Support us on Patreon
PayPalValve's fantastic first-person puzzle game Portal 2 recently had a huge upgrade that pulled in DXVK giving it Vulkan support, with another update out now to further improve it.
As a reminder: this has nothing to do with Source 2. Portal 2 by default uses Direct3D 9 on Windows and OpenGL on Linux. For the Linux version, original Source engine games like this used a translation layer called ToGL to translate D3D9 to OpenGL. DXVK being added in gives the option to launch Portal 2 with "-vulkan" as a launch option which may improve overall performance.
Here's what's new in the latest update:
Improvements:
- Improved Vulkan implementation
- Overall performance improvements
- Massively improved performance with Anti-Aliasing (MSAA) on AMD
- Made the intro video skippable by any button on a Steam Controller
- Added controller glpyhs to the main menu when using a controller
Bug Fixes:
- Fixed the Super 8 teaser not playing on Linux
- Fixed certain Unicode characters being displayed as garbage on Linux
- Fixed text corruption in the challenge mode UI on Linux
- Fixed a crash that could occur wrt. networking on Linux
- Fixed the text color in advanced video settings not respecting the dark panel UI variant
- Fixed Model/Texture detail defaulting to Low in Vulkan mode
- Fixed the challenge mode timer being cut off
- Fixed a crash after trying to play a demo without having the respective map
- Fixed a crash when trying to load invalid VPKs
You can buy and play Portal 2 on Steam.
Article taken from GamingOnLinux.com.
Some you may have missed, popular articles from the last month:
The comments on this article are closed.
19 comments
legluondunet Mar 2, 2021
I enjoyed playing the first opus: a video game with such quality: humor, reflexion, action, ambiance...
Is this second opus as good as first one?
Last edited by legluondunet on 2 March 2021 at 9:25 am UTC
Is this second opus as good as first one?
Last edited by legluondunet on 2 March 2021 at 9:25 am UTC
1 Likes, Who?
Quoting: legluondunetI enjoyed playing the first opus.
Is this second opus as good as first one?
Are you serious? Portal 2 is considered one of the best video games ever.
9 Likes, Who?
Siduction (Debian sid based), kernel 5.11.1, Mesa git 21.1
8700K, 6900XT, 3440x1440
Portal 2 timedemo portal2bench
All video settings max/min, vsync off, multicore enabled. 3 run avg FPS.
8700K, 6900XT, 3440x1440
Portal 2 timedemo portal2bench
All video settings max/min, vsync off, multicore enabled. 3 run avg FPS.
Min settings vs Max settings, 2 weeks ago
OpenGL 722 vs 562 fps avg
RADV 981 vs 238 fps avg
Min settings vs Max settings, new patch today
OpenGL 745 vs 580 fps avg
RADV 1010 vs 805 fps avg
9 Likes, Who?
Quoting: legluondunetI enjoyed playing the first opus: a video game with such quality: humor, reflexion, action, ambiance...Not as good but still good
Is this second opus as good as first one?
0 Likes
Quoting: dpanterSiduction (Debian sid based), kernel 5.11.1, Mesa git 21.1
8700K, 6900XT, 3440x1440
Portal 2 timedemo portal2bench
All video settings max/min, vsync off, multicore enabled. 3 run avg FPS.
Min settings vs Max settings, 2 weeks ago
OpenGL 722 vs 562 fps avg
RADV 981 vs 238 fps avg
Min settings vs Max settings, new patch today
OpenGL 745 vs 580 fps avg
RADV 1010 vs 805 fps avg
Wow, what a jump!
2 Likes, Who?
Quoting: legluondunetI enjoyed playing the first opus: a video game with such quality: humor, reflexion, action, ambiance...
Is this second opus as good as first one?
I assume you have been living in a cave somewhere out there for the last ten years. A little heads-up: We've had a pandemic for more than a year now. Just in case you are wondering...
Back to Portal 2: It improves on the first one in every aspect - storyline, mechanics, content. (Naturally the whole portal idea was not new anymore.)
6 Likes, Who?
legluondunet Mar 2, 2021
Quoting: dpanterSiduction (Debian sid based), kernel 5.11.1, Mesa git 21.1
8700K, 6900XT, 3440x1440
Portal 2 timedemo portal2bench
All video settings max/min, vsync off, multicore enabled. 3 run avg FPS.
Min settings vs Max settings, 2 weeks ago
OpenGL 722 vs 562 fps avg
RADV 981 vs 238 fps avg
Min settings vs Max settings, new patch today
OpenGL 745 vs 580 fps avg
RADV 1010 vs 805 fps avg
Impressive progress.
2 Likes, Who?
Quoting: TuxeeBack to Portal 2: It improves on the first one in every aspect - storyline, mechanics, content. (Naturally the whole portal idea was not new anymore.)
I disagree, actually. Portal 2 is undoubtedly a much bigger game than Portal, but I wouldn't say that it's a better game.
The first game was a brilliantly honed tiny gem. It benefitted greatly from its deliberately limited scope and defined purpose.
By contrast, the sequel is sprawling and unfocused. It has you wandering around to find the place to make your own puzzles, so you can solve the puzzles, and go back to more wandering. Whereas the original was really funny, the sequel is grimdark and sardonic. Stephen Merchant, whose role is to be really annoying, succeeds very well at being really annoying.
Portal is a perfectly-executed figureskating routine,and Portal 2 is a cross-country ski.
All of which is to say that everyone should definitely play both.
4 Likes, Who?
Quoting: legluondunetI enjoyed playing the first opus: a video game with such quality: humor, reflexion, action, ambiance...
Is this second opus as good as first one?
If you enjoy the first one, you'll enjoy the second, for sure. It has more everything, puzzles, mechanics, it's bigger and with better graphics.
But like others said, this no means that it's a better game. I have a lot of memories of portal 1, it's short but remarkable, the second, not much
1 Likes, Who?
It's a really interesting question, “Portal or Portal 2?”. If I could only choose one to play for the rest of my life, I'd probably* go for the sequel. In every objective sense it's superior: higher production values, more varied gameplay, multiplayer, user-generated content. I'd get bored of it far less quickly. But if I had to choose one to save for posterity - erasing every copy of the other so that nobody could ever play it again - it has to be the original, without a second thought.
The thing is, you can only play it for the first time once. Its genius lies in the way it reveals the story, and the twist(s) in the tale, through gameplay, often creating textbook examples of the principle “show, don't tell” in the process. You can appreciate that a second time, but you can't be surprised again. And while the second game tries very hard to replicate some of that, it's not nearly so neatly done.
Portal 2 is a great, great game. Portal is a work of art.
*Probably.
The thing is, you can only play it for the first time once. Its genius lies in the way it reveals the story, and the twist(s) in the tale, through gameplay, often creating textbook examples of the principle “show, don't tell” in the process. You can appreciate that a second time, but you can't be surprised again. And while the second game tries very hard to replicate some of that, it's not nearly so neatly done.
Portal 2 is a great, great game. Portal is a work of art.
*Probably.
5 Likes, Who?
Quoting: DuncThe thing is, you can only play it for the first time once.
A fate it shares with Amnesia Rebirth or Life is Strange 2. I think both are better than the respective first parts, but I find it hard to judge as... yeah, it's not the first time again.
0 Likes
TheRiddick Mar 2, 2021
I wonder if there is any improvements for the windows version. Lots of people were complaining that this vulkan update was much slower then dx9/11 whatever it was before.
0 Likes
Not sure I agree with the hot takes that the first is better. It certainly had the impact for the novel new gameplay, sure, but it was chock-full of rough edges. I'll always have a nostalgic soft spot for it, both for the novelty of the gameplay and that fantastic end-of-game music.
But the second is so much better. The environments are bigger, bolder. The characters, GladOS, Wheately and Cave (Cave Johnson, what a character! Absolutely epic voice acting from JK Simmons!), all gel (geddit?) so wonderfully. And that ending! But it's also just simply more fun. The gels in the game are so enjoyable to use, so satisfying.
So yeah, it wasn't the "first", but Portal 2 is certainly the better of the two, in my opinion. And I didn't even mention the incredible co-op...
But the second is so much better. The environments are bigger, bolder. The characters, GladOS, Wheately and Cave (Cave Johnson, what a character! Absolutely epic voice acting from JK Simmons!), all gel (geddit?) so wonderfully. And that ending! But it's also just simply more fun. The gels in the game are so enjoyable to use, so satisfying.
So yeah, it wasn't the "first", but Portal 2 is certainly the better of the two, in my opinion. And I didn't even mention the incredible co-op...
2 Likes, Who?
I don't care to entertain a distinction as to which of the two games is better, because regardless of how they compare to one another they are both of such high quality that any self respecting human that is still breathing is obligated to play both of them, no exceptions.
1 Likes, Who?
Both Portal and Portal 2 have their shortcomings.
First Portal especially when played first time around, ending overstayed its welcome. It might be that there's stark contrast between the first half with small puzzles and vibrant colors. Second half is grim and gray with less definite goals. I appreciated the latter half more when second time around as I knew that between the grim and gray there are few nice parts that make it worthwhile.
With Portal 2 the boring parts are smaller and more spaced out. Although even in those sections crazy architecture is intriguing.
I guess it's bit of Valves thing that it's obsessed with long sewer and factory sections, there has just been more and more restraint over the years.
Both games are worth playing though. Personally I guess Portal wins though. I have replayed it as playing it through it's not as big effort. Portal 2 falls in category where it was fun for the first time around, but second time around, time commitment feels bit daunting.
First Portal especially when played first time around, ending overstayed its welcome. It might be that there's stark contrast between the first half with small puzzles and vibrant colors. Second half is grim and gray with less definite goals. I appreciated the latter half more when second time around as I knew that between the grim and gray there are few nice parts that make it worthwhile.
With Portal 2 the boring parts are smaller and more spaced out. Although even in those sections crazy architecture is intriguing.
I guess it's bit of Valves thing that it's obsessed with long sewer and factory sections, there has just been more and more restraint over the years.
Both games are worth playing though. Personally I guess Portal wins though. I have replayed it as playing it through it's not as big effort. Portal 2 falls in category where it was fun for the first time around, but second time around, time commitment feels bit daunting.
0 Likes
Both are great games.
But both are pretty much one and done though. I really have no desire to play them after having already played them.
I actually played it on a steam link several years ago. The babies loved watching me play it.
But both are pretty much one and done though. I really have no desire to play them after having already played them.
I actually played it on a steam link several years ago. The babies loved watching me play it.
1 Likes, Who?
Quoting: GuestI really must find the time one day to sort out what is going wrong with DXVK on my system. Still cannot get Portal2 -vulkan to actually work, or newer DXVK versions in a system wine prefix, and I'm convinced that they are related.
I have the odd feeling that Valve will strip out the OpenGL backend and leave me unable to play it at all.
I can't speak for the portal2-bundled DXVK, but I had an issue with my system wine prefix a while back to watch out for -- especially since it's such an easy thing to miss. If it's an old prefix, be mindful that in recent years Wine started defaulting to 64-bit prefixes but as I'd been using the same prefix for years it was still 32-bit and I was trying to run a 64-bit app.
0 Likes
When using vulkan mode I can't get it to go over 1080p. I use a 1440p monitor. Opengl version does it no problem. I even set the width and height from launch options but it still maxes out at 1080p in vulkan mode. :( It might be because I use Sway but it's odd that opengl mode has no issue with this.
0 Likes
See more from me