Steam: Portal 2 is getting a free to download prequel

Developed by Valve, when the original Portal was released as part of The Orange Box bundle in 2007, few could have imagined the cult-like status that it later achieved.

The Orange Box was truly one of the most epic video game bundles of all time. This absolute bundle of joy not only included the original Portal, but also Half-Life 2 and its two expansions as well as the multiplayer game, Team Fortress 2.

Check out the Portal: Revolution trailer below!

In the original Portal, you play as a character named Chell, and after awakening in the Aperture Science Enrichment Center, you are challenged by a devious AI called GLaDOS (Genetic Lifeform and Disk Operating System). Chell wants to escape from this centre and get as far away from GLaDOS as possible. However, in order to do so, you must first successfully defeat a series of physics-bending puzzles by using the Portal Gun. Portal was a puzzle game like one we had never played before. That was until its sequel arrived in 2011 with a more compelling story, challenges and a co-op campaign.

Since that time, fans have been desperate for a Portal 3 and much like Half-Life 3, there seems to be no indication from Valve that it will ever happen. Thankfully, while there appears to be no sequel in the works, a talented group of indie developers are currently working on a prequel to Portal 2 and it arrives for free on 5 January 2024.

The Portal: Revolution mod takes place prior to the events of the 2011 game and promises an eight-hour story campaign and it will be fully voiced. Like seriously, it’s incredible that this content is free as it sounds like a premium expansion.

“Set in between Portal and Portal 2, Portal: Revolution tells a brand new story using new characters,” reads the synopsis of the game. “You play as a test subject who is awoken by a personality sphere called Stirling and join his mission to find a powerful device capable of restoring Aperture to its former glory.”

Created by Second Face Software: “The Portal mod you've been waiting for [will] delve into a new story with original characters, spanning over eight hours of gameplay and featuring over 40 new challenging test chambers which make use of new mechanics,” states the Steam store description.

Portal: Revolution will be a modified version of the ‘Portal 2: Community Edition Engine’ licensed by Valve and thanks to the features of this engine, it will allow mechanics and improvements that were apparently not possible in the Portal 2 game of 2011.

If there’s one downside to this mod, it is that it’s only available on PC. That being said, with this being based on a game that was released 12 years ago, hopefully, it won't be too demanding on current PCs. If you’re interested in checking out Portal: Revolution, be sure to wishlist it via its dedicated Steam store page.