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Game Debate to the Death! Counter-Strike VS Portal photo
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Last week's debate could have gone so much worse, and I'm thoroughly pleased that it went as well as it did. I went into the PC odd game debates nervous about what games I could possibly pair up against Portal, since I really didn't want to shy away from including it in the brackets. I originally had it matched up against Myst, and still plan to have that debate in a few months, but I'm so glad the battle of old-versus-new went so well last week. Yeah, a lot of people didn't even know what TLJ was, and yes, some people voted for TLJ thinking it was actually Dreamfall, but long time Dtoid reader Im OK summed things up pretty well with:

TLJ is still getting far more votes than I would have expected, which is very heartening to me. I think this one may be closer than the crushing victory for Portal that I first suspected it would be. Whichever one ends up winning doesn't really matter because they are both awesome games which should be played by everyone.

Here are last week's expected, but encouraging, results:

  • Portal (52 votes) -- "This was a triumph." -- Winner!
  • The Longest Journey (38 votes)

This week we move on to the final odd debate finals debate bracket, and Valve happens to be sitting on both sides of the table. After the PC odd debates are completed, it's back to the random reader-inspired debates we're used to. For this week, which game do you think is better, and why? Give it some serious thought, get some PC friends to share their opinions as well, and check back next week for the winner.

Bonus Question: What are some game debates you'd like to see in the near future? Suggest as many as you like!


Continue: More Debate stories





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112 comments | showing # 1 to 50

Scary Womanizing Pig Mask's Avatar
Scary Womanizing Pig Mask at 06/23/2009 22:30
Portal
Drake00991's Avatar
Drake00991 at 06/23/2009 22:31
Counter-Strike

Portal got mad boring after an hour, I still have Counter-Strike relapse every now and again.
Shirley Temple's Avatar
Shirley Temple at 06/23/2009 22:32
Portal
Dr Milkdad's Avatar
Dr Milkdad at 06/23/2009 22:33
lol, I'm going with COUNTER-STRIKE because I put more hours of good times into it that I did with Portal.
Midgetsnowman's Avatar
Midgetsnowman at 06/23/2009 22:37
Portal. Counterstrike sucked balls.
Shoop's Avatar
Shoop at 06/23/2009 22:37
Portal 'cause CS is boring :(
Kalmah's Avatar
Kalmah at 06/23/2009 22:39
I gotta agree with Milkdad here. I've put 5 hours into portal. I've put countless years (and still going) on Counterstrike. Definitely gotta go with Counterstrike on this one.
SephirothX's Avatar
SephirothX at 06/23/2009 22:48
I'm going with Portal only because I'm not in the mood to praise a team-based HL mod.
de BLOO's Avatar
de BLOO at 06/23/2009 22:49
Portal.

Bonus: Street Fighter IV
burglarize's Avatar
burglarize at 06/23/2009 22:49
CS: Source

Way too much time spent on that. Portal is amazing, but not CS amazing.
Fronz's Avatar
Fronz at 06/23/2009 22:52
Portal: Quality.
CS: Quality (back then at least) AND Quantity. And more quantity. And more.

VOTE: CS.

Bonus Question: Why are there no debate suggestions yet?!

@ de BLOO -- SFIV vs what?
Catmurderer's Avatar
Catmurderer at 06/23/2009 22:54
Portal


Bonus: Best competitive game's meta game
specter620's Avatar
specter620 at 06/23/2009 22:54
Having played CS from early in the beta cycle well through 2003, I still have to go with Portal. It's still one of the best games I've played in recent memory.
Rabspat's Avatar
Rabspat at 06/23/2009 22:54
I'm gonna go with Counter-Strike on this one.

Bonus: Cave Story vs Knytt Stories.
BADInc's Avatar
BADInc at 06/23/2009 22:58
portal
pettiger15's Avatar
pettiger15 at 06/23/2009 22:59
Portal
Furyfire's Avatar
Furyfire at 06/23/2009 22:59
Going Counter-Strike - Its one of the first 'big' FPS on the Computer... despite the fact every 11-13 year old could out cuss any man over the age of 30 on that game...
Doomsday Forte's Avatar
Doomsday Forte at 06/23/2009 23:00
I didn't really enjoy my time with CSS, sadly. I mean, not to knock other games in the same vein as it, but I played with people who were eons beyond my skill level (played with a friend, got the game for that very reason, actually...). I'd usually be the first one dead on my team, and it was a blue moon I'd even hit someone (and a red moon when I got a kill). I understand there are other servers, but then I wouldn't be playing with my friend, so that's irrelevant. =P

Portal had a fun narrative and antagonist, and the only person you had to worry about was your own self. If you died, it was your own fault, not someone using the AWP on you.

Portal wins for me.

Bonus: I want to see supporting cast characters duking it out against each other. Like Roll Caskett versus Maya Fey. But that would turn into Game A versus Game B or Hero A versus Hero B. Hmm.
P-Dude's Avatar
P-Dude at 06/23/2009 23:02
Counter-Strike, hands down. Portal is great, but when it comes to straight up classics, CS takes the cake. Portal is just more hip.
Xhumation's Avatar
Xhumation at 06/23/2009 23:06
Portal

It's approach to narrative just blew me away. Counter strike got real boring, real fast for me.
specter620's Avatar
specter620 at 06/23/2009 23:08
Bonus: Half-life vs. Half-life 2 or has that been done?
X51's Avatar
X51 at 06/23/2009 23:14
CS felt bland as fuck to me. Portal was at least interesting.

Bonus: Fallout 2 vs. Baldur's Gate II
HerosPlayDumb's Avatar
HerosPlayDumb at 06/23/2009 23:16
portal just because i never really got into counter strike
Sharpless's Avatar
Sharpless at 06/23/2009 23:16
As a game? Portal is better. Counterstrike is about as vanilla as the FPS genre can possibly get -- which isn't a bad thing, but it doesn't even remotely stack up against a brilliant game like Portal.
Chronic Logic's Avatar
Chronic Logic at 06/23/2009 23:19
5 years from now, which game is still going to be played? Of course CS.
Sharpless's Avatar
Sharpless at 06/23/2009 23:19
Bonus question: Half Life: Opposing Force vs. Half Life: Blue Shift, and HL2: Episode One vs. HL2: Episode Two. Also, Team Fortress 2 vs. The Universe. (PROTIP: Team Fortress 2 wins.)
overrated44's Avatar
overrated44 at 06/23/2009 23:25
Counter Strike, I've been playing CS since I was 15, I'm 23 now, Counter Strike.
PersianLoveBomb's Avatar
PersianLoveBomb at 06/23/2009 23:25
Portal, for sure. It made me radically rethink my ideas about storycraft in videogames.
Havoc Fang's Avatar
Havoc Fang at 06/23/2009 23:26
Prototype VS Nintendogs
Midgetsnowman's Avatar
Midgetsnowman at 06/23/2009 23:30
@Chronic: The funny part is it'll be the same people that play it now because its generally the only thing they do play.
Chronic Logic's Avatar
Chronic Logic at 06/23/2009 23:31
Prototype VS inFAMOUS

YOU KNOW THIS HAS GOTTA FUCKING HAPPEN!!!
UNLEASH THE FANBOYS!!!!
tkyy's Avatar
tkyy at 06/23/2009 23:36
Counter Strike.

Portal is a better game overall, but it's not that addicting.
VenatioDecorus's Avatar
VenatioDecorus at 06/23/2009 23:40
Counter-Strike. Classic.

Portal was great but I love the multiplayer.
that1dude24's Avatar
that1dude24 at 06/23/2009 23:40
Portal.

An incredible game, even if it is incredibly short.

Bonus:Team Fortress 2 vs Counter-strike source
John B's Avatar
John B at 06/23/2009 23:42
Portal. Without question.

CS is nothing more than Unreal Tournament with a different look.

Portal is brilliant, well thought out, and of course funny as hell. It was a pleasure to go back and play Portal again. Can't really say the same thing about CS.
Grimspoon's Avatar
Grimspoon at 06/23/2009 23:52
My vote: CS

Portal was a great game, lots of fun, but CS has longevity.

I suspect people will overlook this fact and lean towards the short, one time burst of fun instead of YEARS of entertainment CS has given the community.

Gamers are shallow.
Midgetsnowman's Avatar
Midgetsnowman at 06/23/2009 23:56
@Grimspoon: or perhaps a lot of us don't like Counterstrike?
VengefulPenor's Avatar
VengefulPenor at 06/24/2009 00:03
I think I will have to go with portal on this one CSS is fun and all but I can't't reference it in my daily life.
Swizzler121's Avatar
Swizzler121 at 06/24/2009 00:07
counter-strike

mod potential. portal doesn't have much.
dgschrei's Avatar
dgschrei at 06/24/2009 00:11
Portal

CS is so overrated it's not even funny.

Bonus: No one lives Forever (1 or 2) vs FEAR. I want to know if I'm the only one who likes the old Monolith titles more.
Necro BABS's Avatar
Necro BABS at 06/24/2009 00:11
Portal
Forcepath's Avatar
Forcepath at 06/24/2009 00:12
@Grimspoon: I disagree mostly because longevity doesn't have to rely on playing the same game over again versus other people, but also the memories, ideas, and fun a game has can create as much longevity in a person's mind. I don't think that gamers are shallow in general either, however, they do tend to have a short memory, and what long term memory they have is clouded over by fantastical waves of nostalgia.

What I'm getting at is, yes CS has a great amount of replay about it - duh, but Portal also changes how you see a game narrated. It is rewarding and gives you that giddy feeling at the end, a sense of accomplishment and awe.

For me, Portal is just a better game because it was strongly revolutionary without using any of the normal gaming hooks to keep it "fun". It was really only 4ish hours long, but nearly every comment in this thread so far has called it a good game. That's pretty rare in today's generation of gaming.

Either way, I think that Portal is the opposite of a shallow experience in gaming. It offers an immersive experience without the long gameplay, multiplayer, co-op, grinding, or any of that stuff we come to expect in games. Add in a great story, comedy, and a dash of ingenuity, and it truly is one of the great games of an era.

Portal all the way for me.

Bonus Question: Final Fantasy bracket deathmatch, Prototype vs. inFAMOUS (because it would be fun(ny)), Mario Kart 64 vs Diddy Kong Racing
adultswim810's Avatar
adultswim810 at 06/24/2009 00:15
portal. I still don't see counter strike as "fun"
rhk's Avatar
rhk at 06/24/2009 00:16
portal was great... but Counter Strike lasts...

Counter Strike
rbrooks's Avatar
rbrooks at 06/24/2009 00:23
counter strike of course
Yesterdaysheadline's Avatar
Yesterdaysheadline at 06/24/2009 00:26
Counter-Strike

One of the most addictive multiplayer games ever created.

Not only is it still being played today but there are numerous national and international Counter-Strike tournaments being held every year.

Either way, Valve has two winners here, I just prefer Counter-Strike.
Johnnyreb2565's Avatar
Johnnyreb2565 at 06/24/2009 00:27
I'm gonna half to go with Counter Strike Source. As amazing as Portal is Counter strike wins for me on the amount time I sunk in it.

Bonus:
Dragon Quest Monster v. Pokemon
Dragon Quest Series v. Final Fantasy series
Battlefield 1942 v. Team Fortress Classic
Battlefield 2 v. Counter strike
Battlefield 2 v. Team Fortress 2
Halflife v. Quake/Doom
Grim Fandago v. Leisure Suit Larry (remade original)
Legend of Zelda series v. Super Mario Series
Chrono Trigger v. FF 6
FF 6 v. any RPG
Fallout 3 v. any RPG
Fallout 3 v. Fallout 1/2
Never winter nights v. Fallout 2
Never winter nights v. Baldurs gate 2
Dr Terror's Avatar
Dr Terror at 06/24/2009 00:30
Portal - Just more interesting to me. Not many games like it either - where as CS competes with a lot of online shooters for attention.
DinnertimeNinja's Avatar
DinnertimeNinja at 06/24/2009 00:38
I was one of the people who thought TLJ was Dreamfall. I didn't even know Dreamfall was a sequel. Probably because of the stupid name decision, I just thought they were the same game.


And once again, I will vote for Portal.



CS is a classic, but despite it's staying power, I don't think a 100 hours of it are as memorable as 5 hours of Portal.
Dexter345's Avatar
Dexter345 at 06/24/2009 00:38
My vote goes to Portal. I played the heck out of Counter-Strike back in the day, but when it comes down to it, it's just a pretty well-crafted multiplayer mod. Portal did something that I literally had never seen before in a game, and I played it in its entirety in one sitting, wide-eyed and slack-jawed.
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