Portal
Valve
Anthony: I’m going to throw out any attempt at journalistic integrity for a moment: Portal is a game that everyone who can adequately play video games should play. Those that cannot adequately play video games should either learn to do so, or watch someone play Portal.
Okay sure, I’m two years late and the internet memes have already been established for numerous aspects and quirks from the game. So why review it now? Because there’s probably a number of people who haven’t played it, or just assumed it wasn’t their type of game and had everything spoiled already. Those people should cast out those assumptions and give this a shot.
Portal is a hybrid puzzle/shooter/platformer that has you using and creating portals in walls, ceilings, and floors to transport yourself and objects around areas to complete tasks.
The instructional progression is one of the most well-executed and impressive aspects of the game design. While you start out performing simple “push the button” tasks and using portals created for you, soon you’ll be creating your own portals to interact with the portals existing in the environment. Next you’ll be creating both portals, and before long you’re using these to control momentum-based enormous leaps and to dodge various hazards. They start out spoon-feeding you, then they let you feed yourself, and before long, you’re out hunting for food with your bare hands. No tutorials are included or necessary... they used the game’s progression itself to do the teaching, and as is evident in the developer’s commentary, they worked hard to develop it in this way.
It shows, and it’s genius on a few levels. On the one hand, it’s satisfying early on to realize “Oh! That’s what I have to do.” whenever a new problem presents itself. On the other, on an inevitable replay of the game, you can use much more advanced techniques to replay earlier stages in new ways. It even extends to the available challenge modes, which can make you scratch your head and think “How can I possibly do this in four moves?”
None of this even speaks to the amazing job they did at programming the game itself. At any given time, a portal changes the entire dynamic of one or more rooms in the game. This happens with no or virtually no slowdown or hiccups, despite having to keep track of what’s basically a multi-layered version of any room you’re in. I won’t even try to wrap my brain around how they did it, but it’s one of the most unique designs you’ll ever see, and considering it’s two years now and no major company’s even attempted to duplicate it is an attestation to the creativity and complexity involved in this game.
The most common criticism of the game is its length. Yes, the game can be completed in a single multi-hour sitting. To me, that didn’t matter in the least. Many of us used to buy $40-$70 games back in the day when they were that length and didn’t have an iota of the creativity, design, or replay value of this game. Even the main game’s length makes sense - it almost plays out like an interactive movie, having clear plot points and taking you through a delightfully morbid and open-ended tale. A second playthrough is almost mandatory to experience more of the dialog (Lauren will touch on this) again and to try using your advanced knowledge to breeze through earlier challenges or complete them in different ways. Then if you’re willing to challenge yourself further, the advanced rooms, time, steps, and portal challenges can give you a serious run for your money if you thought you were an expert.
Call this an impassioned note to gamers who’ve missed out. If you think fads are just fads, and that gaming sites raving over a game just means they’re being paid off, you’re probably right. That said, call Portal the exception. For every “funny” line or concept you heard from it that didn’t make sense, or for every bit of copycat merchandise you weren’t interested in, the truth is that Portal is the real deal. The game is funnier and more interesting than the memes that came from it, and the gameplay design is actually worthy of the praise heaped on it. It’s the sort of thing that everyone should at least try, if not see in action. Video games rarely get made with this kind of love and skill.
Lauren: Let me put it this way: If I purchase a box containing five games, when I have no intention of playing four of those five, and the one that I do play causes me horrible nausea and only lasts three hours, yet I want to give it a 9.5 if not a 10 out of 10... it's gotta be an unbelievably good game. And that's what Portal is.
The very concept of Portal's gameplay is very unique in itself. Since Anthony already described it, there's no need to repeat it here. Still, I must point out that the script is as incredible as the gameplay, if not more so, depending on your style of humour. The dialogue is morbid, sarcastic, and outright hilarious. I've never seen anything so consistently funny and creepy before. A lot of games have made me laugh out loud, but this one had me going at pretty much every line. That's quite an accomplishment.
The progression of the game especially stands out to me. You begin in a sterile-looking testing area, seeming to follow test protocol as instructed by a computer's voice. As you proceed, however, you begin to see flaws in the environment alongside glitches in the computer, both of which make you start to question if you're really supposed to be following orders. The experience became genuinely creepy after one particular climactic event, after which you begin to traverse the much less clean back area of the building. This is also timed with similarly creepy lines from the computer. It evokes a sense of dawning horror as you realize that something has gone terribly wrong. The entire atmosphere of Portal is incredibly well done. I always respect developers who successfully pull off a story that doesn't painfully lay out every plot detail, and rather leaves it open for interpretation.
There is only one character in the game with voice acting, and she does an incredible job. She's already going down in history as one of the most memorable game characters of all time. She is the modern-day HAL-9000 - a passive-aggressive computer gone mad. As for the music, it's used selectively and suits the atmosphere very well. While the game is generally silent during puzzles, you know something is up when the music kicks in. Portal also ends with one of the most memorable game songs of all time.
The graphics are very, very smooth. It could have been a cluttered game with pretty details crammed into the environment, but they intentionally kept it simplistic so as not to distract from the gameplay itself. I definitely think that was a good call. But even so, the graphics look nice and modern.
When it comes to replay value, I'll have to be honest here - Portal is a short game. As I said before, you can beat it in about 2-3 hours. That said, there are still challenges to complete after the game, such as solving previous puzzles with less portals, or less steps taken. It's worth a second playing for the script alone, but the option to hear developers' commentary throughout subsequent playthroughs is a big plus. It's odd, but I never felt that the short length was a bad thing. Everything about Portal felt "just right," aside from a strong urge to see it all again immediately after seeing the ending.
Portal is readily available to almost everyone - it's out for PC (and Steam), PS3, and X360. Even if you don't like puzzle games, or action games, or whatever you'd classify this as, give it a try. Or watch someone else do so. I doubt you'll regret it after hearing a few lines of the script or taking a glance at the creative mechanics. You'll also get to finally understand some major memes that've been swimming around the net for the past few years. It's one of the most unique, hilarious, and bizarre games out there. You won't hear the words "3 tablespoons rhubarb, on fire" uttered anywhere else. And your gaming life is not complete until you play it.
Valve
Anthony: I’m going to throw out any attempt at journalistic integrity for a moment: Portal is a game that everyone who can adequately play video games should play. Those that cannot adequately play video games should either learn to do so, or watch someone play Portal.
Okay sure, I’m two years late and the internet memes have already been established for numerous aspects and quirks from the game. So why review it now? Because there’s probably a number of people who haven’t played it, or just assumed it wasn’t their type of game and had everything spoiled already. Those people should cast out those assumptions and give this a shot.
Portal is a hybrid puzzle/shooter/platformer that has you using and creating portals in walls, ceilings, and floors to transport yourself and objects around areas to complete tasks.
The instructional progression is one of the most well-executed and impressive aspects of the game design. While you start out performing simple “push the button” tasks and using portals created for you, soon you’ll be creating your own portals to interact with the portals existing in the environment. Next you’ll be creating both portals, and before long you’re using these to control momentum-based enormous leaps and to dodge various hazards. They start out spoon-feeding you, then they let you feed yourself, and before long, you’re out hunting for food with your bare hands. No tutorials are included or necessary... they used the game’s progression itself to do the teaching, and as is evident in the developer’s commentary, they worked hard to develop it in this way.
It shows, and it’s genius on a few levels. On the one hand, it’s satisfying early on to realize “Oh! That’s what I have to do.” whenever a new problem presents itself. On the other, on an inevitable replay of the game, you can use much more advanced techniques to replay earlier stages in new ways. It even extends to the available challenge modes, which can make you scratch your head and think “How can I possibly do this in four moves?”
None of this even speaks to the amazing job they did at programming the game itself. At any given time, a portal changes the entire dynamic of one or more rooms in the game. This happens with no or virtually no slowdown or hiccups, despite having to keep track of what’s basically a multi-layered version of any room you’re in. I won’t even try to wrap my brain around how they did it, but it’s one of the most unique designs you’ll ever see, and considering it’s two years now and no major company’s even attempted to duplicate it is an attestation to the creativity and complexity involved in this game.
The most common criticism of the game is its length. Yes, the game can be completed in a single multi-hour sitting. To me, that didn’t matter in the least. Many of us used to buy $40-$70 games back in the day when they were that length and didn’t have an iota of the creativity, design, or replay value of this game. Even the main game’s length makes sense - it almost plays out like an interactive movie, having clear plot points and taking you through a delightfully morbid and open-ended tale. A second playthrough is almost mandatory to experience more of the dialog (Lauren will touch on this) again and to try using your advanced knowledge to breeze through earlier challenges or complete them in different ways. Then if you’re willing to challenge yourself further, the advanced rooms, time, steps, and portal challenges can give you a serious run for your money if you thought you were an expert.
Call this an impassioned note to gamers who’ve missed out. If you think fads are just fads, and that gaming sites raving over a game just means they’re being paid off, you’re probably right. That said, call Portal the exception. For every “funny” line or concept you heard from it that didn’t make sense, or for every bit of copycat merchandise you weren’t interested in, the truth is that Portal is the real deal. The game is funnier and more interesting than the memes that came from it, and the gameplay design is actually worthy of the praise heaped on it. It’s the sort of thing that everyone should at least try, if not see in action. Video games rarely get made with this kind of love and skill.
Lauren: Let me put it this way: If I purchase a box containing five games, when I have no intention of playing four of those five, and the one that I do play causes me horrible nausea and only lasts three hours, yet I want to give it a 9.5 if not a 10 out of 10... it's gotta be an unbelievably good game. And that's what Portal is.
The very concept of Portal's gameplay is very unique in itself. Since Anthony already described it, there's no need to repeat it here. Still, I must point out that the script is as incredible as the gameplay, if not more so, depending on your style of humour. The dialogue is morbid, sarcastic, and outright hilarious. I've never seen anything so consistently funny and creepy before. A lot of games have made me laugh out loud, but this one had me going at pretty much every line. That's quite an accomplishment.
The progression of the game especially stands out to me. You begin in a sterile-looking testing area, seeming to follow test protocol as instructed by a computer's voice. As you proceed, however, you begin to see flaws in the environment alongside glitches in the computer, both of which make you start to question if you're really supposed to be following orders. The experience became genuinely creepy after one particular climactic event, after which you begin to traverse the much less clean back area of the building. This is also timed with similarly creepy lines from the computer. It evokes a sense of dawning horror as you realize that something has gone terribly wrong. The entire atmosphere of Portal is incredibly well done. I always respect developers who successfully pull off a story that doesn't painfully lay out every plot detail, and rather leaves it open for interpretation.
There is only one character in the game with voice acting, and she does an incredible job. She's already going down in history as one of the most memorable game characters of all time. She is the modern-day HAL-9000 - a passive-aggressive computer gone mad. As for the music, it's used selectively and suits the atmosphere very well. While the game is generally silent during puzzles, you know something is up when the music kicks in. Portal also ends with one of the most memorable game songs of all time.
The graphics are very, very smooth. It could have been a cluttered game with pretty details crammed into the environment, but they intentionally kept it simplistic so as not to distract from the gameplay itself. I definitely think that was a good call. But even so, the graphics look nice and modern.
When it comes to replay value, I'll have to be honest here - Portal is a short game. As I said before, you can beat it in about 2-3 hours. That said, there are still challenges to complete after the game, such as solving previous puzzles with less portals, or less steps taken. It's worth a second playing for the script alone, but the option to hear developers' commentary throughout subsequent playthroughs is a big plus. It's odd, but I never felt that the short length was a bad thing. Everything about Portal felt "just right," aside from a strong urge to see it all again immediately after seeing the ending.
Portal is readily available to almost everyone - it's out for PC (and Steam), PS3, and X360. Even if you don't like puzzle games, or action games, or whatever you'd classify this as, give it a try. Or watch someone else do so. I doubt you'll regret it after hearing a few lines of the script or taking a glance at the creative mechanics. You'll also get to finally understand some major memes that've been swimming around the net for the past few years. It's one of the most unique, hilarious, and bizarre games out there. You won't hear the words "3 tablespoons rhubarb, on fire" uttered anywhere else. And your gaming life is not complete until you play it.
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