Portal's Weird Beta Maps

Portal has a lot of maps made throughout development, about 70 to be precise. In this video, we'll be looking at a handful of beta levels, ones that most people would consider weird.
0:00 - Intro
1:20 - testroom_point_camera
1:48 - testroom_point_camera_teleport
2:25 - zoo_combine
4:29 - zoo_lab
6:10 - zoo_testarea
8:00 - testroom_trigger_portal
9:08 - lab_lvl1
10:19 - ragdoll_test
10:51 - bonus_longjump
11:37 - liquidportal_test
12:28 - bts_styleguide
13:55 - devtest_01
15:13 - test_fling
15:54 - portal_bts_styleguide
17:15 - Outro
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Hey everyone, the name's Ossy Flawol!

[@OssyFlawol]

Covid's been kicking my ass as of the past few days, but I managed to get this video done for y'all to enjoy - enjoy a nearly 20 minute long video on some funky Portal beta maps :) Also, doing a sequel to this video of weird Portal 2 beta maps is impossible, since I already covered all the beta maps we do have when some of them leaked a few months ago.

[@CptDoot]

gl man, i remember in 2020 or something my brother had to quarantine for like 2 months in his room.

[@CubeAtlantic]

stay rested broski i didn't even you had COVID tbqh on the optimistic side you can enjoy clips, & bizzare recreations of Portal online :D

[@funnycat306]

good

[@staryoshi06]

Hope you'll recover ok :(

[@funnycat306]

I hope you dont recover :)

[@hy3cinth]

1:04 how dare you, this sound triggers my muscle memory to open discord

[@whydoyouexist]

pain.mp4

[@JuniorMC710]

Same

[@GeneraliskYT]

Good thing I was on my phone.

[@nextbot_478c2]

did it too

[@StormBurnX]

There's a couple other things like this (1:51 for example) I have no idea how they managed to mix up system sound and mic feed in the recording but the fact that they either didn't catch it or didn't care during editing is... disappointing lol

[@DaRealBruner]

Seeing skyboxes in Portal is super weird. Yes, i know, the ending.

[@mugston]

No wonder you never go outside in the final game (except the ending)

[@DaRealBruner]

@GoTi4No Well that's the exception I guess. But I mean still.

[@PurpleColonel]

That's hardly even a sky box tbh

[@WohaoG]

@@DaRealBruner you can't place portals in the ending

[@MisterJohnDoe]

If I remember correctly, it wasn't even a real skybox. Just a giant room with a sky texture on the walls and ceiling.

[@kapsacek]

That "YOU WIN" text is funny. It really reminds me of the infamous win screen from BIG RIGS: Over The Road Racing :D

[@CanularRadio]

yessss I forgot from where I knew it. Wanted to download it a few days ago XD

[@DaRealBruner]

*YOU'RE WINNER !*

[@wolfcl0ck]

You might have the Beta maps but just you wait until the GAMMA maps come out

[@farawaygaming_]

Sigma maps

[@Enderia2]

@@farawaygaming_ *delta

[@KRUSH-R]

@@Enderia2 Alpha*

[@KRUSH-R]

You're not the only one that can get around.

[@wolfcl0ck]

@@KRUSH-R You've so much to learn

[@Neonhorn]

The Combine APC was once meant to be drivable in HL2, so there's probably just still some broken logic attached to it. I've also noticed some styleguides and zoos before have been just simply cut/cordoned off from full maps before leaving things in the void. Both Portal betas are quite interesting, hell I'm interested in every game that came from the Orange Box and it's sequels. Even knowing this stuff already, it's fun to see it again and get refreshed on it.

[@MisterJohnDoe]

During the first chapter where you see APCs driving outside, you can enter them too if you get down without dying but with the same results.

[@Erikatharsis]

7:40 I misheard this as "incredibly early versions of the Cuban buttocks"

[@somuchstonk]

LOL WAIT

[@denryaron6238]

I heard "human buttocks" and had to scroll back a couple of times

[@_GhostMiner]

Lmfao

[@SuspiciousAppleJuice]

lmao

[@computer_dude]

15:55 The last BTS styleguide map actually looks really good in the lighting sense! I love the orange, retro and dim light bulbs showcasing the industrial metal structure and painted signalling around theses spaces, much like an actual factory. I kinda wish they used this instead of the white lights in the original escape sequence, because this brings in a crushing atmosphere, much like it should be transmiting.

[@AngryTrafficCone]

I agree lol

[@TheRideGaming]

Hell nah BTS made Portal?? 🤢🤮🗑🚮

[@cat_of_spades6774]

@@TheRideGaming BTS stands for Behind The Scenes in this instance.

[@zai-tm]

@@cat_of_spades6774 Do you know what a "sarcasm" is?

[@ChubsGlobby]

1:05 discord sound.

[@LB_]

That got me too, even though I always disable Discord sounds

[@f40ph88]

The collection of vents in the void may have been a prefab to copy sections of to fit other rooms

[@qwertyiuwg4uwtwthn]

No it was gertie freemont My original character approved by valve, Helping chell through the chambers. Hes also doug rattmans bf. This is totally real and legit. Also hl3 will be real in 2 days

[@axolotlonzo2683]

​@@qwertyiuwg4uwtwthn its been 2 days where is hl3

[@graysonjohnson5440]

@@qwertyiuwg4uwtwthn its been 2 months where is hl3

[@Con-np9yx]

@@qwertyiuwg4uwtwthn its been 6 months WHERE IS IT BROWO

[@stevusbrevus4362]

​@@qwertyiuwg4uwtwthnit has been 8 months where is hl3

[@Oden-gp8xu]

2:23 I’m honestly a bit surprised to see they would have tested something like this so extensively, since it’s such a small and seemingly easy to miss detail in HL2

[@SiriusCygnus]

I like how alot of the beta maps give me the same vibes as underground aperture in portal 2

[@canalbadansaziosoli]

1:04 this thing really got me

[@OldRobloxRedux]

same

[@aomregcik]

Hearing someone explain what a cycler_flex is music to my ears, I like exploring source and beta source sometimes

[@bettercallsolman]

"oh there's lots of room here..."

[@MasterSwordRemix]

These deep dives are fascinating. I'd love to see a video about all the strange retcons from Portal 1 to 2 like how all elevators are different, how the rocket turret totally disappears, the aesthetic of the original Aperture backrooms being abandoned, etc. I know it mostly comes down to new art direction but to me, the two games never quite felt connected, ya know?

[@ScottieTheFox]

hearing about liquid portals and then seeing it function is the most bizarre thing ive ever seen for this game

[@thatwardrobeguy]

i love how the combine in beta portal have localized teleportation via the portal gun, yet still choose not to kill off humanity

[@NeonKrystals]

I can watch this all day! 13 year old Krystal would have LOST IT watching this! I used to be a HUGE portal fan

[@Blap7]

1:04 discord jumpscare

[@Padgriffin]

These are super cool- the “You Win” in devtext_01 is weirdly funny to me, for some reason. Hope you get well soon, Ossy. Keep it up.

[@chairdog]

Such a cool and interesting video! So wild to be able to know this much about the background of a games development and creation

[@WonderlandWarGaming]

13:11 Interestingly enough you can see the gears in the Portal trailer, specifically in the first bts clip.

[@Frying1Pans]

HOLY FUCK 6:40 OSSY THE BETA OF PORTAL WAS DARK AND GRIDDY!!!

[@fahnkymuncke7439]

griddy heheha

[@fahnkymuncke7439]

@@CreepyboomGamer valve software, you betta be scared

[@missingtexturez]

I think test_fling was referenced in one of the portal 2 extras in the long fall boots ad, mainly the lower part but the test subject did happen to do the course in reverse because cave said "just try to fall"

[@Technicolor_geek]

for real the tall room with a ton of platforms is so unique too wish it was a chamber.

[@SillyBobAnimations]

"Portal is a game, shockingly." -Ossy Flawol, 2022

[@user-xg4wn5qv8e]

That was so interesting! As a portal fan, and a hammer maps creator it gave me inspiration to work at my stuff!

[@Pacca64]

We actually do have the code for Trigger_Portal, surprisingly! It's dummied out in the officially released Source SDK, alongside all the other dummied out Half Life 2 stuff! It can be pretty easily reenabled and used in mods. It's basically a trigger_teleport, but it also takes into account relative position and momentum. It's a really cool entity for not just faking portals, but also for seamless transitions and smooth feeling teleports as well! I tried to make a mod awhile back with a 'portal gun' that simply relocated those brush entities around the map. Worked surprisingly well, though they're not nearly as advanced as regular portals and will clip the player into geometry if not placed with care. Still really cool that we have that.

[@n646n]

Do you still have the mod? I'd love to try it

[@Pacca64]

@@n646nUnfortunately I lost most of the content for it awhile back when my laptop died, though I still have the source code.

[@BonnibelVA]

Awesome video!!! its always sick learning new stuff about my fave games!

[@Quesbe]

The subtitles in this video are really good, that's a nice thing to see :D

[@kazumazoomer3548]

That discord notification in the video scared the crap out of me

[@lololghi7909]

1:05 discord ping lol. Nice video though!

[@ZaccoOfficial]

The more in-development facts about video games (especially source games) that I can get the better.

[@FantasmaNaranja]

1:05 that's just evil

[@redstonerelic]

Legit went and checked before I realized lol

[@FrenchFryCheese04]

Fucking cope

[@officialMXH]

IM ABOUT TO GO TO SLEEP BUT ILL WATCH THIS WHEN I WAKE UP!! GOOD TO SEE PORTAL CONTENT IN 2022! ALSO DAMN 1 HOUR AGO

[@ProGamer-lk9qw]

Wake up you've been in a coma for 10 years Portal 3's already out and Obama jr. ran for office

[@ScottTracyScotistheHedgehog]

7:18 Are these the actual Portal x06 particles?!?

[@bendusolos9699]

Thats Odd and Creepy Seeing Flotating Decayed Corpses in that strange acid or water in portal but due to the artistic and layout choices during 2005 is understandable

[@suroguner]

SHUT OFF DISCORD NOTOFICATIONS WHEN RECORDING AUDIO!!!!!!!

[@IAmUnderscore]

chill

[@suroguner]

@@IAmUnderscore Too many youtubers in the past forget about that notification noise and don't seem to do anything about it without a freakout.

[@SiIIy_]

My fucking god calm down

[@EvilNeuro]

@@surogunerkeep the discord sounds in videos. It gets people to rewind which increases watch time + more comments which means KZbin will see it as a more interacted video

[@suroguner]

@@EvilNeuro It's dishonest, and annoying especially when I have discord open in another tab.

[@Fatih_M177]

Zoo_test area honestly reminds me of portal 2 a lot, i wonder if this is what inspired some portal 2 map makers

[@ashisharky]

"Portal is a game" had "where are your fingers?" Energy I stg

[@BobTheMartin]

This is so cool to see Correct me if I'm wrong, but the enterable useless APC appeared in vanilla HL2 too

[@Calvin_McMurray]

this channel is underrated

[@TS_Mind_Swept]

I wouldn't say the older versions of things are 'wrong' so much as 'part of the process'; neat to see how things developed over time

[@TinyDeskEngineer]

Wait, the shotgun soldier skins were added in _Episode 2?_

[@Coburn64]

Great video, although if I may ask, what's the music that you used in this video? It sounds really nice and ambient.

[@JG24Billy]

Pretty sure it’s music from portal

[@remyrichardson8614]

"Portal is a game." -Ossy Flawol, 2022

[@bush2137]

Would love to see this same concept but with p2

[@TheKnewGreg]

The reason bonus_longjump measures in yards is because hammer units are based on inches, unlike just about every other engine which is based on meters

[@MisterJohnDoe]

I like the idea of Portal being remade with the Combine art style. Of course, those turrets are already identical to each other in terms of function.

[@DeltaDoesGarbaj]

"portal is a game, shockingly" *chef's kiss*

[@Slferon]

1:04 had me thinking my friend who is ignoring me rn finally realized i was trying to get his attention

[@MisterJohnDoe]

Weren't the cube dropper ragdolls used in the final chapter where you break out one of them?

[@ILikeCornYouKnow]

Point Camera seems to have been used in Portal 2 for Wheatley

[@KillerPopChilly]

ok you got me in "portal is a game that is made"

[@riskybicky8335]

Love the that most replayed bit is when the discord notification sound plays. We all looked at our discord. it was all a negatory, but we still wanted to believe. Stay strong brothers.

[@calebbowen6406]

i remember thinking baking ment they threw their pc in the oven and baked the pc to bake the level

[@D4rkNFS]

2:18 If they are from editorbuild, They are not last edited date, despite valve recompiled hammer regularly and always used latest compiled build of hammer. The day specified in vmf files are only editor build, and what editor build means: Hammer compilation date if I am right. And that editorbuild line in hammer vmf is only in which hammer build map was saved. And editorbuild buildnumber is day, and if you add [EDITORBUILD] days after 24 October 1996, you will get editorbuild date.

[@CultKermit2310]

Portal is a game, shockingly

[@_comment]

1:05 thanks for the discord beep.

[@axmoylotl]

imagine you wake up and your stuck in portal beta rooms

[@_GhostMiner]

*You're

[@axmoylotl]

@@_GhostMiner wrong

[@soup9242]

Man, Old Aperture Labs is a lot weirder than the game showed.

[@BuilderBroWasTaken]

How do you access these maps?

[@KennyMccormick945]

Fun fact I know:the cubes at the zoo_testarea are ripped from darbacular drop +the buttons

[@GenericUsernames]

Just a question, I'm making a source map in this style, and the zoo_lab map would help. Yet I can't find it in any beta I search (2005 - 2006) Thanks.

[@somthingarage]

whats the reasons for the pistons just randomly in the facilitY?

[@rockpie]

" _Portal_ is a game, shockingly" Oh my god i went my whole life somehow not knowing this, i am so dumb.

[@lambdacore4127]

The drivable apc is from half life 2 you can see that apc in the beggining of the game when you are running away from cops from the roofs and you can see that there is a apc and you press e to it you try to drive it

[@0DRONZER]

idk why but my little sister finds the "ERROR" model clipping through the wall and the you win model from that other level super funny lol

[@HaxxorElite]

Its the portal draggy!

[@Wyte_Knight]

3:10 The ability to "drive" the APC is not that weird, because you actually can in released Half Life 2. All of the APCs who are accessible without glitching or using noclip are "locked" with a function, but some of the inacessible APCs aren't locked and you can get in. It cause the exact same glitch, because the ability to drive the APC is a cut feature.

[@tsrenis]

1:04 capturing desktop and mic sound instead of just mic lol

[@cheesestick85boiiiiiiiiiiOLD]

man we do really need more early non-read only portal 2 textures, maps, etc including more portal 1 stuff (WE NEED ALL, INCLUDING ALL BETA BUILDS OF BOTH PORTAL GAMES, AND THEY SHOULD BE THE REAL VERSIONS)

[@MatiEP09]

why didn't you cover the ending where you escape from aperture after getting the batteries

[@OssyFlawol]

it's not a *weird* beta map, its just a beta map.

[@MatiEP09]

@@OssyFlawol Well, i guess that’s true, fair enough

[@Your_Average_Stickman_WasTaken]

When talking about weird portal beta maps you gotta include Exit_test

[@AlexanderTheOrdinary]

Discord ping at 1:05

[@yt_user1772]

Great video! :D

[@Danblak08]

Maybe I missed it when watching the video, but where can I find and/or download these maps

[@Technicolor_geek]

is it me or does test_fling similar to the chamber in the long fall boot trailer for portal 2?

[@I_Am_Transcendentem]

4:15 I like to imagine this could've meant these were 4 other citadels that the combine had on other worlds

[@SiIIy_]

No it’s just separate citadel models for how close to the citadel you were in half life 2

[@I_Am_Transcendentem]

​@@SiIIy_ I said.. I like to IMAGINE

[@TheRealestJulian]

It's been said billions of times before, but the 2005. Portal beta maps feel like a weird blend of Beta Half-Life 2's old gravity gun design paired up with Nova Prospect - like level setting.

[@arielchandia2]

show this video for the people complaining about the leaked gta 6 videos

[@felicitygray7811]

get well soon!

[@CubeAtlantic]

these are so high-quality, & clear! ✅

[@DrPeeper]

Where he gets all of those?

[@glorgy.]

13:55 They didn't spell Laboratories right! They spelled it: "Labratories."

[@ODEF.]

i really need to play other games because i KNEW that was chamber 9s ending lolllll

[@Lemodanee]

im so desesperate for messages sthat i tough the notification sound from 1:05 was in my pc..

[@hl2betafan]

0:02 correct!

[@gershuneve]

3:15 the apc is in the final build of Half-Life 2, and is in the 4th level of point insertion. you could still get in it. a

[@hunlepto2239]

Only in some mods. In the normal Half-Life 2, they're locked.

[@marlonb1852]

​@@hunlepto2239 no as far as i know, many inaccessible APCs are like this, because i guess they didn't bother to change them

[@MetalBaconYT]

1:05 the ping bro lol

[@masterzbs4988]

Did anyone notice the discord notification at 1:04

[@picture_panic]

hell yeah

[@VladAkrista]

That discord sound got me off guard.

[@defectivenull]

yeah you really didn't need to cover the zoo maps

[@Supernova_s7]

liquidportal_test = portal backrooms

[@ukkovalta3946]

0:03 dear god..

[@chocolate_maned_wolf]

cool vid :3

[@thebeast7590]

1:04 i thought someone actuly replied to one of my questions on discord

[@redaipo]

Hi Ossy Flawol, get well soon

[@HOURHAK]

YOU WIN