Rebel without a choice

Abstract

Portal and Portal 2 are puzzle games with only one possible path and outcome, even though the heroin’s AI antagonist relentlessly calls her – and the player – an unstoppable rebel. Both games display an unapologetic use of paradoxes, through the world-building and dialogues, brimming with dark humor and echoing the constant ludonarrative dissonance. They bring into question the very nature of reward and victory, as well as of choice and free-will, against an authority that’s both opponent and adjuvant, a sarcastic, merciless proxy for the game designer.

Keywords

• Portal
• videogame
• puzzle games
• game design
• videogame narration