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» Hatrack River Forum » Active Forums » Books, Films, Food and Culture » Portal is funny and tragic! [spoilers]

   
Author Topic: Portal is funny and tragic! [spoilers]
Zhil
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SPOILER!!!!!


The game itself was a blast, but dang... that ending song made me feel bad for beating the game. A song sung by the thing you just killed, about how much she both loves you and wants to kill you?? Gah... I'll miss you crazy AI lady. You made me go through death defying traps and challenges, but dangit, you were funny.

Excerpt:
"I'm not even angry! I'm being soooo sincere right now... Even though you broke my heart and killed me~ And tore me to pieces. And threw every piece... into... a fire. As they burned it hurt because... I was so happy for you!" [Frown]

The game at first seemed pretty plotless, but at some point, it was just... woah. I was expecting a rather straightforward "you're a test subject, do the tests" thing, with a cake reward at the end, but then:

"THE CAKE IS A LIE! THE CAKE IS A LIE!"

At some points, it felt creepier than the HL series. At least there, as Gordon Freeman, you have "agency" to do whatever the heck you want. You were the freaking hero. In this game, I felt like a trapped rat the second I encountered the first "hideaway" and realized something creepy was going on.


Me Need Portal 2. [Smile]

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twinky
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Yeah, Portal is awesome. [Big Grin] I'm working on the advanced levels now.
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MEC
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Is this the song?

I haven't played portal yet.

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TomDavidson
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Best quote in the song: "we do what we must because we can for the good of all of us, except the ones who are dead."
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Ben
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Yes, I went back and played Level 19 again last night just for the credits.
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Wonder Dog
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Portal is absolutely fantastic.

Aside, am I the only one who likes shorter games? I've heard a lot of people complain about the short length, but it helps keep me focused on my real life, while still providing maximum fun per minute played. And if this means sequels and add-ons can be produced quicker and cheaper...bonus.

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MEC
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Hey, I found a flash tribute to portal. I know that it's not as fun, but hey, it is still fun.
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NotMe
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For me, the AIs in portal (including the turrets) are by far the best characters in any of Valve's games, and some of the greatest in any of the video games I've played. It's genuinely entertaining, as though the novelty of the game mechanics wasn't enough to make it a hit.
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Zhil
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quote:
Originally posted by Wonder Dog:
Portal is absolutely fantastic.

Aside, am I the only one who likes shorter games? I've heard a lot of people complain about the short length, but it helps keep me focused on my real life, while still providing maximum fun per minute played. And if this means sequels and add-ons can be produced quicker and cheaper...bonus.

If the story is epic, like HL2, then I expect a longer game. More work == saving the world as a reward.

If it's more personal, like Portal, then a shorter game is much more preferable. Imagine if there were twice as many normal test stages, then twice as many "escape" levels. If the reward for that much work was just cake and escape, that would be UGH.

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James Tiberius Kirk
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I never picked up HL2, mostly because I'm not really into FPSs. Just saw the credits. Orange Box is definately on my "looks interesting" list.

--j_k

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MightyCow
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Yeah, I love that song - and the game was super fun. I too wish it were longer, especially since I just finished HL2-Chapter 2 as well. Oh well, time to go back for the bonus achievements.
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TomDavidson
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quote:
f the reward for that much work was just cake and escape, that would be UGH.
I'm old enough now that all rewards come in the form of one cutscene or another, depicting imaginary events and accomplishments. For this reason, all games should last between 4 and 20 hours.
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twinky
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All rewards? I have to say, for me, while the story was fun, the core gameplay of Portal was what made it such a joy. The only thing I want from it that I haven't gotten (yet, I still have three advanced levels left) is more complex puzzles.
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Ben
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Is it just me, or do the Advanced Levels seem shorter?

I played Advanced 13-16 last night and I remember those levels taking me a little more time in normal mode.

I haven't gone back to play the regular ones, so maybe I just am better at it this time around but I'm not sure.

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Nato
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Well, they're harder, but you know all the tricks by the time you get back to doing the advanced levels.

This game is so fun, I want to skip work and play it again. It's short, but I'm sure there will be some sweet user-created levels eventually. [Smile]

I'm so happy to have gotten the cake at the end.

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Tristan
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Haha!

I almost never play anything more advanced than tetris, but that song was absolutely great.

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Scott R
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quote:
"we do what we must because we can for the good of all of us, except the ones who are dead."
Not the Mormons. We do what we must because we can, even for the dead.

[Smile]

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TomDavidson
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Ah. There's a different implication intended. It's not that the singer didn't want to do good for everyone, even the dead; it's that what the singer has done was self-evidently not good for the people who died as a direct consequence of her actions. [Smile]
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MEC
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Hey as anyone played Portal's "prequel"?

I just discovered it and it's pretty interesting.

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Jim-Me
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That song is awesome. I am going to update my computer just so I can play this game.
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The Pixiest
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I LOVE this song! It sounds like something TMBG would do. I just wish there was a cleaner verson of the song.
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MEC
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Cleaner? I didn't really catch anything that bad:

This was triumph.
I'm making a note here:
HUGE SUCCESS.
It's hard to overstate
my satisfaction.
Aperture Science
We do what we must
because we can.
For the good of all of us.
Except the ones who are dead.

But there's no sense crying
over every mistake.
You just keep on trying
till you run out of cake.
And the science gets done.
And you make a neat gun.
For the people who are
still alive.


I'm not even angry.
I'm being so sincere right now.
Even though you broke my heart.
And killed me.
And tore me to pieces.
And threw every piece into a fire.
As they burned it hurt because
I was so happy for you!
Now these points of data
make a beautiful line.
And we're out of beta.
We're releasing on time.
So I'm GLaD. I got burned.
Think of all the things we have learned
for the people who are
still alive.


Go ahead and leave me.
I think I prefer to stay inside.
Maybe you'll find someone else
to help you.
Maybe Black Mesa...
THAT WAS A JOKE. (ha ha) FAT CHANCE.
Anyway, this cake is great.
It's so delicious and moist.
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.


PS: And believe me I am
still alive.
PPS: I'm doing Science and I'm
still alive.
PPPS: I feel FANTASTIC and I'm
still alive.

FINAL THOUGHT:
While you're dying I'll be
still alive.

FINAL THOUGHT PS:
And when you're dead I will be
still alive.

STILL ALIVE

still alive

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TomDavidson
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I think she means clean audio.
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MEC
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Oh, now I feel stupid, sorry.
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The Pixiest
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Ya, clean audio. I'm sorry. I really can't crank this up and absorb it because it comes out fuzzy.
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MEC
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You can probably search for a better stream, I just quickly found that to ask if it was the same song.
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