Not too long ago a game named Nebula Drop arrived on the PC.
It contained a number of very good ideas and with a bit more play testing could
have been refined into a nice little gem of a title. Portal is the spiritual
successor to this game.
Portal is an odd little game. Imagine if you will (and it
may be difficult) a first person shooter crossed with a puzzle game without
anyone to actually shoot. Odd yes but that is indeed what Portal is, a very
strange mix that holds together exceptionally well due to its strong design and
originality.
Starting with your character awaking in some kind of
scientific laboratory you are then told by a computer voice where to go and
what to do. It seems somehow you have found yourself in a strange facility and
must undergo a number of tests. All is not as it seems however as there is no
one else around and the computer seems to be malfunctioning. This adds a very
uneasy tension to proceedings. You are never sure if what the computer is
telling you is the truth or something to try and see how you react under
pressure.
Portal remains somewhat of an enigma throughout and certain
things such as who you are and why you are here are never really explained. It
all helps to add to the atmosphere though as you try to work out some
wonderfully designed puzzles. The main trick Portal employs is the use of the
portal gun. The gun can be used to fire both entry and exit portals onto any suitable
surface. You must use this gun to work your way through nineteen puzzle
orientated areas.
Though the concept is simple there is a lot of depth
involved. Far from being about sticking an entry door on a low level and then
an exit door on a high level you are often asked to think and act quickly to
change portal placement and your own momentum. Yes forward motion is a very
important thing here. Quite often you will have to fall through a portal a
number of times to build up your forward motion, this requires expert placement
of both portals. It sounds a little odd but once you have the concept
understood it becomes highly addictive.
The title has a nice clean clinical look that fits the
setting perfectly. There are also little hints as to what is actually going on
and how the game relates to the half life universe subtly tucked away. The main
game itself lasts around four hours but once completed a number of additional
challenges and advanced maps open up which may well have you pulling your hair
out.
Portal itself is a very nice package of invention and
innovative game design which apart from a slightly overcooked last section is
remarkably clever and fun to play. You can not help but think that the portal
gun will be making a more prominent appearance in the half life world at some
point. Right now we not sure if this is a good thing as the whole
concept works so well in its current format- given the choice we would probably
take more portal puzzles than puzzles based on application to the ‘real’ world.
To sum up, Portal is more than worthy of being a part of the
Orange box and
may well surprise a few people not expecting much from it. It is focused and
great fun to play with lots of moments that require clever thinking to
overcome. Even if it was released on its own we would highly recommend
it.
Overall 8/10
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