PORTAL 1 REVIEW
Note: I give spoiler warnings for spoilers.
Portal is a testament to the benefits of rewarding creativity and taking risks in media. It’s not something we often see AAA studios do anymore, especially not in the fashion that Valve did here. A neat little project created by indie students became a wildly successful, full-fledged title released by one of the most recognizable companies in the industry - all because Valve was willing to bet on something they saw potential in. It gave us a game that left a lasting cultural impact on our community, and that still holds up nearly 14 years later.
On its own, Portal is already a 4-5 star experience - but it also led to a sequel that improved upon the original in nearly every way. Portal 2 is undoubtedly one of the GOATs, spearheading the series from 'great' to 'untouchable'. I doubt we’ll ever see such a unique and impressive duology again, at least not for a very long time, and not on the scale of something like Portal.
SHORT REVIEW
Visuals: 4.5/5
Sound: 5.5/5
Story: 4.5/5
Gameplay: 4.5/5
Worldbuilding: 3.5/5
Achievements (Does not count toward overall score.): 4/5
Overall game score: 4.5/5
IN-DEPTH REVIEW
Visuals:
The visual design here is simple, but that simplicity is memorable in its own way. The white walls and largely empty rooms make the puzzles slicker; everything is clearly and concisely communicated. The blue/orange portals pop, too, leaving you with a VERY memorable visual. There’s a reason this color scheme is one of the most popular parts of the game.
[SPOILERS FOR THE REST OF THIS SECTION]
That initial plainness also makes the last act of the story stand out more; everything you’ve gotten used to is turned on its head when you’re shown the inner workings of Aperture. When Chell leaps from the artificially bright, hospital-like rooms that the scientists have created, into the deep, dark underbelly of Aperture, it is perfectly reflected in the visual shift. The messy, dark corridors are in stark contrast to everything before it. You feel like you’re not supposed to be there, because you’re not. There’s grime, rust, wires, and pipes. There’s unused test chambers and secret observation rooms. It gives you a newfound sense of freedom - freedom which is matched in the gameplay, too, as the training wheels come off and you must figure out puzzles with little direction. You have escaped a rat’s maze, and you’re running under the furniture towards freedom.
Yet you find yourself trapped once again, this time in GLADoS’ chamber. This area is unique in its own right, with its impossibly tall ceiling and rounded, gray walls. It is the complete opposite of the cramped, square, white chambers.
Most stunning in design, though, is GLADoS herself. A giant mess of metal and parts hanging from the ceiling, she is totally unlike anything else in the game - while also reflecting both sides of it perfectly. Her sleek, stark white casing matches the ‘shell’ of the lab, or what is supposed to be seen. The black structure connecting her to the ceiling, coupled with the messy, dangling wires, are reminiscent of what lay underneath. Like the test chambers she runs, GLADoS is an Aperture creation… and just like them, there’s something going on with her that is not what it is made to look like. [SPOILER ENDING]
Overall, 4.5/5.
Sound:
Similarly to the visuals, the sound design in Portal is left rather simplistic. There’s not much of a soundtrack; instead, you spend most of your time accompanied only by GLADoS’ voice, as well as the sounds of the chambers (which, like the visuals, contribute to the clarity of the puzzles.) It makes for a perfect atmosphere, and allows GLADoS' character to stand out even more. This is a rare exception where I actually prefer a game having little music - I think any more of it would have taken away from these things.
And, of course, it goes without saying that GLADoS’ delivery is always perfect. Sometimes she's robotic. Sometimes she's eerily human. Sometimes, she's both at once.
[SPOILERS FOR THE REST OF THIS SECTION]
There is just a fantastic progression for her character that only exists because of the perfect VA work. At the beginning of the game and throughout the experiment, she simply comes off like part of Aperture's setup. She seems to only be there to guide you and provide machine-like encouragement, while delivering hilarious quips in an oft-monotone voice to keep you entertained. But this, too, is turned on its head when you escape. It's as if she rapidly gains emotion. Distress and anger ooze from her as she searches for you. The robotic monotony of before now seems like it was that of a bored employee, rather than a machine lacking autonomy of its own.
And this emotionally-charged version of GLADoS evolves once again when you destroy her morality core. She loses that personality she so quickly began to show, replacing it with a much more sinister, sadistic, and calm version instead. That moment is forever ingrained in my mind because of the delivery , from the ‘whoa’s, to the evil laugh, to the ‘good news.’
To this day, it's incredibly impressive how Ellen McLain managed to capture three different versions of a non-human character, all while maintaining perfect comedic delivery. That's not to mention that she brings to life one of the best and most memorable songs from a video game ever. I severely doubt that Portal would have been as widely praised and beloved if it weren't for Ellen's contributions.
Overall, 5.5/5.
Story:
While the core plot is pretty basic, what it evolves into - and what is going on underneath - keep it interesting. [SPOILERS] You are bound to run into at least one Rattmann room naturally, and just that one will make it apparent that Aperture is more than it presents itself as. [SPOILER ENDING] A lot of the exact details are left vague or unexplained, and anything you DO learn is either shown visually or given through GLADoS’ superb dialogue. I think that this simplicity works really well for such a short experience. There's no clunky exposition or an overload of needless information; you are given the basics, and the aforementioned visual storytelling and dialogue deliver the rest.
[SPOILERS] As an example, I just adore the setup of the escape. It's the easiest kind of plotline to grasp - you're trapped somewhere, and you need to get out. But in Portal, it feels like you're pushing the boundaries of the game itself. The visuals, the voice acting, the writing, and the pacing really push this idea that you're doing something you're not supposed to once you’re out of GLADoS’ reach. It's like a less on-the-nose Stanley Parable. [SPOILER ENDING]
And the writing itself is just amazing. Portal still holds up 14 years later; it’s an amazing feat, especially since it has been meme’d into oblivion. GLADoS throws quippy, deadpan one-liners at you constantly. It ends up helping the pacing a lot, as it keeps you engaged throughout the entirety of the playtime. She’s entertaining enough to carry the game all on her own - but thankfully, she doesn’t have to, because the gameplay delivers as well.
Overall, 4.5/5.
Gameplay:
There aren’t many puzzle games I’ve played that I feel manage to be as engaging as Portal. The core idea of the gameplay - and its execution - are not only completely unique, but also insanely impressive and fun. The premise may SEEM complicated on paper, but the levels almost always stay fair; a few of the later ones do have a pretty sharp difficulty curve, but the strong sense of accomplishment at the end of each chamber makes it worth it.
More importantly than that, though, is that the devs did a fantastic job of meticulously constructing the progression to teach players each new mechanic in memorable and fun ways. Everything here is purposeful, down to the skips they’ve allowed to be left in. Nothing is ever rushed in design, and YOU never feel too rushed either. You are given time to fully grasp each new mechanic that’s thrown at you - which makes those last few ridiculously difficult levels feel all the more satisfying.
[SPOILERS] And then the training wheels come off during the escape. You’re left to your own devices, navigating through completely different environments with very little guidance. It really showcases how much the game has taught you in just a few hours, as it trusts the player to get through this part without hand-holding. [SPOILER ENDING]
I really gained a deeper understanding of the effort put into the gameplay from replaying with the dev commentary. I highly recommend everyone do so, because I walked away with a new appreciation for not only Portal itself, but game development in general. For example, they do a great job of discussing how they utilize ‘timed puzzles’ (the auto-closing doors.) Puzzles without any sort of timed aspect have room to be more complex, because there isn’t any pressure. As a result, they tend to be much more dramatic in scope. But the timed ones give a sense of urgency - while they may be easier on you mentally, they challenge your ability to actually execute the solution. I love that they included both approaches.
In the end, I do think some of the puzzles in Portal are weaker than others, but I can’t help but appreciate each of them for the effort; there’s a fantastic amount of care to make the gameplay clear and concise. There’s thought and love put into each level. And the mechanics themselves are so ridiculously fun and satisfying - especially the momentum puzzles - that I can’t help but adore the gameplay, even if it’s not always perfect.
Overall, 4.5/5.
Worldbuilding:
The worldbuilding is the weakest aspect of Portal, but it's still good in it's own way. I feel the game slightly suffers in this aspect because of the simple, clean settings that are built around the gameplay - but, to be fair, I also think this was the right choice to make. Still, a bit more could have been done to flesh out the lore. But the eerie emptiness of the lab, and the mystery surrounding your situation, do add a thick atmosphere that helps a lot.
[SPOILERS] Generally, the main pieces of worldbuilding we do see are the Rattmann dens. These break the usual visual style of the test chambers to show you the cluttered, messy guts of the lab, even before you escape; it gives a clear sense early on that something is terribly wrong (if you find them.) All the dens are pretty similar, but there are little details in them that make them interesting the first one or two times. [SPOILER ENDING]
There's not much else to be said here, honestly. It's not spectacular, but the vagueness can be gotten away with when nearly everything else in the game is perfect. The mysteriousness of Aperture carries it well enough.
Overall, 3.5/5.
Extra Category - Achievements:
There are a few cool achievements that make replays interesting by limiting what you are allowed to do with the mechanics. I think this is a really, really great thing for achievements to do. I had fun 100%ing it.
Overall, 4/5.
Overall game score: 4.5/5. There’s so much to love and appreciate about Portal. It feels like a ‘handmade’ experience - while it’s not the most CONVENTIONALLY impressive in some ways, it makes up for it with its endless charm and unique approaches to every aspect of game design. It’s amazing that we got this game at all; it’s one that undoubtedly deserves the praise it gets, even all these years later. An experience that’s only a few hours long and keeps you hooked the entire way through, Portal is worth coming back to again and again. If you still haven’t played it by now, I highly recommend giving it your time.
Note: I give spoiler warnings for spoilers.
Portal is a testament to the benefits of rewarding creativity and taking risks in media. It’s not something we often see AAA studios do anymore, especially not in the fashion that Valve did here. A neat little project created by indie students became a wildly successful, full-fledged title released by one of the most recognizable companies in the industry - all because Valve was willing to bet on something they saw potential in. It gave us a game that left a lasting cultural impact on our community, and that still holds up nearly 14 years later.
On its own, Portal is already a 4-5 star experience - but it also led to a sequel that improved upon the original in nearly every way. Portal 2 is undoubtedly one of the GOATs, spearheading the series from 'great' to 'untouchable'. I doubt we’ll ever see such a unique and impressive duology again, at least not for a very long time, and not on the scale of something like Portal.
SHORT REVIEW
Visuals: 4.5/5
Sound: 5.5/5
Story: 4.5/5
Gameplay: 4.5/5
Worldbuilding: 3.5/5
Achievements (Does not count toward overall score.): 4/5
Overall game score: 4.5/5
IN-DEPTH REVIEW
Visuals:
The visual design here is simple, but that simplicity is memorable in its own way. The white walls and largely empty rooms make the puzzles slicker; everything is clearly and concisely communicated. The blue/orange portals pop, too, leaving you with a VERY memorable visual. There’s a reason this color scheme is one of the most popular parts of the game.
[SPOILERS FOR THE REST OF THIS SECTION]
That initial plainness also makes the last act of the story stand out more; everything you’ve gotten used to is turned on its head when you’re shown the inner workings of Aperture. When Chell leaps from the artificially bright, hospital-like rooms that the scientists have created, into the deep, dark underbelly of Aperture, it is perfectly reflected in the visual shift. The messy, dark corridors are in stark contrast to everything before it. You feel like you’re not supposed to be there, because you’re not. There’s grime, rust, wires, and pipes. There’s unused test chambers and secret observation rooms. It gives you a newfound sense of freedom - freedom which is matched in the gameplay, too, as the training wheels come off and you must figure out puzzles with little direction. You have escaped a rat’s maze, and you’re running under the furniture towards freedom.
Yet you find yourself trapped once again, this time in GLADoS’ chamber. This area is unique in its own right, with its impossibly tall ceiling and rounded, gray walls. It is the complete opposite of the cramped, square, white chambers.
Most stunning in design, though, is GLADoS herself. A giant mess of metal and parts hanging from the ceiling, she is totally unlike anything else in the game - while also reflecting both sides of it perfectly. Her sleek, stark white casing matches the ‘shell’ of the lab, or what is supposed to be seen. The black structure connecting her to the ceiling, coupled with the messy, dangling wires, are reminiscent of what lay underneath. Like the test chambers she runs, GLADoS is an Aperture creation… and just like them, there’s something going on with her that is not what it is made to look like. [SPOILER ENDING]
Overall, 4.5/5.
Sound:
Similarly to the visuals, the sound design in Portal is left rather simplistic. There’s not much of a soundtrack; instead, you spend most of your time accompanied only by GLADoS’ voice, as well as the sounds of the chambers (which, like the visuals, contribute to the clarity of the puzzles.) It makes for a perfect atmosphere, and allows GLADoS' character to stand out even more. This is a rare exception where I actually prefer a game having little music - I think any more of it would have taken away from these things.
And, of course, it goes without saying that GLADoS’ delivery is always perfect. Sometimes she's robotic. Sometimes she's eerily human. Sometimes, she's both at once.
[SPOILERS FOR THE REST OF THIS SECTION]
There is just a fantastic progression for her character that only exists because of the perfect VA work. At the beginning of the game and throughout the experiment, she simply comes off like part of Aperture's setup. She seems to only be there to guide you and provide machine-like encouragement, while delivering hilarious quips in an oft-monotone voice to keep you entertained. But this, too, is turned on its head when you escape. It's as if she rapidly gains emotion. Distress and anger ooze from her as she searches for you. The robotic monotony of before now seems like it was that of a bored employee, rather than a machine lacking autonomy of its own.
And this emotionally-charged version of GLADoS evolves once again when you destroy her morality core. She loses that personality she so quickly began to show, replacing it with a much more sinister, sadistic, and calm version instead. That moment is forever ingrained in my mind because of the delivery , from the ‘whoa’s, to the evil laugh, to the ‘good news.’
To this day, it's incredibly impressive how Ellen McLain managed to capture three different versions of a non-human character, all while maintaining perfect comedic delivery. That's not to mention that she brings to life one of the best and most memorable songs from a video game ever. I severely doubt that Portal would have been as widely praised and beloved if it weren't for Ellen's contributions.
Overall, 5.5/5.
Story:
While the core plot is pretty basic, what it evolves into - and what is going on underneath - keep it interesting. [SPOILERS] You are bound to run into at least one Rattmann room naturally, and just that one will make it apparent that Aperture is more than it presents itself as. [SPOILER ENDING] A lot of the exact details are left vague or unexplained, and anything you DO learn is either shown visually or given through GLADoS’ superb dialogue. I think that this simplicity works really well for such a short experience. There's no clunky exposition or an overload of needless information; you are given the basics, and the aforementioned visual storytelling and dialogue deliver the rest.
[SPOILERS] As an example, I just adore the setup of the escape. It's the easiest kind of plotline to grasp - you're trapped somewhere, and you need to get out. But in Portal, it feels like you're pushing the boundaries of the game itself. The visuals, the voice acting, the writing, and the pacing really push this idea that you're doing something you're not supposed to once you’re out of GLADoS’ reach. It's like a less on-the-nose Stanley Parable. [SPOILER ENDING]
And the writing itself is just amazing. Portal still holds up 14 years later; it’s an amazing feat, especially since it has been meme’d into oblivion. GLADoS throws quippy, deadpan one-liners at you constantly. It ends up helping the pacing a lot, as it keeps you engaged throughout the entirety of the playtime. She’s entertaining enough to carry the game all on her own - but thankfully, she doesn’t have to, because the gameplay delivers as well.
Overall, 4.5/5.
Gameplay:
There aren’t many puzzle games I’ve played that I feel manage to be as engaging as Portal. The core idea of the gameplay - and its execution - are not only completely unique, but also insanely impressive and fun. The premise may SEEM complicated on paper, but the levels almost always stay fair; a few of the later ones do have a pretty sharp difficulty curve, but the strong sense of accomplishment at the end of each chamber makes it worth it.
More importantly than that, though, is that the devs did a fantastic job of meticulously constructing the progression to teach players each new mechanic in memorable and fun ways. Everything here is purposeful, down to the skips they’ve allowed to be left in. Nothing is ever rushed in design, and YOU never feel too rushed either. You are given time to fully grasp each new mechanic that’s thrown at you - which makes those last few ridiculously difficult levels feel all the more satisfying.
[SPOILERS] And then the training wheels come off during the escape. You’re left to your own devices, navigating through completely different environments with very little guidance. It really showcases how much the game has taught you in just a few hours, as it trusts the player to get through this part without hand-holding. [SPOILER ENDING]
I really gained a deeper understanding of the effort put into the gameplay from replaying with the dev commentary. I highly recommend everyone do so, because I walked away with a new appreciation for not only Portal itself, but game development in general. For example, they do a great job of discussing how they utilize ‘timed puzzles’ (the auto-closing doors.) Puzzles without any sort of timed aspect have room to be more complex, because there isn’t any pressure. As a result, they tend to be much more dramatic in scope. But the timed ones give a sense of urgency - while they may be easier on you mentally, they challenge your ability to actually execute the solution. I love that they included both approaches.
In the end, I do think some of the puzzles in Portal are weaker than others, but I can’t help but appreciate each of them for the effort; there’s a fantastic amount of care to make the gameplay clear and concise. There’s thought and love put into each level. And the mechanics themselves are so ridiculously fun and satisfying - especially the momentum puzzles - that I can’t help but adore the gameplay, even if it’s not always perfect.
Overall, 4.5/5.
Worldbuilding:
The worldbuilding is the weakest aspect of Portal, but it's still good in it's own way. I feel the game slightly suffers in this aspect because of the simple, clean settings that are built around the gameplay - but, to be fair, I also think this was the right choice to make. Still, a bit more could have been done to flesh out the lore. But the eerie emptiness of the lab, and the mystery surrounding your situation, do add a thick atmosphere that helps a lot.
[SPOILERS] Generally, the main pieces of worldbuilding we do see are the Rattmann dens. These break the usual visual style of the test chambers to show you the cluttered, messy guts of the lab, even before you escape; it gives a clear sense early on that something is terribly wrong (if you find them.) All the dens are pretty similar, but there are little details in them that make them interesting the first one or two times. [SPOILER ENDING]
There's not much else to be said here, honestly. It's not spectacular, but the vagueness can be gotten away with when nearly everything else in the game is perfect. The mysteriousness of Aperture carries it well enough.
Overall, 3.5/5.
Extra Category - Achievements:
There are a few cool achievements that make replays interesting by limiting what you are allowed to do with the mechanics. I think this is a really, really great thing for achievements to do. I had fun 100%ing it.
Overall, 4/5.
Overall game score: 4.5/5. There’s so much to love and appreciate about Portal. It feels like a ‘handmade’ experience - while it’s not the most CONVENTIONALLY impressive in some ways, it makes up for it with its endless charm and unique approaches to every aspect of game design. It’s amazing that we got this game at all; it’s one that undoubtedly deserves the praise it gets, even all these years later. An experience that’s only a few hours long and keeps you hooked the entire way through, Portal is worth coming back to again and again. If you still haven’t played it by now, I highly recommend giving it your time.