I cannot grab the final core in the GLaDOS battle.

[SeaprincessHNB]

I finished this game once before years ago. I'm not a gamer, obviously, or I wouldn't be dorking out over this. I'm playing on PC. I cannot figure out what I am doing wrong. I have almost 2 minutes left at my save point, but no amount of hurling myself through a portal above the final core helps me grab it. All the walkthroughs and videos just say "grab it." I'm hitting E til it's about to explode. I've tried moving my portal around, higher, lower, different wall... Half the time I'm not even really falling close to the dang thing and I'm putting my portal in the same place people on YouTube have put it! What combination of keys do I need to hit while falling or going through the portal? Do I need to Jump when coming out of the portal? Do I need to just fall? When do I hit E to grab the core? One walkthrough said "when you're almost past it." Thanks, that helps. I'm about to lose my mind.

[Latch]

you could just fly and hit it with your butt and it will just fall to the floor thats what i always do

[SeaprincessHNB]

You mean with Dev Console turned on? I actually jumped and hit it with a chair in regular mode but that didn't dislodge it. I got it one time but I was so close to being out of time that the game kinda glitched. I actually destroyed it right at the same time the clock ran out. I got the Heart Breaker achievement for finishing the game but I was lying on the floor dead instead of watching GLaDOS break apart. The game immediately started over at my last save point.

I still have no idea what I did to grab it that time. I just kept flinging myself through the portal and one of those times the dang core was in my hands. So frustrating.

[Chocice75]

Spam E after you fling yourself from the portal and you should grab it.

[SeaprincessHNB]

Originally posted by ChocIce75:

Spam E after you fling yourself from the portal and you should grab it.

Is there something special I need to do before or while going through the portal? I feel like I'm just not getting close enough to the core to grab it but I don't know how to make that happen. Like for the second core, if I don't Jump (spacebar) while going through the portal, I won't make it onto the platform.

[kucingkampung]

OK, let me write a tutorial for the last core. Kinda lazy to make a video for it. :D

1. After you bring down the last core with rocket turret, move to this possition and aim to this wall just near the entrance.
Pic #1

2. Open the first portal high above the wall you just aim at. You can see the last core right there.
Pic #2

3. After that walk closer to the wall right below the first portal.
Pic #3

4.Turn around 180 degree and make the second portal on the ground. Move straight forward and jump into the portal. Keep pressing forward and steer with mouse (and or direction keys) while you're falling to aim the core.
Pic #4

5. You don't have to grab it in the air. You just need to bump the core and it will fall. If you miss, try again.

[SeaprincessHNB]

Originally posted by kucingkampung:

Keep pressing forward and steer with mouse (and or direction keys) while you're falling to aim the core.

First, thank you so much for taking the time to do this. Let me elaborate on "pressing forward." Do you mean to actually hit W while falling through the portals (and steering with the mouse)? Or just step into the hole, fall, steer towards the core. If I miss, shoot another portal in floor, fall and steer for it again - repeat until I've knocked it loose.

I really hate that I sound this dense but I just don't play any other games. Simple mechanics like walking and jumping are often the hardest part of playing this game for me. I think it's odd that all the other things we see in this final battle were learned earlier in the game. But catching an item mid-jump through a portal was not a skill we practiced in any other part of the game.

[kucingkampung]

Yes, you just need to keep pressing W (with A or D depend on your possition when you out off the portal) and mouse to aim. If you miss, don't make new portal on the floor yet. Keep trying to steer when falling. You may also want to try entering the portal a litle bit to the left from the possition shown in Pic #4.

[kucingkampung]

Originally posted by Horse N. Buggy:

I really hate that I sound this dense but I just don't play any other games. Simple mechanics like walking and jumping are often the hardest part of playing this game for me. I think it's odd that all the other things we see in this final battle were learned earlier in the game. But catching an item mid-jump through a portal was not a skill we practiced in any other part of the game.

Hahaha... I didn't read this part yesterday. No, this game does ask your to catch some objects mid-air in previous levels. But those are not part of the main mission, so you may have missed it. It's just a side mission where you have to collect bunch of radio receivers or something like that.

Anyway, as for this last level, like I've said before you don't need to grab the core mid-air. Just bump into the core and it will fall. Keep trying to steer and aim while falling. Practice makes perfect.

[traveller]

This may help. In picture #2 there is a pipe stickiing out of the wall slightlty to the left of the core. I put my portal under it so I'm lined up with the field that holds the core. I feel I have a better chance of knocking it down if I miss the core I may still hit the field and break it free. The last is a pain. Thw others are just show. The final one is for all the glory. Good luck.

[Vanhouzer]

Yes, I am playing PORTAL RTX, the final head core floats and if you look at the wall near it… there is a small shadow. Place a Portal (two portal spaces) above the shadow (not in the same shadow spot). Then place the second portal on the floor, jump to it and you should fall aiming to the Head core, if you fall short then place the Portal higher….. then as you fall spam the grab button until you catch it.

I thought this was a glitch tbh but it seems that it’s weirdly deliberate even tho there is really no reason for it to float lol.