What sells this game is the implicit storytelling by GlaDOS’s constant chatter (turn on subtitles!) and the changes in the environment as it slowly changes from a polished deck-of-the-Enterprise mall-like finish to the industrial inards of the facility. Cracks appear in the walls which give you a gritty glimpse behind the scenes and a silent testament to the history of this place.

(I’ve often thought there should be a videogame that dwells on what happens ‘behind the scenes’. For instance the sci-fi critters in Quake 2 that pop out of panels in the walls and ignore the health packs lying around… what do they do while waiting for space marines? There should be decks of cards in their hidey-holes, or something)

Of course the genius writing doesn’t come from nowhere – the writer of Poral is Erik Wolpaw, co-creator of Old Man Murray.com. OMM is where I first wet my feet in the world of gaming websites and it was a damn sad day when it was put on permanent hiatus.