Portal Game Review- Is Portal, the Best Puzzle Game?

There are dozens of puzzle games that came out pre-2010, but Portal stands out. In this Portal game review, we will be taking an in-depth look at exactly why the game was popular and why it still retains its popularity over a decade after its release. There are a dozen of reasons that make a game stand out, and in this Portal game review, we are going to strictly look at which of those elements have managed to keep Portal on its pedestal. 

Portal- The Backstory

The first thing we will be looking at in this Portal game review is how the game came into being. Most people might not know this, but the game, although released under the Valve flagship, was developed by students from the DigiPen Institute of Technology. In a way, the game was a sequel to the popular 2005 game, Nerbacular Drop, which was developed by the same team of developers. Valve had to source the expertise of game script experts Erik Wolpaw and Chet Faliszek to help create a script that had more depth and received better by the audience. 

Plot 

Like most puzzle games, a lot of attention was paid to the plot of the game. In this Portal game review, we can safely conclude that it was probably one of the game’s best components. One of the game’s writers, Wolpaw, said, “We designed the game to have an obvious beginning, middle, and end.” They did just that. The game’s story is centered on Chell and GLaDOS, an AI computer. Chell tries to escape harm, which she initially did not know was being caused by GLaDOS.

Her quest takes her through several levels ending up in an incinerator. The last scene in the game has the voice of GLaDOS, screaming, “Still alive!” The last line in the game gave that extra sense of drama and opened up for a future sequel.

The Graphics and Sound

Portal Game Review – For a game that came up in 2007, the graphics are pretty much well-polished, you can see the characters, and they are quite clear. Some of the game models could use some polishing, but overall the graphics are on point. The main soundtracks in the game are impressive; most of them do not have any vocals. They are mostly somber instrumentals that easily blend in with the environment of the game. On the closing track, the developers roped in a professional opera singer, Ellen McLain, to do the vocals. 

Release Strategy

This is one thing that most developers get wrong. After developing a game, you need to come up with a great release strategy. For Portal, the developers released the game first as part of a collection of plays called The Orange Box. The group was only available on Windows and PlayStation. In 2008, the separate retail version was released. This strategy was genius and is one of the main reasons why we still talk about the game to date. Almost every Portal game review has applauded the developers’ release strategy.

Portal Game Review- The Verdict

The game is, in summary, unique, and that coupled up with the release strategy made sure that it was profitable. Areas like controls and the conflict part of the game could have used a little more work. The fact that they developed a sequel to the game is also something. Once you are done with Portal, you can quickly move to Portal 2

Portal was and is still a perfect game. It is quite challenging and will give you a run for your money if you decide to play.