A Confluence of Delight

The first, and perhaps least controversial lesson we can learn from Portal is that when several really good elements are smoothly integrated in one game, the result can exceed the sum of its parts. Portal has a very simple high concept that is quite captivating, particularly if you see a short visual example - as I did on YouTube.

It seems likely the basic concept of a teleportation Portal gun, and a game based on using it both as a way to move through environments and to fight enemies, is immediately intriguing and would have piqued publishers' interest even without the "students to superstars" Cinderella story aspect of its origin.

The gameplay concept by itself would have been enough for a fun game. But the Valve team that made Portal has also layered in the most minimalist and yet emotionally engaging story I've seen in years in a game -- perhaps ever.

Certainly I'll go out on a limb and say that the character GlaDOS is the best AI character I've ever encountered -- more convincingly psychotic than HAL, with a more emotionally engaging death than Floyd, and funnier than C3PO and R2D2.

GlaDOS aside, the way the story elements are presented is masterful as well. You can play through the game with absolutely minimal attention to the story elements -- I would venture to guess that if you played with the sound off you'd still have an excellent chance of being able to figure out what you are supposed to do and could enjoy the gameplay alone.

But her character -- as a guide, a friend, and ultimately a great enemy -- adds immensely to my enjoyment. The writing itself is excellent. It would have been typical and easy to play it straight, like HAL in 2001, and have a computer whose machine-like dedication to its mission (testing the portal gun) means that the insignificant test subject human (you) are expendable, but to only reveal that slowly.

To do so with a wonderful sense of dark humor -- and to have the humor be consistent -- and furthermore to evoke an amazingly convincing echo of some sort of dysfunctional romantic relationship gone bad, is nothing short of amazing.

And consider that the character you play, although fleshed out a bit in the backstory, is essentially enough of a cipher that it's very easy to identify with her plight and situation without having to pull out the hoary chestnuts of amnesia or being plucked from a normal life and thrown into a different world, or being an elite super-soldier -- all of which are still being used with depressing frequency in other games.

I mention back story -- that's part of why I loved the way the story was told. There's not much in the game itself, which is beautifully appropriate. But there's plenty online to get more background and detail for those who want it without getting in the way of those who don't with endless exposition. You are dropped right into the game and the storyline just unfolds.

I've seen a lot of heated discussion online about Black Mesa versus Aperture Science and how they fit together. But as someone who just doesn't care, I love not having to sit through a long lecture about it early in the game -- the typical delivery of backstory in most games these days. Through the story, the game reassured me early on that I was on the right track and could trust the design of the game not to jerk me around if I just did what seemed right and kept going.

So the primary, overall reason Portal is so good is that it is made out of elements -- core gameplay, story, humor, even a final song -- that work together harmoniously.