Why is Portal considered one of the best games of all time

[Programmed_For_Damage]

The best thing about it was that it didn't overstay its welcome. It was the perfect length (that's what she said - boom boom)

 

[jboking]

Im very curious why Portal is considered one of the best games of all time, i played it on ps3 for about 4 hours and got really bored really fast lol. I don't mean to offend anyone, is it just becasue of the physics engine or something??? help lol

I believe I found your problem. No, I'm not flaming the ps3, I'm flaming crappy ports. You should feel cheated out of what should have been a great experience, I know that's how I felt. Get it on PC load up some user made maps that actually challenge you. Of course, if you didn't enjoy it simply for the fact that it was puzzle solving instead of "KILLIN DOODS!" then it wouldn't help to get it on the PC.

 

[Xx7 elevenxX]

Cause Ben "Yahtzee" Croshaw says so... and about half of the gaming world listens..

But it was a good game, cool atmosphere and I have spent more than one time playing through...

 

[Nmil-ek]

I suppose next you're going to ask what is the big deal with Citizen Kane, Shakespeare's plays or Casablanca?

If you have played the game and don't realise how great it is... maybe it's just YOU.

Perhaps you are just not mature enough to appreciate the nuances of the game. People who have been gaming for a while (like me and most other people on these forums) can get pretty jaded by games and really want something deeper, fresh and new. Portal offered that.

PS: as an indicator of whether it is worth explaining why Portal is so good, answer me this question:

Did you think Transformers 2 was a good movie?

If No, please reply and I will take the time to explain it to you.

If yes, you did think Transformers 2 was a good movie... then just go away.

I'm not going to waste my time with mindless puissant. Your rights to start new threads should be revoked.

Who died and made you the judge of taste? I personaly did not like Portal either felt like any other valve game to me slow, shallow and ultimatley relying on one gimmick to pull them through (physics engines oh wow never seen that one before)

Lets not mention the run time or countless fucking meme's it spawned shall we (and no the cake is a lie was never funny not 4 years ago sure as fuck not now)

No one died, and more importantly I never claimed or implied to be the soul judge of taste.

You are just making irrelevant straw man arguments to discredit my opinion that I have every right to express. I never said I was speaking for all, I was merely stating my position such as "not going to waste MY time".

Memes? I suppose we should all hate Shakespeare now because he is quoted so causally and often? Stop making excusing for discrediting a game when it is nothing but down to your own personal taste - or should I say lack thereof.

I really cannot believe people are complaining about the play time. Although it is reviewed and often viewed separately, most people bought Portal as part of the Orange Box package, that is 5 games for the price of one. Anybody bitching about their gameplay per amount paid need to get real. And Portal is a game that is FAR better to be short and good than stretch it out too much.

How can you dismiss the success of Valve games as down to "physics gimmicks"? Have you even PLAYED Half Life 2 to the end? Most importantly played long enough to get the gravity gun? I mean HL2's approach to POV story telling able to achieve such characterisation and connection with other NPCs, immersion in the game world, the wonderful flow and variety of gameplay.

Where is the Physics gimmick with Team Fortress 2? That is all character, depth, breadth and variety of gameplay with such varied and distinct classes with a real personality and
charm that has never been seen in any other online multiplayer. I mean it has creativity up to the eyeballs and so perfectly balanced, and literally constantly updated with new features and content... so good only a fool would dismiss it as greatness and I pitty the poor fellow who cannot put their prejudices behind them ("but TF2 looks too cartoony!") and appreciate these gaming works of art.

I'm not going to waste my time with mindless puissant. Your rights to start new threads should be revoked.

I fail to see why people can adapt such an elitist attitude towards a goddamned video game. Come on, man, are you so high and mighty that you can't for one minute overlook the fact that somebody disagreed with you to treat them like a person? Your taste in games is not the gold standard, and people that differ from it are not a failed attempt at being you. Get your head out of your ass, and try explaining your opinions next time.

Elitist? What are you on about? Did you just pick a random pejorative to label me with?

This guy played it for only 4 hours on the PS3 and has nothing to say about it other than "What? is it the physics or something?". It is just how closed minded and dismissive the OP can be, so narrow minded to think it is about the "physics" and no mention of the plot or the narrative or mise en scene.

Yeah, I wonder if you are going to call me "elitist" just because I used a French word. Yeah, go on ya philistine, I like a good meat n' potatoes shooter like Gears of War as much as the next gamer but I'll be DAMNED if I'll let Portal be dismissed as just as "gimmicky physics demo".

I thoroughly protest your slanderous insinuation that I am forcing my standards on others when if you just stop and consider for a second you will realise just how lauded valve and their games are, so many awards and game of the year awards it is crazy, so many articles pouring over how Valve has been able to get it so right, what is the key to their critical success in being able to deliver such a plethora of wonderful games.

This is not MY opinion, this is the CONSENSUS.

dont give me that, I never claimed you did not have the right to state your opinion rather just dont be such a godamned jackass about it. And not being the judge are you kidding me? You discredit yourself within the very samne godamned post what possible relevance could the transformers comment have if you were not judging the merit and value to his opinion?

Shakespear quoted often? Not sure what social cycles or internet holes you lurk around but most certinaly not the same as I, and I'm very much so allowed to use personal dislikes to discredit something maybe it is not a tastefull tactic but neither is calling out someones merit based on tastes in an irrelevant movie

Now who's setting up strawmen, Im not talking about the orange box im talking about Portal, Portal could come selotaped to Planescape (my favorite game) for all I give a shit if its 2-3 hours I'm going to call it out for being two to three bloody hours.

Yes I played it through it was an absolute bore The physics seemed gimmicky to me considering how such large portions of the game could go by without me requiring them, the start was engaging to a degree after that I got tired of wandering around a dull feeling city, sewers, subways, caves ohhh original. Again my opinion maybe conflicting but no less valuable than yours.

Now TF2 does have a gimmick not an original one at that either its an fps mmo pretty much anyone who has played any form of competative pvp in a mmo can spot the same traits class system, equipment, stat modifiers, if your fps has a theorycraft following its not balanced.

Unless you can support that "consensus" with actual figures from these forums, a general portion of the gaming population its opinion and stays as such.

 

[GenHellspawn]

I thoroughly protest your slanderous insinuation that I am forcing my standards on others when if you just stop and consider for a second you will realise just how lauded valve and their games are, so many awards and game of the year awards it is crazy, so many articles pouring over how Valve has been able to get it so right, what is the key to their critical success in being able to deliver such a plethora of wonderful games.

This is not MY opinion, this is the CONSENSUS.

I find it ironic that you should call the OP close-minded, then proceed to insult people because their opinions differ from yours and then claim that somebody's right to post should be revoked because they disagreed with you. Since you totally ignored what I posted and only used your post as an excuse to spew more bile into this thread, I should just be reporting you and be on with my business. I would really recommend you take a deep breath, a break, or something, because the mods don't stand for this kind of stuff for long.

 

[redsoxfantom]

I liked it for two reasons: GlaDos was hilarious and the gameplay was innovative.

 

[ThisNewGuy]

I don't really like it either. I thought the puzzles are great and the whole portal element is a genius refreshing concept to video games, but to me, this plays like any good flash puzzle game or even an Iphone Apps game. Portal isn't any better than Shift, imo. In fact, I thought Time Fcuk is a better game than Portal.

It's perfect because it's just so simply complex. But that's not enough. After a while, I felt like I'm just making portals, and the whole complexity awesomeness just fell flat. The only great thing about it, I felt, was level design, and that's not good enough. Everything else is way too simple. And the whole "cake is a lie" thing is kinda overplayed. Not to mention I almost completely ignored the computer AI person because it just got monotonous and annoying.

 

[naab]

Im very curious why Portal is considered one of the best games of all time

Because yahtzee likes it.

Ty for saying it, we were all thinking it.

Anyway I would raise the same question about why Halo was considered one of the best games since it's just a shooter in which you can jump 5 ft in the air randomly.

Truthfully its because of timing. Released when there was no other games like it, with some really dark humor and an innovative and original concept and idea.

 

[Pink_Pirate]

honestly portal wasn't the most original game ever made... but it did bring a breath of fresh air to the FPS genre. It was creative, and original, especially in context of the fps genre. It also has this fantastic, quirky, and very dark sense of humour... my only complaint is that its to short, but as Yahtzee put it, it doesn't overstay it's welcome, on the other hand as the guys behind Pure Pwnage put it, calling a 3 hour game the pinnacle of the single player game experience is pure folly. it does everything right, but it is in no way perfect. I know i'm trying to make a point with this somehow but...uhm... anyway i really enjoyed it.. but there are better games out there... it's just the absolute perfect version of what a quick, fun puzzle game should be like... but of course now that it exists, it has closed the opportunity for clever witty first person puzzle games to come into existence, since any game that is even remotely similar will get flamed so bad that even your mom wont play it.... or somehting... i dunno... i know i have a point.. but i'm not sure what it is anymore

 

[Necrofudge]

It was a fantastic game that combined a puzzle game with a cool portal shooting thing-a-majig. The only downside is that your character is an Asian chick who looks like a beaten sweatshop worker. But I suppose that comes with the job.
and... Companion Cube.

 

[Julianking93]

Because there is absolutely nothing wrong with it.

 

[BuckFitches]

Dude you played it for 4 hours and didn't beat it?

 

[Void(null)]

*Snip*

In all of that garbage, I would have thought you could have said something, anything about the topic at hand other than spewing bile and self aggrandizing tosh.

I may not have the greatest things to say about Portal, but at the very least I am on topic, you should try this neat little thing called "discussion" at some point, its kind of neat and all the other kids are doing it.

 

[Aardvark]

Not liking Portal says more about you than it does about Portal.

 

[micky]

because it is one of the best games

 

[FallenJellyDoughnut]

It was funny.
It was new.
It was exciting.
The theme song was 'Still Alive'.

God obviously hates you.

Agreed.

Also

Look at me still talking when there's science to do.
When I look out there it makes me GLaD I'm not you.
I've experiments to run there is research to be done
On the people who are still alive!

 

[wildpeaks]

First, because companion cubes are made of cake.

And because the game mechanic was surprisingly innovative (compared to mass market games), esepcially compared to its game, and because everyone expected a lot from TF2 and HL2 episode 2 in the Orange Box, unlike Portal which wasn't hyped before its release.

 

[GrimFandango92]

it was very unique game that ticked most of my boxes. great music, great puzzles, great plot and its all done and leaving you hungry for more, can't wait for portal 2