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Zen Pinball 2: Portal Pinball (PS4) Review

 
PortalPinball1
PortalPinball1
PortalPinball1

 
At a Glance...
 

Formats: PS4
 
Genre:
 
Year:
 
Publisher:
 
Final Score
8.5
8.5/ 10


User Rating
1 total rating

 

We Liked?


A feature packed table that pays homage to all things Portal.

Not So Much?


Directives given via text in the upper corner of the screen can be difficult to read while frantically pinballing.


Final Fiendish Findings?

“It’s been fun. Don’t come back.” Nothing gets gamers happy like a good Portal reference, and the Portal table from Zen Pinball is just a whole lot of good Portal references blended perfectly with an excellent game of pinball. As you begin the game, you are treated to a spanning view of the entire table. […]

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Posted August 20, 2015 by

 
Final Fiendish Findings?
 
 

“It’s been fun. Don’t come back.”

Nothing gets gamers happy like a good Portal reference, and the Portal table from Zen Pinball is just a whole lot of good Portal references blended perfectly with an excellent game of pinball. As you begin the game, you are treated to a spanning view of the entire table. It captures the Portal look perfectly, from piles of rubble, to portals and companion cubes, to the ever watchful GLaDOS peering at you from the top corner of the screen. And naturally, watching isn’t all that GLaDOS does. Whether you play a respectable game or completely bomb it, she’ll be calling out insults in that delightful computer generated voice we all know and love. All of your other favorites are part of the table as well, with everyone from Wheatley and Chell to Atlas and Ratman making an appearance of some sort.

The basic gameplay follows the same format as the other Zen Pinball 2 tables. Holding down the “x” button launches a ball into play, and there isn’t a skill shot available if you’re able to hit just the right spot. You use the shoulder buttons to control the flippers, with the left shoulder controlling all the left side flippers on the table, and the right shoulder controlling the right. The table itself is filled with ramps and bumpers (shaped like companion cubes, of course) and lanes to help you in your mission to capture the highest score. At the end of each game, you’ll be given a listing of where you stand in comparison to your buddies, and that’s always good motivation to score just a little higher.

One of the best ways to bump that score higher is by completing the missions available on the table. By hitting just the right spot on the table, you can launch the missions. Like the onther Zen tables, this is shown in a small box in the upper left corner. Making your choice of mission, as well as what to do on the missions, are written up in this box. It’s a bit of a pet peeve of mine, because if you are really into the table it’s difficult to look away long enough to read the instructions. The problem with having such feature rich tables is that they often do need explanation to be played to their full potential, and having that instruction come in a more user friendly form would be welcome. That being said, it’s a credit to Zen Studios that that is literally the only criticism I have for the Portal table. It’s a great addition to the Zen Pinball 2 lineup, and one that Portal fans will adore.


Amy

 
U.S. Senior Editor & Deputy EIC, @averyzoe on Twitter, mother of 5, gamer, reader, wife to @macanthony, and all-around bad-ass (no, not really)


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