxero
Posted 1:15 PM 9/10/08
@Sap_My_Sentry: the original portal runs on a shyte machine... serious no lie...
i can run portal on high settings on my current "gaming rig"
my "gaming rig" specs are
Pentium III copermine @849mhz
512mb of SDRAM
nvidia Geforce FX5200 constained from 4x AGP to 2x AGP
all running on a geriatric intel SE440BX-2 Mobo...
im serious... i can run this game without any hiccups... im quite sure you have a more powerful computer in your garbage
segamanxero
DukeOfPwn
Posted 1:08 PM 9/10/08
@Seinosuke: More Portal is more Portal!
DukeOfPwn
Aleeightone
Posted 1:47 PM 9/10/08
Fair warning - this is many levels of magnitude more brutal than the original.
And I'm talking about the original challenge levels.
Aleeightone
stormcrow85
Posted 1:30 PM 9/10/08
well um I cant get past the third room I dont know what I am missing
stormcrow85
Ayanami
Posted 2:13 PM 9/10/08
@Aleeightone: Yes it is brutal. You have to do some things perfectly, PERFECTLY. You can do something a pixel too early or late and not meet your objective. I can understand wanting difficulty in your mod, but seriously, at least give us a few pixels of wiggle room.
Ayanami
Kitsune Sniper
Posted 2:57 PM 9/10/08
@fox01313: This has nothing to do with Still Alive.
Kitsune Sniper
fox01313
Posted 2:40 PM 9/10/08
This might be the same mod that is coming out (Still Alive) going to the 360. I had to get both since I needed the SDK on the PC so will put up my thoughts if it ever downloads.
fox01313
TeknoVagrant
Posted 3:15 PM 9/10/08
@segamanxero: that's probably because your running the game at, or, lower than 800x600
TeknoVagrant
EaGle1337
Posted 3:51 PM 9/10/08
@TeknoVagrant: yeah he has to be. any higher and it'd be unplayable.
EaGle1337
fox01313
Posted 4:44 PM 9/10/08
@fox01313:
Glad to hear Still Alive is different after trying this out. Here are the thoughts.
Well what I was able to see for the 30 min or so of playing, along with being quite thankful that there wasn't a cost to the bloody mod, is that the voice acting is two guys in the roles of labcoat observers so not sure if Glados pops up later. They reskinned Chell so you're playing a blonde, believe her name is Abby. Only saw the first few rooms as unlike the Portal game we know & love, the level design here is fricking brutal to say the least. After you leave the entry room with the sleeping pod you get the orange half of the portal gun but the blue portal puts you in the line of fire of 4 turrets. Room 3 (counting the sleeping pod cubicle) has half of one area you can put portals, a blue portal in a small pit & across the pit where you need to go is an area covered in the reflective black tiles you can't put a portal on. With nowhere to really fling yourself with any great momentum I gave up on it for now & will come back to it later so that's all I saw for now.
I feel sorry for the poor bastards who get this mod & the Orange box and decide to play the prequel first, they will undoubtedly hate Portal for a while until they try the Valve creation over this mod.
fox01313
Maykie
Posted 5:10 PM 9/10/08
Downloading from the Demonoid torrent now. I'll come back once I've played it and tell ya about it, if everyone hasn't already played it once I finish downloading :P
Maykie
BPMΣ
Posted 5:05 PM 9/10/08
@Mister_Willy:
THANK YOU.
Screw FilePlanet. Worst file site ever.
It is going a tad slow, though, despite the number of seeders and peers... And I know I have no problem running torrents...
BPMΣ
13xforever
Posted 5:20 PM 9/10/08
@Fangeh: It's long on torrent :)
13xforever
mcderek3000
Posted 6:18 PM 9/10/08
I do hope that consoles will eventually have access to the modding scene like us PCs - especially for Valve games. I have probably already played 10 amazing mods for the series.
mcderek3000
Ayanami
Posted 6:56 PM 9/10/08
@mcderek3000: The consoles will in the future, however I guarantee the console makers will charge money for these mods. Given the fail that is DLC on consoles at the moment (A severe lack of portability, you can't take it to your friends house without lugging the whole bloody system with you) and people still buying, I can't imagine that the makers of the consoles wouldn't charge for mods, despite them being free for PC.
Ayanami
outforprophets
Posted 9:21 PM 9/10/08
Third level is not impossible, it's just VERY VERY unforgiving if you don't do things exactly right. You probably know what to do but the stars haven't aligned for you yet.
Not really happy with this fan made game. I think they bought too much into making it challenging and made it a bit too hardcore.
outforprophets
Hemlock
Posted 10:35 PM 9/10/08
@RaptureScientist: I don't think I'm even a fan of canon. I like the bite size story of Portal, and to have it expanded on... well I just don't need that. (ex: Matrix) Best to imagine the events surrounding Glados, if you even care to imagine. I'm fine with it the way it is but I'll play this "expansion" and just do my best to ignore whatever new plot elements it introduces. That'll be impossible to do I know but it would be equally impossible for me to NOT play this expansion just so I could avoid additional story.
Hemlock
Tetelestia
Posted 11:24 PM 9/10/08
This is incredibly challenging, and I'm assuming it only ramps from here. Not a great idea, but whatever.
Tetelestia
fox01313
Posted 12:48 AM 10/10/08
@outforprophets:
Agreed on all, the people who made this mod didn't realize many people didn't play these challenge maps until the could do it blindfolded while walking on glass spikes with people shooting guns at them.
Luckily with it being pc & known cheats we can just noclip through the bad parts.
fox01313
GlItCh017
Posted 12:41 AM 10/10/08
Portal anything = win.
GlItCh017
gloveofpower
Posted 1:19 AM 10/10/08
yesssssssss!!!!!!!!
gloveofpower
Umandsf
Posted 1:07 AM 10/10/08
GAH! I can't get through Test Chamber 01! This is going to be torture.
Umandsf
Sakilla
Posted 1:35 AM 10/10/08
I can't believe half the gamers here condemned this because it's "fan-fiction". You could be playing more Portal. It's a made up story; it's up to your own imagination not to allow it to be ruined for you. It's not real. It's a video game. I think it's awesome that people are so motivated that they continue to realize other developer's visions!
Sakilla
JohnnyUK
Posted 1:31 AM 10/10/08
Ugh, that was awful. It really lacks polish pretty much everywhere and casting the scientists as sadistic loons makes GlaDOS relatively sane. The maps so far have felt really counter-intuitive; you get the impression that you won by exploiting bugs rather than the true feeling of genius you felt from the original.
JohnnyUK
Altima NEO
Posted 5:07 AM 10/10/08
Totally downloading this
Altima NEO
PATSCRU
Posted 5:40 AM 10/10/08
@Taurus_McGee: valve games are made for the PC, have low system requirements and are all amazingly supported through mods and updates seamlessly on Steam. Do yourself a favor and get orange box for the PC. Servers are goin nuts on TF2 and even on all the steam supported mods released last week.
PATSCRU
fox01313
Posted 8:08 AM 10/10/08
After going through the whole mod with noclip & some of godmode on it looks interesting but I'm more impressed with the capabilities of the SDK level creator, for this mod I'd suggest people who are interested to do the same (god & noclip) to see the end level. It's ambitious & hearing some of the commentary (before the game crashed as the last level is maxing out the limits of a single level) they should have just stuck with this and a few of the rooms but many of the test chambers are just torture to get through & I'd be surprised if they didn't have to walk the testers through the mod as there are many moments where many players would get lost.
fox01313
clank-o-tron
Posted 12:54 PM 10/10/08
@outforprophets: Yeah, I'm inclined to agree. As soon as you get the orange portal gun, they immediately cheap-shot you. I tried to do it five or six times, and eventually decided to quit, uninstall and not recommend it to anyone I meet.
I'm not bagging on it simply because it's fan-made. Portal's accessibility is one of the things that made it shine - I've introduced several people to gaming with Portal, and those same people will be excited to hear that there's a fan-made expansion. I guarantee their fervor for Portal will not be reproduced with this mod. They go straight from "step on this switch to open the door" to "dead by machine gun fire" in about 30 seconds, no exaggeration. Wanting to make something challenging is not an excuse to ignore pacing.
clank-o-tron
mwjw696
Posted 3:12 PM 9/10/08
more people should ignore fileplanet... I cant belive anyone would actually pay for already free software.. come one everyone wants to be a Pirate ARRRRRRRR!!!!
mwjw696
mwjw696
Posted 3:10 PM 9/10/08
Thanks you SO much Willy!! 800kb + and it should be done before most people start downloading it on file plant WOOOOO! @Mister_Willy:
mwjw696
ProxyLei
Posted 4:15 PM 9/10/08
*tries*
still stuck on that level 5 timed tricky jump ! argh x_x
ProxyLei
ProxyLei
Posted 4:13 PM 9/10/08
the problem is, I know how to do the levels but it takes me 100 try's for that perfect extra lil bit of jump from point x to point y..
ProxyLei
Tekz
Posted 12:33 PM 9/10/08
*starts his fanboy screaming*
Ca$h: It was just released earlier tonight. Not sure of the exact time, but it doesn't appear to be for very long. It's doubtful that anyone's managed to play through the whole thing yet.
Tekz