Hot Take: Portal is HARD!
After playing this I have come to the unfortunate conclusion that I am just not good at video games, and I'm doubtful I'll be good in future games I play. Maybe I'm jumping the gun as I've played very few video games, but it's just a feeling I've got. This game is typically brought up as one of the best for beginners, with gameplay that's relatively easy but still rewarding. My experience was very different. To be fair, about half of the levels are easy, but gradually get to what I would say is a medium difficulty until level 16, then it's hard from then on. It's not hard like, in a combative sense, but seriously puts your logical thinking and problem-solving skills to the test. Hell, I even had to go online to cheat this one time because I couldn't figure out how to get the stupid cube in chamber 18! It was worth it too, Lord knows how long I'd have been flopping around trying to get through that section. I saw a comment on Reddit saying "If you can't beat this game within five hours you have a very big problem"...
It took me six hours.
Granted I wasn't rushing, I liked exploring any area I can get into, but regardless, they're probably right. Perhaps I'm just a brainlet. This is no criticism of the game, of course. In fact, despite being supposedly worse than everyone else, I still had a relatively good time. What I think probably drives people to suggest this for beginners is maybe not so much that it's "easy", but it really kind of has it all. I'm aware of why this game was such a success and is seen as a classic, the mechanics are like a mix between a first-person shooter and a puzzle game, linked together with a small, simple story. I can't say from lack of experience the landmark this was but, I'm assuming the critics aren't lying about its influence.
None of that matters too much to me right now, to be honest. I love unique experiences, and I'm hoping this continues to be that, but one of my favorite elements of this game is how well it balances tone. The situation the protagonist is in is awfully isolationist, the only things she can communicate with being robots. Along with the dark-ish ambient music, the experience is set up to be a bit sad... although it throws in a very humorous dynamic with funny dialogue from GLaDOS. The little androids too and how their personality somehow ranges from cute, to terrifying (when they're killing you), to funny. It's impressive how something that serves such a singular purpose can be infused with so much personality. The final scene is a bit humorous too.
Most of the levels are going for a minimalistic aesthetic, and while for many of them, I would've appreciated something more, they were still enjoyable to play. GLaDOS's involvement was merely to guide the player, occasionally interweaving some humorous bits of dialogue, but it isn't until the final chamber that her role is much more involved. The level design for the final chamber is much more complex as well, timing becomes a much more crucial aspect of the puzzles, and they just generally are much cooler than the previous levels. It makes me wish those previous levels leading up to this were a bit more interesting in their design, even if they were still fun and challenging.
Compared to many other games, this one has always stuck out as being relatively short, which is a-okay with me! It might have not been as short for me, but six hours is still comparatively a short amount of time to complete a game. I just kinda wished there was more to it. The hints of potential this game has to offer shine just a little bit by the end. Perhaps the more acclaimed sequel expands upon this potential - I'll be looking forward to it.
After playing this I have come to the unfortunate conclusion that I am just not good at video games, and I'm doubtful I'll be good in future games I play. Maybe I'm jumping the gun as I've played very few video games, but it's just a feeling I've got. This game is typically brought up as one of the best for beginners, with gameplay that's relatively easy but still rewarding. My experience was very different. To be fair, about half of the levels are easy, but gradually get to what I would say is a medium difficulty until level 16, then it's hard from then on. It's not hard like, in a combative sense, but seriously puts your logical thinking and problem-solving skills to the test. Hell, I even had to go online to cheat this one time because I couldn't figure out how to get the stupid cube in chamber 18! It was worth it too, Lord knows how long I'd have been flopping around trying to get through that section. I saw a comment on Reddit saying "If you can't beat this game within five hours you have a very big problem"...
It took me six hours.
Granted I wasn't rushing, I liked exploring any area I can get into, but regardless, they're probably right. Perhaps I'm just a brainlet. This is no criticism of the game, of course. In fact, despite being supposedly worse than everyone else, I still had a relatively good time. What I think probably drives people to suggest this for beginners is maybe not so much that it's "easy", but it really kind of has it all. I'm aware of why this game was such a success and is seen as a classic, the mechanics are like a mix between a first-person shooter and a puzzle game, linked together with a small, simple story. I can't say from lack of experience the landmark this was but, I'm assuming the critics aren't lying about its influence.
None of that matters too much to me right now, to be honest. I love unique experiences, and I'm hoping this continues to be that, but one of my favorite elements of this game is how well it balances tone. The situation the protagonist is in is awfully isolationist, the only things she can communicate with being robots. Along with the dark-ish ambient music, the experience is set up to be a bit sad... although it throws in a very humorous dynamic with funny dialogue from GLaDOS. The little androids too and how their personality somehow ranges from cute, to terrifying (when they're killing you), to funny. It's impressive how something that serves such a singular purpose can be infused with so much personality. The final scene is a bit humorous too.
Most of the levels are going for a minimalistic aesthetic, and while for many of them, I would've appreciated something more, they were still enjoyable to play. GLaDOS's involvement was merely to guide the player, occasionally interweaving some humorous bits of dialogue, but it isn't until the final chamber that her role is much more involved. The level design for the final chamber is much more complex as well, timing becomes a much more crucial aspect of the puzzles, and they just generally are much cooler than the previous levels. It makes me wish those previous levels leading up to this were a bit more interesting in their design, even if they were still fun and challenging.
Compared to many other games, this one has always stuck out as being relatively short, which is a-okay with me! It might have not been as short for me, but six hours is still comparatively a short amount of time to complete a game. I just kinda wished there was more to it. The hints of potential this game has to offer shine just a little bit by the end. Perhaps the more acclaimed sequel expands upon this potential - I'll be looking forward to it.