The best game I have ever played. Period.
CONS: Very short, not good for people who have issues with motion sickness, gave me cravings for chocolate cake
Awhile ago, I was browsing GameSpot and came across a trailer for a game called Portal. The concept of the game was interesting...having the ability to shoot portals wherever you wanted could lead to endless possibilities. So, I started tracking the game.
Later, Valve releases this gem with a package known as The Orange Box. Only having $30 to spend, I chose to buy this title over Steam instead of TF2, and I'm quite glad I did.
Portal is a first-person puzzle game in which the puzzles are solved by the use of a gun that places portals on different surfaces. There is a very loose story in the game that picks up more in the last hour-or-so of the game, but it's enough to keep you moving forward.
The puzzles are simple, yet complex, and made possible by Valve's Source engine. You will be using portals to travel to the opposite side of a room, propel yourself across gaps, climb up platforms towering above one another, and much more. The puzzles will keep you thinking, but are a ton of fun to solve.
The graphics on the Source engine are holding up surprisingly well compared to the commonly used UE3. The game looks great for the most part, and a new motion blur effect has been added, helping the game look more realistic. The sound is great too, though it is limited. The best sound in the game has to be GLaDOS, your "guide" throughout the game. As you progress through the game, she will utter some of the best dark humor you will ever year. The game will keep you laughing throughout, with hilarious moments involving everything from Weighted Companion Cubes to cake. The humor adds a great deal to the overall experience, so much that it wouldn't have been nearly as good without it.
For most people, the game will last 3-4 hours, depending on how good you are at solving puzzles. The last hour of the game is an exhilirating experience, and takes the game beyond what you could've expected. To say more will spoil it for you, though. The length is the only major downside to the game.
This is defintetely, no-doubt-about-it, the best game of 2007. Period. The only reason it didn't win any game-of-the-year awards was because it was commonly associated with The Orange Box as a whole. But it is beyond everything else in that box. All of the parts add up into the best afternoon you will ever have. If you bought or are going to buy The Orange Box, don't pass this up. If you don't want The Orange Box, but have a decent PC, pick up this game on Steam. It's only $20. And it's the best $20 you will ever spend.