Gaming World Forums

General Category => Entertainment and Media => Topic started by: goat on October 20, 2007, 11:08:53 pm

Title: Portal
Post by: goat on October 20, 2007, 11:08:53 pm
This game seems to have arrived with much less fanfare than it deserved.
For those of you who don't know about it, this was the game released alongside episode 2 and team fortress 2 that valve included in their orange box. Portal focused on a "gun" that let the user create an interdimensional portal on most flat surfaces. The user had two portals (blue and orange) to "fire" at the walls, and each portal let to the other. This introduced quite a new twist into FPS gameplay. Sure it was done in previous titles like Prey, but for the first time, the user is able to control and manipulate them in ways even the creators cannot imagine.

I think it would be interesting to discuss the ways that gameplay could integrate such a marvelous feature. I feel like portal itself didn't even fully explore what they could have done with existing resources. I was half expecting to

more info on portal at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Portal_%28video_game%29
Title: Portal
Post by: Chubby Skelly on October 21, 2007, 05:08:08 am
Portal is so fucking good. I would encourage everyone to buy the Orange Box or at least shell out the $20 for Portal on Steam. It's a very short game, only around 2.5-3 hours (for the main story, not including the bonus stages), but nearly perfect in every way. It has some of the best black humor I've ever experienced in my life, and I guaran-fucking-tee you that you'll have the biggest grin on your face from the moment the game starts until an hour after it ends. Plus, soon the Source SDK will be updated, meaning that the fan-made levels will start rolling out and I cannot wait to see what people come up with.

Seriously if you don't own the Orange Box you're missing the best gaming value this decade. Regardless of what you think about Steam, you have to own these games.

IT'S HARD TO OVERSTATE MY SATISFACTION.
Title: Portal
Post by: headphonics on October 21, 2007, 05:39:44 am
yeah, it's one of the best games i've played in a while.  it's pretty rare something this conceptually interesting comes along and the end result lives up to the idea itself!  the game looks and plays great, and in general is just pretty awesome the entire time.
Title: Portal
Post by: .:M4:. on October 21, 2007, 06:04:11 am
I just finished Portal not long ago and I loved every second of it.  I bought it off Steam because I already have Half-Life 2 and I've never been good at those class-based FPS games, but I was psyched for Portal.  Best.20.dollars.ever... I'm going to playthrough again with the dev commentary on (seems kinda boring technical stuff, but I like that stuff), and try to do some of the bonus challenges.

Regardless, It's definately the most fun I've had with a game that length, and it was totally worth it.  And the end credit song is awesome (as the majority of the internet will tell you it seems).

Title: Portal
Post by: WackFiend on October 21, 2007, 06:29:40 am
I was just reading online that someone has modded Half-Life 2 so you can use the Portal gun.  I haven't tried it myself, but I imagine that would be pretty cool too!
Title: Portal
Post by: Grogrog on October 21, 2007, 01:04:43 pm
There was nothing overly exciting about this game to be honest. The concept is friggen amazing, but the levels weren't too great. So much potential though, and everything negative I could say about it is canceled out by the games humor. I was laughing my ass off through most of the game.
Title: Portal
Post by: Ralph on October 21, 2007, 01:17:20 pm
Dammit. I want to play this game.
And HL. And HL 2, AND HL2 E 1, 2, and 3.

That's going to be the Orange Box for me.
Title: Portal
Post by: Artis Leon Ivey Jr on October 21, 2007, 03:38:56 pm
you know, it wasn't uh...HILARIOUS LAUGH OUT LOUD too many times, although the credits made me say "no fucking way", but really Valve knows what they are doing. all the jokes weren't great but they weren't cringe inducing like the rest of "funny" videogames.

that doesn't sound really positive but this was honestly a good game, if (necessarily) short as hell.
Title: Portal
Post by: Ralph on October 21, 2007, 03:54:28 pm
I just listened to Still Alive, and damn, that song is actually so good XD
Title: Portal
Post by: headphonics on October 21, 2007, 05:58:51 pm
you know, it wasn't uh...HILARIOUS LAUGH OUT LOUD too many times, although the credits made me say "no fucking way", but really Valve knows what they are doing. all the jokes weren't great but they weren't cringe inducing like the rest of "funny" videogames.

that doesn't sound really positive but this was honestly a good game, if (necessarily) short as hell.
yeah, i agree.  i thought it was humorous for the most part (AND YOU WERE ALL LIKE NO WAY??  THAT WAS GREAT.  also the gas part at the end), but i didn;t really find it hilaaaarious so much as just kind of funny enough to smirk sometimes.  different strokes though i guess.  i was just expecting some amazing, revolutionary ending from what people at told me, though.
Title: Portal
Post by: Jester on October 21, 2007, 06:48:54 pm
you should know better than to listen to people

and man games arent comedies. i dont know a game that has made me go AAAAAAAAAHAHAHAHAHAHA HTHAT WAS HILARIOUS. tv, movies, sure, they're written for that. games, not so much.

i really did enjoy all of the dialogue tons more than most games, though.
Title: Portal
Post by: The Magi on October 21, 2007, 07:55:32 pm
I'm actually still on the last stage of this game. It's been a fun ride up to that point, and the idea is just so fresh. The whole puzzle aspect of a first person shooter is nothing new, granted, but this takes it to another level. The portal puzzles are super fun and it's neat just to throw yourself in an infinite portal loop. That aside, nothing about this game makes me scream "wow." I really love it, but there are a number of factors that make the experience less memorable. I think my main problem isn't the length of the game, but the complexity of the portal puzzles in the main game. I wish there were something more challenging than the alternate advanced portal stages. The difficulty of the game itself never really increases or decreases. I haven't had to really try a stage over more than once.

I've also played TF2 which is included with this game in the Orange Box. It's also super fun and amazing, but like Portal it suffers from several setbacks. That's for another thread though!
Title: Portal
Post by: thejackyl on October 21, 2007, 08:10:25 pm
I'm getting Portal as we speak.  It looked pretty cool from what I saw of it.  I just wish I had an extra $50 so I could afford The Orange Box on top of everything else that comes out in October.
Title: Portal
Post by: jman00 on October 21, 2007, 08:25:50 pm
This game was the best idea for a first person shooter I have ever fucking seen. This game ties with Goldeneye for the 64... and that's pretty fucking good!
Title: Portal
Post by: Psycho_Studios on October 21, 2007, 09:56:28 pm
I heard the Portal story coincides with HL2 Ep.3's.

Like
Title: Portal
Post by: WarV on October 21, 2007, 10:18:28 pm
That would be kind of funny if Freeman had to invade the place with the portal gun and the gravity gun.
Title: Portal
Post by: Drule on October 21, 2007, 10:52:15 pm
It was a pretty sweet game, but I'm annoyed that it's going to be introduced into Half-Life since it's pretty much a light-hearted puzzle game with a stupid storyline.
Title: Portal
Post by: Sarevok on October 21, 2007, 11:02:56 pm
Aperture can't be in the antarctic...judging from the terrain in a certain scene in the game.
But there's a ton of cross over information, little in ep2 mostly in portal. I'm really not that thrilled about it though. Because I think half life is a boring world and the games are very, very boring.

Portal was essentially made by a different team...which is why it plays different. It's still linear as fuck and really short, like all Valve games though.
Title: Portal
Post by: Drule on October 22, 2007, 02:30:04 am
Title: Portal
Post by: Jester on October 22, 2007, 09:12:04 am
Where did you hear about the character thing?
Title: Portal
Post by: Drule on October 22, 2007, 09:19:06 am
I can't remember. An interview I think.
Title: Portal
Post by: big ass skelly on October 22, 2007, 09:30:46 am
Loved this game, so did my housemate who doesn't really play games but played through it in one sitting. It's pretty short and easy though, hope the sdk comes out soon for some player designed maps.
Title: Portal
Post by: thejackyl on October 22, 2007, 02:32:35 pm
I'm actually stuck with portal atm.  I'm on the level that introduces the Companion Cube (17 I believe)

I'm at the point where you need to hold two doors open, and let the beam thing shoot the beam catching thing.  It's pretty cool though.
Title: Portal
Post by: Swordfish on October 22, 2007, 02:43:37 pm
been there done that :D and yes, a fun level :D
Title: Portal
Post by: Dale Gobbler on October 22, 2007, 03:36:54 pm
I played the flash version, it's pretty fun, got to like level 35.

http://www.addictinggames.com/portalflashversion.html
Title: Portal
Post by: goat on October 22, 2007, 10:05:11 pm
I'm actually stuck with portal atm.  I'm on the level that introduces the Companion Cube (17 I believe)

I'm at the point where you need to hold two doors open, and let the beam thing shoot the beam catching thing.  It's pretty cool though.
if you need help on what to do there:


also, on a funny side note, the local traffic information station in my area on 1630 AM has the same synthesized female voice as the one used in Portal. I don't think i could ever take that voice seriously now.
Title: Portal
Post by: Chubby Skelly on October 23, 2007, 12:13:08 am
also, on a funny side note, the local traffic information station in my area on 1630 AM has the same synthesized female voice as the one used in Portal. I don't think i could ever take that voice seriously now.
The voice in Portal isn't synthesized. GLaDOS has a real voice actor, but they did modify the audio on the voice to make it sound more synthetic.
Title: Portal
Post by: spacelion on October 23, 2007, 12:34:36 am
I wanna play Portal SO BAD, but all the illegal downloaded versions I've gotten make my PC restart whenever it gets to the LOADING screen. >:
Title: Portal
Post by: Lars on October 23, 2007, 12:53:26 am
I played the flash version, it's pretty fun, got to like level 35.

http://www.addictinggames.com/portalflashversion.html
This is pretty damn awesome!!
Title: Portal
Post by: Chubby Skelly on October 23, 2007, 01:34:57 am
I wanna play Portal SO BAD, but all the illegal downloaded versions I've gotten make my PC restart whenever it gets to the LOADING screen. >:
this is a pretty bad complaint
Title: Portal
Post by: Bobberticus on October 23, 2007, 02:31:39 am
Yeah, portal is pretty awesome.
I have beaten all of the normal levels and advanced levels,
I'm working on the challenges now. I've gotten perfect for portals on level 15 and 16 (or possibly it was 14 and 16)
the rest are really tough
Title: Portal
Post by: crone_lover720 on October 23, 2007, 03:28:30 am
man that was so good! I got the one from the zoo, but I think I'm going to GO CRAZY and buy it before I do any of the bonus levels

but man, that was really just enjoyable all the way through. there are some really brilliant people using the hl source engine or whatever it's called! in recent years, I don't think I've ever wanted to play an fps that's not a source mod or developed by valve

I see what you guys are saying about this becoming part of a half-life game, but the same time I'm pretty glad this game won't be the last we hear of this stuff. edit: by this I mean GLaDOSxChell fanfics

ALSO the ending was kind of ruined for me :( it was too hyped for me  to enjoy it for what it is
Title: Portal
Post by: thejackyl on October 23, 2007, 06:10:18 pm
I flooded the enrichment center with a deadly neurotoxin to make me stop flooding the enrichment center with a deadly neurotoxin.
Title: Portal
Post by: Ghost_Aspergers on October 23, 2007, 08:11:53 pm
Quote
GLaDOSxChell fanfics

What?

No... seriously... what?
Title: Portal
Post by: crone_lover720 on October 24, 2007, 02:12:14 am
well naturally there would be a glad/chell/companion cube relationship triangle. hehh I guess you must be a Chell 'x' WCC shipper... (also maybe not realize I'm not being serious here?)
Title: Portal
Post by: Bisse on October 24, 2007, 03:45:19 am
I wanna play Portal SO BAD, but all the illegal downloaded versions I've gotten make my PC restart whenever it gets to the LOADING screen. >:
Isn't that more of a... great feature than a bad thing.
Title: Portal
Post by: Grindie on October 24, 2007, 07:37:58 am
The cake isn't a lie dammit! I saw it at the end! Now I wish I stayed behind 'cause it looked tasteeeeeeee!
Title: Portal
Post by: goat on October 24, 2007, 07:51:03 am
it was philosophical, because the game was a piece of cake.
it was delicious for a few moments, and you wanted to eat more, but there was only one piece...
Title: Portal
Post by: Grindie on October 24, 2007, 07:54:08 am
it was philosophical, because the game was a piece of cake.
it was delicious for a few moments, and you wanted to eat more, but there was only one piece...

If you wanna get technical, there were 19 pieces. I actually liked how it was so short. I completed it in one sitting and it was entertaining 100% of the time (unlike Half Life 2 and it's episodes).
Title: Portal
Post by: Iaman on October 24, 2007, 09:17:31 am
I was just reading online that someone has modded Half-Life 2 so you can use the Portal gun.  I haven't tried it myself, but I imagine that would be pretty cool too!
It's not actually a half-life 2 mod, if anything it's a portal mod.  All you have to do is import the half-life 2 maps and scenes into the portal folder.  You'll have to get a program to open up the gcf's, but that's it.  You just go into portal after that, open up the console, and load a half-life 2 map, then you can start playing through half-life 2 with the portal gun (after you use the impulse 101 cheat to get all guns or some other way to get the portal gun)

It's a whole TON of fun playing through Half-Life 2 that way :P
Title: Portal
Post by: goat on October 24, 2007, 09:50:53 am
If you wanna get technical, there were 19 pieces. I actually liked how it was so short. I completed it in one sitting and it was entertaining 100% of the time (unlike Half Life 2 and it's episodes).

Actually you can't get technical with a metaphor :\ I'm not even going to ask how you calculated one piece of cake to equal a portal level.

I thought it was way too short, even for its small price tag. If I ever complete a game "in one sitting", unless I bought it for its multiplayer, I feel cheated of my money.
Title: Portal
Post by: Bisse on October 24, 2007, 01:41:51 pm
The cake isn't a lie dammit! I saw it at the end!
SPOILERFEST!!!!!
Title: Portal
Post by: crone_lover720 on October 24, 2007, 07:18:17 pm
well there are bonus levels etc, but they're just more difficult versions of the same tests. also achievements? not really that exciting. this is the third day in a row I've been playing this game, but I'm definitely in the minority. beyond the game itself, which is great imo, I'm interested in the whole PORTAL concept. idk I've been looking into hl2/source engine stuff for a while now, so this is just another part of a continuing interest

speaking of which, I'm making a portal map so I guess I'll post it here when I'm done? that probably won't be until they release the SDK files though
Title: Portal
Post by: Grindie on October 24, 2007, 09:30:09 pm
SPOILERFEST!!!!!

The ending it revealed! Now there's no point in playing the game!
Title: Portal
Post by: Shadow Kirby on October 24, 2007, 09:45:00 pm
OMG guys: http://www.destructoid.com/a-weighted-companion-cube-of-your-very-own-in-time-for-christmas--49390.phtml

I want one.
Title: Portal
Post by: Ghost_Aspergers on October 24, 2007, 11:32:50 pm
I thought about getting a head start on the upcoming internet meme by making Chell-Companion Cube slash art....
Title: Portal
Post by: Jester on October 24, 2007, 11:35:06 pm
Bit late, Chainer. It already exists.
Title: Portal
Post by: goat on October 25, 2007, 05:53:56 pm
apparently you can move the original HL2 files (or even from ep1 or 2) into the portal GDFs and play HL2 with the portal gun.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gKg3TUPQ8Sg

check it out 1:00 in Xd
Title: Portal
Post by: Iaman on October 25, 2007, 09:13:52 pm
apparently you can move the original HL2 files (or even from ep1 or 2) into the portal GDFs and play HL2 with the portal gun.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gKg3TUPQ8Sg

check it out 1:00 in Xd
It's not actually a half-life 2 mod, if anything it's a portal mod.  All you have to do is import the half-life 2 maps and scenes into the portal folder.  You'll have to get a program to open up the gcf's, but that's it.  You just go into portal after that, open up the console, and load a half-life 2 map, then you can start playing through half-life 2 with the portal gun (after you use the impulse 101 cheat to get all guns or some other way to get the portal gun)

It's a whole TON of fun playing through Half-Life 2 that way :P
;___;
Title: Portal
Post by: Ræn on October 25, 2007, 09:48:31 pm
I finally bought Portal, and man was it good. I beat it in a couple hours, but it was an incredibly fun game. And the story was surprisingly interesting. I can't wait to see how Portals and the Portal gun tie into HL2: Episode 3(theoretically, Episode 3 is about Aperture Science and some "secret" project they have. Portal gun, anyone?)
Title: Portal
Post by: crone_lover720 on October 25, 2007, 11:42:31 pm
man portal is so much cooler than hl2 though. and I really like hl2
;___;
can't just move .bsp files into the portal maps folder though, I think? actually I only tried it through bonus maps (needs .biz i think), haven't tried going into the console and typing "map dm_xxxxxx" or whatever

but I think what goat's saying is actually writing the hl2 maps into the portal .gcf?
Title: Portal
Post by: Iaman on October 26, 2007, 06:06:39 am
man portal is so much cooler than hl2 though. and I really like hl2can't just move .bsp files into the portal maps folder though, I think? actually I only tried it through bonus maps (needs .biz i think), haven't tried going into the console and typing "map dm_xxxxxx" or whatever

but I think what goat's saying is actually writing the hl2 maps into the portal .gcf?
Actually it does work, you just have to do it a certain way.  What you do is open up the hl2 gcf and extract the maps and scenes folders into C:\Program Files\Steam\SteamApps\(your name)\portal\

Then you have to go to the console and enter map et cetera and such.  I recommend backing up the contents of your portal folder FIRST in case anything does end up getting screwed up, though.
Title: Portal
Post by: goat on October 26, 2007, 12:14:07 pm
my bad, i got this confused with another portal thread elsewhere...

Actually it does work, you just have to do it a certain way.  What you do is open up the hl2 gcf and extract the maps and scenes folders into C:\Program Files\Steam\SteamApps\(your name)\portal\

Then you have to go to the console and enter map et cetera and such.  I recommend backing up the contents of your portal folder FIRST in case anything does end up getting screwed up, though.

also a lot of the sounds wont work, and there will be some problems with unit AI. Theres also glitches like shooting a portal under your feet causing the game to flash, or the "big white cloud" that follows you around.

oh by the way, i recorded that voice on the radio. Where is GLaDOS now? doing traffic reports!

http://members.cox.net/amountaingoat/HARS.mp3
Title: Portal
Post by: Jester on October 26, 2007, 12:24:49 pm
Ya, Ellen McLain does GLaDOS and Overwatch.
Title: Portal
Post by: Chubby Skelly on October 26, 2007, 07:13:17 pm
Ya, Ellen McLain does GLaDOS and Overwatch.
Turns out she's also the announcer in Team Fortress 2. I thought it was interesting that she's in every single Orange Box game.
Title: Portal
Post by: Chuga Choo Train on November 04, 2007, 12:51:53 am
haha, wow.

This was honestly a really amazing game.

The ending was just awesome.