Valve

As a hobby, gaming can create some interesting and disquieting juxtapositions to our existence. On the one hand, it is an activity which stimulates the brain, expands the boundaries of critical thinking, and allows people to de-stress or work through the problems and frustrations of their day in a world where the consequences of their decisions are not so dire as their reality. Despite these positive factors however, gaming is still often frowned upon by a vast degree of society as a childish activity which is not to be taken seriously.

The Portal series is home to Valve’s most deliberately uneven and deliriously uncomfortable of narratives. The seemingly innocent fun of cutting holes between dimensions and using them to pass tests or accomplish tasks is offset by the brutal after-effects and the havoc which they can wreak. Likewise the witty banter and amusing dialogue of characters like GLaDOS and Wheatley are immediately rendered moot by the homicidal and power-hungry psychological states that each AI shows when challenged or placed in a position of authority.