whatsnexttrevor
2014
no hate to double fine, just turns out point-and-click is not my jam
it's a bit harder to approach this after the overwhelming freedom of elden ring, but it's still an amazing world to explore
2019
huh?
2011
played this as a little refresher before giving portal revolution a crack. on pure nostalgia, this is still one of my favorite games. the writing doesn't quite hold up as much as i thought it would, but it's still so special when it's really working. wheatley really just... annoyed me this time around. that was a huge surprise.
BUT, holy mother of god does this game's atmosphere COMPLETELY hold up. valve crafted my favorite video game world ever, and its characters and history are genuinely fascinating.
i kind of assumed that i wouldn't be left wanting a portal 3 after replaying this, but i couldn't have been more wrong. i would take any opportunity to dive back into this world that i could. aperture desk job also proved valve's got plenty left in the tank creatively, even if it's a slightly different take. it's been over a decade since my first playthrough, and i'd be happy to revisit aperture in a fresh light.
so much of this game's strength is built on what's left unsaid (the game's story, though, was far less subtle than i remember it being). and, given this game's longevity, i can see how valve has painted itself into a corner in the same way they did with half life. but you know what, i don't care. we need more.
and, while this definitely still holds up as a puzzle game, i think some more recent entrants (namely cocoon) show that the gameplay could be even more intuitive and seamless. hell, they barely scratch the surface of the mechanics they introduced here.
i don't need open world aperture science, but could you imagine if the world were structured like dark souls? TELEPORTATION IS LITERALLY THE CORE MECHANIC OF THE GAME. valve knows how to build a world you worth exploring, and there is so much room to push in that direction in level design. i want a version of aperture that i can ACTUALLY get lost in.
anyways, i look forward to another half life spinoff in like 10 years. it will be neuralink exclusive and i'll never touch it.
BUT, holy mother of god does this game's atmosphere COMPLETELY hold up. valve crafted my favorite video game world ever, and its characters and history are genuinely fascinating.
i kind of assumed that i wouldn't be left wanting a portal 3 after replaying this, but i couldn't have been more wrong. i would take any opportunity to dive back into this world that i could. aperture desk job also proved valve's got plenty left in the tank creatively, even if it's a slightly different take. it's been over a decade since my first playthrough, and i'd be happy to revisit aperture in a fresh light.
so much of this game's strength is built on what's left unsaid (the game's story, though, was far less subtle than i remember it being). and, given this game's longevity, i can see how valve has painted itself into a corner in the same way they did with half life. but you know what, i don't care. we need more.
and, while this definitely still holds up as a puzzle game, i think some more recent entrants (namely cocoon) show that the gameplay could be even more intuitive and seamless. hell, they barely scratch the surface of the mechanics they introduced here.
i don't need open world aperture science, but could you imagine if the world were structured like dark souls? TELEPORTATION IS LITERALLY THE CORE MECHANIC OF THE GAME. valve knows how to build a world you worth exploring, and there is so much room to push in that direction in level design. i want a version of aperture that i can ACTUALLY get lost in.
anyways, i look forward to another half life spinoff in like 10 years. it will be neuralink exclusive and i'll never touch it.
lots of fun this doom-lite. if you combined this level of simplicity with doom eternal's movement abilities i would be way higher on this.
2016
it's pretty impressive that an opening told entirely through text can be so affecting, and that the writing is so strong. you can see why valve acquired campo santo and their talented team. all that said, this definitely falls victim to most of the pitfalls of the walking sim genre. i hate to say it, but the climbing/hiking stuff felt pretty cumbersome, and the pacing didn't really work for me. i appreciate that this game gets to the point quickly, though.
2022
a nice game to pick up and play... but boy do i have beef with the tutorial section. went on way too long
2018
a stellar puzzle game to relax to, and perhaps the only successful iteration on the tetris formula i've tried
2016
one of the more imaginative games i've ever played, and one of my favorite rhythm games ever. the skill ceiling here is sky high
2022
nice little soulslike
2015
i LOVE it
2014
my highlight with this one is the music and the uplifting tone of interacting with this world
2016
while it was very interesting to see what is clearly a precursor to the masterpiece that is inscryption, this really does feel like a rough draft. inscryption's genius was marrying metanarrative with a genuinely compelling gameplay loop. the puzzles are pretty cool, but the runner sections are pretty lackluster. all that said, i am VERY curious what pony island 2 will look like.
2012
such a cool little game. blown away this is over 10 years old, i feel like i watched indie game the movie yesterday. something something phil fish
2018
a great time! this sings on steam deck