Chell (Portal)

Last updated
Chell
Portal character
Chell.png
Chell, as she appears in Portal 2
First appearance Portal (2007)
Last appearance Portal 2 (2011)
Based on Alésia Glidewell
Voiced byMary Kae Irvin

Chell is the silent protagonist in the Portal video game series developed by Valve. She appears in both Portal and Portal 2 as the main player character and as a supporting character in some other video games. Not much is known about Chell but some posit she is the daughter of an employee at Aperture Science Laboratories, the main setting of the games.

Contents

Chell's face- and body-model were derived from those of Alésia Glidewell. She experienced a redesign in Portal 2 which was often changed during development. For example, the original redesign featured a laboratory-hat. A character presented in first-person perspective, Chell can only be seen through reflections and portals in the game.

Chell was generally well-received by critics and gamers, with many people praising the fact that she does not speak and looks like a "normal-looking and normal-dressing woman" in contrast to many other female characters in first-person shooters.

Development and design

Valve's Erik Wolpaw felt that it did not really matter what kind of person Chell was, noting that playtesters of the first Portal often did not know her name as it was never mentioned. Wolpaw explained that they never mentioned her name as "[players] felt like they had this relationship with GLaDOS, and they wanted GLaDOS to recognize them". Chet Faliszek noted that Chell was the female version of Gordon Freeman's role as a silent protagonist (in the Half-Life video games). [1] Wolpaw explained it served the game's humour better if she did not talk, and that if the "straight man in a world gone mad" did talk, referring to Chell, "it would suck". [2] In fact, there is one part of the first game where GLaDOS seems to get annoyed by Chell's refusal to respond to her, saying, "Are you even listening to me?" (Wolpaw has commented a few times that Chell simply won't give GLaDOS the satisfaction of a response, but he doesn't intend that theory to be taken seriously). In an interview by IGN about Portal 2: Lab Rat, Valve's Michael Avon Oeming commented that, currently, "Chell is more of a storytelling device," comparing her to the Spirit character by Will Eisner, but noted that more may be seen of Chell in the future. [3]

The concept art for Chell Chell concept P2.png
The concept art for Chell

Chell's face and body model were derived from those of the director, producer and voice actress Alésia Glidewell. [4] When making Portal 2 , developers considered not bringing back the character. [5] [6] However, this was changed as playtesters wanted GLaDOS to recognize them as the person who had killed her in the first game. [1] [7] In her original redesign for Portal 2 developers tried to make her look appealing, yet not overdesigned, [6] with nothing made simply for fashion. [5] They explored changing her nationality, and tried to make her look less human due to the "constant dehumanization of these test subjects". Being a test subject, Chell's suit was designed to look neither sexy nor unattractive. The original redesign of the character featured a laboratory hat, which was thought of halfway through the concepting phase. [5] [8] Matt Charlesworth, Valve's concept artist, commented that the hat reminded him of test pilots. [5]

This look was eventually abandoned in favor of returning to her original orange jumpsuit, this time with the jumpsuit wrapped around her waist. Valve's art team explained that this was to give her more freedom and help her stand out more as an individual. [9]

Appearances

In Portal, Chell is performing tests for Aperture Science, which are being overseen by GLaDOS, an artificially intelligent computer system. Chell destroys GLaDOS in her efforts to escape but is wounded, and an unseen figure called the Party Escort Bot drags her back inside.

In Portal 2: Lab Rat, a tie-in comic for Portal 2, Chell is put in stasis by Doug Rattmann after the events of Portal. He is revealed to be responsible for Chell taking part in the tests. [10] Chell reappears in Portal 2 where she is reawakened by Wheatley. She and Wheatley attempt to escape the laboratory, and in the process accidentally reanimate GLaDOS. GLaDOS, furious with Chell for having "murdered" her, forces her to do more tests until Wheatley helps her escape. Chell and Wheatley team up to destroy GLaDOS's neurotoxin and turret production. GLaDOS eventually recaptures Chell, but fails to kill her due to her lack of neurotoxin and turrets. Chell takes advantage of the moment to replace GLaDOS's core with Wheatley's core. Wheatley, corrupted and driven to megalomania by inhabiting GLaDOS's former shell, betrays Chell and instead of freeing her, sends her to the very bottom of the Testing Facility. There she navigates several Mobility Gel testing areas that were in use between 1956 and 1985. As she ascends through level after level, she learns about the late founder of Aperture Science, Cave Johnson, and his assistant, Caroline, whose personality and intelligence were ultimately implanted in GLaDOS. Chell finds and picks up GLaDOS, whom Wheatley has placed in a small module powered by a potato battery. Opening the hatch that seals off the old facility from the new, Chell inadvertently pumps Mobility Gels up to the new facility, which later proves useful. Wheatley captures her and forces her to run tests for him until she finds his lair. And after attaching corrupted cores onto Wheatley, with the process of reverting being booby-trapped, she fires a portal to the moon which sucks her and Wheatley out into space. Chell is saved by GLaDOS, who lets her leave the facility via an elevator that takes her to the surface.

Chell's origin is unclear; GLaDOS claims that in Chell's file it states that she is adopted. In Portal 2, a long-abandoned science fair poster that was part of "Bring Your Daughter to Work Day" — the same day GLaDOS went rogue — is attributed to "Chell", implying that at least one of her parents worked for Aperture Science. [11] Some posit that Chell is the daughter of Cave Johnson, the founder and CEO of Aperture Science. [11] [12]

As both Portal games are presented in a first-person view, Chell is only seen fleetingly in normal gameplay, usually when portals are aligned in such a way that the player is able to create a recursive view of Chell. Placing two portals next to each other on a wall and then partially entering the one portal while facing the other allows the player a close-up view of Chell's face.

Chell is a playable character in the crossover game Lego Dimensions , and has access to her portal gun. Her character pack includes a sentry turret and a Companion Cube, and unlocks a bonus level in which she returns to Aperture and is reunited with Wheatley, with the two trying to stop GLaDOS once more.

A Portal-themed costume featuring Chell holding a portal gun is available for the 2020 battle royale game Fall Guys: Ultimate Knockout . [13]

Reception and analysis

GamesRadar's Joe McNeilly called Chell an example of Portal deconstructing first-person shooter archetypes, noting that she was neither in third-person nor sexualized unlike most female characters in first-person shooters. [14] GamesRadar called Chell the antidote to the half-naked woman cliché, praising her for not being sexualized and being fully clothed, commenting, "The hero of Portal just happens to be a normal-looking and normal-dressing woman, like 50% of the world's population." [15] GamesRadar listed Chell (jokingly) as one of its Mediocre Game Babes, calling her jumpsuit repulsive and saying, "[Her] heel springs make her look like one of those aliens from The Arrival ." [16] IGN listed Chell as the sixth top gaming heroine, calling her "one of the most resourceful heroines on [their] list". [17] In an in-depth analysis of Portal, Daniel Johnson from Gamasutra said that Chell being female, as well as GLaDOS's line about testing your daughter in Aperture Science Bring Your Daughter to Work Day, alluded to the testing of women. Johnson also noted that the information about who Chell is and why she is there reinforced the position of the player as an unwilling participant. [18] GamesRadar said that it considered putting Chell on its list of the Top 7 Tasteful game heroines, but said she lost out to Zoey from Left 4 Dead . [19]

Kotaku 's Luke Plunkett called Chell's original design in the first game memorable, [8] later noting how in the first Portal "Chell [...] was never really the star of the game" as well as how little she was actually seen. [20] Mike Fahey, also from Kotaku, defended Chell from people saying that she should talk, and said, "The last thing I would want in Portal 2 is for Chell to speak". [21] When reviewing Portal 2, Game Informer 's Adam Biessener said that much of what makes Portal and Portal 2 so special was the execution and the originality of standing in Chell's shoes and experiencing her destiny. [22]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">SHODAN</span> Fictional artificial intelligence and main antagonist of the System Shock video games

SHODAN is a fictional artificial intelligence and the main antagonist of the cyberpunk-horror themed video game series System Shock, which consists of 1994's System Shock, 1999's System Shock 2, and the 2023 remake System Shock.

Narbacular Drop is a 2005 puzzle-platform game developed by Nuclear Monkey Software. It was the senior game project of students attending DigiPen Institute of Technology. The gameplay consists of navigating a dungeon using an innovative portal system. The player controls two interconnected portals that can be placed on any non-metallic surface. Gabe Newell, managing director of Valve, took interest in the team's work and employed the whole staff at Valve. The developers went on to develop the critically acclaimed Portal using many of the same concepts.

<i>Portal</i> (video game) 2007 video game

Portal is a 2007 puzzle-platform game developed and published by Valve. It was released in a bundle, The Orange Box, for Windows, Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3, and has been since ported to other systems, including Mac OS X, Linux, Android, and Nintendo Switch.

<i>The Orange Box</i> Video game compilation by Valve

The Orange Box is a video game compilation containing five games developed and published by Valve. Two of the games included, Half-Life 2 and its first stand-alone expansion, Episode One; had previously been released as separate products. Three new games were also included in the compilation: the second stand-alone expansion, Half-Life 2: Episode Two; the puzzle game Portal; and Team Fortress 2, the multiplayer game sequel to Team Fortress Classic. Valve also released a soundtrack containing music from the games within the compilation. A separate product entitled The Black Box was planned, which would have included only the new games, but was later canceled.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Weighted Companion Cube</span> Item from the Portal video game series

The Weighted Companion Cube is a fictional item featured in the Portal series of video games by Valve Corporation. Initially featured in a single level of the original Portal, Test Chamber 17, as one of Aperture Science's ubiquitous Weighted Storage Cubes with heart symbols printed on the outside, it is given to the game's main character, Chell, as part of the antagonist GLaDOS's sinister testing initiative. After carrying it through the entire level and ostensibly anthropomorphizing and "bonding" with the Cube, the malevolent AI forces her to unceremoniously dispose of it in an incinerator device. Companion Cubes later re-appear in the game's sequel with a slightly different design. The original Companion Cube is shown to have survived the events of both Portal and Portal 2, appearing as part of an ending gag.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The cake is a lie</span> Internet meme from the video game Portal

"The cake is a lie" is a catchphrase from the 2007 video game Portal. Initially left behind as graffiti by Doug Rattman to warn that GLaDOS, the game's main villain, was deceiving the player, it was intended to be a minor reference and esoteric joke by the game's development team that implied the player would never receive their promised reward. It became unexpectedly popular among Portal players, and has since become a widely distributed Internet meme where the phrase is co-opted and becomes associated with new meanings outside of the original context of the game.

<i>Portal 2</i> 2011 video game

Portal 2 is a 2011 puzzle-platform game developed by Valve for Windows, Mac OS X, Linux, PlayStation 3, and Xbox 360. The digital PC version is distributed online by Valve's Steam service, while all retail editions were distributed by Electronic Arts. A port for the Nintendo Switch was included as part of Portal: Companion Collection.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sheva Alomar</span> Fictional character in the Resident Evil horror video game series by Capcom, introduced 2009

Sheva Alomar is a character in Resident Evil, a survival horror video game series created by the Japanese company Capcom. She was introduced in the 2009 video game Resident Evil 5, in which she is a native African operative of an anti-bioterrorism group and the new partner of the series' veteran Chris Redfield. Sheva is controlled by the game's artificial intelligence (AI) when playing with a single player, and is controlled by a second player in the game's cooperative mode.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">GLaDOS</span> Video game character from the Portal series

GLaDOS is a fictional character from the video game series Portal. The character was created by Erik Wolpaw and Kim Swift and voiced by Ellen McLain. GLaDOS is depicted in the series as an artificially superintelligent computer system responsible for testing and maintenance in the Aperture Science Computer-Aided Enrichment Center in all titles. While GLaDOS initially appears in the first game to simply be a voice that guides the player, her words and actions become increasingly malicious as she makes her intentions clear. The second game, as well as the Valve-created comic Lab Rat, reveals that she was mistreated by the scientists and used a neurotoxin to kill the scientists in the laboratory before the events of the first Portal. She is apparently destroyed at the end of the first game but returns in the sequel, in which she is supplanted by her former intelligence dampener and temporarily stuck on a potato battery, while her past as the human Caroline is also explored.

"Still Alive" is the song featured in the closing credits of the 2007 video game Portal. It was composed and arranged by Jonathan Coulton and was performed by Ellen McLain, who voiced the Portal antagonist and subject of the song, GLaDOS. The song originated in a meeting between two Valve developers and Coulton about him writing a song for the company, which Coulton accepted as he was a fan of Valve's Half-Life series, which is set in the same universe as Portal. The song was released on The Orange Box Soundtrack on December 21, 2007, along with an exclusive vocal mix not heard in the game.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ellen McLain</span> American voice actress (born 1952 or 1953)

Ellen McLain is an American voice actress. She is best known for providing the voice of GLaDOS, the primary antagonist of the Portal video game series, the Combine Overwatch AI in Half-Life 2, and the Administrator, the announcer in Team Fortress 2. Her voice roles also include the Jaeger A.I. in Pacific Rim and The Witch in Left 4 Dead 2.

Old Man Murray (OMM) is a UGO Networks computer game commentary and reviews site, known for its highly irreverent and satiric tone. Founded in 1997, it was written and edited by Chet Faliszek and Erik Wolpaw. Old Man Murray was critical of games that received strong reviews elsewhere, Common targets of OMM news updates included John Romero and American McGee. Old Man Murray was a significant early influence in both the world of game development and internet comedy, and is often considered to have "helped birth online games journalism".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Potato Sack</span> Alternate reality game

The Potato Sack is the name of an alternate reality game (ARG) created by Valve and the developers of thirteen independent video games to promote the release of Valve's game Portal 2, in April 2011. Valve president Gabe Newell envisioned the game as a "Cross Game Design Event" in December 2010, and allowed the developers free rein to design the game using Valve's Portal intellectual property. The game, requiring players to find and solve a number of puzzles hidden within updates of the thirteen games, led to the opportunity for players to release Portal 2 about 10 hours earlier than its planned release by playing games under the pretense of powering up GLaDOS, the sentient computer antagonist from the Portal series. The ARG's theme of potatoes is based on plot elements within Portal 2, specifically that for part of the game, GLaDOS's personality module is run off a potato battery.

Wheatley (<i>Portal</i>) Fictional artificial intelligence in the Portal series

Wheatley is a fictional artificial intelligence from the Portal franchise, first introduced in the 2011 video game Portal 2. He is voiced by British comedian and writer Stephen Merchant, and created in part by Portal 2's designer Erik Wolpaw.

Cave Johnson (<i>Portal</i>) Fictional character in the Portal series

Cave Johnson is a fictional character from the Portal franchise first introduced in the 2011 video game Portal 2. He is voiced by American actor J. K. Simmons and created in part by Portal 2's designer Erik Wolpaw. He is referenced by a computer username in the first game and appears indirectly in Portal 2. Johnson serves as a guide to the player-character Chell as she explores an abandoned part of the Aperture Science facility, though all of his messages are pre-recorded from before the events of the Portal games.

Portal is a series of first-person puzzle-platform video games developed by Valve. Set in the Half-Life universe, the two main games in the series, Portal (2007) and Portal 2 (2011), center on a woman, Chell, forced to undergo a series of tests within the Aperture Science Enrichment Center by a malicious artificial intelligence, GLaDOS, that controls the facility. Most of the tests involve using the "Aperture Science Handheld Portal Device" – nicknamed the portal gun – that creates a human-sized wormhole-like connection between two flat surfaces. The player-character or objects in the game world may move through portals while conserving their momentum. This allows complex "flinging" maneuvers to be used to cross wide gaps or perform other feats to reach the exit for each test chamber. A number of other mechanics, such as lasers, light bridges, high energy pellets, buttons, cubes, tractor funnels and turrets, exist to aid or hinder the player's goal to reach the exit.

Portal 2 is a physics-based puzzle-platform game created by Valve and released on Microsoft Windows, Mac OS X, PlayStation 3, Xbox 360 and Linux in April 2011, followed by a Nintendo Switch version in June 2022. The game, set in the desolate, labyrinthine Aperture Science facility, challenges the player to navigate test chambers created by the artificial intelligence GLaDOS, using a portal gun, a device able to create portals that link two points in space like a wormhole. The game expands on the original Portal by adding new puzzle elements, such as paint that imparts properties to surfaces, plates that can launch the player and objects over distances, tractor beams and bridges made of light.

<i>Portal Stories: Mel</i> Single-player mod of Portal 2

Portal Stories: Mel is a 2015 single-player modification for Portal 2, developed by Prism Studios. Like the official Portal games, it is a puzzle-platform game that involves placing interconnected "portals" to solve puzzles. Set in the Portal universe, players control the test subject Mel, who has to escape an underground facility after she spends decades in artificial hibernation.

<i>Portal Revolution</i> 2024 modification for Portal 2

Portal: Revolution is a 2024 free modification for Portal 2 created by Second Face Software. As with the official Portal games, it is a puzzle-platform game that involves using portals to navigate test chambers. It also adds several new mechanics, such as suction vents and paired laser cubes. Taking place prior to the events of Portal 2, players control an unnamed test subject as she attempts to gain control of a device that will restore the Aperture Science testing laboratories to full condition.

References

  1. 1 2 "Portal 2 exclusive interview - Survey". Eurogamer . 14 March 2011. Archived from the original on 1 April 2011. Retrieved 30 April 2011.
  2. ↑ Chris Pereira (6 May 2011). "Portal's Protagonist is Silent for a Reason". 1UP.com . Archived from the original on 20 June 2012. Retrieved 8 May 2011.
  3. ↑ Joey Esposito (6 April 2011). "Expanding the World of Portal 2". IGN . Archived from the original on 29 April 2011. Retrieved 30 April 2011.
  4. ↑ McWhertor, Michael (May 10, 2011). "Portal's GLaDOS and Chell Laugh It Up In Real Life". Kotaku . Archived from the original on January 17, 2019. Retrieved January 16, 2019.
  5. 1 2 3 4 Ben Reeves (22 March 2010). "Redesigning Portal: Valve's Artist Speaks". Game Informer . Archived from the original on 30 April 2011. Retrieved 27 April 2011.
  6. 1 2 Tyler Wilde (23 March 2010). "Portal 2 concept art is pretty Chell". GamesRadar . Retrieved 27 April 2011.
  7. ↑ "Portal 2 Preview". Edge . 18 March 2011. Archived from the original on 21 April 2011. Retrieved 30 April 2011.
  8. 1 2 Luke Plunkett (23 March 2010). "Portal's Star Has A New Look". Kotaku . Archived from the original on 6 November 2010. Retrieved 27 April 2011.
  9. ↑ Michael McWhertor (23 February 2011). "The New Look For Portal 2's Heroine Explained". Kotaku. Archived from the original on 6 November 2010. Retrieved 30 April 2011.
  10. ↑ "Portal 2: Lab Rat". Archived from the original on 12 April 2011. Retrieved 26 June 2017.
  11. 1 2 Cotter, Padraig (2019-04-11). "What Is The Backstory Of Portal's Chell?". Screen Rant . Archived from the original on 2019-04-12.
  12. ↑ Purslow, Matt (2011-04-26). "Portal 2 Secrets Guide". PC Gamer . Archived from the original on 2011-08-17. Retrieved 2011-08-12.
  13. ↑ Naik, Kshiteej (2020-09-04). "Fall Guys Gets Portal's Chell Skin". IGN India. Archived from the original on 2020-10-30. Retrieved 2021-01-21.
  14. ↑ Joe McNeilly (7 December 2007). "Portal is the most subversive game ever". GamesRadar . Archived from the original on 9 August 2011. Retrieved 27 April 2011.
  15. ↑ Charlie Barratt (21 July 2008). "The Top 7... Lazy Character Clichés". GamesRadar. Archived from the original on 25 January 2022. Retrieved 29 December 2022.
  16. ↑ Chris Antista (25 July 2008). "Mediocre Game Babes". GamesRadar. Archived from the original on 15 June 2011. Retrieved 27 April 2011.
  17. ↑ IGN PlayStation Team (8 July 2009). "The Wednesday 10: Gaming Heroines". IGN. Archived from the original on 31 August 2011. Retrieved 27 April 2011.
  18. ↑ Daniel Johnson (11 June 2009). "Analysis: Portal and the Deconstruction of the Institution". Gamasutra . Archived from the original on 31 August 2015. Retrieved 27 April 2011.
  19. ↑ Brett Elston. "The Top 7 Tasteful game heroines". GamesRadar. Archived from the original on 3 March 2013. Retrieved 27 April 2011.
  20. ↑ Luke Plunkett (12 February 2011). "See How Portal's Heroine Has Changed". Kotaku. Archived from the original on 6 November 2010. Retrieved 27 April 2011.
  21. ↑ Mikey Fahey (24 February 2011). "Some Game Characters Need to Keep Their Big Mouths Shut". Kotaku. Archived from the original on 6 November 2010. Retrieved 27 April 2011.
  22. ↑ Adam Biessener (18 April 2011). "Portal 2". Game Informer. Archived from the original on 31 January 2012. Retrieved 27 April 2011.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.