Portal: Still Alive - Review

Portal: Still Alive, XBLA - 1200 MS point

Review by Numan1617


To start off, and clear up some confusion surrounding Still Alive, I will state that the main game is exactly the same as the one included in The Orange Box. However, there are an additional 14 test chambers and new achievements that were not on the disc.

Given the length of time that The Orange Box has been out, I will not cover the main story/game of Portal but will instead focus on the new challenges. All of the charisma of the old Portal is still there and the challenges really do make you start "thinking with portals" once again. The new game mechanics add to the feeling of impending doom you get when playing through the story version of Portal, and some of them really make you sit back and think "how the… do I do this?"

The first new chamber sets things up nicely with a relatively simple 'get through the door' style challenge, so if your new to the world of Portal you have a nice stepping stone to get you underway, as well as helping you back in the saddle if you are a survivor of the original.

From here on out the pace really begins to pick up, so consider yourself warned. Chamber 3 is where things get interesting with the first new game mechanic, which I won't spoil here - suffice it to say that you may need to break an emotional bond.

Just the new chambers alone will give you an additional 10 hours of gaming (your mileage may vary, this figure is based on my experience) as you get the additional 14 chambers, each containing 3 types of challenges (fewest portals used, fastest time and fewest steps) so you will definitely have your work cut out.

Given the additional gameplay hours and the fact it includes a game you may already own, the value for money may be different for different people.

The new mechanics really do revitalise the game even though the main story is the same.

Overall I will say that if you did not purchase The Orange Box then this is a must have game just for the story/gameplay alone and if you did buy The Orange Box then just ask yourself the question: "Do I want to be challenged by a good old game once again?" In my case the answer was yes. I just can't get enough of this game.