X08: Hands-on Portal: Still Alive (XBLA)

by Xav de Matos { Aug 22nd 2008 at 8:00AM }

A buzzing noise fills the room as you are shaken awake. Bright lights bounce off the windowed walls of your 4 foot by 5 foot holding cell, making them twice as bright. As you rise from your bed and adjust your eyes a timer clicks from beyond your transparent walls and immediately you can't help but to fear you've seen this all before.

Portal: Still Alive is the upcoming Xbox Live Arcade title based on the critically acclaimed original found in The Orange Box from Valve. Those who were unfortunate enough to never play the original Portal are in luck as Portal: Still Alive is essentially the exact same experience but with a few added bonuses.

"With Portal: Still Alive, you're getting the original game that comes in The Orange Box," an Xbox representative told us. Experienced players need not worry, however, as Portal: Still Alive will sport, "a host of new levels and new achievements." As recently confirmed by Doug Lombardi, some of the new levels included are the maps found in Portal: The Flash Version map pack, currently available for free on the PC.

Explaining how Portal: Still Alive feels is harder than you'd imagine it would be. It would be easy to say it felt like Portal -- since it is exactly that -- but one key element was missing from our hands-on time: the sound. Forget the enigmatic pops and buzzing noises emitted from turrets, the metallic bounce of energy orbs or the whizzing noise of a freshly summoned portal; removing the sound made us realize how important the dialog was to Portal's success. While sounds will be included in the final build of the game (breaking news!) the noisy atmosphere helped to confirm one of our lingering fears: with no new audio from fan favorite GLaDOS for the bonus levels, Portal: Still Alive feels lifeless.

If your wish for Portal: Still Alive is extra challenges with a disregard for story, then this Arcade release is exactly what you want (and it controls as well as it ever has with an Xbox 360 controller). However, if you're not okay with the lack of any story elements, Still Alive may have you worried that the Portal train is making an unnecessary stop on Microsoft's Arcade.

Portal: Still Alive is slated to release exclusively on the Xbox Live Arcade by the end of the year.

Tags: joystiqfeatures, portal, portal-still-alive, still-alive, valve, x08, xbla, xbox-live-arcade

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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

Michael @ Aug 22nd 2008 8:08AM

Just to be clear, GlaDOS will still be in the original part of the game, correct?

Yourself @ Aug 22nd 2008 8:12AM

Yes, that's pretty much "confirmed."

Although I agree that the third paragraph of this post was somewhat misleading and oddly written.

Xoviet chiK @ Aug 22nd 2008 8:12AM

What about people who purchased The Orange Box then? Any chance for the extras as DLC?

If they can't manage that, I have little hope of ever seeing a significant update to TF2 360 :(

Mr.ESC @ Aug 22nd 2008 11:27AM

Pea bob:I waited Valve,we all waited!...*Dies

To be honest by the time TF2 in the x360 is updated the game will be empty.Anyhow it was awesome but I guess I'll buy the Pc version one of these days.

Xoviet chiK @ Aug 22nd 2008 11:41AM

I wouldn't count on it dying out just yet. It seems a nice refuge from the traditional drivel that can be found in the userbase of Gears of War, Call of Duty 4, and Halo 3, a lot of adult-minded players seem to hold it down pretty well (can only play so much Lost Planet and Shadowrun, before you need a serious change of pace).

I finally managed to talk a few pre-existing friends into getting TOB for 360 (helps that it's $30, Toys R Us is having a great sale, and it's arguably the best game on 360/PS3), I had thought it had long since died, but I was shocked to see 20-30 games going on at once. TF2 360 has legs, even if Valve and PC Gamer Elitists make a career out of proving the opposite.

Xoviet chiK @ Aug 23rd 2008 11:41AM

Of course, Valve announces TF2 360 update after I post this.

Whining works everyone! Send your angry letters and sign your overzealous petitions... it works!

Can't wait for "Still Alive" The Orange Box expansion DLC announcement next October.

Theo1130 @ Aug 22nd 2008 8:24AM

If you guys get to interview someone from Valve, please ask them about TF2 DLC for 360

emirabal @ Aug 22nd 2008 8:39AM

Yeah, i have almost all of the achievements for the portal, so is this a separate game for the 360 with separate achievements or what. Thanks.

Duke @ Aug 22nd 2008 11:08AM

"Experienced players need-not worry however as Portal: Still Alive will sport, "a host of new levels and new achievements."

Thats from the story above.

Dave T @ Aug 22nd 2008 8:44AM

So what started out as a PC hit is now going exclusively for XBLA. Real fair...

Will @ Aug 22nd 2008 8:53AM

Just download more maps. I doubt anything in the XBLA title will change gameplay much. In fact, if they do change anything it will probably be for the worse since it's just a small Arcade title.

jquadman @ Aug 22nd 2008 9:09AM

The added content in Portal: Still Alive is available for free on the PC. That's more than fair my friend.

http://portalmaps.wecreatestuff.com/

mj @ Aug 22nd 2008 8:47AM

How does the original game FIT into XBLA? What happened to the space requirements?

Haggard @ Aug 22nd 2008 10:24AM

MS bumped up the limits.

Jakka(Naked Peach Defence Force!) @ Aug 22nd 2008 8:58AM

Yee-haw! Let's all milk the Portal cow!

Solid @ Aug 22nd 2008 9:18AM

I don't have the Orange Box. So if this is reasonably priced, then I shall get this...

But I'm expecting them to go: "Hmmm...Portal is a big success, so....2400 MS points please."

Alex @ Aug 22nd 2008 10:44AM

And why, exactly, do you not have The Orange Box?

You should be put away.

jayeffaar @ Aug 22nd 2008 10:57AM

I don't have it either. I already own HL2 (plus eps 1 & 2) on the PC and I don't care about TF2. Paying full price just to get Portal didn't seem like a wise purchasing decision. If the price is right on this release, I'm snatching it up too.

Mr.ESC @ Aug 22nd 2008 11:30AM

You still don't have an Orange BOX?

What are you waiting for? Nintendo to make one?

You have seen the games right?...Wrong answer man.

Show 'em.

(Seriously buy the Orange Box)

shMerker @ Aug 22nd 2008 12:53PM

I would hope they'd have the sense to price it at 1600($20) or less since that's what the game costs as a standalone at retail or on Steam. I'm sure valve wouldn't want it priced any higher.

JohnnySocko @ Aug 22nd 2008 3:36PM

Mr.ESC: You, sir, are a genius for that reference. One of my favorite commercials ever.

WiNG [Life in a Game] @ Aug 22nd 2008 9:51AM

When I first bought and installed Portal on PC, there was a common bug in which there was no glados voiceover.

I played through to level 18 with no glados, before someone on a forum joked about that "robot voice."

When I asked about it everyone told me I hadn't REALLY played the game until I reinstalled and fixed it.

They were right.