Portal reminds me of an old cartoon by Warner Brothers about a scientist that invents a Portable Hole. The concept and puzzles are fantastic and some will make you think "outside the box". The game teaches as it progresses, introducing new elements and then implementing them in the next puzzle. However, it is over way too soon. As part of The Orange Box, it was like a nice bonus game to go with Episode 2 and Team Fortress 2. As a stand alone title, this game needs to be expanded to justify a price above what people are paying for another recently released 'mini-game' named Audiosurf. As fun as the game is, replayability is low, because once you've solved a puzzle, there is no need to return and try again. I, as well as many others I expect, would really like to see the Portal gun and puzzles be integrated into Episode 3 of Half Life 2. With that and the anti-gravity gun, I might only use the crowbar to open crates.
*** PORTAL *** THE GOOD -Fantastic and innovative puzzles -Witty and highly entertaining dialog -Different ways to solve each problem -Delightful music during the credits THE BAD -Really short OVERVIEW... Read Full Review
Now, when I bought The Orange Box, this was the first game I played, and 3 hours later I was finished it. The games' length depends on how good you are at problem solving. For some it will take a few hours, to others it ... Read Full Review