There are a lot of new puzzle mechanics that are added in Portal 2 that up the ante in terms of how complex the series’ puzzles can be. Hard Light Bridges are introduced in the early hours of the game and add an entirely new element to Portal 2‘s puzzles. At that point, players don’t only need to be “thinking with portals,” but also with lasers, catapults, and bridges.
The first Test Chamber that really puts the players’ Hard Light Bridge skills to the test is chamber 11 during the third chapter of the game. If playing through Portal: Companion Edition on the Nintendo Switch for the first time, this will be the first of many times that you’ll need to start thinking outside the box with the Hard Light Bridge.
More Portal 2 guides:
| Preservation of Mass Achievement Guide | Chapter 2 Test Chamber 08 Solution | Chapter 3 Test Chamber 09 Solution |
How to Solve Test Chamber 11 in Portal 2
Solving Test Chamber 11 in Portal 2 has the player rely almost exclusively on using the Hard Light Bridge. As you enter the chamber for the first time, GLaDOS will explain a little bit about the bridges. Walk into the chamber on the bridge and put a portal on the wall where that the bridge is hitting. When looking at the portal touching the bridge, it might not look like it’ll go through due to the bridge’s size, but trust me, it will.
With one portal reviving the bridge, turn your focus to the other side of the room. Put your other portal on the far wall positioned to the right of the button. As soon as you do, the light bridge will shoot out across the gap.
Walk across the gap being mindful to stay on the bridge without falling. When you arrive at the button, give it a press. Take notice of what the button does. Up to this point in Portal 2, when you press a button, whatever function the pressed button serves happens just once before needing to press it again. In Test Chamber 11, pressing the button spawns a cube out of the pipe behind the glass at a steady rate without needing to hit it again.
With the button pressed, walk back towards the entrance on the Hard Light Bridge, stopping about three-quarters of the way across. On your right, you should notice a bit of wall sticking out with portalable tiles on it. Once your parallel to it, shoot your second portal on it to spawn the Light Bridge underneath you. When doing this, you’ll drop a few feet, so just make sure to land back on the bridge after your fall.
Turn around so that your back is to your newly opened portal. You should notice that you can now walk into a secondary small hallway area with the light bridge acting as the floor. Walk all the way to the far wall until you can’t walk any farther and then turn to your left. Position yourself directly across from the portalable wall across from you and then shoot your Light Bridge portal to it, keeping you above the water still.
Walk all the way to the end of the bridge toward the wall you just shot. On your left, you’ll notice the constant stream of cubes falling out of the pipe. To snag one, you’ll need to put your Light Bridge portal below you to the right of where your current Light Bridge portal is. Shoot the portal, fall onto the bridge, then grab a cube.
Take the cube and walk through your Light Bridge portal. This will put you close to the entrance of the test. Shoot your Light Bridge portal on the lefthand wall (that is, left when you’re facing the exit door) on the tiles that are spotlessly clean. This will put the bridge across the chasm to access the pressure plate for your cube to weigh down, opening the exit door.
Walk through your portal across the bridge and put the cube on the button. The exit will now be unlocked.
Jump back on the Hard Light Bridge and walk until you’re directly across from the bit of portalable wall behind the button you hit at the start of the Test Chamber. Shoot your Hard Light Bridge portal on it, drop down to the new bridge, walk across, and use the exit door.
