Who says puzzle and first-person shooters don't mix?
Portal was a game announced at E3 06 and had everyone talking. The concept is very simple. You have a gun that shoots two, different-colored portals (orange and blue), and when you walk through one, you come out the other. You'll find yourself solving puzzles that range from elementary-grade simple, to bain dramageing. Your ultimate goal for completing each "test chamber" is getting to the exit. But don't expect it to be a walk in the park. You might need to activate a swich, carry a "weighted companion cube" (I'm sorry I incinerated you! Play the game to find out what I mean.), or put an energy ball into a slot that can be several hundred feet away. The game runs on Valve's incredible Source engine, which even three years later, still looks and runs better then most of the stuff we're playing today. When you move a box or knock a turret over, it looks incredibly realistic thanks to the awsome Havok physics engine. But what might send Portal over the top is GLaDOS. This robot with a stereotypical female robotic voice guides you throughout the game, giving you tips, telling you storys, and telling you other random junk. Portal is jam-packed with tons of Valve-based inside jokes. (Told by GLaDOS.) Unfortunatley, The Orange Box is my first Valve game, so I didn't get any of the jokes, but I still had some laughs which rarley come when I play games. While there isn't any story to Portal, there is still a "rising tension" and climax to the game which would make my english teacher proud. I won't spoil the ending, but lets just say that something unexpected happens. So in the end, Poral is nothing short of genius, and is something you can expect from noone else but the brilliant minds of Valve.
