Portal is teh bestest game evar

Excuse my Internet speak, but I’m just so damn excited! The title may be a bit of an exaggeration, but it really is an amazing game. Not only is the game-play brilliant and wonderfully inventive (closer to an indie puzzle game than a first person shooter), but the presentation is atmospheric and darkly humorous. In fact, I’d venture to say that Portal is the funniest game I’ve played since Psychonauts. Hell, it may be the best game I’ve played since Psychonauts.

Probably the best moments of Portal are the realization moments — when you suddenly realize how to solve a puzzle that just a minute ago looked impossible. Though things may appear to be repetitive, the next challenge always feels new. Sure, it’s short (took me about five hours total to beat, including about an hour spent stuck on level 18), but what there is will continually surprise and challenge you.

During the training levels I always looked forward to the next stage to see what the computerized voice would say. Looking back after having completed the game, the parts of Portal I remember most fondly are the voices. Turrets talk to you in a meek, childlike, friendly voice before they try to kill you (and after you defeat them they console you with lines like “I don’t blame you” or just “goodbye”). Your sarcastic computerized instructor is always a source of humor, whether it’s promising you delicious cake or trying to pretend it didn’t just attempt to murder you. I don’t want to give anything away, but the ending now ranks among Metroid and two of the Deus Ex conclusions as one of my favorite video game endings ever. Whatever you do, don’t skip the credits.

Succinctly put: Portal is a triumph. I’ll make a note here: HUGE SUCCESS. It’s hard to overstate my satisfaction. Though you may get stuck, just keep on trying till you run out of cake. And the science gets done. And you make a neat gun. For the people who are still alive.

(cue rest of theme song… if you don’t mind some spoilers you can watch it )

Aaaaanyway… Go buy Orange Box from Steam. Or just Portal by itself. Trust me; it’s worth it.