Portal 2/The Return

Walk ahead, ignoring the panel that’s being smashed against the wall. As you enter, the puzzle will rebuild itself a bit. Stand on the Aerial Faith Plate and you’ll briefly run into Wheatley! GLaDOS will lower the ceiling so that you can’t see him. Let’s solve the puzzle now.

Once the ceiling has been lowered, shoot an orange portal right above the catapult and a blue one on the ceiling ahead. Go up the Aerial Faith Plate and you’ll fly up to the ledge. In this next spot, you’ll see two tilted panels. Shoot a blue one on the one farther away (on the other side of the laser). Walk back to the Aerial Faith Plate and go into the orange portal that’s above your head. This will send you up to a button; pressing it will give you a cube. Now do the same thing but on the other panel; this will send you up to the cube. Pick it up and redirect the laser at the white barrier wall. Shoot a blue portal on the panel near this wall, and walk back to the Aerial Faith Plate one last time, to fly up by the door. Use portals to let the redirected laser pass “through” the barrier wall and into the receiver. A staircase will appear and you’ll be able to continue on.

This next puzzle is a little long and complex. The first thing you’ll need is the cube across from the entrance. Shoot a portal on the top of the wall right above the entrance and another at your feet; use momentum to send yourself flying to the area where the cube is. Once you have the cube, go up on the Aerial Faith Plate. Use the cube to block the laser.

Once the laser is blocked, head back down and go on the Aerial Faith Plate again. You’ll be catapulted to a higher platform. A redirection cube will be released. Grab it and switch it out with the other cube. Point it at the white area on the wall perpendicular to the laser beam; make sure it’s pointing at the center of the wall. Grab the “normal” block and drop it down to the floor. Ride the Aerial Faith Plates back up again. Fire a blue portal at the end of the redirected laser and the other at the white wall next to you, sending the laser into its receiver. Now drop down again and pick up the block. Ride the Faith Plates again, and you’ll wind up at a red button. Place the block on the button and head on through the door to the elevator.

''“These bridges are made from natural light that I pump in from the surface. If you rubbed your cheek on one, it would be like standing outside with the sun shining on your face. It would also set your hair on fire, so don’t actually do it.”''

This puzzle deals with the redirection of light bridges, which is kind of trippy!

The first thing you’ll need to do is press the button on the other side. You can portal your way over, but I’d recommend redirecting the bridge. Shoot a blue portal at the end of the bridge and the orange portal where you want the bridge to emerge, and voila! Hit the button on the other side and blocks will start falling out of a tube behind a glass wall. You’ll need to get to the other side of that wall and grab yourself a block.

To do that, make a bridge come out of the wall opposite the block area. Walk along this bridge; now it’s time to round the corner. Make another bridge appear slightly below you so that you can fall onto it. Line yourself up with the falling block and make another bridge so that the block lands on it and you can pick up the block. Once you do, walk through the portal and back onto “land”.

Now it’s time to put this block on the switch. From where you are, you should be able to see it behind a panel. There’s a way in; make a bridge appear on the wall opposite the button. Walk through the portal and onto that bridge you just created (with the block in hand) and drop the block on the switch. Now make a bridge somewhere else so that you can return. Portal your way over to the exit and keep going!

''“Good news. I figured out what to do with all the money I save recycling your one room full of air. When you die, I’m going to laminate your skeleton and pose you in the lobby. That way future generations can learn from you how not to have your unfortunate bone structure.”''

After walking through a few hallways, you’ll encounter a door that GLaDOS needs to go open. Wheatley will update you on your escape. After a bit, the Wheatley will leave and the door will open.

Looking left will show you a red button — you’ve got to put a block on it. Pushing the small button by you, however, will drop the block you need into the water. You’ll need the bridge that’s at the other end of the room.

Portal your way up to the bridge so that you land on it. From here, shoot a blue portal at the end of the bridge. Shoot an orange one so that a bridge can take you back to the starting area.

Once you’re back at the starting area, shoot an orange portal so that the light bridge will catch the block. Press the button to dispense a block, and then carry it over to the button. You’ll need to shoot another bridge, so just shoot one on the white wall across from the bridge right below the one you’re standing on, and you’ll fall right down onto it. Then place the block on the button. Keep on trucking!

''“This next test involves turrets. You remember them, right? They’re the pale, spherical things that are full of bullets. Oh wait, that’s you in five seconds. Good luck.”''

This next area introduces turrets. If you walk into their laser, they’ll kill you pretty quick. To stop them from ending you, you just have to knock them over. You can do this by running into them, picking them up and dropping them, or portaling them around so that they fall.

The first one you encounter isn’t even facing you, so it’s pretty easy to kill; just walk into it or pick it up and it’s done. The next one around the corner is a little trickier; round the corner, quickly place a blue portal behind it, and then back away. Shoot an orange one at a safe wall, walk through it, and then you’re behind the turret again and you can end it. The next turret is a little trickier; shoot a portal at the ground below it and it’ll fall over. Continue ahead.

These next two turrets require you to drop blocks on their heads. Shoot a portal on the ceiling above the turret you wish to knock over, and then shoot the opposite one under one of the blocks. The block will fall through and land on the turret. Once you’ve killed both the turrets, turn the corner into the next room.

There are three turrets in this room. You can shoot a portal on the floor below one of them. You can fell the other two by dropping blocks on their heads (with the clever use of portals, of course). Once you’ve stopped the turrets, grab one of the blocks and place it on the red button to continue ahead.

Instead of an elevator this time, you’ll drop down through the floor and follow some rails through some doors.

You’ll continue through some rails and eventually wind up at the end, where a platform will rise and send you into another test chamber.

In this puzzle, you have to redirect the laser through all three receivers. Use the redirection cube to send the laser through two of them. Portal the laser through the last one and head through the door.

''“That jumpsuit you’re wearing looks stupid. That’s not me talking; it’s right here in your file.”''

Head up the stairs into the next puzzle. When you enter the room, you’ll see the red beam from a turret; you’ll also see a light bridge. Portal the light bridge so that it blocks the beam from the turret. You can then walk up to the turret, briefly move the light bridge, and then knock the turret over. In the next room, shoot the light bridge so that it blocks the turrets from shooting you, and walk to the other corner of the room. There, you’ll see an Aerial Faith Plate. Shoot a portal on the wall perpendicular to its trajectory so that the light bridge blocks your flight and lets you land on the upper platform. From there, you can walk across the gangway, drop down, and knock over all the turrets. Grab the block that’s up there and put it on the button. This will expose two turrets; block their sight with one last light bridge. Move the light bridge in front of them so that it blocks them. You can then move the light bridge over a bit and knock the turrets over (or just walk past them).

Note: If you want an achievement, place one of these turrets on the Aerial Faith Plate. Now’s a perfect time to do that!

''“I have a surprise waiting for you after this next test. Telling you would spoil the surprise.”''

First, stand on the button to activate the laser beam. Redirect the beam (using portals) to blow up the three turrets behind the glass panel. Once that’s done, grab the “normal” block around the corner and place it on the button. Use the redirection cube to redirect the laser into the rest of the turrets on the other side of the glass, then send it into the laser receiver. This opens up a panel that lets you continue through to the elevator.

''“It says this next test was designed by one of Aperture’s Nobel Prize winners. It doesn’t say what the prize was for. Well, I know it wasn’t for being immune to neurotoxin.”''

This next puzzle requires you to complete two tasks: first, press the button down to open the door; second, to put the laser into its receiver while you’re standing on the rising platform.

First, portal your way up to the light bridge and grab the block. Now portal a bridge right above the button, and place the block on top of that bridge, right above the button. It should block the laser beam from hitting the receiver.

Now walk over to the rising platform and shoot the bridge somewhere else. The platform will rise and the cube will fall onto the button, opening the door. Swagger on through to the next chapter!