Players:1
Price: $20
Platform(s): 360, PC, PS3 (coming soon)
Developer: Nuclear Monkey Software/Valve
Publisher: Valve
ESRB: Teen
Website:Portal
Rating:

Portal is a gem of a game that rounds out what is already a phenomenal package with The Orange Box. At its heart the game is a puzzle solving exercise of brilliant design. Yes, it’s simplistic in visual style and options for gameplay. But the team at Valve more than make up for what many could consider a feature poor title with the best gaming experience I’ve had within the last year. Portal is more than just a puzzle game, it’s a fully fledged entertainment experience that leaves the player ecstatic throughout the entire game.

What is most surprising is the depth of character the game portrays, even in the simplest of objects. You start off in a cell within the Aperture Science testing facility, and soon after a disembodied voice informs you of the situation and opens a portal. Soon you’re running from room to room, lifting blocks, and running through portals to get to the next area. Eventually you get a portal gun and the real fun begins.

If you’re modestly capable of puzzle solving, the game will present little challenge until the end. I ran through the first 12 levels in 45 minutes, with little more than a couple trial and error attempts. There’s a particularly wonderful puzzle towards the end that involves the knowledge of momentum through portals and excessive use of the portal gun. Without ruining the joy of figuring it out for yourself, I’ll just say that it’s a bouncing good time. What really becomes apparent as you’re led through various testing rooms is how much care Valve took to create Aperture Science. There’s a weight to the world that is never seen in this type of game, and even in big production titles Portal is only exceeded by the likes of BioShock.

This is all conveyed through the dialogue the synthesized female voice constantly has with you as you traverse rooms. For a robotic disembodied voice she has a sharp sense of humor. It keeps things moving along at a quick pace as she talks to you about the task at hand. The synthesized deadpan delivery of some lines is absolutely hilarious. In fact, it’s through her that you come to find love within Portal. Sure, it’s just a block you carry around. But that piece of generic geometry has more heart than the vast majority of companion characters in other games. This aspect extends to other sound design options throughout the game as well. When knocking over a turret it’s not unusual to here it say, “I do not hate you.” And you’ll hear the same elevator music playing near all the radios in the labs.



While the core of the game is short, the last level will take you a while to complete. Valve intelligently designed this section to take advantage of all you’ve learned, and by the end you’ll be surprised to find a deep storyline and the greatest ending in video games this year. Seriously, you’ll be happy with life if you just get to experience those 2 ½ minutes of genius. After the game is done you unlock a few extras to keep you busy. Much harder versions of the last few levels are unlocked. But I’ve found that these are more frustrating than hard, where a specific object is moved and you enter a lengthy battle to get to the end of a room. It’s nice to have alternate puzzles, but the luster began to wane pretty quickly.

On the other hand there are the trials to complete. You can play through levels and try to beat them with the best time, the least moves, or the least portals. Each one requires a different approach to the puzzle, essentially tripling the number of tasks. OK, so not exactly, but trying to finish a room in 14 seconds is a different kind of pressure from trying to do it in 3 portal shots.

Portal is a game that is short and extremely sweet. As a part of The Orange Box it alone is worth the price of admission. On it’s own, the 3 hours of main gameplay may be a little much to swallow for $20. There’s nothing quite like it out there, and I can’t wait until Half-Life 2: Episode 3 includes the portal gun (everybody close your eyes and make a wish now). Like the gravity gun, it will have to be nerfed a little bit. But the possibilities for gameplay are limitless based on the 3 hours of Portal. By the end you’ll simply be happy to be a part of such an innovative experience, and even happier to just be alive.