Orange Box

A couple of weeks ago I picked up the Orange Box game set. While Episode 2 was the main reason I bought it, I've only had a chance to play "Portal" so far (between Hellgate, 2142 & Timeshift, oh there's the marriage and work too).

Portal is one of the best and most unique games I've ever played. While technically a first person shooter,

Unlike Yahtzee, I do have a few complaints though. I still had the feel that this game was half designed for the console folk. While a couple of the puzzles made me stop and think for a few seconds, none were truly "head scratchers". I would have truly liked to have been stumped by a few of them, especially nearer the end.

Also, I may be in the minority here, but I'm not a fan of the Source Engine's physics model. It's a tad "lenient". Metal crates that are heavy enough to hold down a floor switch, but the merest nudge will send them spinning across the room. Most of the time, this isn't an issue, unless you have to build a little wall to protect yourself from gun turrets. If that's the case (Advanced puzzle # 7 - I think), one slight misstep and the whole wall will come crashing down, and you then get to restart the 10 minute process of rebuilding the gorram wall.

It's still an incredible game that I highly recommend to everyone. I can only hope that more installments of this game will be coming...