Portal and Portal 2

You've probably played Portal and Portal 2 already, but for those who haven't, oh boy, are you in for a

treat. They are both examples of what I'd consider, perfect video games. Not just an original idea, not just solid mechanics, not just great story and music and characters, but all of it in one package. Yep, they're gonna get a glowing recommendation from me. In my opinion, everyone should play these games, with the notable exception of people who hate puzzles. Even then, these could be the games that change your mind.

But lets say you know nothing about video games and haven't heard of Portal. Well, it's a puzzle game set as a first person shooter. That is, you see through the character's eyes. The unique idea behind this game is that you have a portal gun. You fire the gun at one wall and then another, and then a portal will form, connecting the two points, which you can then walk through. Using this simple but ingenious mechanic, the game has designed dozens of clever puzzles for you to solve.

The story behind the game is that you are a test subject in some bizarre maze-like facility run by a homicidal AI named GLaDOS. Now, despite the cool setting and great gameplay, what really elevates this game is the characters. There's only two, GLaDOS and, in the sequel, Wheatley. But despite the fact that the communication you have with these AI is completely one-sided, they absolutely make the game unforgettable. Their dialogue is movie quality, and funny as hell. In fact, GLaDOS has been voted one of the best video game villains of all time.

I can't think of much else to say, other than buy these games, you won't regret it. 5/5 stars.