Portal (video game)

I have chosen to review the highly renowned video game –Portal. I have done so because Portal is a very unique and original (Portal has been acclaimed as one of the most original games in 2007 despite being comparatively short in length.) Although there have be countless reviews and discussions regarding Portal, I will only be discussing my experiences and opinions.

There are I believe in essence several key factors that make this game such a success. Valve has put immense amounts of time and research into this game in order to achieve these qualities. The story is obvious the most important as everything else revolves around that and the game dynamics.

Portal is a single-player first-person action/puzzle video game developed by Valve Corporation. The game consists primarily of a series of puzzles that must be solved by teleporting the player's character and other simple objects using the Aperture Science Handheld Portal Device (dubbed the "Portal Gun" or "ASHPD"), the portal gun can create an inter-spatial portal between flat planes. The player character is challenged by an AI named "GLaDOS" to complete each puzzle in the "Aperture Science Computer-Aided Enrichment Center" using the Portal Gun with the promise of receiving cake when all the puzzles are completed. The unusual physics allowed by the portal gun are the emphasis of this game.

The game features two characters: the silent player-controlled protagonist named Chell, and GLaDOS (Genetic Lifeform and Disk Operating System), a computer artificial intelligence that monitors and directs the player. In the English version GLaDOS is voiced by Ellen McLain. The only background information presented about Chell is given by GLaDOS; the credibility of these facts, such as Chell being adopted and having no friends, is dubious as GLaDOS is a liar by her own admission.

The things that makes Portal such a great game in my opinion are; The storyline, the great voice acting, incredibly complex coding, the humor and aesthetic feel and mood of the game as it progresses. The song (Still Alive) that GLaDOS sings at the end of the end was a good reward. The replayability of the game is priceless.