Portal 2 PC User Review Backlash

[fattypants]

PC gamers will get to revel in schadenfreude in three years when console players bemoan the smartphonization of their games and the screen says "Touch Here to Start" or "Incoming calls may interrupt gameplay".

 

[NKDietrich]

PC gamers will get to revel in schadenfreude in three years when console players bemoan the smartphonization of their games and the screen says "Touch Here to Start" or "Incoming calls may interrupt gameplay".

Won't happen. In three years it will be illegal to own or operate a mobile device of any kind out of fear you might have an accident.

 

[Betauser]

Won't happen. In three years it will be illegal to own or operate a mobile device of any kind out of fear you might have an accident.

In three years nobody will use cars due to Gas prices so high that you have to use your feet to get to work..

 

[spacing guild]

You do realize that Portal was only on the Orange Box because it was a test. Valve didn't think it would sell. Sure they liked what they had but they weren't sure if the public would. So it was "tossed in" on the Orange Box.

Portal 2 is more than just a sequel but it is also a fully flushed out game. Improved greatly in every way over the “test” and marketed on its own.

I bought Portal 2 separate. I bought EP.2 separate. I should have bought the Orange Box but I wasn't interested in TF2. Still not.

 

[Bankie]

So you buy, what, 2 games a year?

Try to make a list of games with single player campaigns longer than 10 hours without listing RPG's or anything that has multiplayer. Good luck with that.

Off the top of my head: JC2, Borderlands, GTA4, PvZ, Darksiders, Disciples 2, STALKER.

 

[NKDietrich]

In three years nobody will use cars due to Gas prices so high that you have to use your feet to get to work..

In three years nobody will have a job so they won't need to worry about it.

 

[spacing guild]

I bought L4D at launch for $50 bucks. Even though I enjoyed it, it was not worth $50. I did NOT buy L4D2 and still haven't because of L4D. Also because of L4D, I will not buy Portal 2 until the price is down to $20 or lower. I will not pre-order or get EP.3 until I know I can get a full length game for a full length price. It's going to be at least $50 if not $59.99 for pre-order.

 

[Nytegard]

Iron Man 1 used the PS2 version of the game for the port. Mercs 2 did as well I believe.

Did they have worse graphics though, or just the gameplay? Either way, I'll agree that rarely it will happen. But then you have this idiocity in response to games with worse graphics:

Every single one of the "games for windows live" games. If a game is a console port and isn't neutered, then I don't care if its a console port or not.

I'll be the first to admit that there are many consolized games.

Call of Duty MW2, Crysis 2, Fallout 3, Dragon Age 2, Bioshock, etc. But in no way would I ever make the claim that they look worse than the console version.

Each of the above games though took massive ribbing from the PC community doing exactly what we're suppose to forgive though, just because it's Valve. I'm sorry, that's BS.

Yes, I'm elitest. But also, I try to hold ALL games to the same standards, and not just ones that a groupthink tells me what I should forgive and what I should condemn.

 

[MavericK]

Welcome to the new normal.

Sadly, yes, I think so.

 

[L0s7 4 Lyf3]

This is SOME inane whining.

The game was great. Well worth the price.

But am I the only one that thought it was a little too long? Towards the end I started getting tired of having to solve puzzle after puzzle and just wanted to be done with it. Every single room you walk into is a puzzle it seems. Needed more to break it up I guess.

 

[oscrogo]

The nerd rage is strong in this thread...as are the baseless console port accusations.

It's hilarious how one string of text throws the PC gaming community into a tizzy...along with DLC you don't have to buy.

I seriously think the PC gaming community, one that I'm beginning to be ashamed of being part of, cannot enjoy a game for what it is anymore. All the picking of nits and trying to see what's wrong with a game instead of what's right leads one to have a miserable gaming experience before you press "Start New Game".

I enjoyed Crysis 2 almost as much as I enjoyed Shogun 2. I haven't smiled more while playing a game than I have playing Portal 2 since playing Full Throttle and Grim Fandango. Seeing the plot twist in Portal 2 will be a fond gaming memory, up there with finding Baba Yaga in Quest for Glory and beating Auto Aim in the Iron League in QWTF.

Bah, enough babbling..I'm just glad I can still enjoy a game.

 

[nobody_here]

In three years nobody will use cars due to Gas prices so high that you have to use your feet to get to work..

Then all sorts of crazy shit will happen, like people being more active, obesity will decline, health insurance will become cheaper, and people will live better overall quality lives. Crazy shit bro.

 

[Sycraft]

Only thing I've seen so far that I'd consider to be a legit criticism is game length vs price. If the 6-8 hour reports are accurate, and they seem to be coming form people who liked it, that is kinda steep price wise. PC games generally provide good value in terms of hours of entertainment for the dollar and a $50 game with that short an amount to do is high compared to other games. Even Modern Warfare 1, which was criticized for a short (but excellent) campaign offered more than that, and it was also largely targeted at multi-player.

However that is a fairly minor problem and not worthy of tons of hate. In my book that is something that slightly reduces the score of a game, like say a 9 to an 8, provided the game is good otherwise.

The bitching about a console load screen? Man that needs a big glass of "shut the fuck up". Seems like many people are just looking for reasons to be angry, and in particular are looking for reasons to be angry that Valve isn't "PC only" these days. For some reason some whiny PC gamers seem to consider it a sin to dare produce a game on multiple platforms.

Me? I don't care a bit. So long as the game is good on the PC, that's all that matters.

 

[Zarathustra[H]]

So you buy, what, 2 games a year?

Probably about right

Since the launch of Steam, I have bought 10 games:

They are (in order, with year purchased)

• Counter-Strike:Source (2004)
• Half Life 2 (2004)
• Civilization IV (2009)
• Half Life 2: Episode 1 (2009)
• Half Life 2: Episode 2 (2009)
• Metro 2033 (2010)
• S.T.A.L.K.E.R - Shadow of Chernobyl (2010)
• S.T.A.L.K.E.R - Clear Sky (2010)
• S.T.A.L.K.E.R - Call of Pripyat (2010)
• Civilization V (2010)

I guess that averages about 1.4 Games per year (which also happens to be about how often I go to the movies )

The list is short - in part - because I completely lost interest in games in 2005, and didn't have that interest rekindled until summer of 2009...

Most importantly though, I find very few games that are worth my money these days. Money really isn't a factor here. It's not like I have an interest in some game I just am not buying because I don't have the cash or something. I just haven't seen a single game released since ~September of 2010 (when I last bought a game) that I think would be worth playing even if it were free...

 

[Bankie]

It's hilarious how one string of text throws the PC gaming community into a tizzy...along with DLC you don't have to buy.

I agree. This is a pretty ridiculous thing to get hung up over. I'm more concerned about the $50 price tag and the 4 times longer than Portal 1 claims. Having MP does not make the game 4 times longer for me since I will likely never play it. It's like saying that CoD has 1000s of hours of gameplay therefore it's worth $200. That fact means that I'll not get $50 worth of play time out of the title. It will be on sale for $20 in a couple of months; which is when I'll pick it up.

I seriously think the PC gaming community, one that I'm beginning to be ashamed of being part of, cannot enjoy a game for what it is anymore. All the picking of nits and trying to see what's wrong with a game instead of what's right leads one to have a miserable gaming experience before you press "Start New Game".

You'll get these goons no matter what community you're a part of. Harley riders, Mac users, Sports fans, etc. The console community may be less pessimistic but that's probably because they have low standards; just look at the crap games they'll spend $60 on.
[/QUOTE]

 

[L0s7 4 Lyf3]

I still don't understand why people base their game purchases on price versus length. I mean I do, but it doesn't seem sensible to me. You pay more for more work/man-hours/expenses that go in to making it. Making games takes a lot of time relative to how long it takes for a player to complete.

Who cares? Quality > quantity. I value short, good entertainment more than I value long mediocre content. If it was $100 and gave me a fun experience that I will value and remember for the rest of my life (even if for an hour or two), worth the price.

 

[oscrogo]

@Sycraft and in all honesty, 6-8 hours of good entertainment for $50 is a pretty decent price this day and age. How much for a 2 hour crappy blue ray movie? How much is it for two to go to the movies? Amusement park? Sporting event? Shit my Caps playoff tickets are $170 a piece face value...and it goes up the next round. That's 3 hour long..

 

[Betauser]

Then all sorts of crazy shit will happen, like people being more active, obesity will decline, health insurance will become cheaper, and people will live better overall quality lives. Crazy shit bro.

and less video gaming and less whining about a freaking 1 line of string.

 

[Nytegard]

Only thing I've seen so far that I'd consider to be a legit criticism is game length vs price. If the 6-8 hour reports are accurate, and they seem to be coming form people who liked it, that is kinda steep price wise. PC games generally provide good value in terms of hours of entertainment for the dollar and a $50 game with that short an amount to do is high compared to other games. Even Modern Warfare 1, which was criticized for a short (but excellent) campaign offered more than that, and it was also largely targeted at multi-player.

However that is a fairly minor problem and not worthy of tons of hate. In my book that is something that slightly reduces the score of a game, like say a 9 to an 8, provided the game is good otherwise.

The bitching about a console load screen? Man that needs a big glass of "shut the fuck up". Seems like many people are just looking for reasons to be angry, and in particular are looking for reasons to be angry that Valve isn't "PC only" these days. For some reason some whiny PC gamers seem to consider it a sin to dare produce a game on multiple platforms.

Me? I don't care a bit. So long as the game is good on the PC, that's all that matters.

There's not a ton of hate. There's about 180 PC reviews with 23 reviews of them being 3 or below and 125 reviews giving it a perfect 10.

I'm not hating the game. I'm just extremely disappointed with the audience. I'll admit, Portal 2 isn't a step down from Portal 1, whereas Crysis 2 was from Crysis 1. But that doesn't mean it should be free from criticism.

 

[zsec]

8 hours single player with 4 hours of co-op. If you're not an idiot, you're also bound to replay single player but with the developers' comments. That's 20 hours of entertainment.

People are whining it's not a 40 hour single player, but I rather laugh, and solve puzzles for 8 hours than to collect 4 innards from buzzards, 2 dragon balls, and 8 viper fangs for a potion for 40 hours.

Very much worth admission price. Specially if you pre-ordered for 10% discount.

 

[Bankie]

Seems like many people are just looking for reasons to be angry, and in particular are looking for reasons to be angry that Valve isn't "PC only" these days. For some reason some whiny PC gamers seem to consider it a sin to dare produce a game on multiple platforms.

It's no different than the PS3 fanboys that said that the 360 dumbed down FFXIII or that GTA4 would have had lifelike graphics had it not been multiplatform. The 360 fanboys that claim that PC gaming is dieing or that the PS3 had no games. The Nintendo fanboys that got pissed that Final Fantasy went to the PlayStation.

It's the same no matter where you go.

 

[deff]

This shit is getting tiring and sad. Nobody judges a game on what offers anymore, its all about the frivolous bitching. Kind of makes me ashamed to call myself a PC gamer anymore.

I know Im reserving judgment until I get my hands on it and play it myself, just like I did with Crysis 2.

 

[Godmachine]

My 2 pennies reads as this:
Consoles are to games as what WebTV was for the internet. Made for idiots. Pisses me off though that most people are indeed idiots and companies are spending their time appealing to them and leaving the true gamers with 'ports'. The way things are going it won't be long until you'll need an Xbox emulator to even play a game on the PC.

That is probably the worst statement I've ever seen against console users. Are you 4? You do realize that consoles have been around for as long as the personal computer?

People need to stop viewing the console gamer as an "enemy" only a fool would assume thats the issue. Console gaming is here and its sticking around , stop using it to lament your hate for publishers/developers catering to it.

Do you honestly think Valve or any other developer/publisher makes games simply to blow millions of dollars to not make a strong profit? Video games are a BUSINESS , they always have been and the quality of games since the beginning has gone up ...not down.

People are being extremely whiny about Portal 2 , its a fantastic incredible game. I'm no fanboy of any gaming company nor of PC vs Console bullshit debate. If you truly love games it doesn't matter what platform they are on , this childish platform wars shit has been going on forever.

So many of you are jaded gamers , with impossible to please requirements. All I ever see is complaints , rarely do I see a glowing review from even the least jaded reviewer without dings for seriously minor issues.

Getting sick of reading this shit.

 

[Bankie]

@Sycraft and in all honesty, 6-8 hours of good entertainment for $50 is a pretty decent price this day and age. How much for a 2 hour crappy blue ray movie? How much is it for two to go to the movies? Amusement park? Sporting event? Shit my Caps playoff tickets are $170 a piece face value...and it goes up the next round. That's 3 hour long..

All of that stuff is overpriced to some people. I think $170 is an insane amount of money for nearly anything that's only 3 hours long. But, I think that a $1000 guitar is a good value since it will give tens of thousands of hours for the price while others may think it's crazy to spend that much. Cost vs Useable Time does not lose relevance just because there is other stuff out there that costs more.

 

[L0s7 4 Lyf3]

All of that stuff is overpriced to some people. I think $170 is an insane amount of money for nearly anything that's only 3 hours long. But, I think that a $1000 guitar is a good value since it will give tens of thousands of hours for the price while others may think it's crazy to spend that much. Cost vs Useable Time does not lose relevance just because there is other stuff out there that costs more.

Why is $1000 a reasonable price for a guitar that'll give so much play time, when you could get a $100 guitar that'll give the same play time?

Quality.

Why is Portal 2 $50 for a few hours of play time?

Quality.

 

[Bankie]

So many of you are jaded gamers , with impossible to please requirements. All I ever see is complaints , rarely do I see a glowing review from even the least jaded reviewer without dings for seriously minor issues.

You're not looking very hard. The people that love Portal 2 far out number the people that are speaking against it.

I'm starting to think that the posters on Metacritic are trolling the gamers that have become so vocal against gamers that have a differing opinion.

 

[Gorankar]

If it is a port, it is a damn good one. The only consolization I have see so far is that the puzzles seem a little easier in some respects. Like they were slightly tweaked to make them possible with a controler. It's not that bad though. And that may just be me, I have played many community maps that were just plain retarded hard. So my opinion might be a little skewed.

 

[Bankie]

Why is $1000 a reasonable price for a guitar that'll give so much play time, when you could get a $100 guitar that'll give the same play time?

Quality.

Why is Portal 2 $50 for a few hours of play time?

Quality.

A $1000 guitar will sound better, hold a tune better, look better, feel better, and just plain be better than a $100 guitar.

A good $50 game is not necessarily any better than a good $10 game.

 

[Zarathustra[H]]

That is probably the worst statement I've ever seen against console users. Are you 4? You do realize that consoles have been around for as long as the personal computer?

And what exactly does how long consoles have been around have to do with anything. The quality of console games has been supremely inferior to those on the computer since day one.

I had a NES back in the day, but by the time I was 11 I had completely abandoned consoles in favor of computers.

Consoles were then - as they are now - intended for weak minded idiots with gnat-like attention spans with some sort of desire to just disconnect their brains and mash on buttons.

Computer games - on the other had - have always appealed more to the intellectual challenge. More complexity, more options, more things to think about, the need to actually have a strategy, etc. etc. etc.

As games have developed good PC games have had more character developemtn, better story lines and bore depth than their console counterparts, which have been more focused on cheap thrills and instant action.

Compare - for instance - the following contemporaries:

Civilization IV on the PC vs. Civilization Revolution on the console.

Revolution was a pathetic dumbed down imitation of the real thing, completely lacking the complexity and depth of Civ IV on the PC.


Metro 2033 (console and console port on the PC) vs S.T.A.L.K.E.R. on the PC.

Both are Former soviet post apocalyptic future games. Metro 2033 was a relatively brainless tunnel shooter. A very pretty brainless tunnel shooter, but a brainless tunnel shooter none the less. S.T.A.L.K.E.R. on the other hand had rich outdoor environments, required you to solve problems, gave you options on how to approach issues, and had a ton of character development, and setting of mood, not to mention the complexity of the weapons and ballistics. A true masterpiece.

Counter-Strike on the PC to the endless barrage of uninspired Console titles like Modern Warfare, Call of Duty, Halo and their sequels.

There is simply no comparison. Even with its older graphics, Counter-Strike blows these games out of the water in every possible way imaginable.


Over time, not much has changed, except the fact that games are now co-developed, where they weren't in the past, so these days, the mass market cheap thrill no-brain games are dragging down the PC games with them, as few want to develop for the smaller PC market. This is a crying shame even before you start considering the differences in the various platforms capabilities in producing good graphics, etc, where the PC dominates

As I mentioned earlier in this thread, I have only bought 10 games since 2003. Not because I can't afford them, but because I just can't find anything worth playing anymore.

I think PC gamers are right to lament that the mindless hordes who play games on consoles influence the developers to the point where a good PC game is impossible to come by.

Let's face it. Consoles are great for children, but once you enter your teens, or - gasp - become an adult if you are still so easily distracted by mindless action then you truly are an inferior being.

 

[L0s7 4 Lyf3]

A $1000 guitar will sound better, hold a tune better, look better, feel better, and just plain be better than a $100 guitar.

A good $50 game is not necessarily any better than a good $10 game.

Sound quality, look and feel are all subjective, which is true. Though not many people would argue in the real world that a $100 guitar is as good as a $1000 guitar (unless it's a Monster guitar ). As there is a general trend or consensus that a Gibson is better than Epiphone guitar.

Just like not many people would argue that Blonde Beach Volleyball is better than Portal 2. Because 20-unlimited hours of painful volleyball for $10 is not a better value to the average Joe than 6 hours of glorious Portal for $50.

 

[NathanP2007]

I bought the PS3 version because i have a PS3 and wanted it for PC for free. I am however disappointed with the graphics in the PC version. Im not saying i think its a port or not, i have no clue. I just know i played it for a hour on PS3, then went to my PC, downloaded it on steam, and played it. And wow it was basically identical to the PS3 version in terms of graphical quality. Obviously the game is still great, but i was expecting a big difference, even Crysis 2's difference between PC and Xbox is huge. And thats DX9 on PC, i bet when the DX11 patch is released the difference will be even more drastic.

 

[Bankie]

Just like not many people would argue that Blonde Beach Volleyball is better than Portal 2. Because 20-unlimited hours of painful volleyball for $10 is not a better value to the average Joe than 6 hours of glorious Portal for $50.

So 6 glorious hours of Portal 2 for $50 is a better value than say 3 glorious hours in Portal 1 for $20, 10+ glorious hours of PvZ for $10, 10+ glorious hours in Thief ($40 when it was new), 50+ glorious hours in Baldur's Gate, etc?

 

[toddw]

Who are these people that buy day 1 launches and/or pre-order? I can't remember the last time I purchased a game over $3 that I didn't check metascore or read a review on first.

 

[L0s7 4 Lyf3]

So 6 glorious hours of Portal 2 for $50 is a better value than say 3 glorious hours in Portal 1 for $20, 10+ glorious hours of PvZ for $10, 10+ glorious hours in Thief ($40 when it was new), 50+ glorious hours in Baldur's Gate, etc?

These are different cases.

All those games now have their prices reduced because their development costs have been amortized and it's safe/sensible for the developer/publisher to drop the price to continue getting sales.

Judging a game by length is shoehorning. It's a damn good game, if you enjoy it it was worth your money. Whether it was $10 or $1000. It is entertainment, it is meant to entertain you. At no point should entertainment pretend to be frugal, it is an entirely extraneous expense that you don't need to survive. If it entertained you, mission accomplished regardless of the sticker price.

I'm sure the guys at Valve would tell you that $50 to play the game they spent thousands of hours and millions of dollars producing is a pretty sweet value. The price is irrelevant to the game itself, which was spectacular.

 

[Zarathustra[H]]

Who are these people that buy day 1 launches and/or pre-order? I can't remember the last time I purchased a game over $3 that I didn't check metascore or read a review on first.

I Pre-Ordered Civilization V, primarily because I knew I'd wind up buying it either way (I've never been disappointed by a PC Civilization game, other than when it comes to early bugs (Civ Revolution on the console was a disaster), and because of the bonus materials that came with it.

 

[Untitledone]

Another sad day for PC gamers if this trend continues. Well maybe all the un-used gaming computers of the future can be used for folding!

 

[Zarathustra[H]]

Another sad day for PC gamers if this trend continues. Well maybe all the un-used gaming computers of the future can be used for folding!

Folding uses too much electricity. When not actively used, all my boxes except my server ar OFF

 

[Nytegard]

Who are these people that buy day 1 launches and/or pre-order? I can't remember the last time I purchased a game over $3 that I didn't check metascore or read a review on first.

They're the same people who in my opinion, honestly aren't worth reading reviews from, as their opinion of the game, good or bad, has already been set. When going to metacritic, I immediately discard any review with a score of 10 or score below 2. That itself leaves me with about 40 reviews out of the 700+ reviews on Portal 2 PC. It's a similar line of logic of why I trust [H] over other sites for hardware reviews. I want real life opinions and not manufactured and manipulated benchmarks.

 

[Concillian]

The way things are going it won't be long until you'll need an Xbox emulator to even play a game on the PC.

[MS exec]
What an exceptional idea, I think I'll take this as an action item to have this as a deliverable by Christmas. Implementation of this key item will open an additional revenue stream to Microsoft and allow PC gaming developers to increase their margins by removing the cumbersome step that porting to a PC is. This will certainly result in millions of dollars of profit and an increase in efficiency that will save thousands of programming hours a year (so we can lay off some people and save even more.) An idea that leads to such a significant cost savings deserves a prestigious award, so we'll be sending you a plaque AND a t-shirt. Thank you Betaboy1983!
[/MS exec]

 

[NotJay]

i don't understand complaints with graphics. did you guys expect crysis?
i didn't expect much boost from console version ..it is still based on source engine after all