And around we go again. It's only been a year since we were first treated to Portal's unique blend of puzzling and bleak cynicism, and already we're seeing the first cashing-in on the brand's name. Portal: Still Alive, a repackaging of the original game with an additional set of puzzle maps, has just been released on Xbox Live Arcade, and begs the question: $15 for Portal?Loved Meet the old Portal, same as… - This is Portal. So long as we're talking the main game, it was great in 2007, and it's still great in 2008. Same puzzles, same GlaDOS, same cake, same lies. Graphics have been trimmed back a pinch to get it in under, XBLA's, uh, size limits, but aside from that, no changes to last year's game. Hated Dry – There are a bunch of new maps/puzzles added to the mix, as bonus, standalone (ie not part of the main story) levels. And while they present an abstract challenge, playing Portal without GlaDOS' urgings feels a lot like it's missing the point. It also stings a little that PC owners can get these levels for free, while the inclusion of them in this paid package seems to be the only thing justifying the existence of the entire product. Portal is great, yada yada yada, we already knew that. Covered it in 2007. But this product? The same game again, for $15, with some bonus maps thrown in that other people can play for free? I'm less inclined to blow sunshine up its ass. If you somehow missed Portal the first time around, and don't own a PC, and aren't interested in The Orange Box, you…probably don't exist as a real person. And won't be needing this. But hey, just in case you did tick all those boxes, Portal's great, check this out. Portal: Still Alive was developed by Valve & We Create Stuff, published by Microsoft Game Studios. Released on Oct. 22 for Xbox Live Arcade. Retails for 1200 Microsoft Points (USD$15). Played bonus maps to completion. Confused by our reviews? Read our review FAQ.
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