P4

Review

Portal (1)

[A] Genre

Portal, a game developed and published by Valve, was released back in 2007, ever since it has been a love in gamer's hearts ever since. I however have yet to play this one of a kind game, therefore I would like to explore the origin of the beloved franchise. Portal is a single player puzzle platform game with the main technical being the two portals that enable you to get between two points in space by simply walking and falling through them through them. Along with this there are other elements such as the weighted cubes, light ball things. Each element is slowly brought to the player is a smooth difficulty curve with each element being explained and done at once before being combined into one.

Level design

The level design in portal is nothing but extraordinary. The area where you are first introduced is a place of great level design introducing the player of the idea of linking two places in space together. The positioning of the portal is in just the point where you  can see yourself entering it. The first chamber introduces you to the idea of picking up a cube and placing it on a button. This once again is done elegantly with the button being clear  and bright showing that you the user should stand on it. This opens the door and gives you the idea to grab the cube and finish the puzzle. Once again this is nothing but clear to the player but is clear enough to the user to feel somewhat accomplished after doing each chamber and puzzle. However as you go through the game into the final levels after escaping for the sight of GLaDOS, the levels during this point become confusing and requiring you to find tiny holes to portal through as well as some sections made me backtrack on myself whilst trying to find the solution, which unlike the chambers just felt like a less elegant solution.

[B]Story

You begin in a chamber, greeted by a voice known as Glados. She talks about you being in a enrichment centre owned by aperture science, as you progress in the game more is revealed to you about what is going on in this world. With the promise of cake being a large part of the motivation to finish. Another element introduced to you in the Companion cube which Glados says odd things about such as it talking and to ignore it if it does. I personally grew attached to this inanimate cube, to the point where I was told to destroy it I first looks for anyway to avoid the situation before giving up and accepting my fate as the player. Glados tells you you are a monster for doing such a brash thing, at this point I started to resent Glados for forcing me to do these chambers. This helped in the last level where you are given the chance to escape from her grasp, as she tries to find you she lays traps in the facility promising cake for doing this deed. I however marched on to the final battle where I was able to destroy her by removing and burning cores that were attached to her. Once escaped however you find yourself dragged back into the facility which sets up perfectly for the next game.

Overall I loved the story, the game play to get there does not feel dragged out and is perfect for the short story they were trying to get to the player. However I feel like there was room for elaboration on this world the developers has created with new elements and character that could have improved and extended the game to a larger more fleshed out world.

Game play

The game play in portal is nothing but extraordinary for the time it was released. Each element in the game feels like it was tested and tested again to refine to game play to a point where the fluidity in the game is amazing. The different elements that get introduced all serve towards the aesthetic of the game. The first is the cube and button, simple but effective introduction and mechanic, the cube it's self is important for understanding the idea of getting objects through the portal. The game introduces you to the Portal gun in stages which makes understanding it much easier that it seems

[B]Platforms

Portal can be found on almost all major consoles of its time and well as PC. It original came out on PC and a game included in the Orange box with other games like Team fortress 2 along with the flagship game of the pack Half life 2. It was later released on these consoles due to it being loved so much by the players. It can be found on CD for PS3 and on the Xbox live arcade for Xbox 360 with a free trial to get the player hooked.

[C]Characters

The characters in portal are what fill the world and give the player a reason to progress through the chambers.

GLaDOS is a computer who guides you through various points in the game. She is a AI and she controls the facility around you, including the testing of test subjects. She is sarcastic in a way and due to this she makes Jokes in the game like 'You must be the pride SUBJECTS HOMETOWN' and other jokes like this, which she makes a otherwise sterile game have a little bit of character, in a way she give this humour to the facility itself

Chell is the mute character and protagonist in the game who you play as. She is personality less and feels like a empty shell that the player is supposed to project onto, it feels like she is only there to act as a physical presence and to be able to see yourself in a portal not because she serves any real reason in the game it'self. However I feel this is intentional and can therefore be excused with the Glados serving as the main entertainer and describer of the story-line.

RatMan is a character that we never interactive with but adds so character to the game and acts as the guiding figure in the final levels and feels like a helping hand. He adds so character also through his graffiti in hidden areas of the game which gives hints like

Personal Recommendation 

I would recommend portal to anyone who is a fan of video games. I think that the game is innovative to the point that everyone should try it and experience this unique game.