Portal only four hours long News
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Xbox 360
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by
Robert Purchese
It won't take forever to finish Valve's Portal, reckons level designer Kim Swift, who guided us through a playable demo of the game at last week's Game Developer Conference in San Francisco.
"Currently the game runs about four hours," she told us.
However, it seems it may take some getting used to, as one of our reporters was reduced to a gibbering wreck as he attempted to get to grips with it. Still, Swift was apologetic and reassuring about the difficulty curve, saying she'd rushed the tutorial to get us to the action.
"In the game we take you very step by step in terms of being able to use your portals," she added.
Portal is a single-player experience fit to tie your brain in knots. You'll use a portal gun to manipulate your environment and objects, and it looks set to have an impact comparable to Half-Life 2's gravity gun.
It's due for release with Half-Life 2: Episode 2 and Team Fortress 2 this winter on Xbox 360, PS3, and PC.
Pop over to our Episode 2 gamepage to see all the latest footage and screenshots of the game. Alternatively you can venture to the Portal teaser site for a taster of the gravity-defying puzzle-solving.
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Comments: 1-36 of 36 in total
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the_dudefather
14/03/07 @ 11:11
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wonder if someone could 'mod' the portal gun into HL2 or CS:S (imagine how much that would screw with gameplay)
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asphaltcowboy
14/03/07 @ 11:23
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Depends if the 4 hours is for people that know the solutions or like me :)
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reality_cheque
14/03/07 @ 11:31
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Just get stoned first, it'll triple the length of time it takes to solve the puzzle - problem solved! :D
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stuarty_2003
14/03/07 @ 11:45
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Overlush:
1,000 for HL2 250 for Ep1 250 for Ep2 200/250 for Portal? Ep1/Ep2 are, by MS standards, not all that different to Shivering Isles.... Just a thought
Edited 1 times,
most recently on 14/03/07 @ 11:51
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A game based around one pretty genious concept is OK. A game that includes that one pretty genius concept into its own universe and gameplay can be great.
Just imagine if instead of HL2 we got a shorter mission-based game called "Gravity". IMO the portal gun would have made a fantastic addition to a good FPS. Basing a whole (short) game around it is probably a bit of a waste. Don't get me wrong though, I'm all over this like something on a something else that the original something would be all over. |
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I like the idea of a short, concise examination of the mechanic... the idea that the mechanic alone is strong enough to stretch an experience out to 4 hours means that it's a pretty rich mechanic, and shouldn't need to add ill fitting producer-designed stealth sections, or Gun Pimpin', or driving sections.
It's not Homer's Odyssey. It's "An Ode to the Portal Gun". Still Looking forward to it. Sorta wish it weren't taking until winter to come out, though. |
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Inquisitor
[mod]
14/03/07 @ 15:07
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Portal is set in the HL universe, it has already been confirmed. There is even a story of sorts that will illuminate some of the muddier elements of the main HL story.
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Portal IS set in the Half-Life universe.
4 hours is fine for a game that is solely about 1 mechanic. Valve mentioned that the portal gun will be used in more challenging situations (prolly will be part of Episode 3) so Portal is kind of tutorial for us how the wepon and mechanism work. And of course you'll have countless of user created maps and levels to d\l. At least if you are a PC gamer. |
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YourMessageHere
14/03/07 @ 16:54
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I'm sure I read somewhere that the Portal protagonist was female; if this is so, well, it ain't Sheppard. Maybe one of the female HEV suit crew (Gina the hazard course hologram or one of those two from HL:Decay)? Or then again someone Gordon will meet in Ep.3?
I wish this was available seperately. I'm not all that chewed about Ep.2, to be honest, after the letdown of Ep.1, though I'll still get it, but I have zero interest in TF2. It irritates me that I have to buy it to get Portal and Ep.2. |
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Yeah this thing was, if it's like a 4 hour tutorial on how to use the portal gun and think about its uses, it will kinda weaken the experience of it when it does come to a 'proper' FPS.
The brilliance of the whole HL thing was to give you a weapon unlike anything and then show you by doing all the uses it can have. And when you worked it out you had a big grin on your face and a re-affirmation of how fun and good gaming can be. I just think the whole thing being based around the concept wouldn't be as fun as the game gradually introducing the concept through gameplay and story. Again, not that it won't be spankingly good. |
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"The brilliance of the whole HL thing was to give you a weapon unlike anything and then show you by doing all the uses it can have. "
Euhm no, the Gravity gun lost its appeal soon enough if you ask me and HL2 never quite managed to make the same impact as the original and OF. A lot of weapons actually got a lot worse (pistol, shotgun and standard automatic rifle coming to mind). |
Comments: 1-36 of 36 in total
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