Portal vs The Ball
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yeah I could kinda tell about the gravity gun partThe Bum said:
I even commented on it
as for companion cube, I don't get why people like it so much, it's just like all the other cubes only smaller, and with a heart
so it's more like
the gravity gun
and any object you would use throughout the whole game
thank you for putting that so maturely and well writtenninja555 said:
one little comment, just because I think people will get a kick out of it
for people thinking that the ball is somewhat ripping off portal
just do me a favor and look at darksiders, trust me you'll die laughing
EDIT: sorry about the 3 messages in a row people, I just like to reply
1) Portal is good, I still go back and play through it every so often. Its nice and short and a good way to kill an afternoon. But there are more than a few times that its fans piss me off. Its a really good game! But its not that good...
2) That's really difficult. Are point and click adventures technically also puzzle games? In that case its a three way of The Path, Crayon Physics Deluxe, and The Longest Journey.
3)The Ball looks...kinda neat. I don't know if its 20 dollars worth of neat, but if there's a demo or a sale i might look into it. Same reason I haven't bought Recettear, both are neat but look like they need a price cut.
2) That's really difficult. Are point and click adventures technically also puzzle games? In that case its a three way of The Path, Crayon Physics Deluxe, and The Longest Journey.
3)The Ball looks...kinda neat. I don't know if its 20 dollars worth of neat, but if there's a demo or a sale i might look into it. Same reason I haven't bought Recettear, both are neat but look like they need a price cut.
1. It was pretty good.
2. Clone
3. This... thing... looks really annoying.
Also... can you define "indie"? I'm not saying that Valve is, I'm just curious.
2. Clone
3. This... thing... looks really annoying.
About the six hours: Add in the challenge rooms. It's now decently long. Also, I don't particularly like action/puzzle games. Clone is my favorite puzzle game ever... until I'm expected to outrun those goddamn spiders/avoid those goddamn eye guardians/avoid those FUCKING sentient sparks. So adding a combat element to a puzzle game just wrecks it. Besides, gore is overrated.WOPR said:
Also... can you define "indie"? I'm not saying that Valve is, I'm just curious.
1. I enjoyed portal. I thought the gameplay was interesting although could be a bit easy in some parts (I didn't mind though, had the challenge rooms) The first time I played, I hardly noticed the humour, because I tend not to notice a lot of sound-stuff. Playing again, I thought it was funny, but not OMG AMAZING!! And I loved the song, I thought it was cute.
2. I'm not sure of my favourite puzzle game. Possibly braid, because playing with time is cool. I like the sorts of puzzle games where if you make a mistake you don't have to start all over again, and through enough trying you will eventually get it.
3. This game looks interesting and would get it, except it's not on mac, so I may hold off for that reason.
One thing, do you have to take the ball with you, or is there a new one every room?
Also, can the ball kill you?
2. I'm not sure of my favourite puzzle game. Possibly braid, because playing with time is cool. I like the sorts of puzzle games where if you make a mistake you don't have to start all over again, and through enough trying you will eventually get it.
3. This game looks interesting and would get it, except it's not on mac, so I may hold off for that reason.
One thing, do you have to take the ball with you, or is there a new one every room?
Also, can the ball kill you?
I just want to point out that you could have posted better info in the first place or a link to a video/whatever. Yelling because someone else cares as little to look it up as you do to share is silly.WOPR said:
Um... since when is the only support for Portal's quality "It's a first-person puzzle game?" I've never seen anyone stupid enough to praise it simply because it has the same element that Half-Life 2 was halfway comprised of. For that matter, it's arguably the foundation for the Metroid Prime games.
Portal is great because the concept is original and its used very well. The puzzles were challenging at times, but never so challenging as to make you wander around trying random crap in hopes you'll discover the answer; so perfect difficulty. It was short, but I'll take an amazing 2 hour game over a mediocre 20 hour one any day. The writing was great, delivering witty dark humor that will be remembered for a long time to come. Also, the companion cube. And the song, Still Alive. Those are only a few reasons.
My favorite puzzle game is either Puzzle Quest: Challenge of the Warlords or Portal. Not sure which, really.
As for The Ball... no idea. Haven't played it, can't judge.
Portal is great because the concept is original and its used very well. The puzzles were challenging at times, but never so challenging as to make you wander around trying random crap in hopes you'll discover the answer; so perfect difficulty. It was short, but I'll take an amazing 2 hour game over a mediocre 20 hour one any day. The writing was great, delivering witty dark humor that will be remembered for a long time to come. Also, the companion cube. And the song, Still Alive. Those are only a few reasons.
My favorite puzzle game is either Puzzle Quest: Challenge of the Warlords or Portal. Not sure which, really.
As for The Ball... no idea. Haven't played it, can't judge.
If you didn't get into the story of Portal you won't like the game, that is clear, the game is sort of a niche thing that you haveto like before you can enjoy all the elements.
I for one totally got into it, from the moment I started until I finished it wasn't a game to me, it was a world full of mystery.
It reminded me very much of The Cube(movie), and it brought with it that whole wonder and amazement, and the daunting grim background.
And if you are just in it to finish it as fast as possible you will miss all the dark humor and mind cringing idea of where you really are.
And The Ball looks awesome, they did borrow ideas from someone else(who could it be?), but that just gives that much of a better starting position.
I for one totally got into it, from the moment I started until I finished it wasn't a game to me, it was a world full of mystery.
It reminded me very much of The Cube(movie), and it brought with it that whole wonder and amazement, and the daunting grim background.
And if you are just in it to finish it as fast as possible you will miss all the dark humor and mind cringing idea of where you really are.
And The Ball looks awesome, they did borrow ideas from someone else(who could it be?), but that just gives that much of a better starting position.
I don't really understand how you can claim that portal was slow paced if you apparently beat it in an hour. You'd have to solve the puzzles at a pretty frantic pace to beat the entire game (especially the challenges) that quickly your first time through.WOPR said:
Anyway, Portal is highly regarded for a number of reasons. When it came out it pretty much surprised everyone with its story, humor, and new take on first person gameplay. If you didn't play it within the first few months of its release chances are all three of those were spoiled for you by internet memes.
It's still deserves the praise it gets, but in order to understand why you need to know a bit about game design. I'd be happy to write it all out in detail if you like, but prepare yourself for a wall of text.
To answer your other two questions:
Yes, I like puzzle games. My favorite is probably either Portal or Braid.
The ball seems interesting, but no where as revolutionary as Portal. Of course, that's just based on the trailer, so I'd really have to play it to make a real judgment about it.
Portal was awesome. Mostly because of the way it was presented, kinda like Bioshock.
When you go into the first gravity flinging room (I dunno what to call it) the level design was so perfect that the only instruction needed was Glados' broken transmission saying "*garble* momentum *garble*", and you immediately knew exactly what you were supposed to do (i.e. catapult yourself).
Then after a long period of training with the game mechanics, you are let out to test out the gun in unconditional circumstances, and STILL the level design made it almost easy to know exactly where to go.
If the game itself wasn't hard enough, there are a bunch of challenges which get pretty tricky near the end, and have you racking your brain for a bit. And if you like mind numbing levels of difficulty, you can try and get all gold medals on the challenges.
Add in the fact that it costs a third of what a normal game costs ($20), and you literally can't say the game isn't awesome (or at least worth the buy).
This ball game could be fast paced as shit, but I sincerely doubt it can deliver the original environments, sense of humor, or quality of level design I got from Portal.
When you go into the first gravity flinging room (I dunno what to call it) the level design was so perfect that the only instruction needed was Glados' broken transmission saying "*garble* momentum *garble*", and you immediately knew exactly what you were supposed to do (i.e. catapult yourself).
Then after a long period of training with the game mechanics, you are let out to test out the gun in unconditional circumstances, and STILL the level design made it almost easy to know exactly where to go.
If the game itself wasn't hard enough, there are a bunch of challenges which get pretty tricky near the end, and have you racking your brain for a bit. And if you like mind numbing levels of difficulty, you can try and get all gold medals on the challenges.
Add in the fact that it costs a third of what a normal game costs ($20), and you literally can't say the game isn't awesome (or at least worth the buy).
This ball game could be fast paced as shit, but I sincerely doubt it can deliver the original environments, sense of humor, or quality of level design I got from Portal.
Indie is an independant game company that is just surfacing and isn't like a mainstream one (I am rushed and tired but I hope this helps and is readable) these are some quick exampleslacktheknack said:
Mainstream = SEGA, Valve, Capcom, Konami
Indie = Tripwire, 2D Boy, People Can Fly (arguably), The Behemoth (also arguable)
1) I really enjoyed portal, probably the most fun I've had gaming in a long time, and definitely made me laugh more than most games ever had.
2) definitely portal
3) Looks like I'd get really annoyed having to bring that ball everywhere. The skull on the gun looks cheesy.
2) definitely portal
3) Looks like I'd get really annoyed having to bring that ball everywhere. The skull on the gun looks cheesy.
1. Portal was too difficult for me. That's my opinion of Portal.
2. I'm not sure, I don't play many puzzle games. Maybe some of the puzzles from the old Zelda games.
3. It looks alright, I suppose. Nothing particularly special I can see from the trailer someone embedded.
2. I'm not sure, I don't play many puzzle games. Maybe some of the puzzles from the old Zelda games.
3. It looks alright, I suppose. Nothing particularly special I can see from the trailer someone embedded.
a slow paced game can be short, I mean look at contra, that's about 1 hour at the most and that's fast paced, portal is slow paced but is also about an hour longboholikeu said:
and yes I beat all the "challenge" maps, they too were insultingly easy...
Off Note: No, I have not tried mods, but I don't think you can measure the value of a game by a mod you have to download that isn't by the games creaters
1) Your opinion on "Portal"?
Excellent well paced puzzle game with great dark humor. Its simplicity is its strength.
2) Your favorite "Puzzle" game?
One could call Shadow of the Colossus a puzzle game. So yeah, that.
3) Your impression on "The Ball"?
Too busy. A puzzle game doesn't need a lot of enemies roaming about. Make up your mind, do you want to be a shooter or a puzzle game? I don't like the aesthetic much either, but to each his own.
Excellent well paced puzzle game with great dark humor. Its simplicity is its strength.
2) Your favorite "Puzzle" game?
One could call Shadow of the Colossus a puzzle game. So yeah, that.
3) Your impression on "The Ball"?
Too busy. A puzzle game doesn't need a lot of enemies roaming about. Make up your mind, do you want to be a shooter or a puzzle game? I don't like the aesthetic much either, but to each his own.
Okay, first off, both are completely different games, yeah, they're puzzle games in first person perspective using a gun to solve puzzles, but both have entirely different mechanics, setting and puzzle mechanics.
While in my personal opinion, Portal is the better, I do played The Ball when it was a UT3 mod, I think it was the version where they added the zombie gorilla and it's a very interesting game.
You get to kill lots of mummy things or zombies or whatever they are and the puzzles are quite clever, obviously the graphics are way better than Portal's, because in the first place, it uses the Unreal Engine 3 and second, you're not confined in room tests, you get to traverse pyramids, you get to see places filled with lava, plant filled caves and it has way much more variety in the environments than Portal.
And the mechanic of the artifact you use to control the ball is quite similar to the portal gun, except you do 2 things with it, you hit the ball and it lauches to wherever you want and the secondary button acts like a magnet and attracts your ball towards you.
Maybe it was because it was in mod state or beta or whatever, but the only thing it lacked was a villain as likeable as Glados or something, although at the end of the mod it hinted the presence of a villain, but the game was rather incomplete at that point.
But you can't compare it to Portal, to me, Portal is way better, but The Ball as a lot of potential and, as a mod, it already felt like a commercial game and I never felt I was playing someone's basement project, I felt it was like beta testing a full commercial game.
EDIT: In fact, I recorded a ahort video a year ago, when I played the mod http://www.xfire.com/video/c29ab/
While in my personal opinion, Portal is the better, I do played The Ball when it was a UT3 mod, I think it was the version where they added the zombie gorilla and it's a very interesting game.
You get to kill lots of mummy things or zombies or whatever they are and the puzzles are quite clever, obviously the graphics are way better than Portal's, because in the first place, it uses the Unreal Engine 3 and second, you're not confined in room tests, you get to traverse pyramids, you get to see places filled with lava, plant filled caves and it has way much more variety in the environments than Portal.
And the mechanic of the artifact you use to control the ball is quite similar to the portal gun, except you do 2 things with it, you hit the ball and it lauches to wherever you want and the secondary button acts like a magnet and attracts your ball towards you.
Maybe it was because it was in mod state or beta or whatever, but the only thing it lacked was a villain as likeable as Glados or something, although at the end of the mod it hinted the presence of a villain, but the game was rather incomplete at that point.
But you can't compare it to Portal, to me, Portal is way better, but The Ball as a lot of potential and, as a mod, it already felt like a commercial game and I never felt I was playing someone's basement project, I felt it was like beta testing a full commercial game.
EDIT: In fact, I recorded a ahort video a year ago, when I played the mod http://www.xfire.com/video/c29ab/
Well Soul Reaver isn't first person nor is it a puzzle game..it's just an action game with puzzles, like Onimusha or Resi.WOPR said:
1) I liked Portal, I found it was fun, I didn't think it was too easy or too hard but just right and the script was great. It wasnt the best game ever or anything but it was fun.
2) Right are we counting point and click as puzzle games? I dunno Hotel Dusk and Last Window were amazing, Professor Layton is pretty genius too.
3) er..well from what I saw, it was really slow paced...and it wasn't funny, and what little script was there was bad...and they didnt really show any puzzle to speak of, just rolling a ball by pushing it with a gun. I dunno, I don't rate it though I'm sure it's ok when you get into it though.
That looks like a larger, rounder, skullier version of Portal's companion cube and that gun looks a lot like a gravity gun.WOPR said:Well I'm just glad to meet someone who can talk positive about portal and not sound like they came from 4chan or are some obsessed fanboysubject_87 said:I thought Portal was pretty darn good, Tetris is still a god among puzzle games, and there's room enough in the world for Portal and The Ball to peacefully coexist. But on a related note, whenever someone quotes Portal in no real context, it inches away from Best Game Ever. Besides, Portal 2 is where it's at
as for tetris, YEEEEEEES! I personally love tetris, no matter how many brentalfloss "tetris is for girls" quotes I hear
Not "Ball", "The Ball" and if you want to know what it is watch the attached videoThe Bum said:
as for Yahtzee and Portal... I really want him to reviset it, most people do this when they get the orange box
1) OMG PORTAL!
2) Lets play half-life
3) OMG PORTAL AGAIN!
4) TF2 is GREAT!
4) Lets get Gary's Mod for half-life
5) hours upon hours of TF2 and Gary's mod
THIS IS THE BALL
About your orange box bit there:
Portal is a single player game, of course people are gonna play multiplayer more.
No offense but you're sounding a lot like someone who hates on a game just because everyone else likes it.