You can find the high definition version on most big mirror websites. Anyway, I wasn’t going to purchase HL2: Episode Two but between Portal and Team Fortress 2 included in the package I will simply have to…
It’s not. Prey has portals but they are static defined by the level designer. The idea in Portals is extremely different since you create the portals by yourself.
It is based on Narbacular Drop, I believe that Valve has hired the people responsible for that (don’t quote me on that). You can try that out here though the puzzles in Portal look far more advanced than anything ND offered.
No Orange Box for me, but you can buy Portal seperately.
So, after a long workday I started it just to see how it plays. Well, I stopped “testing” at 3:30am when the ending song played.
Although a little short, it was one of the most satisfying gaming experiences of 2007. There is a lot of hype surrounding Portal, it is really just a well executed Puzzle game in an unfamiliar perspective. I think what makes it a memorable experience is not the game mechanic, it?s the great writing and voice acting of your guide and enemy, the crazy AI GLaDOS. The balancing is also pretty good. I had few problems completing the story mode, for the ambitious player there are also harder version of the levels available in a Bonus section.
I played Portal at a friends place, and almost got through the whole game (didn’t quite have enough time to finish it). I hadn’t played anything like it before, so it was quite a refreshing experience for me also.
Somewhere I heard that Value were going to put some of portal’s gameplay mechanics into Half-Life 2 Episode Three. Does anyone know if there’s any truth to that?
How did you know that you are nearly through? I think the last level is big enough to be about half of the game. ^^
It looks like it is pretty easy to enable the Portal Gun in Half Life and Episode 1/2. There are several videos on YouTube about that. But I don?t want to be a level designer for Episode 3 then.
A very nearly perfect little game, for what it is. Probably the only other game I’ve ever played that left me with such a satiated, warm fuzzy feeling on completion is Azel actually. Now I just wish (futilely I’m sure) that this could somehow inspire a trend of micro-games; exactingly crafted, concept driven experiences that don’t cave to the market expectation for ‘gameplay hours’. Electronic delivery centers are in place for every format, it’s perfect timing…
BTW SenorKaffee, If you play the commentary mode, it does not sound like the Source engine is actually that great for the mechanic at a baseline. They need to ‘manually’ instance all the geometry and physics every time something travels or is seen through a portal, it might not be so trivial a matter to implement in Episode 3. From a performance / requirements standpoint.
My god! I’m a little late to the party, I know, but I just bought The Orange Box yesterday and I started and completed Portal today. Absolutely wonderful! Undoubtedly five of the most imaginative, polished, and intelligent hours of my gaming life. Everything about it oozed perfection, and the script is just wonderful. Best credits/ending theme ever? Oh yes. The game made me smile constantly, while at the same time unsettling me on more than one occasion (brilliant sound design, and you have to love all that black humor).