Portal (video game)

Portal is a 2007 puzzle-platform game developed and published by Valve. It was released for Microsoft Windows, Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3, and has been since ported to other systems, including Mac OS X, Linux, and Nvidia Shield. The game was included in the collection The Orange Box, along with Team Fortress 2 and Half-Life 2. This game, alongside Portal 2, has been also available for Nintendo Switch as Portal Companion Collection.

Plot
The player-character, Chell, is challenged and taunted by an artificial intelligence named GLaDOS (Genetic Lifeform and Disk Operating System) to complete each puzzle in the Aperture Science Enrichment Center using the portal gun with the promise of receiving cake when all the puzzles are completed.

Why This Cake Is Not a Lie

 * 1) Great graphics for its time.
 * 2) Great voice acting with Ellen McLain being the only voice actor in the game.
 * 3) Introduces GLaDOS one of the most recognizable and greatest villains in gaming.
 * 4) Lots of nicely constructed puzzles that get harder as the player progresses.
 * 5) The idea of using a gun that shoots portals in order to teleport and use physics to solve puzzles is a very original and interesting concept.
 * 6) After beating the game, you can play the "Advanced Chambers". There are six chambers, Chambers 13 to 18 from the main game; they have the general layout as the normal ones, but a number of subtle and not-so-subtle differences make it considerably more difficult to play. For example, a floor that you placed portals on during the game may be non-portalable or even covered with toxic goo.
 * 7) There are also challenges. Just like the "Advanced Chambers", there are six chambers (Chambers 13 to 18) that have associated challenges that you can attempt. The layout of the chamber is the same as the normal one, but you are invited to complete the chamber using, respectively, the least number of portals, the least number of steps, and the least elapsed time. According to how well you do this, you are awarded a bronze, silver, or gold medal for each challenge in each chamber.
 * 8) This game, along with Half-Life 2, revolutionized physics in gaming.
 * 9) Good soundtrack especially the song "Still Alive", which is sung by GLaDOS at the end.
 * 10) Infinite modding capabilities thanks to its very active community. The best mods here include, but not limited to:
 * 11) * Blue Portals: For those who want to shoot only one portal in some luxurious-looking test chambers.
 * 12) * Gamma Energy: Over 30 test chambers with same GLaDOS' dialogue, but more reliable and less harmless. You need an SteamPipe patch to play it properly!
 * 13) * Portal: Prelude: The first ever third-party mod and unofficial prequel to Portal with all-new obstacles and puzzles.
 * 14) * Portal Pro: For those who want serious, logic-based and completely different puzzles.
 * 15) * Portal: Epic Edition: For those who want more action and challenge in same test chambers from GLaDOS' track. All of the chambers are intentionally vandalized with Rocket Turrets being everywhere.

Bad Qualities

 * 1) The main game is incredibly short clocking in at 3 hours, or even around 40 minutes to 1 hours if you know what you are doing.
 * 2) Getting gold on the challenges is very frustrating due to how little room for error you have. What's worse is that you don't get anything for getting gold on all of them except an achievement.
 * 3) Due to the limited art capabilities of the small team (consisting of 10 people), the game reuses assets from Half-Life 2. This is actually fine since the game is tied to the Half-Life franchise.

Reception
Portal received critical acclaim, often earning more praise than either Half-Life 2: Episode Two or Team Fortress 2, two titles also included in The Orange Box. It was praised for its unique gameplay and dark, deadpan humor. Eurogamer cited that "the way the game progresses from being a simple set of perfunctory tasks to a full-on part of the Half-Life story is absolute genius", while GameSpy noted, "What Portal lacks in length, it more than makes up for in exhilaration." The game was criticized for sparse environments, and both criticized and praised for its short length. Aggregate reviews for the standalone PC version of Portal gave the game a 90/100 through 28 reviews on Metacritic. In 2011, Valve stated that Portal had sold more than four million copies through the retail versions, including the standalone game and The Orange Box, and from the Xbox Live Arcade version.

Since its release Portal is still considered one of the best video games of all time, having been included on several cumulative "Top Games of All Time" lists through 2018.

Videos
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