10 Things You Didn't Know About Portal
7. Portal Is Set In The Same Universe As Half-Life
Half-Life is Valve's other major franchise, and in many ways it is the big sister of Portal, but did you know these two colossi are set in the same universe? This is first demonstrated in the first Portal game, where a few slideshows in the escape sequence make mention of Half-Life's Black Mesa Research Facility as a rival to Aperture Science.
This connection is backed up in Half-Life 2: Episode 2, where it's revealed that alien invaders the Combine have somehow seized an Aperture Science research vessel known as the Borealis, which somehow vanished from its drydock without a trace, crew and cargo included.
You can actually find said drydock in Portal 2 by investigating carefully behind a 1970s office building. All that's left of the Borealis is a life-preserver.
It's interesting to think about how Aperture and Black Mesa's deadly rivalry could play out in a potential Half-Life 3 or Portal 3.
Perhaps Gordon Freeman could visit Aperture? Perhaps the Combine could rescue Wheatley from space and use him for their own nefarious purposes? When you combine two of the greatest franchises in gaming, the possibilities are endless.