Portal: Companion Collection: Brilliant puzzle collection put to the test

There are only a few games that we would say: you simply have to play them. But Portal and its successor are definitely among them. In 2007, Valve released the first portal – an experiment that based on a creative student project and was only made by a small team. Despite the short playing time, the puzzle adventure was received with enthusiasm and the fans asked for more. Four years later, Valve followed up with Portal 2, a milestone that one dream score after the next cashed. Eleven years have passed since then and now Switch owners can finally enjoy: Both portal games have been implemented as a flawless collection that leaves nothing to be desired. (Here you can Portal: Shop the Switch Companion Collection.)

Portal relies on a wonderfully simple idea, but Valve gets an incredible amount out of it. You play the mute heroine Chell, who initially wakes up in a gray and white cell. A computer voice greets from the off, it belongs to GLaDOS, an all-powerful AI that watches over Aperture Science. This gigantic facility apparently serves only one purpose: testing new technologies. GLaDOS has chosen us as a test subject and is therefore equipping us with the iconic portal cannon. With it we shoot blue and orange portals to certain surfaces, which we can then march through at will. For example, we can reach distant exits, drop from the ceiling onto moving platforms, or skilfully throw ourselves to unexpected heights.

New puzzles and mechanics quickly come into play, which thanks to the sophisticated physics engine are still a lot of fun today: Cubes want to be placed on switches, we deflect the trajectories of energy balls or cleverly cheat our way past deadly robotic guns that destroy us with cute little voices, please let us run to their target area. However, there is never a fight! While Portal plays like a first-person shooter, the gameplay relies heavily on its clever mix of puzzles and story.

Portal 1 is of course also on board. The short predecessor seems a bit outdated compared to the second part, but thanks to good puzzles it’s still a lot of fun.

Source: PC Games

For the sake of science… you monster

The star of the show is GLaDOS, who watches us 24/7 and cynically comments on our progress. Get ready for wonderfully sneaky jokes that have lost none of their wit thanks to an excellent voice acting. Also, as we work our way from one drab test chamber to the next, we keep discovering small details in the environment, such as some notes someone hastily scrawled on the wall that hint at a larger backstory. What is Aperture Science really about? Where have all the people gone? And is there really a nice cake waiting for us as a reward at the end?

Much is only touched upon in Portal, because the adventure is over after 3 to 5 hours. The length is okay, also because the test chambers unfortunately always look the same, towards the end you have had enough of the eternal gray. But in the end, the first part is just a tasty appetizer anyway. Portal 2, on the other hand, is the sumptuous main course – and it’s not just a giant leap forward in terms of graphics.

Timelessly good: the successor

Portal 2 conjures up a full-fledged adventure game from the idea of ​​its predecessor, which is still unparalleled to this day. The story is just dripping with atmosphere and, on top of that, ties in wonderfully with the debut. You will now get to know almost all facets of the Aperture Science system and will finally get all the answers that the first part left open so with relish. An adorable new character enters the stage in Wheatley, who’s something of a goofy-lovable counterpart to GLaDOS, who of course is back as well. More evil, more cynical, more insidious than in the first game, she keeps you on your toes, especially in the first half of the game. In addition to a few great script sequences and exciting surprises, the enormous number of gags is also impressive. Even today, Portal 2 is still one of the funniest games you can experience on the Switch (or any platform!).