Portal: The Flash Version

Portal: The Flash Version is a 2D puzzle game which is the online equivalent of Valve’s smash hit first-person puzzler “Portal”. Whilst this may be a game lacking all the bells and whistles of its big brother, a simple control system coupled with a smooth difficulty curve makes this one of the most fun and accessible games out there.

The game’s premise is identical to that of the 3D version, where the players takes control of a test subject in a research centre who must navigate his way through a myriad of maze-like puzzles using nothing but his wits and portal gun.

There are few good puzzle games that over-complicate their controls as the player needs their brain power focused on the task at hand rather than trying to remember which button allows him to jump. With Portal this trait is even more important as timing is very nearly everything. Fortunately the game passes this test with flying colours. Movement is handled with the direction keys and portals are simply fired by putting the mouse where you want it to open and clicking. Puzzles are made more complex with the addition of blocks and gun turrets that can be lifted with the gravity gun function of the weapon and moved around, and deciding how best to use obstacles like these turrets to your advantage is a key part of the game, as well as making the latter stages more difficult.

One small issue with Portal: The Flash Version is the difficulty level which, whilst usually a relatively solid curve, spikes sometimes and certain levels will take impeccable timing and precision as well as a little luck, whereas following levels will be much easier. This is a relatively small design flaw but can be off putting to a lot of players, especially bearing in mind flash games are supposed to be easy to pick up and play. When an individual level can take upwards of half an hour to complete this quality is somewhat compromised.

Fortunately, the physics are top-notch allowing the player to have a lot of fun throwing themselves out of portals over obstacles at high speed. Creating a portal under a block to send it tumbling onto an unsuspecting gun turret never gets old, and whilst the game lacks the voice over of its big brother the captions that appear at the top of the screen taking over the role of the cross-wired AI adds some comic relief. The Flash Version of Portal certainly keeps the witty charm of the original.

Graphics are nothing spectacular and there are many flash games that try to be more ambitious, but the visuals are simple and smooth allowing for easier navigation around the levels and matters are not overcomplicated. Having said that, if the player is shot by a gun turret blood will spatter in a surprisingly realistic manner, and this is a touch that makes the character seem more human somehow.

The sound effects are clean and in keeping with the tone of the game. The turrets whir and bang as they shoot at you and the boxes clank when you throw them on top of each other. The background music is a solid techno affair that sets the mood well, but it does tend to grind a little. Luckily the option is there to mute this so if it becomes frustrating players won’t have to suffer for long.

Portal: The Flash Version is a well executed homage to the console and PC version available in the shops and in terms of gameplay time there’s actually a little bit more. This is certainly a well executed title and for a free game the price is certainly right. Although some irregularities in the difficulty level make this less accessible than a lot of other online games, for those looking for an immersive and challenging puzzle game, there are few better places to look than here.

Overall: 9/10