2.15.2008

Deadly Nuerotoxin

>keep 'em guessing
>i loved you more, than the week i did before i discovered alcohol.
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So, like I said, I beat Portal.

It was awesome. Really awesome.

I don't get hyped for very many games very easily, and it's really rare for me to love anything I play, but this exceeded expectations by a long shot. I had been following it for a while and had watched my brothers play through the game a number of times, but always said I'd wait for my own copy to play it so that I wouldn't spoil the fun, and it was totally worth it.

Everything about it is done so fantastic and fits so well that you can't complain about anything. Tight control, wonderful music (especially "Still Alive"), GLaDOS - the best character ever, ingenious level design, and a great length to the story. Although I knew the game was short, I couldn't believe it was literally "beat it in one sitting" short, well, until I beat it in one sitting. Really though, it helped the game sort of "contain" itself by keeping it close to its central theme instead of branching off in all sorts of ways. I liked that, just like Cloverfield.

I don't think I need to go into all the stuff about the portal gun and the weighted companion cube and all, but one thing that a lot of people fail to mention is how awesome the developer commentary is. Really. Maybe all the people that wrote about the game a few months ago when it came out knew everything there is to know about the way Portal was engineered and designed (yeah right...), but I for one didn't, and the sheer amount of complexity and precision this game was pulled off with is staggering. I have an even greater respect for game designers now, especially the minds behind Portal. I'm applauding you right now.

If the pictures still not clear or you want the "tl;dr" version, Portal is one of the most original, ass kicking, hilarious, ingenious, brilliant, clever, smart, and interesting games you'll ever play. And to top it all off, you'll be begging for more afterwards. Instant classic in my book.

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