Everything good that you’ve heard about “Portal” is true. If it had just been physics-based puzzles with a smart core mechanic, it would have been awesome. But Valve went ahead and gave it the full production treatment, and as a result, it’s a joy to play from beginning to end, with plenty of atmostphere and little surprises tucked into the corners. And how they managed to make a game where you can throw yourself around a room at high speeds and vertiginous angles without getting motion sickness is beyond me.
Also: suggestions of post-human, techno-lesbian subtext? I totally see it. I wonder if Donna Haraway has played this.
I just happened to play Portal through from start to finish yesterday afternoon. In one sitting. As you say, it's all "they" claim it to be and likely even more piled on top. I loved it.
However, even though I'm not prone to FPS motion sickness one of the levels almost made me lose my cookies. Just so your readers know.
--Hart
I mean, sure, it's a completely obvious idea that was just waiting for someone to actually take the time to do it, but I prefer to think that I'm prescient and totally on the edge of future trends.
Even though the characters and story are lackluster, I'm still pouring much more of my time than is healthy into Days of Ruin, because the gameplay has gotten deeper.