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Which Portal title do you like more?

Well?

  • One

    Votes: 181 22.6%

  • Two

    Votes: 490 61.2%

  • Equal

    Votes: 130 16.2%
  • Total voters
    801
signal

signal

Member
Oct 28, 2017
40,200
Assuming you have a preference, which of the two Portal games do you enjoy more? Both are pretty close on Metacritic at least.

Not sure which I'd pick. I like the lore / HL connections and environments of 2 but I always found it a bit long. It's not that long of a game at all I know, but think some of it could be shaved off.
 
ghostcrew

ghostcrew

The Shrouded Ghost
Administrator
Oct 27, 2017
30,367
I think that if you're going in knowing everything and have an understanding of what Portal is and the memes etc then Portal 2 is definitely the better videogame.

However, Portal 1 had a much bigger impact on me going in fresh at release and not knowing what to expect. The simplicity of it and assuming it was some light puzzler/MGS VR Missions type thing and then it all just opening up and getting weird at some point was massive.

For want of a better comparison, Portal 2 has the Jaws 2 problem of 'you've already seen the shark' and has to simply be a good videogame.

I picked Portal 1.
 
Fat4all

Fat4all

Woke up, got a money tag, swears a lot
Member
Oct 25, 2017
92,954
here
portal 2 is much more interesting to me

it takes GLaDOS to extremely interesting places
 
julia crawford

julia crawford

Took the red AND the blue pills
Member
Oct 27, 2017
35,298
The first. There was a kind of blitzkrieg feeling about it that the sequel didn't have because we already knew what Portal was at that point.

That said both are extremely strong.
 
sredgrin

sredgrin

Attempted to circumvent ban with alt account
Banned
Oct 27, 2017
12,276
Portal 2 is the perfect package and might be the best mainstream puzzle game ever made.

Even the co-op campaign is arguably among the GOATs of the genre.
 
Tambini

Tambini

Member
Oct 25, 2017
5,385
I'm going to say I like them equally because while 1 is a bit tighter and better paced and if I had to pick I'd probably rather replay it over 2, I still loved Portal 2, it has one of my favourite endings in a game and the co op was great fun.
 
Farmboy

Farmboy

Member
Oct 27, 2017
1,150
Wow, that's a pretty tough one. I voted 2 because it built on the original in so many great ways while retaining most of what made the original great, and ultimately has ever so slightly higher highs.

But the original is absolutely perfect for what it was and tried to do, while 2 has some levels that are less than ideal, even filler-y. So I could have just as easily voted for 1.

Played 2's co-op campaign and its expansion last year. That may have put it over the top.
 
Milennia

Milennia

Prophet of Truth - Community Resetter
Member
Oct 25, 2017
18,254
Portal 2 was such an upgrade on all fronts that it's a no brainer.

One of the best sequels of all time.
 
FGNLive

FGNLive

Member
Feb 6, 2021
116
Loved the first for its mechanics and story arc, loved the second for its extension of those mechanics and characters (will never tire of Cave Johnson's endearing enthusiasm and decent into desperation). Special place for both.

Gun to the head and I choose the first.
 

Deleted member 55807

Banned
Apr 9, 2019
631
Portal 1 for sure, 2 felt overly long and didn't have the free-form flow the original had. Felt like doing vacuum cleaning after a while xD . I loved the Old Aperture setting in concept and visual design, but by that point the game had already fallen apart for me in both gameplay and story departments.

The original, though, belongs in the pantheon of nigh flawless video games. Very fresh concepts both in the gameplay and narrative departments and executed with laser precision. Chef's kiss :) .
 
Ravelle

Ravelle

Member
Oct 31, 2017
17,806
Portal 1 is a perfect puzzle game but Portal 2 is more diverse and more fun experience.

Both were ahead of their time though. Can you imagine A portal 3 with today's tech if the same team were still around.
 
OP
OP
signal

signal

Member
Oct 28, 2017
40,200
Fat4all said:
what about Lego Dimensions, signal?
Click to expand...
Click to shrink...
Need a canonical Half-Life lore connection for it to be considered.

Tim de Man said:
Portal 1 for sure, 2 felt overly long and didn't have the free-form flow the original had. Felt like doing vacuum cleaning after a while xD . I loved the Old Aperture setting in concept and visual design, but by that point the game had already fallen apart for me in both gameplay and story departments.
Click to expand...
Click to shrink...
That's pretty early. I actually liked all the old Aperature stuff, but getting back up and doing Wheatley's stuff is when I thought it was dragging on a bit.
 
Fat4all

Fat4all

Woke up, got a money tag, swears a lot
Member
Oct 25, 2017
92,954
here
Fat4all

Fat4all

Woke up, got a money tag, swears a lot
Member
Oct 25, 2017
92,954
here
where's portal 3
where's left4dead 3
where's portal Alex
where's left4dead Alex
 

Deleted member 55807

Banned
Apr 9, 2019
631
signal said:
Need a canonical Half-Life lore connection for it to be considered.


That's pretty early. I actually liked all the old Aperature stuff, but getting back up and doing Wheatley's stuff is when I thought it was dragging on a bit.
Click to expand...
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I kept playing for a while after that hoping to get back into it, and I loved the voiceover stuff that was going on, but it started feeling like a chore and I stopped (I think) at the end of that segment when the environment was getting back to modern Aperture. The gels had potential but still felt linear and constrained compared to Portal 1.

I often gravitate towards the first "part" in many things: I prefer Mario Galaxy 1 over 2, LotR1 over any other, Terminator 1, Portal 1 etc.. Many direct sequels just miss that spark for me :) .
 
dstarMDA

dstarMDA

Member
Dec 22, 2017
4,289
1 was groundbreaking and perfectly paced.

2 is a very good game, but a quite safe mix of Half-Life design with Portal mechanics.

I'll go with 1.
 
CloseTalker

CloseTalker

Member
Oct 25, 2017
30,671
Gotta be 1, it was such a singular, revolutionary experience. Like nothing I'd ever played. 2 was incredible, but even at like 6 hours it started to feel a bit long in the tooth by the end.
 
RecRoulette

RecRoulette

One Winged Slayer
Member
Oct 25, 2017
26,044
Portal 2 has one of my favorite final bosses ever and takes this easily because of that. I would have probably said Portal 1 if not for that.
 
Arthands

Arthands

Banned
Oct 26, 2017
8,039
Portal 1 has got


But Portal 2 has
ee1378a68351c3977a78d866cc76df7e3283605bv2_hq.jpg


So I don't know. I guess I like Portal 2 more
 
PopcornMegaphone

PopcornMegaphone

Member
Oct 25, 2017
4,158
ghostcrew said:
I think that if you're going in knowing everything and have an understanding of what Portal is and the memes etc then Portal 2 is definitely the better videogame.

However, Portal 1 had a much bigger impact on me going in fresh at release and not knowing what to expect. The simplicity of it and assuming it was some light puzzler/MGS VR Missions type thing and then it all just opening up and getting weird at some point was massive.

For want of a better comparison, Portal 2 has the Jaws 2 problem of 'you've already seen the shark' and has to simply be a good videogame.

I picked Portal 1.
Click to expand...
Click to shrink...

You said exactly what I wanted to say.
 
GeeseHoward

GeeseHoward

The Fallen
Oct 25, 2017
924
Portal 1 is way better. Portal 2 often felt like a pixel hunt for the one white square in the room where portal 1 was more about figuring out the actual reasoning of the puzzle.

That being said, if we seperate single and multiplayer, i'd rank portal 2 mp higher than 1, so imo:

Portal 1 > Portal 2
Portal 2 mp > portal 1 > portal 2 sp
 
.exe

.exe

Member
Oct 25, 2017
22,243
Portal (1) is the more well-rounded game, but Portal 2 has so many great ideas in it as well as that co-op campaign that it probably is my favorite between the two.
 
Spring-Loaded

Spring-Loaded

Member
Oct 27, 2017
19,904
2 because it's as good as the first while also doing more and staying interesting through its longer runtime. It goes even further with that great "I'm breaking outside of the testing area" feeling from 1. I also really enjoy the side character arcs

I totally can appreciate some instances of "less is more," but—even ignoring my general preference for "bigger and more varied, even if the experience is 'bloated' or isn't as tight,"—I still think Portal 2 is as perfect a game as 1. It's still ust as funny and well-paced.

Fat4all said:
wqsh17h35o621.jpg
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AN9KEGY.gif
 
OniluapL

OniluapL

Member
Oct 25, 2017
1,000
Portal 1 is incredibly tight and everything in there works perfectly. 2 is great, but there's some elements of it that doesn't feel as fine-tuned. Which would be fine if it were compensated by higher highs, but I think it just ties 1 at its (not uncommon) best.
 
MrCibb

MrCibb

Member
Dec 12, 2018
5,349
UK
Both are great but I'd say 2 is probably my favourite. 1 is a more refined puzzle experience, but 2's expanded story and the co-op mode especially puts it ahead for me.
 
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