Portal is absolutely good. The only criticism I have is that it’s really short. That said, in the commentary track, the developers mention that they’re just starting to explore this type of game, so it seems likely that we’ll see more in the future. The gameplay is nice and simple. You wake up in a research facility and are put through a series of test chambers, which gradually introduce you to tougher puzzles involving the portal gun, which fires a hole in space-time that lets you instantly step from Point A to Point B. At first your puzzles involve things like dropping boxes on switches, but by the higher levels you are routinely challenged with timing and jumping puzzles. It’s difficult, but not frustratingly so, and beating the game feels like a real accomplishment. Of course, the real draw is the sense of style that Valve brings to all their games. The AI who guides you through the facility is a genius parody of corporate legalese, and she gets more twisted as the game progresses until you find yourself attempting odd things just to hear what her reaction will be. The conclusion is great, and ends with a hilarious song played over the credits by Jonathan Coulton which will be running through your head for days. This game would be worth buying on its own, and coming bundled with four other games in the Orange Box makes it practically a crime not to pick it up.
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