Edgeless Safety Cube
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| Edgeless Safety Cube | |
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| General information | |
| Faction | |
| Type |
Calibration-based ball |
| Usage | |
| Used by | |
The Edgeless Safety Cube is a testing element used throughout the Aperture Science Enrichment Center. Non-canonically first appearing in Portal, it was introduced proper in Portal 2.[1]
Overview[edit]
Edgeless Cubes open doors or activate platforms when placed in a circular receptacle, serving the same purpose as Weighted Storage Cubes. Additionally, they can also be used to depress the Super Button if placed carefully. Similarly to their cubic counterpart, they appear blue when neutral, and turn yellow when placed on their button.
Appearances[edit]
In the advanced version of Test Chamber 17 in Portal, an Edgeless Safety Cube, then known as the Companion Sphere,[2] replaces the Companion Cube.
In the single-player campaign of Portal 2, the Edgeless Cubes appear only in Test Chamber 06 of GLaDOS' Testing Track, in a number of two. They can be used to solve the room's puzzle. They are featured more extensively in the Cooperative Testing Courses, appearing in such locations as Test Chamber 02 of the Team Building course, Test Chamber 04 of the Mass and Velocity course, or Test Chamber 03 of the Hard Light Surfaces course.
Behind the scenes[edit]
According to Matthew Scott, Edgeless Cubes were accidentally made bouncy during the development of Portal 2 and "it was too much fun chasing them to change it." They were implemented into the co-op courses, because Valve wanted players to use teamwork to catch an object; while a cube usually lands safely, a sphere can bounce and roll out of bounds. The developers made four Edgeless Cubes drop in Test Chamber 04 of the Mass and Velocity both as a visual reward and to "trick players into saying 'balls' over the microphone."[1]
Gallery[edit]
Companion Sphere in Portal.
Edgeless Cube's skin when placed on its receptacle.
Ditto, with its receptacle.
Edgeless Safety Cube icon in Perpetual Testing Initiative.
List of appearances[edit]
- Portal (First appearance) (Non-canonical appearance)
- Portal: Still Alive (Non-canonical appearance)
- Portal 2 (First identified as Edgeless Safety Cube)
- Peer Review
- Perpetual Testing Initiative
References[edit]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Portal 2 commentary
- ↑ The Orange Box Prima Guide, page 245
