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Chell | |
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Portal character | |
First appearance | Portal (2007) |
Last appearance | Lego Dimensions (2015) |
Portrayed by | Alésia Glidewell (modeled after; face and body) |
Voiced by | Mary Kae Irvin (pain grunts; archive recordings) |
In-universe information | |
Species | Human |
Gender | Female |
Weapon | Portal gun |
Long-time readers of IGN.com may remember a site we produced back in the day called IGN For Men. It was a fun and slightly naughty place where we talked about cars, music, gear, babes, booze,.
Chell is the silent protagonist in the Portalvideo game series developed by Valve. She appears in both Portal and Portal 2 as the main player character and as a supporting character in some other video games. Not much is known about Chell but it is believed she is the daughter of an employee at Aperture.
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Chell's face and body model were derived from Alésia Glidewell. She experienced a redesign in Portal 2 which was often changed during development. For example, the original redesign featured a laboratory hat. A character presented in first-person perspective, Chell can only be seen through reflections and portals in the game.
Chell was generally well received by critics and gamers, with many people praising that she does not speak and looks like a 'normal-looking and normal-dressing woman' in contrast to many other female characters in first-person shooters.
Development and design[edit]
Valve's Erik Wolpaw felt that it did not really matter what kind of person Chell was, noting that playtesters of the first Portal often did not know her name as it was never mentioned. Wolpaw explained that they never mentioned her name as '[players] felt like they had this relationship with GLaDOS, and they wanted GLaDOS to recognize them'. Chet Faliszek noted that Chell was the female version of Gordon Freeman's role as a silent protagonist (in the Half-Life video games).[1] Wolpaw explained it served the game's humour better if she did not talk, and that if the 'straight man in a world gone mad' did talk, referring to Chell, 'it would suck'.[2] In fact, there is one part of the first game where GLaDOS seems to get annoyed by Chell's refusal to respond to her, saying, 'Are you even listening to me?' (Wolpaw has commented a few times that Chell simply won't give GLaDOS the satisfaction of a response, but he doesn't intend that theory to be taken seriously). In an interview by IGN about Portal 2: Lab Rat, Valve's Michael Avon Oeming commented that, currently, 'Chell is more of a storytelling device,' comparing her to the Spirit character by Will Eisner, but noted that more may be seen of Chell in the future.[3]
When making Portal 2, developers considered not bringing back the character.[4][5] However, this was changed as playtesters wanted GLaDOS to recognize them as the person who had killed her in the first game.[1][6] In her original redesign for Portal 2 developers tried to make her look appealing, yet not overdesigned,[5] with nothing made simply for fashion.[4] They explored changing her nationality, and tried to make her look less human due to the 'constant dehumanization of these test subjects'. Being a test subject, Chell's suit was designed to look neither sexy nor unattractive. The original redesign of the character featured a laboratory hat, which was thought of halfway through the concepting phase.[4][7] Matt Charlesworth, Valve's concept artist, commented that the hat reminded him of test pilots.[4]
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This look was eventually abandoned in favor of returning to her original orange jumpsuit, this time with the jumpsuit wrapped around her waist. Valve's art team explained that this was to give her more freedom and help her stand out more as an individual.[8]
Appearances[edit]
In Portal, Chell is performing tests for Aperture Science, which are being overseen by GLaDOS, an artificially intelligentcomputer system. Chell destroys GLaDOS in her efforts to escape but is wounded, and an unseen figure called the Party Escort Bot drags her back inside.
In Portal 2: Lab Rat, a tie-in comic for Portal 2, Chell is put in stasis by Doug Rattmann after the events of Portal. He is revealed to be responsible for Chell taking part in the tests.[9] Chell reappears in Portal 2 where she is reawakened by Wheatley. She and Wheatley attempt to escape the laboratory, and in the process accidentally reanimate GLaDOS. GLaDOS, furious with Chell for having 'murdered' her, forces her to do more tests until Wheatley helps her escape. Chell and Wheatley team up to destroy GLaDOS's neurotoxin and turret production. GLaDOS eventually recaptures Chell, but fails to kill her due to her lack of neurotoxin and turrets. Chell takes advantage of the moment to replace GLaDOS's core with Wheatley's core. Wheatley, corrupted and driven to megalomania by inhabiting GLaDOS's former shell, betrays Chell and instead of freeing her, sends her to the very bottom of the Testing Facility. There she navigates several Mobility Gel testing areas that were in use between 1956 and 1985. As she ascends through level after level, she learns about the late founder of Aperture Science, Cave Johnson, and his assistant, Caroline, whose personality and intelligence were ultimately implanted in GLaDOS. Chell finds and picks up GLaDOS, whom Wheatley has placed in a small module powered by a potato battery. Opening the hatch that seals off the old facility from the new, Chell inadvertently pumps Mobility Gels up to the new facility, which later proves useful. Wheatley captures her and forces her to run tests for him until she finds his lair. And after attaching corrupted cores onto Wheatley, with the process of reverting being booby-trapped, she fires a portal to the moon which sucks her and Wheatley out into space. Chell is saved by GLaDOS, who lets her leave the facility via an elevator that takes her to the surface.
Chell's origin is unclear; GLaDOS claims that in Chell's file it states that she is adopted. In Portal 2, a long-abandoned science fair poster that was part of 'Bring Your Daughter to Work Day' — the same day GLaDOS went rogue — is attributed to 'Chell',[10] implying that at least one of her parents worked for Aperture Science. At least one journalist has taken this to suggest that Chell is Cave Johnson's daughter.[11]
As both Portal games are presented in a first-person view, Chell is only seen fleetingly in normal gameplay, usually when portals are aligned in such a way that the player is able to create a recursive view of Chell. Placing two portals next to each other on a wall and then partially entering the one portal while facing the other allows the player a close-up view of Chell's face.
Chell is a playable character in the crossover game Lego Dimensions, and has access to her portal gun. Her character pack includes a sentry turret and a companion cube, and unlocks a bonus level in which she returns to Aperture and is reunited with Wheatley, with the two trying to stop GLaDOS once more.
A Portal-themed costume featuring Chell holding a portal gun is available for the 2020 battle royale game Fall Guys: Ultimate Knockout.[12]
Chell's face and body model were derived from those of the director, producer and voice actress Alésia Glidewell.[13]
Reception and analysis[edit]
GamesRadar's Joe McNeilly called Chell an example of Portal deconstructing first-person shooter archetypes, noting that she was neither in third-person nor sexualized unlike most female characters in first-person shooters.[14] GamesRadar called Chell the antidote to the half-naked woman cliché, praising her for not being sexualized and being fully clothed, commenting, 'The hero of Portal just happens to be a normal-looking and normal-dressing woman, like 50% of the world's population.'[15] GamesRadar listed Chell (jokingly) as one of its Mediocre Game Babes, calling her jumpsuit repulsive and saying, '[Her] heel springs make her look like one of those aliens from The Arrival.'[16]IGN listed Chell as the sixth top gaming heroine, calling her 'one of the most resourceful heroines on [their] list'.[17] In an in-depth analysis of Portal, Daniel Johnson from Gamasutra said that Chell being female, as well as GLaDOS's line about testing your daughter in Aperture Science Bring Your Daughter to Work Day, alluded to the testing of women. Johnson also noted that the information about who Chell is and why she is there reinforced the position of the player as an unwilling participant.[18] GamesRadar said that it considered putting Chell on its list of the Top 7 Tasteful game heroines, but said she lost out to Zoey from Left 4 Dead.[19]
Kotaku's Luke Plunkett called Chell's original design in the first game memorable,[7] later noting how in the first Portal 'Chell [...] was never really the star of the game' as well as how little she was actually seen.[20] Mike Fahey, also from Kotaku, defended Chell from people saying that she should talk, and said, 'The last thing I would want in Portal 2 is for Chell to speak'.[21] When reviewing Portal 2, Game Informer's Adam Biessener said that much of what makes Portal and Portal 2 so special was the execution and the originality of standing in Chell's shoes and experiencing her destiny.[22]
References[edit]
- ^ abEurogamer staff (14 March 2011). 'Portal 2 exclusive interview - Survey'. Eurogamer. Archived from the original on 1 April 2011. Retrieved 30 April 2011.
- ^Chris Pereira (6 May 2011). 'Portal's Protagonist is Silent for a Reason'. 1UP.com. Archived from the original on 20 June 2012. Retrieved 8 May 2011.
- ^Joey Esposito (6 April 2011). 'Expanding the World of Portal 2'. IGN. Archived from the original on 29 April 2011. Retrieved 30 April 2011.
- ^ abcdBen Reeves (22 March 2010). 'Redesigning Portal: Valve's Artist Speaks'. Game Informer. Archived from the original on 30 April 2011. Retrieved 27 April 2011.
- ^ abTyler Wilde (23 March 2010). 'Portal 2 concept art is pretty Chell'. GamesRadar. Retrieved 27 April 2011.
- ^Edge staff (18 March 2011). 'Portal 2 Preview'. Edge. Archived from the original on 21 April 2011. Retrieved 30 April 2011.
- ^ abLuke Plunkett (23 March 2010). 'Portal's Star Has A New Look'. Kotaku. Archived from the original on 6 November 2010. Retrieved 27 April 2011.
- ^Michael McWhertor (23 February 2011). 'The New Look For Portal 2's Heroine Explained'. Kotaku. Archived from the original on 6 November 2010. Retrieved 30 April 2011.
- ^'Portal 2: Lab Rat'. Archived from the original on 12 April 2011. Retrieved 26 June 2017.
- ^Valve (April 19, 2011). Portal 2. Level/area: Chapter 5: The Escape.
- ^Purslow, Matt (2011-04-26). 'Portal 2 Secrets Guide'. PC Gamer. Archived from the original on 2011-08-17. Retrieved 2011-08-12.
- ^Naik, Kshiteej (2020-09-04). 'Fall Guys Gets Portal's Chell Skin'. IGN India. Retrieved 2021-01-21.
- ^McWhertor, Michael (May 10, 2011). 'Portal's GLaDOS and Chell Laugh It Up In Real Life'. Kotaku. Archived from the original on January 17, 2019. Retrieved January 16, 2019.
- ^Joe McNeilly (7 December 2007). 'Portal is the most subversive game ever'. GamesRadar. Archived from the original on 9 August 2011. Retrieved 27 April 2011.
- ^Charlie Barratt (21 July 2008). 'The Top 7... Lazy Character Clichés'. GamesRadar. Archived from the original on 12 May 2011. Retrieved 27 April 2011.
- ^Chris Antista (25 July 2008). 'Mediocre Game Babes'. GamesRadar. Archived from the original on 15 June 2011. Retrieved 27 April 2011.
- ^IGN PlayStation Team (8 July 2009). 'The Wednesday 10: Gaming Heroines'. IGN. Archived from the original on 31 August 2011. Retrieved 27 April 2011.
- ^Daniel Johnson (11 June 2009). 'Analysis: Portal and the Deconstruction of the Institution'. Gamasutra. Archived from the original on 31 August 2015. Retrieved 27 April 2011.
- ^Brett Elston. 'The Top 7 Tasteful game heroines'. GamesRadar. Archived from the original on 6 February 2013. Retrieved 27 April 2011.
- ^Luke Plunkett (12 February 2011). 'See How Portal's Heroine Has Changed'. Kotaku. Archived from the original on 6 November 2010. Retrieved 27 April 2011.
- ^Mikey Fahey (24 February 2011). 'Some Game Characters Need to Keep Their Big Mouths Shut'. Kotaku. Archived from the original on 6 November 2010. Retrieved 27 April 2011.
- ^Adam Biessener (18 April 2011). 'Portal 2'. Game Informer. Archived from the original on 10 March 2012. Retrieved 27 April 2011.
External links[edit]
Chobot in 2014 | |
Born | July 7, 1977 (age 43) Buffalo, New York, United States |
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Occupation | Presenter, host, writer |
Years active | 2005–present |
Spouse(s) | Mr. Chobot[1] (m. after 2012) |
Children | 1 |
Jessica Chobot (born Jessica Lynn Horn; July 7, 1977) is an American on-camera host and writer.[2] She has hosted the IGN shows IGN Strategize and Weekly Wood, which also runs on Xbox Live; she previously worked as presenter of the IGN Daily Fix. Since 2013, she was the primary host of Nerdist News and Nerdist News Talks Back for Nerdist Industries. In 2014, she launched her own podcast titled Bizarre States. She left Nerdist on August 5, 2019. She currently stars in a show called Expedition X.
Early life[edit]
Jessica Lynn Horn was born in Buffalo, New York, and grew up in Novi, Michigan.[1] Her family moved from town to town frequently during her youth. Before entering high school, she lived in several places on the East Coast and the Midwest.[3]
Career[edit]
Chobot gained exposure when Kotaku published a photo of her licking a Sony PSP online in 2005.[1] The photo has been widely parodied since,[4] even appearing on Sony-branded advertising.[5] Supplementing her love of video games is an obsession with Japanese culture, especially anime and manga.
In 2006, Chobot was hired full-time by IGN.com to take over hosting responsibilities for the network's IGN Weekly show which is still running. Her segments included stand-up introductions as well as 'woman-on-the-street' pieces. Starting in 2009 and ending in 2011, Chobot hosted a daily show titled IGN Daily Fix; the first episode aired March 23, 2009. In addition, she contributes columns, features and reviews and runs a blog on IGN. Chobot is also a former contributor to FHM UK, Mania.com, and has made multiple appearances on G4's Filter and Attack of the Show!. She has also hosted a videogame preview segment for Fuel TV's, The Daily Habit, and co-hosts on Lifeskool TV's, Gamer's Dojo. She also contributes as a weekly guest on Maxim Radio, where she answers caller questions for an hour each Monday.[citation needed] Chobot and Ryan Dunn starred in Proving Ground, a program whose airing cycle was disrupted by Dunn's death in an automotive crash on June 20, 2011, after the end of production; the program was pulled from airing for a month before returning to finish its run beginning on July 19, 2011.
Chobot has appeared on commercials for ADV's Anime Network On Demand cable station, and lent her likeness to Symbiote Studios Toy Company for two limited-edition anime-style sculptures. In addition, she has modeled for the J!NX female gamers clothing line. In 2006-2007, she co-wrote a sci-fi script with writer/director/creator of Tron, Steven Lisberger, for Soul Code.[6] Current collaborations include an anime-style collectible figurine in development with Symbiote Studios, a representative of JiNX.com women's apparel line.Chobot is also writing the 'Ask Jess, Dammit!' blog for Maxim.[7] She was named the 88th most desirable woman of 2008 by AskMen magazine[8] and 14th hottest woman of business 2009 by Business Pundit.[9] Chobot also hosts a weekly show featured on Inside Xbox called IGN Strategize. In 2011, Chobot placed at #57 in the 2011 Askmen's Top 99 Women poll.[10] She voiced news reporter Diana Allers in Mass Effect 3, a character modelled in her likeness; Forbes contributor Erik Kain described this as a 'grotesque instance' of journalists being too close to publishers, pointing out that 'Chobot had previewed the game on G4TV and written that she was a huge fan of BioWare', though both Chobot and IGN made it known that she would not review the game in any official capacity.[11]
On November 4, 2013, Chobot began work as the main host of Nerdist News,[12] a news show focusing on nerdy pop culture updates airing 5 days a week on Nerdist.com.[13]Chobot is the writer for Daylight, a survival horror video game by Zombie Studios.[1] The game launched on April 29, 2014.On June 26, 2014, Chobot launched her own podcast dedicated to the weird and supernatural titled Bizarre States. The show is co-hosted by fellow Nerdist Industries's employee Andrew Bowser and features occasional guests.[14]
In 2015, Chobot was the contestant interviewer on the revived sixth series of robotic combat game show Battlebots, and she acted as Samus Aran for the movie Metroid: The Sky Calls, which was produced by a studio named Rainfall. She played the role along with another actress named America Young.[15]On August 5, 2019, Chobot announced on Twitter that she was leaving Nerdist after six years.[16]Chobot now stars in Expedition X which premiered on February 12, 2020 on the Discovery Channel.
Personal life[edit]
She was divorced from a previous marriage in 2006 but kept the surname Chobot.[1]
On August 21, 2011, Chobot became engaged to G4tv's Blair Herter and they married on February 18, 2012. They had their first child on March 6, 2013.[17][18]
References[edit]
- ^ abcdeHall, Charlie (September 13, 2013). 'Jessica Chobot: Stepping Into Daylight'. Polygon.
- ^Chobot, Jessica [@JessicaChobot] (October 26, 2012). 'Not a writer for IGN or reviewer for G4. I'm a host/entertainer' (Tweet). Retrieved October 27, 2012 – via Twitter.
- ^'Jessica Chobot'. Askmen.com. Retrieved October 7, 2012.
- ^Amini, Tina. 'Step Aside, Jessica Chobot Licking A PSP. There's A New Scandalous Picture, And It Involves The Wii U.'Kotaku. Retrieved July 6, 2014.
- ^Chobot, Jessica. 'Biography'. Symbioteststudios.com. Archived from the original on July 25, 2009. Retrieved May 15, 2009.
- ^Garrett, Diane (September 4, 2007). 'Steven Lisberger to direct 'Code''. Variety. Retrieved May 15, 2009.
- ^Chobot, Jessica. 'Ask Jess, Dammit!'. Maxim.com. Archived from the original on January 10, 2010. Retrieved May 15, 2009.
- ^'Top 99 women, 2008 Edition'. AskMen. Archived from the original on March 13, 2010. Retrieved May 15, 2009.
- ^'25 Hottest Women of Business'. Business Pundit. January 1, 2009. Retrieved May 15, 2009.
- ^'Jessica Chobot - Top 99 Women'. AskMen. Archived from the original on January 22, 2012. Retrieved November 1, 2012.
- ^Kain, Eric (October 26, 2012). 'All The Pretty Doritos: How Video Game Journalism Went Off The Rails'. Forbes. Retrieved November 1, 2012.
- ^Walton, Brian (November 5, 2013). 'Watch the Premiere of Nerdist News with Jessica Chobot!'. Nerdist.
- ^'Nerdist News'. Nerdist.com.
- ^'Bizarre States Podcast'. Nerdist.
- ^RainfallFilms (November 2, 2015). 'Metroid: The Sky Calls // a Rainfall Films Intergalactic Odyssey'. YouTube.
- ^'Jessica Chobot Leaves Nerdist'. Twitter. Retrieved September 23, 2019.
- ^Johnson, Ed (August 23, 2011). 'G4/IGN's Herter and Chobot get engaged with geek style'. Zimbio.com. Archived from the original on October 14, 2012. Retrieved September 8, 2011.
- ^Prat, Vanessa (August 26, 2011). 'Gaming Host Proposes With Wonder Woman Inspired Ring'. Since1910.com. Retrieved September 8, 2011.
External links[edit]
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Jessica Chobot. |
Ign Baba Is You
- Jessica Chobot's Nerdist Blog at the Wayback Machine (archived June 18, 2018)
- Jessica Chobot at IMDb