One of the best puzzle games ever, but way too short
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Value is most known for Half-Life, so it was suprising that they made a game like Portal. Portal is a puzzle game trying to break newground. Does it succed, or do we need a portal to throw this game away in?
STORY
Yes it has a story. You play as Chell, who wakes up in a tech lap, called Aperture Science. She is told by the only other character in the game GLaDOS (Genetic Lifeform and Disk Operating System), that she needs to complete some tests, using their new Aperture Science Handheld Portal Device, which allows the user to create teleportation portals. The story at first seems like non existent, but as you get further into the game, the story really picks up, and throws some suprising twists at you, that you´ll normally never see in a puzzle game. So later it envolves froma sad excuse, to a good story. 8.0
GAMEPLAY
The portal gun let´s you create portals on the walls, celling, and floor, if it´s a special type of floor, wall and celling, which is it for most of the game. The objective is to cler each of the 19 test rooms, and complete the game. Each of the rooms contain puzzles like get from A to B, get box from A to B, and get ball from A to B. Sounds linear, and it is a bit, but it´s the way it´s done that keeps it fresh and intresting. See creating teleportation portals, is never seen in a game. it´s so completely orginal. The puzzles are a bit easy, but from room 17, you really have to think, plus after the game has been completed, advanced versions of the levels is unlocked, which are a bit hard. There are no real enemies in the game. There´s turrents who can kill you yes, but that is the only enemy, if it is an enemy at all. So what´s the bad part of the gameplay? It can get a bit linear at times, but as i said, the orginal gameplay keeps it fresh and forgiveable. 9.0
GRAPHICS
The game uses the same Source engine as Half Life 2 does, but the pyshic part isen´t used as much here. Here it´s mainy for creating the levels, and things standing in your way. It´s still there, but not used as much as in Half Life 2. The levels look a bit linear too, featuring almost the same textures every time, although that changes in the last levels. There is only one character model in the game, and that´s your play character, and you don´t even get to see her much, although you do get to see her. The weapon looks nice, but there aren´t any cool effects following with it. In fact, the game dosen´t have many effects. It does have very few effects, and they aren´t stunning, so in the graphics department, the game disappoints a little. 7.0
SOUND
Sound effects don´t come in big numbers either, but it is helped a bit by the voice acting. The only person that talks in the game are GLaDOS, who has some good dialoge, and promises you cake, which is a nice touch. Seriously the cake talk is awesome. Her voice can be a bit annoying at times, as it´s completely computer voice, but the dialog makes it easy to forgive it. The music is very far and between, and it sounds like music from Half Life 2, so it depends if you liked the music in Half Life 2 or not. 8.0
LENGTH
The game is suprisingly short, and can be completed in a matter of 2 hours, which is really short, and it´s the thing that drags the game down in the long run. It´s far too short. There is new levels and achivements to unlock, but there´s not much besides that, keeping you playing.
OVERALL
Portal is a suprisingly good game. It´s orginal, full of good dialoge, and a suprisingly good story. But it´s linear graphics, and very short length drags it down quite a bit. But if you like puzzle games, Portal is the game for you.
(also avaliable in The Orange Box for X-Box 360, PC, and PS3 (PS3 version coming very soon)