Portal Runner (PlayStation 2)

GameSpot editors' review

• CNET editors' rating: 3.0 stars Good
  Detailed editors' rating
  Overall score: 6.7 (3.0 stars)

• Reviewed by:
  Miguel Lopez
• Reviewed on: 09/12/2001
• Released on: 09/10/2001
• Originally published on GameSpot: Portal Runner (PlayStation 2) Review

For the past few years, 3DO has released Army Men games at a disturbing rate. And more often than not, this has meant bad things for the games--they usually have an overall rushed feel to them, making them strictly hands-off material for any but the least discerning. Portal Runner--the latest game set in the Army Men universe--pleasantly bucks this sad trend and stands as an altogether solid entry in its category. It's apparent that more time was spent developing it than most of the publisher's previous fare, and the end result is largely pleasing. Many will be surprised that a game set in the Army Men universe actually looks and plays well.

Portal Runner's story centers on Vikki G, the daughter of the Army Men universe's highest-up military man. She's also the main squeeze of Sarge, the series' green-inside-and-out protagonist. For those who don't follow the series, the evil General Plastro was imprisoned at the end of the last game, leaving the treacherous Brigitte Bleu to impose her foul reign on the world. Somewhat bored with her unending power, Bleu finds herself craving something less easy to attain than mere influence: the affections of a certain hunk of green plastic, name of Sarge. To do so, she concocts a plan to whack Vikki. Her plan is botched, however, ultimately resulting in Vikki traveling to a whole bunch of different lands within Bleu demesne--which is a swell premise for an action-adventure game skewed at a slightly youngish audience.

Throughout the game, you'll find yourself in a variety of whimsical environments, whose settings range from the prehistoric age to the space age. There are five worlds in all, which amounts to 20 individual single-player levels. A whole bunch of different activities will be open to you all throughout, although the bulk of the gameplay involves relatively simple physical puzzles and fetch objectives. A good bit of platform jumping is also present, and enemies have been scripted in with a free hand, both of which ensure that the minute-to-minute gameplay seldom relents.

As you'd imagine, you'll take the role of Vikki throughout most of the game. However, early on in your quest, you'll hook up with Leo, the friendly lion that's prominently displayed in all of the game's promotional materials. You'll get to play as both of them, in a number of configurations: Vikki and Leo together, either one independently, or Vikki mounted on Leo. Thankfully, every such configuration comes with decently distinct gameplay mechanics, and their occurrences are paced well enough to break up whatever monotony you'll encounter.

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Portal Runner (PlayStation 2): $109.99

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