INTRO

• What impressed you?
  • Loved the concept: "I cannot tell you how much I loved this game [Music] I loved the concept of it" (0:58-1:04).
  • GLaDOS voice and narrative delivery: "GLaDOS is Iconic and treacherous" (4:38); "the most friendly ominous uncanny valley" (13:10); "mad kudos to the script writers the story story writers for this game they able to do what they did" (2:22:38-2:22:46).
  • Visual feedback for portals: "the little doodads on the back of her feet as well as being able to see yourself go through that portal and then just grock what just happened was a huge huge thing" (2:02-2:09).
• What would you change?
  • (missing information here)
• How could it be better?
  • (missing information here)

GETTING GOING

• What impressed you?
  • Tutorial structure: "the whole first half of this game maybe even longer is really just a tutorial to teach you how to use the portals how to think in Portals I mean it just took so long um and so to hide the tutorial phase and how long it was they just spread it out across all these little logic puzzles which I think is great" (3:50-4:14); "bit by bit you get tiny bits of narrative delivered to you" (4:33-4:38).
  • Telegraphing and purposeful solving: "I have a really solid idea of what I'm trying to do... this is really great tell gra puzzle design that um I don't know the solution yet but I know what the problem is so I'm not solving this problem by accident I solve it on purpose and when I solve it on purpose I feel smart which is super super cool" (11:05-11:38).
  • Step-by-step metering: "these early puzzles are very very good at metering out thinking about them differently one one puzzle at a time" (9:02-9:08); "Nintendo design right there" (35:59-36:06); "variations on a theme is very very good Nintendo quality puzzle design of to to teach New Concepts" (41:28-41:39).
  • Contained chambers: "each one is obviously contained... you're being tested that you're basically a Rabat lab rat" (6:54-7:20).
• What would you change?
  • (missing information here)
• How could it be better?
  • (missing information here)

FUN

• What impressed you?
  • Felt smart and excited: "I solve it on purpose and when I solve it on purpose I feel smart which is super super cool" (11:31-11:38); "makes you feel super cool when you double up your momentum" (42:01).
  • Laughs and dark humor: "that's funny dark humor" (46:02); "they would definitely one of those comedic beats that goes down in history" (2:02:27-2:02:40) re: companion cube; "dumb so good" (2:25:31) re: cake ingredients.
  • Paradigm shifts: "aha I made it across that Gap... that's a really great mind paradigm shift" (8:30-8:48).
  • Panic and tension: "the Panic of this moment uh uh uh uh it's legit" (1:20:12-1:20:21).
  • Overall love: "I freaking love portal it's a good one" (51:21); "well valve what a bunch of Champions absolutely classic" (2:03:40-2:03:50).
• What would you change?
  • (missing information here)
• How could it be better?
  • (missing information here)

VISUALS

• What impressed you?
  • Portal feedback: "doodads on the back of her feet as well as being able to see yourself go through that portal" (2:02).
  • Depth telegraphing: "that light on the ceiling there... very similar to the 3D sh or the the shadow blob underneath Mario... to Telegraph the space of an object" (14:18-14:39).
  • Reticle: "the reticle is useful... when it's highlighted... those two fill... you can see which one you have shot most recently" (28:02-28:49); "paying attention to the reticle matters" (1:16:12).
• What would you change?
  • (missing information here)
• How could it be better?
  • (missing information here)

INTELLIGENCE

• What impressed you?
  • GLaDOS personality and awareness: "listening to her matters and her vocal patterns were just hard enough... what she said was relevant" (1:23-1:44); "GLaDOS is Iconic and treacherous" (4:38); "she's watching you" (1:39:32); "engaging like she's not actually talking to me yet but being engaging" (20:06).
  • Enemies as puzzles: "they fall down so easily... easy to knock over they're really a puzzle element" (47:22-48:21); "the best way to do that is shooting these little ball do doohickeys at them because that's part of the mechanics" (1:08:10-1:08:15).
• What would you change?
  • (missing information here)
• How could it be better?
  • (missing information here)

IMMERSION

• What impressed you?
  • Not feeling alone: "somehow this game manages to still feel like there's character and you have someone to talk to you're not purely alone" (20:38-20:50).
  • Time flying/surprise shortness: "did not realize this game was this short I'm only 2 hours in I'm at the end of the game" (1:52:06-1:52:12); "dang I beat the whole game in two hours pretty incredible" (1:59:11).
  • Freedom in thinking: "think in Portals" repeated, e.g., (8:48, 36:49, 1:34:27).
• What would you change?
  • (missing information here)
• How could it be better?
  • (missing information here)

CAMERAS

• What impressed you?
  • Stability: "if you hold still camera does stay consistent" (1:16:52).
• What would you change?
  • (missing information here)
• How could it be better?
  • (missing information here)

CONTROLS

• What impressed you?
  • Precision shooting: "I like to have uh slightly less sensitive Mouse so that I can be really precise about shooting the the portals" (3:07-3:14).
  • Reticle and feedback: Helps track portals (28:02+).
  • Genre mix: "mix and mash genres like this first person shooter with a puzzle... captured the it's not a shooter even though it's a first person perspective" (15:54-16:13).
• What would you change?
  • (missing information here)
• How could it be better?
  • (missing information here)

IDEAS

• What impressed you?
  • Portal thinking/paradigm shift: "the nonan nature of the portals means that you have to rethink like uh physical space" (8:48-9:02); momentum: "Speedy thing goes in Speedy thing comes out" (21:59-22:05).
  • Contained vs. open: "micro puzzles... easier to craft" vs. Zelda/Metroid (7:35-7:59).
  • Companion cube: "whose idea it was to to do this one" (54:06).
  • Narrative integration: Tutorial hidden in puzzles; GLaDOS lies/taunts; "all of that tutorial was to get to here" (2:25:48).
  • Reveal and escape: "awesome reveal" (2:22:38).
• What would you change?
  • (missing information here)
• How could it be better?
  • (missing information here)

MEMORY

• What impressed you?
  • Want more: Plans Portal 2 next (53:27+); "classic um I think this game requires you or is required to be played" (2:03:47).
  • High-point (50 words): "I freaking love portal... mad kudos to the script writers... GLaDOS iconic treacherous... tutorial hidden in puzzles... paradigm shift rethink space... companion cube comedic beat... beat in 2 hours incredible" (synthesized from 51:21, 2:22:38, 4:38, 3:50, 8:48, 2:02:27, 1:59:11).
• What would you change?
  • (missing information here)
• How could it be better?
  • (missing information here)