Wow. Brilliant game. A bit short, but well worth 20 bucks. Hilarious and original. Buy this.

I loved the game, and simply LOVED the computer... Thought it was a bit sad to kill it off, but well, I sure hope there's a sequal :D

Just an an amazing game, all the way through. I know everybody loves it, and I hate that I agree with them, but that's how it is sometimes. Great level design, style, feel, only thing is, not very replayable.

How can reviewers give this less than a 10/10. I grew up playing games developed for the Atari ST / Spectrum and Amiga among many other retro consoles and 28 years later, i still find myself playing emulators rather than new releases. It is very rare that a newly published game catches my full undivided attention for more than half an hour, but Portal (more of a demo than a game) was a revelation and I urge everyone to buy the Orange Box just for it (it also doesn't hurt havign Half-Life Ep 1 and 2). Its true that the game has simplistic level designs and can appear repetitive but I assure you its innovation alone makes it the best game of 2007 - even if its only 2 to 3 hour game play. Its simply pure genius and it has effectively opened the door for game developers to come up with more games based on the game design.… Expand

Completely awesome game! Great graphics and original idea. I found the humor to be exactly what I've been looking for in a game, but haven't found it till this. Very Douglas Adams like. The game was short but sweet, taking me only about 2-3 hours and leaving me wanting more. There definitely needs to be a sequel.

Portal is easily my favorite game of the year possibly of all time. It has amazingly fun portal based puzzles topped with the best pitch black humor you could ever find. People say it is too short but if it were much longer it would outstay its welcome. If you could rate games on a fun per hour ratio it would easily top all games this year.

Amazing. Funny, artistic, not much if any downsides in the game. Great game.

I've been following portals from Narbarcular Drop, and its greatness all around, ending inclusive ;) For the ppl who say the levels are too simplistic, LISTEN TO THE INGAME COMMENTARY (for gods sake), they did it on purpose, for you. There are two reasons i didn't gave it a 10/10. First: The long loading times. When you've to press 'quick reload' alot, you've to wait such a long time that i felt like quitting. Luckly the game's made so that you don't have to do that often, but I personally like to play around with it. The second reason I gave it a 9, is because 9.99 is not avaible :)… Expand

Very impressive... no violence and keeps the brain engaged.

Pros: Good Start, innotative, great puzzles, funny humor on ending, makes you think, easily a game of the year award. Cons: Short. Headaches.

I got this game, installed and played until am finished it without a sign of life... then started again... when finished again, go to bed... next day mornin' am played over again... that game simply great! the women's noise, the style, the homour and of course the CAKE is a great work from Valve!

9 out of 10 rather than 10 because nothing is perfect. BUT generally wonderful. Opens up a new world of gaming possibility with one simple idea. It feels like the creators have only just started to toy with this. I hope they turn the 'tutorial' (this game) into a 'full game'. I had so many ideas about how you could push the ideas in this game. Just all good fun, witty, clever and beautiful. Obviously too short, but then it is kind a freebie in the orange box. well done to Valve. genius… Expand

(This rating is really 8.5) Portal is a very good single-player game with more puzzles than any game I know today. The puzzles are very hard, requireing more than a couple "God Mode" and "Kill Everything" cheats here and there. However, the game could be longer (Portal 2?) and the lack of enimies and weapons is a little weird for a Valve game. That aside, though, if you fell in love with hard puzzle games and futureistic settings this game is a must-have.… Expand

Ingenious and funny - great entertainment.

Doesn't keep you doing the same level from start to finish 30 times when it gets hard and never seems to be completely impossible. also constant black humor references in contrast to the style of game make it an extremely refreshing taste to the gaming societies palate.

Probably the best game I've ever played. The only flaw is that it's too short, and the challenge levels, achievements, and the fact that it's part of a compilation more than makes up for it. GLaDOS is hilarious, and the gameplay is brilliant.

Portal is a no#1 game because there is no other game like it, its not like being killed and you respawn, its using your brain and physics to get yourself through the game.

Portal is a game that has the best of everything. Concept, writing, execution, graphics, gameplay, humor, suspense, challenge. There is no flaw in this game. It is the most mind-bending, heart-stopping, side-aching experience I've had on a PC; I rate it eleven!

Wonderful! Intelligent! If all games were like this. Someone make me a companion cube.

Sahame we have to pick whole numbers or I would have given it 9.5 instead of 9. I can't wait for Orange Box 2! Fantastic stuff.

Amazing game, and one of the best endings to a game ever.

awesome game, cant wait for the next one. best ending song ever!

I thouroughly enjoyed this game. short but sweet id love to see what else they could do with this.... watch is space.

Really great, a lot of fun. Look forward to the sequel, hope I get to go outside.

Flawless in every way, shape, and form. With the sequel scheduled I hope we see a lot more of portal. The cake is still a lie

Best game of the year in my opinion. Yes its only 3 hours long, but they will be a great 3 hours!

Enfin un jeu original, avec un humour très fin. Still aliiiiiiiive!

It would be a 10 if it just continued with a few more harder levels. Amazing game, funny computer personality and I still crack up laughing when thinking of the companion cube and the cake. One of the best games I've played, just too short. Make Portal 2 (I expect it!) longer and I will pay full price for it alone.

Excellent game. Although it is very short it is full of surprises and great game play. 'Twas also very funny. A joking computer? How great is that? Sarcasm is the best. I'm glad i got his one!

One of the best games I've played, and one of the few first-person 'shooters' I truly enjoy. Short, yes, but making it too much longer put the quality of the game at risk. Let's hope for a sequel of some form!

Without a doubt, the best puzzle game ever created, in the history of man. Yes, even better than Tetris. Much better than 'Peggle'. The Cake Is A Lie.

Loved the game, and the story, and the cube. I want that cake!

Top-notch combination of clever puzzling and hilarious dialogue/storyline!

This is a great one!! People like to watch other people play it too, because its catchy and interesting. It IS short, but thats what makes it special. It would be bad if it were longer, so it couldn't have been Portal. Cake, you have to work for it.

As was said before, a mini master piece. I only wish I could pull 3 hours out of this game. I have played it 10 times through and can pull it off in 57 minutes. Though an hour of gameplay is perfect for the goody at the end known as "Still Alive".

A sweet game with great gameplay. Too short, and challenges can be frustrating, but otherwise near flawless! A must have!

Portal is one of the best games i played in my life. I hope the second Portal is coming soon.

The HIGHEST fun-to-length ratio i've ever seen in a game, this game may be short. but it is STILL fun months later. but then again i found a great user-map community.

The most original game ever created.

One of the most fun games I've ever played.

The best puzzle game I ever played. I wait for the next episode!!

The most pleasant gaming experience in 10 years.

This game can be a bit challenging when you use the touchpad, but other than that, it's totally awesome. Anyone who likes FPS and puzzle games should get this. It's a blend of both.

Excellent, excellent, excellent. i have played through this game several times now and i keep going back to it.

Absolute blasting idea, valve said they only touched the top of the mountain with portals, just cant wait for a news .

Brilliant.

This game is awesome! the cake is a lie!

Only reason its not a 10 is because it's short.... MORE PORTAL!!

Very nice singleplayer game!!

It only took me 4 hours for the main story. But then there is the advanced maps and I even feel like playing the story again!!!

Portal is just a perfect game, admit it. If you haven't played it or gotten The Orange Box yet, what are you waiting for?

Portal is a very good single-player game. Once you get bored of playing the game over, and over you can make your own level with the Hammer editor. I give this a 9, not a 10 because, its much to short i bought this game April 18, 2008 and i have complete it 3 and a half times but the jokes and funny comments that are through out the game just make me enjoy it even more _____ The cake is a lie

This game is the most epic game ever made and deserves a metascore 100!

Valve took the portals from Prey, the humor from the Sam & Max series, and of course the atmosphere and graphics of the Half-Life 2 universe and mashed em together. What a cool experience. I was initially hesitant to pay 20 bones for what I heard was a short experience (I didn't get the orange box, but downloaded ep2 single, sigh). Glad I did, what fun. Ties in with the episodes well, making you wonder if any of this will show up in Episode 3.… Expand

This was such a fascinating and satisfying experience. The story was intimate and the puzzles were stimulating. I just became a huge Valve fan after witnessing this level of creativity and boundary smashing.

I'm not sorry to say, but Valve has done it again! With their innovative use of the portal gun, much fun is to be had. If you haven't bought, or at least played this game yet, do it! OR BURN AT THE STAKE, WITCH!

We need more games like Portal. Srsly.

This was a great game. We need more, please make a portal 2!!!! But make it a little longer

Portal is probably one of the best games ever! Sure it's really short, but thats ok because there's plenty of puzzles and so really dialoge! Theres not really anything to say about Portal thats bad so it gets a 10 from me!

Surprisingly it really is one of the best games out there. The story, voice acting, and writing are just amazing. With fun game play, feel and look. I couldn't recommend it more.

Hands down the best game I've ever played. I makes you think, react, and maneuver yourself through many levels all while listening to a sadistic AI. I would recommend this game for everyone.

I can't get enough of this game! I keep playing it over and over again, I love every bit of how it is done and I am very exited to see how it fits into the Half-Life universe in general. The idea was awesome to start out with and they added just the right twists to make it interesting while adding some very good humor to it as well. I have played all the bonus maps, and boy do some of them make you think, I wish there were more maps added with the release of the game, but honestly it is the perfect length the way it is now and has a lot of room to expand for player made maps, one of the best puzzle based FPS's I have ever played, and the end song is to die for!… Expand

Wow. That was amazing, maybe to short but still amazing.

Very, very good game. Slightly short, though it does contain plenty of bonus material to keep you entertained after you've won. Also very funny, especially at the end.

Been meaning to do this since I was given the Orange Box last Christmas. Portal is an outstanding game, easily one of my top 10 ever. It is extremely innovative and I cannot wait for #2, #3.... !!!

Great game, If you want a challenge, and want a FPS, get this game. Valve, you have outdone yourself with the game, and the humor you put in it.

This is an amazingly well made game. Although it is a bit short, it definitely makes up for quantity with amazing quality.

Awesome game; great writing and amazing gameplay. Full marks.

Greatest game of all time, and I don't say that lightly. Beats out Chrono Trigger, Metal Gear Solid, Knights of the Old Republic, Ocarina of Time, and Final Fantasy 7, knocking 7 off my top 5 when it came out. So what if it's only 2 hours long? I've never had a better 2 hours in any other game.

Portal is AMAZING, Valve defiantly struck gold here. The only letdown, it was too short! This could easily be a full length game, alike half life etc.

VERY high graphics, even on the lowest, amazing plot, gameplay is not bad, just the lag... Somewhat confusing in some areas, feels like I wanna cheat, GOOD GRAPHICS though.

Can't agree with you there Lee W., because the thing is many puzzle games have only one linear path. Most if not all puzzles only have one solution, but it is how you get there that matters. There were many subtle and inventive ways to solve the portal levels, which was pretty much the point of the extra challenges that come with the game. It tests out your skills and pushes you to think outside the box. As for the plot, although it can seem a bit cliché, the great voice acting makes up for it and will keep you entertained. GLaDOS really makes the game stand out. The Portal turrets, even if they are simple duplicates of the Half-Life 2 ones, become distinct when they turn out to be just as scary as Poison Head Crabs : it is the absolute worst thing ever when they pop out. Excellent game which has some great potential. The short game span only leaves you wanting more.… Expand

First of all, for you shoot-em-up people. THIS IS NOT A ACTION BASED GAME. Its purpose is to provide a good story line, new ways of thinking, less violence. All bundled up in to a nice presentation. Granted the game is short but you can still get stuck. But if you have a good computer and you have good internals than this should be a worthwhile game to get. Besides you people that give this game zeros because it can't play it, you should invest on a better computer not a high graphics game.… Expand

The negative comments actually amuse me. They say that it is too short, there's no plot, it's too easy, it's unoriginal. You need to remember that this was included as an extra for Orange Box, and that even if you buy it seperately it costs less than a cellphone top-up. Of course it's short. And if you find it easy, then KUDOS, but even once you understand it it can be frustratingly (but wonderfully) difficult to get through the later levels, and if you found it TOO easy there are enough challenges in the Advanced Maps and Challenge Maps to keep you amused, adding replay value. The change after Room 19 marks a change in the game, and this is absolutely brilliant because it's similar enough to the first half to keep you playing on and working through the puzzles with jolly curiosity, but is different enough that it doesn't let the game become repetitive. The plot is wonderful, developing slowly as it does, from the first awakening from stasis and being thrown into a challenge you appear to know nothing about, to the final few levels when your suspicions about the benignity of GLaDOS come to fruition. The fact that so much is left unanswered only adds to this, leaving you to draw your own conclusions. (Personally, I think GLaDOS secretly loves her test subjects, but is completely batshit insane and tests them to show they are worthy of it.) As for unoriginal... That's just a lie spouted by idiots who couldn't work out the momentum mechanic. Of course it's the same as every other game if you use a walkthrough for every game... ;p.
In conclusion; Portal is one of the best short games I have played, and if you have the patience and the mental skills it is well worth the money. But if you're the kind of person who doesn't like it unless you asplode a fays every 5 seconds, then don't bother; Portal doesn't need you. It will thrive despite your failures, and fans will always recruit their friends to it. It will survive your failure.… Expand

The game was great the levels were fun and original it was a little short of a game but it was only 10 bucks. and to al the idiots complaining about itYOU CAN MAKE YOUR OWN MAPS or download maps at halomaps.0rg!! so stop complaining and ahve fun with a great game engine also thers a mod called portal prelude (google it) its 90 times harder and a very different game.

This may very well be the greatest game I have ever played. No incredibly complex one-hundred commands, and five powers for each of them. You have the ability to walk, jump, push buttons, carry things, and make a portal that links to another portal on most walls/ceilings. The puzzles are all very fun, and once I completed the first half of the game, I was about ready to class it as my favourite puzzle game, which I could come back to at any point. Then the story kicked in. I can tell you that in all honesty, it is a brilliant execution of a brilliant story. It may very well be th shortest game I've ever played, but for the hour or two I was inside it, I was living it, and I enjoy reliving it over and over. Simply put; if you enjoy simple ideas being executed with challenging puzzles, then buy The Orange Box/Portal. You will not regret it.… Expand

The game is great. Very well designed, very nice puzzles, this new gameplay is marvelous. I had (and still have) great time playing it!

Brilliant Witty Fantastic Silly Inventive Smart Mind Blowing Exciting Edge-of-your-seat Otherwise - A revolution in the FPS Genre.

Brilliant.

Beautifully designed and easy to grasp. But hard to master. Any reviews here complaining about play time (the main campaign) have missed the point. The game gets truely challenging once you unlock the extras and try to get the achievements. Fun, very replayable and nicely slotted into the Half Life mythology.

One of the best games ever. Great game-play with outstanding plot and comedy!

The best game, and funniest, I have played in a long while -- and without having to shoot anything... Great game and with an ending promising more. Hopefully more of the same!

Game was completely different totally unexpected i really enjoyed playing it i only found that the game ended short but then again there is advance mode and more to unlock.

Easily the cleverest thing in the Orange Box.

As a long time HL fan (10 years now? Dear God!), I was seriously disappointed in Episode 2. Valve, however, apparently accomplished their mission to make it a hit for new players and console owners. But enough of that.

TF2 is beautifully rendered, in a NC-17 Pixar sort of way. Not a lot of new gameplay, but for what it is, it's fully realized.

Anyway, Portal isn't perfect. It could be longer. It could be more complex. It is, however, fun. Clever, capricious, and fun.

Did I mention fun? Portal gives clear signs of the new blood at the Valve offices.

How many Valve games have an ending we can all agree is good?

How about a dessert-obsessed genetically modified DOS machine singing an archly comic ditty while the credits roll? Excellent? You bet.

The cake is a lie!… Expand

Was a fun game and a challenge to think of what to do next. Was short but fun and somewhat addicting. At least there is cake at the end :D

Really fun and polished looking game, althought would have been nice to be a little longer.

This was my favorite game in the orange box even though they are all very fun to play. I thought this game was challenging but not to difficult. While the game focuses on solving puzzles there is a lot of subtle but hilarious notions throughout the game. This game is very addictive as well.

Very innovative and even humorous. The robotic dialogue had me laughing every few minutes. The 19 missions do go by fairly quickly, only taking 3 hours to complete. However, there are some "advanced" courses that Im still having a difficult time completeing. But it was an amazingly fun addition to the Orange Box and I can't wait to see what they'll do with the portal series next.

Fantastic game, full of personality and light on plot. As soon as I heard about Portal, I immediately got a copy of Narbarcular Drop, just to try out the idea, and it made me want it even more. Can't wait for a Portal 2 to come out, or some kind of integration into a new Half-Life plot! ...because everywhere I go, I find myself thinking with Portals.

Portal is a great game for a challenge of the mind and skill of the hand. The extra levels to be unlocked were also quite challenging. Valve made another great product and it will even make you smile or even laugh a few times. If you do not yet have Portal, I would suggest at least giving it a try. Patience is a good quality to have! That is if you plan on having "cake"!

Fun, innovative, extremely humourous, and Stimulates the mind. Alot of fun and the possibility of hours of repeat game play. I got a HUGE kick out of the end.

Great game, I really enthuse everyone to play it. I feel compelled to achieve all of their little goals because well, the game rules!

Very very fun concept. usually i dont play puzzle games but this one had me hooked. and for the price, how can you go wrong? i wouldn't say its short because of the high replay value of this game. also Episode 2 and TF should be enough to keep anyone busy.

This game was absolutely amazing, it had exeptionally deep gameplay and a constantly developing plotline and plenty of humor, was also nicely tied into the Half-Life universe.

Awesome game. The gameplay never gets old. Gameplay is also explained very simple but is very advanced once you get to play it. Storyline was good but a little weird, i didn't understand a couple of things.

Great puzzle game, smooth performance, well done for the initial release. Darkly humorous similar to Half Life 2, I'll play this one to the end, if I can make it.

Brilliant. To quote 'Zero Punctuation' - The most fun you will have till they create a force-feedback codpiece.

Rarely does a game change the way you think or view the world. Rarely does a game bring something totally new and refreshing to the table. Rarely does a puzzle game have more personality and charm than any number of RPGs. Portal succeeds in doing all this and more. It will haunt your dreams, my friends.