Portal: The Cake is a Lie

[GenPol]

I noticed a disturbing lack of discussion of Portal in the playground, so I thought I'd fix that. What do you guys think? I loved it, even if it was kinda easy and not very long. The whole portal thing is a pretty great concept, I admit it screwed with my mind for a little bit when I first started playing the game.

[The Dark Fiddler]

Then you probably missed the general Steam thread, here. (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=180849) Since it's an older game without much new stuff happening (unlike, say, TF2), it's not really discussed that much, but that's probably as good a place as any to talk about it.

[thegurullamen]

It was a great game whose story/writing took the gaming world by surprise when it was first released, but that was what, 3 or 4 years back? It's been meme-farmed beyond the point of annoyance, back to where it's occasionally funny all over again, and stands as a classic. And I still play it every so often, because GLaDoS is hilarious/crazy/awesome.

I'm also glad the sequel is due out soon, partly because I want to see if the writers can hit gold again, partly because Valve games tend to rock regardless and partly so the Valve devs can get to work on Episode 3/HL3.

[Temotei]

I just played it for the first time at 1:30 a.m. on Sunday. I have to say: I was very happy with the cake. It was enjoyable.

Companion cube. <3 :smallfrown: :smalltongue:

[Zarah]

It's been meme-farmed beyond the point of annoyance, back to where it's occasionally funny all over again, and stands as a classic.
Really? I really wish I was living in the same world as you, because I'm pretty sure any Portal references stopped being funny at all a good couple of years ago.


I'm also glad the sequel is due out soon, partly because I want to see if the writers can hit gold again, partly because Valve games tend to rock regardless and partly so the Valve devs can get to work on Episode 3/HL3.
I was under the assumption that the team of devs working on Portal are not the same team of devs working on Valve's other projects, but maybe I'm wrong. I know that's how the first one was, though. And if I am right, then it only serves to fuel my rage even further.

Honestly, at this point, I don't even care about Half-Life 2 anymore. Valve dropped the ball so hard on this one that it'll be a wonder if they can scrape anything decent from the pavement to sell back to us.

[Reverent-One]

Honestly, at this point, I don't even care about Half-Life 2 anymore. Valve dropped the ball so hard on this one that it'll be a wonder if they can scrape anything decent from the pavement to sell back to us.

I don't know. Something like say...Half life 3 with the portal gun would get rid of a heck of a lot of bad feelings.

[Trazoi]

Unfortunately my enjoyment of the short but well crafted game has been more than cancelled out by the Internet's overuse of that blasted cake meme. Hey Internet! That meme was never funny, and meta-references to the meme were old after six months. :smallannoyed:

[Gorgondantess]

I was under the assumption that the team of devs working on Portal are not the same team of devs working on Valve's other projects, but maybe I'm wrong. I know that's how the first one was, though. And if I am right, then it only serves to fuel my rage even further.

Honestly, at this point, I don't even care about Half-Life 2 anymore. Valve dropped the ball so hard on this one that it'll be a wonder if they can scrape anything decent from the pavement to sell back to us.

Yeah... I mean... Really? Left 4 Dead 2? And not HALF LIFE?
Goddamn online gaming.:smallannoyed:

[Forum Explorer]

:smalleek:I loved Portal and on a compleatly different note I don't understand how the Internet overusing a meme would ruin a game for somebody. Every time you read a post saying the cake is a lie or talking about the companion cube you chose to read that post. I've found no difficulty in ignoring annoying things on the internet. Afterall its not like the internet can burst onto my desktop and start chanting memes at me.... yet :smalleek:

[GenPol]

I admit, I haven't really done any research about portal. I friend recommended it to me, so I played it, and I like it. Didn't quite realize how I late I was :smalltongue:

Ah well, what's this about a sequel? Google time.

[Forbiddenwar]

I don't know. Something like say...Half life 3 with the portal gun would get rid of a heck of a lot of bad feelings.

that depends on who has the portal gun. note that freeman alwys gets captured and loses all his wepons. The last thing he needs is his opponents using portal guns.

[Zevox]

I liked it, but I really don't understand its fan following. It was a fun little game, and I may even replay it someday, but I cannot see why it gets the excessive praise it does, or why people like Glados so much.

Zevox

[Trazoi]

:smalleek:I loved Portal and on a compleatly different note I don't understand how the Internet overusing a meme would ruin a game for somebody.
It's worse than that. It has also ruined delicious cake. :smallfrown:

One rumour I've read about the sequel is that the designers are going to deliberately avoid cake references because they want the game to be fresh. If true I salute them for not digging up worn-out old memes in the one place where it otherwise might have been acceptable.

[Dogmantra]

One rumour I've read about the sequel is that the designers are going to deliberately avoid cake references because they want the game to be fresh. If true I salute them for not digging up worn-out old memes in the one place where it otherwise might have been acceptable.

So you're saying that they don't want the cake
...
To become stale?
:cool:

[Forum Explorer]

So you're saying that they don't want the cake
...
To become stale?
:cool:

Ok that is hilarious and one of the best one liners ever :smallbiggrin:

I think you just won the thread

[Trazoi]

You see, Internet? See how easy it is to make a different joke involving cake?

[Haruki-kun]

I played Portal for the first time ever a couple weeks ago. Two, I think.

OK, I'd played it at a friend's house, but hadn't done much. Anyway, I thought it was wonderful, but I guess some of the jokes didn't get to me because I knew them. I mean, I've been listening to the ending theme for about 2 years already.

[Eldan]

Well, it was too short, I think. I played it for a long while, and when I finally thought "well, we're done with the tutorial now, the real game can start!" it was almost over. That was a bit underwhelming. I kept waiting for actually challenging puzzles to start.

Now, I don't mean I didn't have to redo one or two areas. But that wasn't because I didn't initially see how it should be done, but because I screwed up a jump, or the timing. Which shouldn't be what kills you in a puzzle game.

Oh well. Nice writing, looked pretty, funny at times, much too easy and short. And yes, I did some of the challenge levels, before I decided doing the story a second time was too boring. They weren't all that hard either.

[CarpeGuitarrem]

Well, it was too short, I think. I played it for a long while, and when I finally thought "well, we're done with the tutorial now, the real game can start!" it was almost over. That was a bit underwhelming. I kept waiting for actually challenging puzzles to start.

Now, I don't mean I didn't have to redo one or two areas. But that wasn't because I didn't initially see how it should be done, but because I screwed up a jump, or the timing. Which shouldn't be what kills you in a puzzle game.

Oh well. Nice writing, looked pretty, funny at times, much too easy and short. And yes, I did some of the challenge levels, before I decided doing the story a second time was too boring. They weren't all that hard either.
A lot of this is due to the whole "we just kinda lumped this into the Orange Box, and never really expected it to be that big of a hit" effect. Portal 2 is supposed to be more like the game you were expecting.

Me, I loved Portal for the simple fact that it had some of the best atmospheric immersion I've seen, ever. The black comedy of the whole thing was brilliant. The puzzle methodology was also very clever, and while it's true that missing jumps or timing could be my downfall, I accepted it. Because it's a real-time puzzle game. Nobody complains about RTSes punishing you for a lack of timing. It's just part of the genre.

Also, obligatory XKCD link (http://xkcd.com/606/).

[Forbiddenwar]

And yes, I did some of the challenge levels, before I decided doing the story a second time was too boring. They weren't all that hard either.

Want hard? Getting all the radios seemed hard to me.

[Psyren]

Unfortunately my enjoyment of the short but well crafted game has been more than cancelled out by the Internet's overuse of that blasted cake meme. Hey Internet! That meme was never funny, and meta-references to the meme were old after six months. :smallannoyed:

Relevant to your interests:

http://imgs.xkcd.com/comics/cutting_edge.png

(No, I don't care that CarpeGuitarrem beat me to it)

[Sipex]

My wife and I finally played this about a week ago and it was absolutely amazing. We played from start to finish and enjoyed every bit. I had the plot spoiled for me but she didn't so it was great seeing her reaction when...


...she realised all the scientists were dead/gone/whatever and it was just GlaDos running the show. She said "Oh ****, she's gone all HAL on us, hasn't she?!"

[Starbuck_II]

Unfortunately my enjoyment of the short but well crafted game has been more than cancelled out by the Internet's overuse of that blasted cake meme. Hey Internet! That meme was never funny, and meta-references to the meme were old after six months. :smallannoyed:

Ironically, they lied. The cake is true. But you find someone writing about it being a lie first.

[Octopus Jack]

I'm waiting for multiplayer Portalgun deathmatch mode, maps filled with various obsticles and deathtraps. The ability to portal a sentry gun behind you unsuspecting opponents as another one finds you and you drop through a their portal to land in a most unsanitary liquid...

I'll keep dreaming.

[Gorgondantess]

I'm waiting for multiplayer Portalgun deathmatch mode, maps filled with various obsticles and deathtraps. The ability to portal a sentry gun behind you unsuspecting opponents as another one finds you and you drop through a their portal to land in a most unsanitary liquid...

I'll keep dreaming.

That'd get old fast. The best strategy will just be to keep an orange portal above the vile liquid and then shoot a blue at their feet.
...But it's a good idea, if it could be well executed.

[Yora]

My wife and I finally played this about a week ago and it was absolutely amazing. We played from start to finish and enjoyed every bit. I had the plot spoiled for me but she didn't so it was great seeing her reaction when...


...she realised all the scientists were dead/gone/whatever and it was just GlaDos running the show. She said "Oh ****, she's gone all HAL on us, hasn't she?!"

I've come to greatly love these games that have been released that have a narrative much more to a short story than a (usually cheap) novel.
Portal, Shadow of the Colossus, and Mirror's Edge all don't have much actually happening in them. If you summerize the plot of each of them, you're finished in under 5 minutes, without leaving anything out. But where these games really shine is in exploring these deserted places and learning more and more about their nature and history, not by being told their story through dialogs or texts, but simply by putting together all the little details you find. And they all have a very interesting and unique gameplay design.
All of them could have been longer, but I enjoy them far more than some 60 hour open world RPG-Epic.

http://imgs.xkcd.com/comics/cutting_edge.png
That's actually how I chose my games most of the time. Until about one year ago, I rarely bought any games that were less than 3 or 4 years old. Actually, I still don't have any games that are post 2008.

[Trazoi]

That's actually how I chose my games most of the time. Until about one year ago, I rarely bought any games that were less than 3 or 4 years old. Actually, I still don't have any games that are post 2008.
That's how I choose most of my games too. I usually get one or two games that are brand new, but most I wait until they're cheap and I've got better hardware to play them.

Also nitpick for the XKCD comic: if stick guy there had been completely insulated from the cake meme he probably would have gone with something like "There will be cake" instead. The line from the game itself isn't that catchy. The ending song I'll grant you though. :smalltongue:

[Yora]

I actually just lag behind and only get up to get games when they have got a legendary reputation and I can no longer accept that such awsome things exist without me ever having played them.
Which has the side effect, that I only play very good games. :smallbiggrin: