06-11-2007, 12:00 PM
Portal, One of the latest 3rd party mods released by steam brings a whole new concept to the FPS scene. You are a test subject at a scientific test lab where the subjects are pursued through a series of courses that which can puzzle and test your mind. As you first start out, you hear a robotic, pre-organised recording that at several points throughout the game both helps and tricks you.
Apon beging the game you are introduced slowly into the key concepts of Portal. You don't actually start with the portal creating weapon, but you are forced to use visual cues to move your way around through pre-crafted portals. As you progress through the game, you are able to pick up the portal creating weapon to firstly create one portal, then later on, both.
There are several aspects of this game though, that make it quite unique to other FPS games. Firstly as you will notice, there is no health bar (very much like COD 2). This mechanism is monitored by the screen turning a shade or red as you take damage. Also like COD 2, this replenishes quickly over time. There is also an unlimited ammount of portals that you can use. Lastly, your character is designed to survive large falls. This is a great concept as you will be taking some very large falls.
But through out this game, you will find that there is more to overcome than shooting two portals. You will encounter a variety of obsticles that are both dangerous and vital to your succes. Using the visual cues provided, you are required to use your problem solving abilities to work out the best solution to overcome them.
As i played this game, i quite enjoyed the concept of problemsolving mixed with the FPS aspect of games. from high pressure buttons to the loveable companion cube (<3), this game is a past time favorite for me.
8 1/2 / 10
Apon beging the game you are introduced slowly into the key concepts of Portal. You don't actually start with the portal creating weapon, but you are forced to use visual cues to move your way around through pre-crafted portals. As you progress through the game, you are able to pick up the portal creating weapon to firstly create one portal, then later on, both.
There are several aspects of this game though, that make it quite unique to other FPS games. Firstly as you will notice, there is no health bar (very much like COD 2). This mechanism is monitored by the screen turning a shade or red as you take damage. Also like COD 2, this replenishes quickly over time. There is also an unlimited ammount of portals that you can use. Lastly, your character is designed to survive large falls. This is a great concept as you will be taking some very large falls.
But through out this game, you will find that there is more to overcome than shooting two portals. You will encounter a variety of obsticles that are both dangerous and vital to your succes. Using the visual cues provided, you are required to use your problem solving abilities to work out the best solution to overcome them.
As i played this game, i quite enjoyed the concept of problemsolving mixed with the FPS aspect of games. from high pressure buttons to the loveable companion cube (<3), this game is a past time favorite for me.
8 1/2 / 10