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Portal

Still Alive

Portal is a rare gem, standing out from the mountain of derivative games of today. It's too twisted and brainy to survive as a stand-alone title, and making it part of The Orange Box was a brilliant move from Valve. Originally I considered Portal to be the "add-on freebie bit" of the package, but in the end it turned out to be the most interesting game of the lot. Is it alone worth the price of the Orange Box? Probably not, but that's not much of a problem, as the rest of the package is just as brilliant, and as a whole, the package is a steal even if you already have Half-Life 2 and Episode One (which you can give away as gifts through Steam - Ed).

A sentry - uses live ammo, so handle with care.

Black Mesa?

Yes, it's short. Very short. It's also long enough. I'm fully aware that these statements are somewhat contradictory, but there you are. Portal is a strange game. The length is not a big downer, as it feels just right - the storyline managed to carry the idea, without turning it to a repetitive rehash of similar puzzles. It couldn't really have fitted in more to the main storyline without either regurgitating existing concepts, or introducing more artificial elements to complicate things, and the plot felt natural without excessive padding, with a very satisfying beginning, middle and end. At best, the game could have continued as a separate chapter not related to the Aperture Science lab, but that would be another story for another day - more suited for a proper sequel.

I wouldn't mind extra maps to extend the puzzle aspect of the game. There are already some that you unlock when you complete the story, but without the storyline the Advanced Levels and Challenges are "just" puzzles, and the same would apply to any added levels. Very good puzzles, mind you, but still just puzzles.

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2nd Opinions

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Sweeter than a 1kg bar of Dairy Milk, Portal is simply a perfect piece of gaming heaven. And just like the aforementioned choccy bar, it's big enough to make a pig out of you but not so long to induce tummy ache. I actually don't want any more Portal stuff - especially not from the modding community. I couldn't bare anything souring this box of delights. THAT WAS A JOKE.

Nick Evanson

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Portal shows how high production values and the right marketing can turn a potential cult classic into a mass success. What chances of survival would you give a 3D platformer/puzzle game in today's day and age? My prediction would be a desolate death, especially considering how horrible a genre the 3D platformer is. But immersed in the sights, sounds and feel of the Half-Life universe, Portal is a pleasure to romp through - for the few hours it lasts. Thumbs up for this casual game in disguise.

Antti Summala

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Sometimes, waiting in anticipation for a game pays out. I can freely admit I loved the idea of Portal ever since the very first trailer. I even ran around the Futuremark office and told various people to watch it - and sat behind them with a stupid grin on my face, while it played over and over again. So, as soon as the Orange Box became available, I bought it. Not without some trepidation though. The voice over in the original trailer that said 'this next mission is impossible' haunted me; perhaps the game has a novel concept, but the actual gameplay could just be a twitch-fest where it would take a second to figure what to do and some 20 minutes of agony of trying to actually do it.

Even after I started Portal I had this concern in the back of my head - perhaps the next level would show that the developers had ran out of ideas, and just start upping game length by making it harder and harder to accomplish what you knew needed to be done. Fortunately, this never happened. Even me, in all fairness a novice FPS player, could complete the game without frustration. Likely, this means the game is easy - but I don't care.

I had never worried about the plot in the game - in reality, before the launch I assumed there was none. Just puzzles without context. However, where in some puzzle games the plot is mostly laughable, here it gives a nice depth to it all. The expose given by the (wonderful!) computer is enough to paint a picture of a broader scheme you are not privy to. Which leads us to the subject of that machine - the best computer game character in a long while. I'm not sure if I can praise the writing or the voice acting more, but both come out to create a character with a heart.

And I even loved the song in the credits.

Jani Joki

Page 1: IntroductionPage 2: GameplayPage 3: Visuals and performancePage 4: Final Thoughts & Cake

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