Although I had witnessed the intense media coverage and hype that surrounded Portal prior it its release, I genuinely did not know what to expect from the game. When I finally played it through, I was at first sceptical of its tutorial-style nature, which lasted until the final level, however it did not take me long to realise I was enjoying a fascinating, hilarious and truly memorable (albeit extremely short) experience.
Portal is not strictly a shooter because there is no actual combat in the game, however it is first person and the player does have the portal gun. The atmosphere is very cold and sparse, and the surroundings are extremely minimalist and bland, consisting of mostly greys and whites.
Working my way through the delicately planned puzzles was a joy, and with the sarcastic computerised assistant Glados making this one of the funniest games I have ever played, it is essential the games own sounds are not sacrificed completely for music.
The showdown with Glados is the part that will live in the memory. I gradually destroyed her devices while her taunts turned to pleading. When it came to incinerating the last competent, I ran the countdown timer extremely close as my choice of music (see 'Recommended game and music combinations (Part 2)') continued to build up a sense of dread and paranoia. Glados’ song in the credits, ‘Still Alive’, caps off an ingenious and faultlessly executed creation wonderfully.
The battle with Glados
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment