MTV News' Stephen Totilo Vs. Level Up's N'Gai Croal on Port

#1 · November 19, 2007, 10:32 pm

The two of them discuss some of the groundbreaking aspects of Portal such as the remarkable length and how it just plain makes players happy.. In a three part series, there are more words than the entire script of Portal, but it's an interesting read:

Quote:

The secret of "Portal"'s success, you see, is that it may well be a 2D game in 3D clothing. Not in terms of how it's actually designed, but in terms of the values in the design: its spartan life. "Portal" is a reminder that a three-dimensional game can be simple. It's a refinement of what "P.N. 03" ? the GameCube game that looked like a 3D action game, played like a shmup ? was designed to express. It's a victory for those like me who enjoyed "Crackdown" because ? not despite ? its neglect of the "GTA"-style side missions that clutter so many open-world games. Ultimately, it's a reclamation of 2D game design values. Keep the concept to a simple thing and do that thing right.

Just beware: to keep the argument interesting, the authors had to consume some pretty serious amounts of Haterade.

"Games are made out of smaller games ? turtles all the way down, until you hit the game that is so trivial and stupid it isn?t deserving of the name." --Raph Koster

#2 · November 20, 2007, 12:33 am

That is wayyyy too long for me. I read part 1, but gave up after that

#3 · November 20, 2007, 2:36 am

very long, but i read it anyways. in the end theres only like 3 lines acually commenting on portal. Still, they were all complimentary, and gave me something to read this morning.

?But there?s no sense crying over every mistake.
You just keep on trying till you run out of cake!?

#4 · November 20, 2007, 9:12 am

They said it's thier game of the year, I'm going to MURDER anyone who suggests any other game for game of the year.

Note: This death threat is void

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#5 · November 20, 2007, 11:45 am

I agree, youme. I've heard other titles bandied about like Bioshock or Hellgate London (*spit*). In terms of pure hours played, TF2 may top it, and be close for GOTY, but Portals's just so ... well made that there's no real competition.

Except maybe Rock Band. But that's like comparing apples and hand grenades.

"Games are made out of smaller games ? turtles all the way down, until you hit the game that is so trivial and stupid it isn?t deserving of the name." --Raph Koster