Poll: The Companion Cube

[messy]

Note; I'm not trolling merely curious.

Recently I got the orange box for the 360, the first thing I did was play Portal due to the enormous amount of positive reviews it got from pretty much everyone. I got to the level with the companion cube and I am just curious as to what the big deal about it is. I may have missed something but I didn't pause for a second when I had to incinerate the thing, I did find that "secret" area where there are pictures of the cube in an affectionate light but it stirred no feelings from me.

So do you (the escapist population) generally like this cube and have I missed something? Couldn't care less like myself? Or is it just because it became a meme that the cube got so much praise and why you yourself "like" it?

The only explanation I can think of is during the final boss fight Glados mentions something about the cube being your only friend, I still didn't for the attachment at this point.

 

[Cpt_Oblivious]

The whole point is that the game made it out to be some object you've suddenly gained a huge emotional attatchement to, when nobody really cared about it.

I liked it, as it helped me finish that level.

 

[InvisibleSeal]

The whole point is that the game made it out to be some object you've suddenly gained a huge emotional attatchement to, when nobody really cared about it.

I liked it, as it helped me finish that level.

Tssk, just ruined all the mystery for him!

I think it had great character design, what with the heart on the side and everything...

 

[SnowCold]

I played Portal a long time after it got realesed, I knew all the cube story and found it stupied, It's just a fucking box, whats the big deal?
When I played I used all of my will power to not care, to laught when it gets hit by the laser ball, to think of it as a normel whieghted storage cube.

But when time came... I felt a slight pinch of pain, and that's why Valve are the best story tellers in video game histroy.

 

[Scarecrow38]

The companion cube, like the cake, was a stupid thing that everyone made a big deal out of it because it was cool to.

I honestly don't care about the cube. To me, it's like saying the M16A4 I used in COD4 last night was emotionally significant.

 

[ironmace2.0]

It's just a joke to play along with and I just liked it but was pissed when it died.

 

[WinkyTheGreat]

I don't love it by any means but it was a fun joke for the level. I don't see why so many people are so obsessed with it. (For the record I voted yes)

 

[Angron]

i think its just to fun thing isnt, its treated as a character when it clearly isnt s it instantly become everyones favourite character cause it isnt...i think

i always liked the little guy, he was my only friend :,(

 

[MassiveGeek]

Well, I got very sucked into the game, and yes I got very attached to the Companion Cube, I felt really bad after incinerating it.
But its not that weird, you know. Just imagine being the same situation, your the only human being around, the only thing to accompany you is the occasional comments by GLaDOS, and you get this thing that you can take with you during a whole testchamber.
The only other thing that you take with you longer than the Companion Cube is the portal "gun", but that doesnt have a pink heart on it, so 1-0 to Companion Cube, lulz.

 

[SenseOfTumour]

I'm sure everyone reading this has done that area in Portal, so it's not a spoiler, but I'll still skirt around it, instead of going off to learn about the tags used here!

For me, sure, I didn't get an emotional attachment to the cube, but on...completing the level, GLADOS telling me I was the fastest ever, I did get a hit of emotion, and I thought that was some quality writing on behalf of the creators.

 

[hopeneverdies]

You see back during play testing it was just a regular storage cube. The playtesters would ignore it and think the two incoming energy balls were just a timing puzzle.

Valve seeing this problem, gave Glados lines that would make people take it with them throughout the room as well as gave it a design that was unique to the other cubes.

Players would want to take it with them seeing as it is a companion cube. So they made you euthanize it. This was actually training for use in the final battle and playtesters were getting their revenge on Glados for making them kill it.

It's all in the developer commnetary.

 

[throwitinthetrash]

The way Valve designed the level at first, the companion cube was just something to help you through the level. But they got feedback from beta testers that said they felt the cube was like a special friend and they didn't want it to get left behind in the level.
So they proceeded to add dialog and things about the cube to personalize it. Things like "The cube will never threaten to stab you" make it seem like it has a personality in this facility which is full of lifeless objects.

I have noticed it's hit and miss with some people.
Personally, I loved it.

 

[SomeUnregPunk]

if you listen to the level design commentary... and you'll find the only reason they put that level in to burn the cube was because at the end of the last level people didn't realize what the fire pits were used for after knocking one ball off the evil AI lady.

I thought we were going to find a room full of cubes when you were running around in the background and disappointed when I never found it.

 

[scnj]

It was, like the rest of Portal, a slightly funny joke that became massively overblown on the internet.

 

[DigitalSushi]

there are three types of people in the world
Aural - People who like to here reasuring vote and voice of confidence.
Materialistic - People who form attachments to objects and want to receive gifts as a reward for doing well
Kinetic - touchy people, who need to be touched in order to feel reasured.

the people who like the companion cube are the materialistic people, these guys are the mad hardcore gamers who expect doing well in a game for them to be rewarded by the feats they have overcome.

Portal ripped up the rule book by making them "euphanise" their prized possession for that level.

 

[messy]

if you listen to the level design commentary... and you'll find the only reason they put that level in to burn the cube was because at the end of the last level people didn't realize what the fire pits were used for after knocking one ball off the evil AI lady.

I thought we were going to find a room full of cubes when you were running around in the background and disappointed when I never found it.

I suppose that does make a lot of sense now you mention it, you do only know how to defeat the final boss because of the cube.

Not that I'm warming to it all that much

 

[properturnip]

My guess is that you maybe didn't spend enough time with the cube. If you actually get to know it, it's one of the deepest "characters" you'll ever encounter in a game. Plus it's damn hot too.

 

[j0z]

I loved my companion cub
It talked to me, such a good friend.

It was kinda overblown, but I still loved it.

 

[Internet Kraken]

I found the companion cube to be amusing, like all things from Portal. I may hate it now, but if I said I hated it from the beginning I would be lying.

But now I do hate the companion cube because it's one of the overrated things in Portal.

 

[zauxz]

Its a f-ing box.

You are asking us whether we liked a box or not.