Portal is a classic. The game originally released as a part of the Orange Box on PC and Xbox 360 back in 2007, and was a mini puzzle game for players to jump into along side the "main course" of Half-Life 2 and its Episode expansions. The bundle also included the multiplayer team based shooter Team Fortress 2, and was quickly seen as a must have on both PC and Console. It was a great value for everything it contained, but Portal in particular quickly picked up enough steam on its own.
What was seen as a simple side game soon developed a large fanbase of its own, and eventually saw an enhanced re-release called Portal: Still Alive exclusively on Xbox 360. This version of the game contained more content and allowed users to deck their Xbox 360 dashboard out in a brand new Portal inspired theme as well (which would unfortunately be replaced shortly after due to the New Xbox Experience update releasing a month later). This version also included some minor updates to the main campaign, including the updated ending sequence which now hinted at a Portal 2, and was ultimately seen as the "best" version of the game (putting aside PC mods).
As for me, The Orange Box was in fact one of the main reasons I even wanted an Xbox 360 to begin with, and I too found myself falling in love with this short little puzzler. Its unique gameplay had me hooked from the moment I started it up, and the underlining mystery of its story had me craving more. Over the years I must've beaten the game dozens of times, and it quickly became one I would show off to friends and have them play through it due to its short run time. It was always fun watching them find their own ways to solve puzzles, and I too would constantly experiment with ways to complete it. It really did become one of my favorite games of all time, and I couldn't wait for a sequel. And then it happened.
Portal 2 was announced and eventually released in 2011. It included a full story mode, new gameplay mechanics, an online co-op mode, and tons of other new additions. It was in fact a "full" game compared to the original release, and was shaping up to be everything I could ever hope for. I unfortunately went with the PlayStation 3 release at the time, and that prevented me from experiencing the full game for quite awhile. Although the PS3 release did support connectivity to Steam, which meant I could play with my friends on PC, it sadly released during the time of the PlayStation Network hack which took the service offline for awhile. It was simply poor timing for me, but in the mean time I at least got to experience the main story. I personally found it was worth the wait, and once again considered Portal 2 to be one of my all time favorites! Eventually I would work through the multiplayer mode as well, but it wasn't as fun playing with friends who had already completed the puzzles. Still, it was a solid game that could stand on its own, and I have a lot of great memories playing it...
Jumping ahead to 2022, nearly 11 years since the release of Portal 2, the Portal: Companion Collection arrived on Nintendo Switch. This brand new bundle not only included Portal: Still Alive that was previously Xbox 360 exclusive, but it also contained Portal 2 as well. Two great games in one bundle, on a Nintendo platform for the first time. While many of us already knew how great both of these games were, this collection introduced the series to an entirely different generation of gamers, and allowed us long time fans to revisit the games as well; including the ability to play them on the go. At the time I personally didn't jump back into them, despite loving them, but with the release of the Nintendo Switch 2 I decided now would be a perfect time to go back and try them out. Not just to test their performance on the new hardware, but to finally re-experience old favorites, and see if my opinion of them has changed over the years.
Are they really as great as I thought? Or is this just nostalgia talking? Well... Yeah, I still love them, and here is why!
Portal: Still Alive
As mentioned, Portal: Still Alive is the first game included in this collection, and it is the version that was previously Xbox 360 exclusive. Funny enough the game still includes the original Xbox 360 achievement menu, and shows the point value for each achievement (which means nothing for a Nintendo Switch, but is fun nostalgia for those who played the original version). Despite being an updated release, with some added content, this game is still the classic Portal experience, and is where all newcomers should in fact start.
When the game begins, players step into the shoes of a young woman by the name of Chell. Chell has no speaking role in the game, and her overall story is a bit of a mystery, but all the player needs to know is the fact that she is being put through a series of tests. She is awoke by an electronic voice that then guides her through the multiple tests, and injects the game with some pretty smart (and sometimes dark) humor all at the same time. This becomes clear from the get go when the voice warns you on what you "must never do," only to glitch and skip over what this key fact actually is.
It is this dialogue that initially drew many fans to the game, with many iconic lines being delivered throughout the entire game. For example, when given a cube with a heart on it, players are told the following piece of information: "The Enrichment Center reminds you that the Weighted Companion Cube will never threaten to stab you and, in fact, cannot speak."
This of course begs you to ask the question "why am I even being told this?" or even make you wonder "did the cube stab someone?" These moments keep the seemingly basic story interesting from start to finish, and give players even more of a reason to push through the tests... Which is in fact where the main gameplay lies.
Being the Still Alive edition of the game, this version of Portal is actually broken up into three main sections. The first part of the game is none other than the tests, and it takes you through the game's mechanic's nice and slowly. It introduces you to the concept of "portals," which are blue and orange ovals that can be shot onto any solid surface using your Portal Gun. Once placed, going into a blue one will see you come out of the orange one, and the same can be said for the other way around. This means players can shoot one portal up higher, and then shoot another near them and then enter said portal to reach the higher elevation. It is a very simple mechanic, but the game requires you to really think about placement, and what you actually need to do to advance.
Most rooms will ask you to escort cubes to switches, or possibly even direct laser beams to hit specific objects or charge something up, and portals need to be used to actually achieve these goals. Additionally momentum isn't lost when falling through a portal, so falling from a high place will see Chell being launched out of the second portal without slowing down. Or as the voice puts it (which is actually a robot named GlaDOS): "speedy thing goes in, speedy thing comes out."
Understanding these concepts of physics and the fundamentals of portals is what will allow you to continue progressing through each test, and ultimately reach your goal: the cake at the end!
Of course, there is more to this game than meets the eye.
Early on some strange backrooms can be found which contain some cryptic messages. These have been left by someone simply known as "Ratman" and they imply something very different is going on at the facility than what the tests initially lead you to believe. This is where the second part of the game comes into play, which puts your Portal Gun to use in unique ways outside of the general testing environment. This game is actually set within the Half-Life universe, and this is where parts of that series start to show.
The third part of the game is the additional set of tests added for Still Alive. While the main game slowly introduces concepts with each test, and then asks you to make use of them "outside" of testing later on, these bonus levels brings things back into the testing grounds. Here the puzzles are much more complex than what was seen during the main game, and asks you to put to use everything you have learned from the get go. They are a fun additional challenge that adds more playtime to the game, but they are missing the fun story that accompanies the main adventure. They are simply extra puzzles to put your portal skills to use, but honestly that is more than enough.
One great thing about Portal is the fact that puzzles can be solved in different ways outside of what is "originally intended," and the same can be said for these challenge stages as well. They ask you to be creative to solve them normally, but thinking outside the box can offer a completely different experience.
Portal 2
Moving past Portal: Still Alive, Portal 2 is what one can consider the "full experience" within this bundle.
Unlike the original, it was made to be a complete stand alone game, and not just a mini puzzle game bundled with other "full games." To account for it being stand alone, the game greatly expanded on the core concepts of Portal, added a lengthy campaign, included a second co-op exclusive story, and also finally dove into the actual story that the original game only hinted at. Unlike the original, which could be finished in roughly an hour, this game sat more around the 10 hour range, with even more replay value and secrets for players to find. That being said, even its main game is broken into multiple parts, with each one being vastly different.
Picking up many years after the original Portal, Chell awakens to find the testing facility now completely in ruins with trees and other plant life taking over. Once again she picks up the Portal Gun to make her escape, and that takes her back into the testing chambers. This time around there are no tests to partake in, but progression is blocked by decayed platforms, and other obstacles that have formed over the years. This intro part is very reminiscent of what was seen in the second half of the original game, but things do quickly take a turn.
After reuniting with GlaDOS, Chell is once again forced to go through a series of tests just like during the "good old days." This time around things are a bit more complex, and the game clearly expects players to have experience with the original Portal. The moments leading up to this does help prepare new players of course, but the main focus here is providing existing fans with what they want; more puzzle chambers. This is what the second part of the game fully focuses on, and some new puzzle solving mechanics are introduced as well. However this part of the game is technically only the icing on the cake (which does exist), and eventually players are thrown into the true core of Portal 2; the backrooms.
The main story of Portal 2 focuses on what Aperture Science (the company running these tests) really is, and who their founder Cave Johnson was. Once again the story delivers some stand out lines, but this time around it isn't just GlaDOS delivering them. Recordings left by Cave Johnson quickly become a highlight of Portal 2, with countless memorable moments throughout the entire game. By the end players will have a much better understanding of what truly happened, but the game also leaves enough mystery to have fans begging for more.
From a gameplay standpoint, Portal 2 does introduce some core new features as well. The biggest addition is the inclusion of gels which make surfaces bouncy, and increase your speed when running on them. These gels can be spread by placing portals, and they get used in some truly creative ways. Of course there is plenty of puzzle solving without this new mechanic as well, but their inclusion helps keep things from getting stale, and adds a new layer on top of the puzzles that already required you to think outside the box. While not everyone may like this new mechanic, it is used very well overall, and doesn't overstay its welcome.
All of this, story, gameplay mechanics, etc, also translates over to Portal 2's co-op mode, which allows two players to navigate their way through a second story filled with even more unique puzzles. These puzzles require the use of two Portal Guns (allowing for four portals to be placed), and perfect teamwork to actually complete them. These challenges are even harder than what the main game offers, simply because it requires two people looking at the puzzles from different angles. If even one person is unable to recognize how to advance, then that is where the journey will end, and sometimes the answer is actually something only the other player can see. Fail to communicate, then that too will cause both players to fail.
Overall it is a great co-op experience, and the puzzles are very well thought out. Of course breaking them and finding your own answers is still a part of the fun as well, but even that requires a bit more creativity when two players are needed to clear each test.
Sadly, despite the game being on the Switch which contains motion controls, this version of Portal 2 does not include the PlayStation exclusive DLC "In Motion," which contained extra single player and co-op stages, and it also cannot connect with the Steam version of the game. This means the PlayStation 3 version is still technically the most "complete" version of Portal 2 (outside of mods), but that doesn't change the fact that this Switch version is still one of the best ways to play an already amazing game. (Not to mention it comes with Portal: Still Alive.)
Should you play it?
Even after all of these years, the Portal series remains a must play for fans of puzzle games, and those looking for an interesting and dark, yet funny, story. The inclusion of Portal: Still Alive makes this collection a must for long time fans who never got to play the Xbox 360 exclusive, and Portal 2 continues to be both an outstanding single player and co-op experience. This collection is the perfect way for newcomers to get into the series and see what all the hype was about, and it is also a great bundle for fans as well.
It being on the Switch also means players can finally take these games with them on the go, and the puzzles really are perfect for the pick up and play style on handheld devices. Either way, Portal as a whole really is a series everyone should experience at least once, and Portal: Companion Collection is the perfect excuse to jump on in.
VERDICT: Essential
Reviewed on Nintendo Switch
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