Which version of Portal should I buy?

I have become convinced that I need Portal. I have an XBox 360, a PS2, and a PC running Win7. It looks like I can get a Portal for the XBox and the PC, so which should I get? I’m leaning towards the XBox, if only because I tend to lose my temper when installing new games on the PC.

They’re not going to be terribly different, but Portal should should be easy to install on PC. Run steam, click install portal, and you’ll be running it soon enough. It’s also $5 there at the moment. Some of the puzzles where you have to aim to create another portal while flying through the air would be more difficult on a gamepad.

The PS3 version of Portal 2 came with a code for a free download of Portal on Steam. (I assume this is still the case.)

It’s quite easy to do, and you’ll be able to play on either platform for the price of one.
Of course the price of one ps3 copy is unlikely to be $5, even on sale.

Edit: Wow. I need new glasses. You said ps2 in the OP, and weren’t even talking about Portal 2. :smiley:

I’ve played it on the PC using both the KB+mouse and with an Xbox 360 controller. I eventually preferred the KB+mouse so I’ll vote PC.

The PC version of Portal 2 looks a whole lot better. If this is the case for the original, I would go with the PC version. And I’m not one of those people who usually cares about graphics.

I’d suggest the PC version. While I haven’t done any direct comparison, aiming at targets while flying through the air would probably be a lot easier with a keyboard and mouse than with a controller.

My daughter gave me a gift card to Half Priced Books, so tomorrow we’re going to go look for a Portal, preferably for PC. I only hope I can install it without too much bloodshed.

You can purchase the PC version direct from Steampowered.com if you can no longer find it retail. As SenorBeef said, it’s $5 right now.

Steam is a reputable service and is owned by the publishers of Portal (Valve).

It’ll probably actually go on further sale at some point during the Christmas sale (most likely $2.50) but it’s not like $5 is asking a lot, so just grab it if you don’t want to wait.

PC games have almost no retail presence anymore so I’m not sure if you’ll find it with your gift card. But good luck.

Portal was a daily deal on the first day of the Christmas Sale so I don’t know that it’ll go lower than $5 again any time real soon.

Woops, you’re right, forgot that. It was $2.50, and it’s unlikely to make the last day best seller repeats, since every already owned portal and few people bought it. Portal 2 at $7.50 might be an encore deal though.

Actually, I’m looking through my steam games and I have a gift copy of Portal that I can pass your way (I bought the original, and then Portal 2 came with an extra copy). If you’re interested, PM me. You’ll have to sign up with Steam and then you can download and install it – Steam makes it all very easy.

If it’s an FPS game, you should be playing it on the PC, every time, no questions asked.

The only possible exception is maybe for something like Halo, designed as an Xbox game, and you’ll want to be playing with your friends.

This makes me very sad. I HATE downloading games, and I really hate having to be on the internet to play a single person game. I’ve had internet connectivity problems, as recently as a couple of months ago, and I don’t want to rely on an internet connection to buy or play games.

PM sent, thanks very much. I don’t have Steam, but if I can’t get this game any other way…

Usually I don’t play FPS. I’m more of a JRPG or RPG kind of person. I liked Fallout and Fallout 2, for instance, but not Fallout 3. And I’m not sure that this computer is optimized for gaming.

Even if you bought a copy of Portal in a games store, you still require to sign into Steam, so it adds up to the same thing in the end.

I am in exactly the same state as the OP - I finally got a new PC, so can start to play games again, and reluctantly realised I have to do it via online if I’m ever going to find anything decent. They just aren’t on the shelves anymore. And the first game I wanted to get was Portal. Which I have just completed and am about to begin Portal 2.

I broke down and got a Steam account. If y’all don’t see me for a while, don’t worry, there’s nothing wrong with me, other than being sucked into a game again.