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Joined: Jan 2009 Gender: Male Posts: 60 Location: Las Vegas, NV
Portal « Thread Started on Jul 14, 2009, 4:03pm »
I played that game "Portal" for the first time this past weekend. It's a very short game but it's pretty amazing. It's more of a puzzle game but in more of a first person shooter format. You have no weapons just this "portal gun" that you have to use to fling yourself to places you can't reach or to sneak up on these drones (turrets) that try to shoot you.
It reminded me of the Cube movies a LOT. As you're going through "test chambers" you're being talked to by GLaDOS (Genetic Lifeform and Disk Operating System) who promises you cake when the testing is complete. Some of the levels have parts of the wall that are sticking out and you can make a portal and get in there. You see all this writing all over the walls by previous "test subjects" showing the companion cube and sometimes writing saying "The cake is a lie" over and over again.
At the end of what she calls your "final test" you're on a moving platform heading towards a fire pit. There's a sign that shows a cake icon. As your heading towards the fire pit GLaDOS tells you the Aperture Science Handheld Portal Device (portal gun) can remain functional up to 4,000 degrees Kelvin and not to worry, the equipment will not be damaged. But of course you're more worried about your life. So you can make a portal to the floor up ahead then a portal to the wall next to you and jump to safety. She gets upset and then pretends that was just your final test and tells you to stay where you are lay on the ground with your arms at your side. This is when the game gets really interesting because instead of waiting you use the portals to slingshot yourself to the other side and now you're running around in the inner workings of the facility. Occasionally coming across windows that are looking in at the test chambers you were in earlier only the entire place is deserted. There is no other human life and things are broken and thrown around like something horrible happened but the place is still running itself because of this artificial lifeform (GLaDOS).
It reminded me of the Cube movies because you're this test subject trying to get through traps and complete puzzles, then at the end you find out they want to test you and then dispose of you so you get out and you start seeing that your test was really for no reason since there's no one there studying you. Now you track down GLaDOS and destroy her.
Oh and there's a really awesome and very catchy song that GLaDOS sings at the end.
Like I said it's a really short game, can be beat in a few hours, but it's a pretty awesome story. I'm not even all that into video games but this game was really awesome. I prefer more puzzle-type games where you have to really think and figure things out. I like the first person shooter style but most FPS games I've tried are just about blowing crap up and shooting blindly and there's not much to think about. Portal was perfect! I only wish it was longer. I beat the game and did advanced levels several times in the past few days.
« Last Edit: Jul 15, 2009, 8:06pm by R15K3T X3R0 »
render Using boots to test for traps member is offline
Joined: Aug 2007 Gender: Male Posts: 184
Re: Portal « Reply #4 on Oct 18, 2009, 7:56pm »
portal is awesome, plain and simple
are you aware that Portal actually exists in the Half Life universe?
i find it interesting you say most FPS's you find too simplistic, have you played any of the Half Life's? Portal uses the exact same game engine as HL and although theres no Portals in HL if you like Portal it's almost certain you will like Half Life. in Half Life theres more to think about other than just shooting things, you have to think about how to get out of situations and in the sequels uses the engine where basically every object in the game is maneuverable.
Half Life also has the "Gravity Gun" a gun with no ammo that literally picks objects up, which you can use to fire at enemies, and you have to use it to solve puzzles and get out of situations, much the same way Portal does.
and Portal is a part of the HL story, in the ending to Half Life 3 Episode 3 it suddenly becomes all about Aperture Science, a character has found an Aperture Science vessel in the Arctic and "something" is inside it that could turn the tide in the war with the Combine (evil alien invaders from another dimension) for whoever possesses it - it never says it, but everyone is thinking Portal Gun for the last Half Life, Episode 3, which would be absolutely awesome.
this is what the line in the excellent song "Still Alive" you mentioned, means; "look at me still talking when theres science to do, when i look out there it makes me glad i'm not you..." - Glados is talking about the Combine and their tyrannical rule and enslavement of the Earth that is going on outside the Aperture walls. also the line about Black Mesa is a reference to the first Half Life.
it's worth noting that the previous test subjects you mention that wrote the messages on the walls where actually clones - the woman you play as, too, is actually a clone of someone else - this is why she is called "Shell", she is the "shell" of someone else's conciousness, although her name is actually spelt a little differently. but the character you play as, and all the previous test subjects, all looked exactly like each other, as technically they where all the same person.
there was a post here before about Portal and how similar it is to Hypercube, and the similarities are quite remarkable.
i am actually pretty into my games, but i understand you when you say that "most" FPS's tend to be just about shooting stuff to pieces, but i think you'll find that most games like Halo, if you turn the difficulty onto it's maximum, actually do require you to use your brain to get out of situations and the gameplay then could be said to be very similar to puzzle solving.
indeed, in Halo 2, there are parts of levels, aspects in their design and stuff, that are pretty redundant on the normal difficulty settings, and so you don't even notice these things, but switching it on to Legendary suddenly you see all these parts of the levels you didn't notice before because now you have to use them to solve problems and fight the enemy, even though they are there the first time you play you don't notice them because you don't have to use them, switching Legendary on and suddenly the game becomes a lot more like a puzzle game than a shooter.
Joined: Jan 2009 Gender: Male Posts: 60 Location: Las Vegas, NV
Re: Portal « Reply #5 on Oct 23, 2009, 10:35pm »
That's very interesting. I was aware of the connections with Half Life only because I was so into the game that I had to look up things about the game so I could better understand the purpose of Portal.
I have played Halo 3 a few times and couldn't quite get into it. I think it was mainly because I don't own an X-box so when I've played it, it has been from the middle of someone else's game and I was just messing around. I didn't get a chance to start from the beginning of the first game to actually understand the story. If one day I am able to get an X-box I think I will get the first Halo and give it a shot.
I've looked into Half Life a little bit and have been wanting to try it out. It seems pretty interesting. Even more so because I love Portal and I would love the play Half Life and maybe understand the whole story.
Joined: Jan 2009 Gender: Male Posts: 60 Location: Las Vegas, NV
Re: Portal « Reply #10 on Oct 28, 2009, 5:01pm »
I agree. After my first time playing it and figuring out the puzzles I was able to beat it three or four times within a few hours. Sometimes I'll play it just to mess around and explore a little.
The advanced maps are fun too. It is a very short game but it leaves one hell of an impression haha
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