Portal Stories: Mel

 PC
User Score
8.4

Generally favorable reviews- based on 41 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 31 out of 41
  2. Mixed: 9 out of 41
  3. Negative: 1 out of 41

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  1. kman5473
    Feb 5, 2017
    3
    I completely appreciate the effort that was put into this game, but for me it will always feel "less-than".

    Though I like that the modders of this game chose to set the story to when Aperture was in it's golden age, they really did a bad job of setting themselves up to be critiqued in this light. Modders: you don't have JK Simmons to perform your script as Cave Johnson--that is    I completely appreciate the effort that was put into this game, but for me it will always feel "less-than".

    Though I like that the modders of this game chose to set the story to when Aperture was in it's golden age, they really did a bad job of setting themselves up to be critiqued in this light. Modders: you don't have JK Simmons to perform your script as Cave Johnson--that is acceptable and understandable. HOWEVER the script they wrote for his character is so clumsily written. What I mean is, the dialogue feels completely unnatural. If you're trying to allude to the face that Cave Johnson is lying, you only need one line that establishes an obvious cover-up. Repeatedly saying OVER, AND OVER, "Here in my 1950's computer, in my 1950's folder, because it's the 1950's," is insulting to your player. I would argue that even as talented of an actor as JK Simmons would have a hard time performing the dialogue and actually making it sound good and natural. It's just super awkward.

    My second big criticism is with the opening. We ride a train car for so long that even the dialogue of Cave Johnson's greetings ends before we reach the station platform. Then! It is only to walk to an elevator that we ride for a very, very long time. And to cap it all off: this loooooong ride on the elevator and train is TO BE PUT IN A CRYOGENIC SLEEP. This is the such a slow-paced beginning, that by the time I got to the part where I actually get to, oh you know, PLAY I was done. You lost me. I didn't care anymore.

    Either set something relevant up to the user during these long opening sequences, or just skip to the character waking up from a cryogenic sleep. Instead of referencing Half-Life/Half-Life 2, just go right to the Portal throwback. I'm not even sure if I'm going to keep this in my library anymore.    … Expand