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Game Debate to the Death! Counter-Strike VS Portal photo

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 Valve stories





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112 comments | showing # 1 to 50
Drake00991's Avatar - Comment posted on 06/23/2009 22:31
Drake00991
Counter-Strike

Portal got mad boring after an hour, I still have Counter-Strike relapse every now and again.
Dr Milkdad's Avatar - Comment posted on 06/23/2009 22:33
Dr Milkdad
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 - Comment posted on 06/23/2009 22:37
Midgetsnowman
Portal. Counterstrike sucked balls.
Shoop's Avatar - Comment posted on 06/23/2009 22:37
Shoop
Portal 'cause CS is boring :(
Kalmah's Avatar - Comment posted on 06/23/2009 22:39
Kalmah
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 - Comment posted on 06/23/2009 22:48
SephirothX
I'm going with Portal only because I'm not in the mood to praise a team-based HL mod.
de BLOO's Avatar - Comment posted on 06/23/2009 22:49
de BLOO
Portal.

Bonus: Street Fighter IV
burglarize's Avatar - Comment posted on 06/23/2009 22:49
burglarize
CS: Source

Way too much time spent on that. Portal is amazing, but not CS amazing.
Fronz's Avatar - Comment posted on 06/23/2009 22:52
Fronz
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 - Comment posted on 06/23/2009 22:54
Catmurderer
Portal


Bonus: Best competitive game's meta game
specter620's Avatar - Comment posted on 06/23/2009 22:54
specter620
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 - Comment posted on 06/23/2009 22:54
Rabspat
I'm gonna go with Counter-Strike on this one.

Bonus: Cave Story vs Knytt Stories.
BADInc's Avatar - Comment posted on 06/23/2009 22:58
BADInc
portal
pettiger15's Avatar - Comment posted on 06/23/2009 22:59
pettiger15
Portal
Furyfire's Avatar - Comment posted on 06/23/2009 22:59
Furyfire
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 - Comment posted on 06/23/2009 23:00
Doomsday Forte
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 - Comment posted on 06/23/2009 23:02
P-Dude
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 - Comment posted on 06/23/2009 23:06
Xhumation
Portal

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

Bonus: Fallout 2 vs. Baldur's Gate II
HerosPlayDumb's Avatar - Comment posted on 06/23/2009 23:16
HerosPlayDumb
portal just because i never really got into counter strike
Sharpless's Avatar - Comment posted on 06/23/2009 23:16
Sharpless
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 - Comment posted on 06/23/2009 23:19
Chronic Logic
5 years from now, which game is still going to be played? Of course CS.
Sharpless's Avatar - Comment posted on 06/23/2009 23:19
Sharpless
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 - Comment posted on 06/23/2009 23:25
overrated44
Counter Strike, I've been playing CS since I was 15, I'm 23 now, Counter Strike.
PersianLoveBomb's Avatar - Comment posted on 06/23/2009 23:25
PersianLoveBomb
Portal, for sure. It made me radically rethink my ideas about storycraft in videogames.
Havoc Fang's Avatar - Comment posted on 06/23/2009 23:26
Havoc Fang
Prototype VS Nintendogs
Midgetsnowman's Avatar - Comment posted on 06/23/2009 23:30
Midgetsnowman
@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 - Comment posted on 06/23/2009 23:31
Chronic Logic
Prototype VS inFAMOUS

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

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

Portal was great but I love the multiplayer.
that1dude24's Avatar - Comment posted on 06/23/2009 23:40
that1dude24
Portal.

An incredible game, even if it is incredibly short.

Bonus:Team Fortress 2 vs Counter-strike source
John B's Avatar - Comment posted on 06/23/2009 23:42
John B
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 - Comment posted on 06/23/2009 23:52
Grimspoon
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 - Comment posted on 06/23/2009 23:56
Midgetsnowman
@Grimspoon: or perhaps a lot of us don't like Counterstrike?
VengefulPenor's Avatar - Comment posted on 06/24/2009 00:03
VengefulPenor
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 - Comment posted on 06/24/2009 00:07
Swizzler121
counter-strike

mod potential. portal doesn't have much.
dgschrei's Avatar - Comment posted on 06/24/2009 00:11
dgschrei
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 - Comment posted on 06/24/2009 00:11
Necro BABS
Portal
Forcepath's Avatar - Comment posted on 06/24/2009 00:12
Forcepath
@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 - Comment posted on 06/24/2009 00:15
adultswim810
portal. I still don't see counter strike as "fun"
rhk's Avatar - Comment posted on 06/24/2009 00:16
rhk
portal was great... but Counter Strike lasts...

Counter Strike
rbrooks's Avatar - Comment posted on 06/24/2009 00:23
rbrooks
counter strike of course
Yesterdaysheadline's Avatar - Comment posted on 06/24/2009 00:26
Yesterdaysheadline
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 - Comment posted on 06/24/2009 00:27
Johnnyreb2565
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 - Comment posted on 06/24/2009 00:30
Dr Terror
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 - Comment posted on 06/24/2009 00:38
DinnertimeNinja
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 - Comment posted on 06/24/2009 00:38
Dexter345
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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