Portal

 PC
User Score
9.1

Universal acclaim- based on 6390 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 5,896 out of 6390
  2. Mixed: 369 out of 6390
  3. Negative: 125 out of 6390
Buy Now
Buy on

Review this game

  1. Your Score
    0 out of 10
    Rate this:
    • 10
    • 9
    • 8
    • 7
    • 6
    • 5
    • 4
    • 3
    • 2
    • 1
    • 0
    • 0
  1. Submit
  2. Check Spelling
view
per page
  1. Nicholai
    Jul 4, 2011
    5
    I have heard countless reviews praising this game for its innovation and dry humor as well as Jonathan Coulton's â
  2. dam1730
    Aug 1, 2012
    8
    This game's really good if you get it on sale on Steam. People who complain about how short the game is need to remember that this game was pretty much an afterthought in the Orange Box. It's a quick game. Not as difficult as Portal 2.
  3. OmnipotentGamer
    Aug 5, 2013
    6
    Innovative and interesting, but for me not very fun, some puzzles whee better than others, but the most memorable moment was the credits with "still alive" sad when the most memorable moment in your game is the credits.
  4. poipoi01
    Aug 16, 2011
    9
    Pros: Everything
    Cons: Gets a bit hard from time to time (Turrets are Pains in the ass)
    Summary: A bit hard but if you have quick fingers it can be considered 10/10
  5. LA_DOTTORE
    Dec 21, 2011
    10
    I got this game for free after winning a Steam competition (Bonus!) and have already played through and finished Portal 2 so playing this game was really quite hard for me at first because of the high expectations I gave it but it quickly grew on me... Almost as fast as I finished it. After two hours I finished it and that does sound very short but I felt like it stayed just enough as notI got this game for free after winning a Steam competition (Bonus!) and have already played through and finished Portal 2 so playing this game was really quite hard for me at first because of the high expectations I gave it but it quickly grew on me... Almost as fast as I finished it. After two hours I finished it and that does sound very short but I felt like it stayed just enough as not to outstay it's welcome, like when you let a hobo in your house on a rainy day and he leaves after a coffee and when the rain stops, unlike some games where the hobo would stay after the rain has stopped and refuses to leave until you're forced to enjoy his company before he actually decides to high-tail it! Overall, very fun game with lots of challenges along the way that I thoroughly enjoyed so I give it an amazing ten out of ten!… Expand
  6. Delta_Assault
    Sep 28, 2011
    9
    Well, given that Portal 2 is a week away, I figured it'd be a fine time to go back and revisit the charming predecessor. The first Portal was a delightful pack-in for The Orange Box, Valve's compilation of Half-Life, the two subsequent Episodes, and Team Fortress 2. While all those games were highly regarded and well worth the money, Portal was singled out in particular for its innovativeWell, given that Portal 2 is a week away, I figured it'd be a fine time to go back and revisit the charming predecessor. The first Portal was a delightful pack-in for The Orange Box, Valve's compilation of Half-Life, the two subsequent Episodes, and Team Fortress 2. While all those games were highly regarded and well worth the money, Portal was singled out in particular for its innovative puzzle design which truly explored what the First Person Shooter genre was capable of when coupled with a spark of creativity and the freedom to go beyond mere convention.

    Portal takes the puzzle mentality of games as old as Tetris and other 2D sidescrollers and transports it into the modern 3D space of first person shooters, though perhaps this is a bit of a misnomer as there isn't actually shooting in the traditional bloodthirsty connotation. Instead, you're given a marvelous Portal gun which greatly resembles the Gravity gun from Half-Life 2. Just as that "gun" was more of an experimental piece of equipment than an actual deadly firearm, here too the Portal gun functions in a unique manner to aid in your adventures. Rather than terminating foes, you create portals in solid matter to bypass obstacles in the environment and traverse in odd, sometimes paradoxical pathways. These dimensional holes cut into the walls and floors of the laboratory also afford Portal the unique distinction of being one of the only FPSs ever to allow you to witness your own body in front of you, without the aid of mirrors. The mind-bending nature of these portals is what gives the game such a playfully devious character and even jaded hardcore gamers who've long exhausted their stockpiles of FPS games will find it hard not to giggle at the intensely creative and ingenious environmental puzzles that Valve has conjured up in its technological cauldron.

    While an imaginative and refreshing new twist on the FPS genre, Portal is let down by its short length. This is not a particularly grievous complaint as the game was meant to be a sort of free extra treat in The Orange Box, already a steal with its plethora of games, but one cannot help feeling somewhat disappointed when they've arrived at the end of this rather loopy and wholly captivating diversion of time. Truly, "short and sweet" is how the game can best be characterized, yet if only that sweetness could have been prolonged somehow!

    Portal's humor has been singled out for a great deal of praise and been the source of countless memes since the dawn of its release, yet I'm not entirely convinced the game deserves such effusive love. Perhaps it's because of my own sense of humor that gets in the way, but I found the game's comic sensibilities rather tame and merely worthy of a chuckle here and there. GlaDOS, the malevolent AI in the story, delivers vaguely threatening monologues coached in corporate doublespeak but I never found these evoking an actual laugh out loud. And does "the cake is a lie" merit such a widespread meme? Is that statement really so powerfully mindblowing and clever that it deserves to be plastered all over the internet? I can't really justify it, unfortunately. The game's somewhat clever at times, but there's nothing about it that makes me suspect it's reaching the heights of comedy.

    The problem with most puzzle games, and which Portal inevitably succumbs to, is the fact that they're only good for the first time. Replaying this game two years after I first completed it, there was a sensation of repetition and familiarity. Some of the harder and more intricate puzzles took me a mindful pause to remember what the solution was, but the overall playthrough was greatly reduced from my first time, as the answers were all still within my memories. There was no great epiphany, no moment of "Eureka!" that you had over and over again from the first playthrough. This is a problem that you find in all puzzle games, they just don't warrant repeat plays as the puzzle's already been solved. After that initial breakthough, you're just left with a sense of treading water. That ebullient feeling of discovery and the satisfaction of cracking the proverbial nut is lost forever, and that's a shame. It's just the nature of puzzles, and a few other genres as well. Trivia games are another example where you have this issue. The first time, you're stumped, but subsequent games are no brainers as you've learned the trivia and there's no challenge left.

    But Portal's first time through is a truly marvelous and rather pure gaming experience which has few equals in the modern gaming landscape. It's one to treasure.    … Expand
  7. kornahn
    Oct 19, 2011
    8
    I was drawn between 8 and 9. I have to say 10 is the perfect game and i don't give 10. Well if you blow my brain i will. the reasone why i didn't choose 9 is that the game is quite short. so if you get for less than 10 euro/dollars buy it. it's worth the money. i#M not even a puzzle fan and i had fun! buy it!!!
  8. hit925
    Dec 27, 2011
    7
    This game is very short as you will be completely finished with it in around 4 hours and since it is a puzzle game, you have no incentive to replay since you already know the answers. This feels like a blueprint, a concept that Valve were merely test-driving. Although, what a concept it is. The idea of the portal gun is simple yet infinitely complex. It's pure genius and there is clearlyThis game is very short as you will be completely finished with it in around 4 hours and since it is a puzzle game, you have no incentive to replay since you already know the answers. This feels like a blueprint, a concept that Valve were merely test-driving. Although, what a concept it is. The idea of the portal gun is simple yet infinitely complex. It's pure genius and there is clearly more room to expand on it, as in Portal 2. Plus, Glados is certainly a very memorable video game villain.… Expand
  9. spadenx
    Jan 20, 2012
    7
    The game is fun. The gameplay is original and a ton of fun to play and also requires a bit of thinking to get through a level. The graphics look terrible though and the challenges are more of an annoyance then a challenge. The dialouge is hilarious though and definently worth listening too. Overall, It has a few flaws but Portal has that "It" factor that makes it totally worth playing.
  10. fartheststar
    Jul 19, 2013
    7
    Really cool game up to a point, but I'm left feeling bummed out. I was having a blast up until level 18 and got stone-walled there. I couldn't push the little button up on the tiny tower and after trying for hours gave it up. It was disappointing because I was having such a good time up to that point. It was a really innovate game mechanic. I found the computer narrator entertainingReally cool game up to a point, but I'm left feeling bummed out. I was having a blast up until level 18 and got stone-walled there. I couldn't push the little button up on the tiny tower and after trying for hours gave it up. It was disappointing because I was having such a good time up to that point. It was a really innovate game mechanic. I found the computer narrator entertaining and the game overall had an interesting/ immersive atmosphere.

    But it's just frustrating to not be able to finish what was so satisfying up to that point. I even looked up a walkthrough on that level 18 and watched somebody do what I was trying to do I just couldn't pull it off. It's one of those "I know what to do and am trying to do the right thing I just can't execute it" type things.

    Anyhow, it's memorable, worth playing, but I think such high scores overstate the experience.    … Expand
  11. Echo9k
    Mar 17, 2012
    9
    The story is a kinda creepy, and I have to confessing you that I never wish play portal till a friend insisted in made me play, so I just playit, and I said :" now what" but the more you progress through the game more difficult, interesting and involving turns this. I suggest you, give it two chances, the first to start to play and the second for advancements
  12. zachallan
    May 10, 2012
    7
    I played this game AFTER Portal 2, and what a disappointment. It was short, sweet, and lacking in all the depth and personality of Portal 2. The thing I hated most about Portal is that everything was on a timer. Half the game was waiting for a timed event to occur, whereas Portal 2 was all reactive and immediate to my play style.

    An alright game when it's on 75% off sale. Take an hour to    I played this game AFTER Portal 2, and what a disappointment. It was short, sweet, and lacking in all the depth and personality of Portal 2. The thing I hated most about Portal is that everything was on a timer. Half the game was waiting for a timed event to occur, whereas Portal 2 was all reactive and immediate to my play style.

    An alright game when it's on 75% off sale. Take an hour to beat it before Portal 2 to have a bit background, but not necessary.    … Expand
  13. WaterWoman
    May 18, 2012
    7
    Props for the uniqueness, and the comedy was great; however, it's not a 9.5 game. Almost the greatest game ever (10)? ah, no. Better than Portal 2, I thought. I think everyone should play this game, but I get it if you don't like it that much. Value is a great company.
  14. birdman3
    Nov 13, 2012
    9
    If you're reading this review, that means you're considering getting the game. Just go get it. It's short but it's fun. It's a fantastic puzzle game that requires creativity and provides a rewarding experience (the atmosphere is great- listening to glados is hilarious). Just go get it.
  15. azgoodaz
    Jul 5, 2016
    10
    Portal, it's a short and sweet puzzle game.

    The game can be finished in under 5 hours (some areas can take longer than expected) or maybe a bit longer than 5 hours if you want to get all the achievements, and it has a neat storyline to the game mostly putting a cliffhanger for Portal 2. At the end of the game, you are greeted with a musical, I won't spoil anything but it was funny and    Portal, it's a short and sweet puzzle game.

    The game can be finished in under 5 hours (some areas can take longer than expected) or maybe a bit longer than 5 hours if you want to get all the achievements, and it has a neat storyline to the game mostly putting a cliffhanger for Portal 2. At the end of the game, you are greeted with a musical, I won't spoil anything but it was funny and neat to have.

    If you need a cheap game to play but something addictive that will make you love the Portal series, Portal is a must have game to buy.

    The cake is a lie!    … Expand
  16. Synol
    May 10, 2014
    1
    If you get motion sickness avoid this game. I can play at most 20 mins of it before I get a headache and want to throw up. I suppose if you don't have motion sickness check it out I hear its good but there's no way I could ever finish it.
  17. BSim500
    Jan 13, 2014
    9
    Fantastic FPS puzzle game. Gameplay is different enough as the game progresses that it doesn't get boring (new puzzles & ways to deal with them are introduced). GlaDOS is quite funny in places. Maps are well written and the mind-bending physics are pretty creative. It's only real shortcoming is fairly short length. Well worth playing though.
  18. Garfoodle
    Sep 23, 2014
    10
    Ok,can someone tell me something- Is the cake a lie?
    Anyway, it's still one of the best games,to date. Funny humor,fun gameplay,amazing song at the end of the game...

    PORTAL 3 COMFIRMED!!!1
  19. PrincessRose
    Apr 24, 2019
    4
    I find it a interestingly unique concept but shallow and lacking any depth, just feels boring and repetitive.

    The environments all looks the same. The puzzles are ok and thankfully you don't need to be a genius to figure them out. I found the banter amusing, making me smile most of the time. Iam one of the few that thinks this game is an overrated gimmick, feel like it's a waste    I find it a interestingly unique concept but shallow and lacking any depth, just feels boring and repetitive.

    The environments all looks the same.

    The puzzles are ok and thankfully you don't need to be a genius to figure them out. I found the banter amusing, making me smile most of the time.

    Iam one of the few that thinks this game is an overrated gimmick, feel like it's a waste of time to keep playing.    … Expand
  20. SuperkenGaming
    Jun 11, 2015
    8
    Portal
    Charming and Challenging
    Portal is easily one of the most charming games ive played period As you make your way through the game solving increasingly difficult puzzles, your progress is being monitored by an unknown character that will effortlessly make you laugh, Playing portal just to hear the commentary is worth the journey through the game alone, but the good news is, the    Portal
    Charming and Challenging
    Portal is easily one of the most charming games ive played period
    As you make your way through the game solving increasingly difficult puzzles, your progress is being monitored by an unknown character that will effortlessly make you laugh, Playing portal just to hear the commentary is worth the journey through the game alone, but the good news is, the game is just as good.
    Portal starts you off slow with one portal gun , you use this portal to hop gaps and move objects, youll eventually get to a point where youre given 2 portal guns which at first feels a bit easier as you feel more free, the only problem is by time this happens, you are already halfway through the game.
    You use one portal to makes an exit, and the other for that exits entrance
    The 2nd half of portal is where puzzles can get a bit tricky and no longer feel all too intuitive,
    It may just be me not used to having to use my brain all too often to play games, but I found the difficulty spike to be just a tad bit too intense.
    The complexity of the levels go too slow in the beginning and too fast at the end making the game feel kind of frustrating, I didn’t really feel clever when I got through levels, it was more guess work, I felt kind of lucky.
    While you may lose some hair over figuring out the perfect way to drop boxes from the ceiling, avoiding lasers, and getting over obstacles, youll feel great going through the gate onto the next floor.
    The feeling of guess work isn’t satisfying, but somehow portal still manages to pull you forward always wanting more., but while I say that I felt like portal gave me just enough.
    Portal will only last you about 3-5 hours, and as a puzzle game of its kind I found this length to be pretty perfect.
    The game kept pulling me forward with its charm, but I wont lie and say I wasn’t fully satisfied when this brain exercise was over.
    For what it is
    Puzzle Platformer 8.5/10
    Overall 8/10    … Expand
  21. Sir_Swag117
    Jan 19, 2016
    10
    Who needs a girlfriend/life/food/drink/soul/toilet/shower/sleep/bed/money/electricity when you have this perfect game? Certainly not me! The game is beautiful, runs smooth and is extremely creative. Shame games have mostly declined from here on in.
  22. boobins
    Jan 3, 2016
    10
    This and portal 2 are in my top 20 favorite games ever. I like platform and puzzles. This is both. .
  23. sorastrife2890
    Apr 21, 2016
    10
    a great game of valve. the FPS with the best game sistem. the only thing bad is it very shor with just 5 hours of game but you wil deserve it. EXCELENT GAME!
  24. Seafox89
    May 28, 2016
    10
    So much fun. Intriguing storyline with top-notch voice acting and humor. Excellent graphics and use of the source engine from Half-Life 2, as well as some groundbreaking FPS puzzle gameplay. You can pick this up on Steam for steal during their summer sale. I've played through this game twice and now I want to play through it again.
  25. dandalis
    Nov 22, 2016
    8
    A very innovative and interesting puzzler for its time. Portal has a pretty engrosing lore behind it surrounding Aperuture Labs which universe is shared with Half Life that you want to know more about and get the chance in the sequel. Gameplay feels very smooth, platforming precise and puzzles themselves feel fairly difficult. Its a pretty short experience one that you can finish in oneA very innovative and interesting puzzler for its time. Portal has a pretty engrosing lore behind it surrounding Aperuture Labs which universe is shared with Half Life that you want to know more about and get the chance in the sequel. Gameplay feels very smooth, platforming precise and puzzles themselves feel fairly difficult. Its a pretty short experience one that you can finish in one sitting, tho at the end i felt motion sick, Portal is the only video game that has made so, so if youre prone to that play carefully and dont throw camera all around.… Expand
  26. Pohch
    Feb 21, 2022
    4
    Старый паззл. Для любителей беготни с портальной пушкой вполне неплохая игра, для всех остальных - проходняк.
  27. Inkognito_123
    Jul 19, 2018
    0
    Странная концовка игры. Ты умрёшь, а я буду жить - это как понимать? Игра на этом должна заканчиваться? Я убил эту машину, но она продолжает говорить и петь? Проходя эту игру, я думал, что играю в полуфабрикат.

    The strange ending of the game. You will die, and I will live is how to understand? The game on this should end? I killed this car, but she keeps talking and singing? Passing    Странная концовка игры. Ты умрёшь, а я буду жить - это как понимать? Игра на этом должна заканчиваться? Я убил эту машину, но она продолжает говорить и петь? Проходя эту игру, я думал, что играю в полуфабрикат.

    The strange ending of the game. You will die, and I will live is how to understand? The game on this should end? I killed this car, but she keeps talking and singing? Passing this game, I thought I was playing in a semi-finished product.    … Expand
  28. 6oni
    Oct 17, 2018
    9
    usually i dont like puzzles and plataforms but the creativity makes the difference here

    a short and easy game that will make you feel smart
  29. mande77
    Nov 11, 2020
    0
    It's nearly perfect, while the 2nd is fully perfect. The humor is darkly spot-on and caused me to laugh out loud multiple times, which I don't do often when playing/watching something. It's very short, with the professional play-through time being about 45 minutes, but it's endlessly intriguing and unnerving and hilarious. When the plot kicks in is when it really gets crazy. PORTAL 2It's nearly perfect, while the 2nd is fully perfect. The humor is darkly spot-on and caused me to laugh out loud multiple times, which I don't do often when playing/watching something. It's very short, with the professional play-through time being about 45 minutes, but it's endlessly intriguing and unnerving and hilarious. When the plot kicks in is when it really gets crazy. PORTAL 2 improved on the first in every way, but that doesn't mean that the first isn't worth playing, because it most certainly is.… Expand
  30. kezzyhko
    Jul 28, 2020
    8
    ‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍
Page:

Awards & Rankings

8
#8 Best PC Game of 2007
2
#2 Most Discussed PC Game of 2007
9
#9 Most Shared PC Game of 2007

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
90

Universal acclaim - based on 27 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 27 out of 27
  2. Mixed: 0 out of 27
  3. Negative: 0 out of 27
  1. IGN
    82
    The idea behind Portal ends up being more brilliant than Portal itself. Regardless, we definitely had a lot of fun with what is there and appreciate the level of polish and thought that went into the presentation.
    Read full review
  2. PC Gamer UK
    92
    Portal is a magnificent puzzle game. The titillating wrongness of every solution and the wonky thinking required to get there make you feel like a space-folding genius, and yet you'll almost never get stuck.
    Read full review
  3. Eurogamer
    90
    One of the most interesting and delightful things Valve's ever done, but also one of its least fulfilling. If only we had our own portal gun to bridge the gap to the first infusion of new content, perhaps we could forget it.
    Read full review
See all critic reviews »