Portal is a great puzzle game that will make you both laugh and think. *contains spoilers*
The whole idea of the game revolves around the thought of how portals work. Something goes in one, and comes out another, and this game uses it to the fullest. From transportation to puzzle solving, to get rid of enemies. You don't even start with the Aperture Portal device. But you do gain it after the first few test areas. But then it's not even the full device. But this makes you think even more. But you do gain the second part of the device just a few levels after gaining the first part. This is when the fun begins. With both parts of the device you can do some pretty fun stuff. You can put one above and below and go into a never-ending free-fall. Or you can chase yourself. The possibilities are endless. But having both parts of the device, means the puzzles become harder.
The puzzles differ from test area to test area. The good thing about each test area, they show what to expect in each area when hey show you the test area number. Each one means something different. The falling box, means a puzzle involving the pressure pads and storage cube, the cube meets head means watch for falling cubes. The symbols literally mean what you are bound to face.
With the PC version came a series of achievements that would be recorded on Valve's online community called Steam. These achievements ranged from falling 30,000 feet and living called "Terminal Velocity" to destroying all camera called "Camera Shy". There are 14 achievements in all and their difficulty range from pretty easy to extremely hard.
The story was well... perfect. You are women who was kidnapped at a young age by the Aperture Science Corporation. Then so many years later you are awaken by test labs main computer GLaDOS. She puts you through the test areas promising "Cake" as a reward for finishing all the tests. As you go through the game, GLaDOS is talking to you. Sometimes you hear her glitch up. Making you think if GLaDOS is broken. This is where Portal's humor comes from. If you take a good listen to GLaDOS you will hear about what happened at the facility. As you go through the game there will be certain parts where you find a part of the test area which broken. When you go inside, you will see words written in blood or something else, saying "Cake is a lie!" This makes you think even more on the story. Like what do they mean, what am I to expect. Once you get to "Cake" you learn your just another lab rat and is going to be burned alive. So what do you do, escape. GLaDOS keeps telling you it was a joke and you should return and other stuff. The story comes to an end when you face of against GLaDOS. This where all the loose ends are found out. Like what happened to everyone and why.
After you finish the main game, you can go back and do challenges in each test area. There are 3 different challenges, fewest steps, fastest time and fewest portals. That gives you more challenge in these chambers and gives you more time to take a good look at the great level design done by Valve. Then there are the 6 advanced chambers. But these "advanced" chambers are just chambers 13-18 re-done to make it more challenging and these challenges help to achieve other achievements in the game.
I have to admit that the ending is possibly the best part of the game. The credits were greatly done and the theme is possibly the catchiest theme you'll ever hear. Portal is in my mind the best game in The Orange Box and is must have for PC gamers.
Pros: Great story, great level design, humorous, right amount of difficulty
Cons: puzzles can be difficult for those not good at problem solving.
I really rate this game a 9.8 out of 10 and it surely deserves the "Cake" it presents.