Portal Fantasy [Review]
Portal Fantasy is a turn-based, creature-collecting RPG with an engaging storyline where the protagonist becomes a creature tamer. Players collect monsters called Porbles using scrolls after interacting with NPCs and then explore different biomes and areas, treated as distinct levels, through portals. Unlike games with a large, interconnected map, Portal Fantasy allows players to see a list of collectable Porbles for an area when traveling to it, with the list updating as they are found, though this list is not accessible at other times.
The game features simplistic character customization and class selection, beginning with the player chasing a toad. Initial gameplay involves meeting NPCs and collecting the first Porbles, with players able to use three Porbles in battle. The battle system is basic, offering options to block, attack, or run, with occasional elemental attacks or a Porble "rage mode" for multiple consecutive attacks. The vibrant overworld contains items and interactive NPCs, with many hidden items in boxes and barrels. A jump button adds variety to puzzles and map layouts, which is unusual in 2D pixelated games.
Portal Fantasy suffers from numerous technical issues, including glitches and softlocks. Early in the game, I became trapped on the wrong side of a fence after a box pushed my character through it, forcing a complete level restart. Portal Fantasy dose not allow players to save the game anytime. So, when issues arise you don’t have a choice but to restart the game. The creature-swapping mechanic is also problematic. The swap command UI can be blocked by taller creatures, and frequently, the newly swapped creature becomes unresponsive, only able to swap again. This leads to a soft-lock if it occurs with the last creature, requiring another level restart. Additionally, pausing the game doesn't fully halt gameplay, as the character continues to move in the background while navigating the menu.
The Fence Glitch
The glitches I encountered in the game made the game annoying, but what made the game unenjoyable to me was the irritating gameplay. The game has inconsistent difficulty, the wildlife encounters become easy, with Two/three shots while the story encounters are around double the wildlife’s level. For example, when I encountered the mysterious creature for the first time I was less than half its level. I don’t mind grinding in RPGs but it takes far too long to encounter enemies, I could be walking around for more than 90 seconds before encountering something. It feels like it's punishing you for trying to level up or search for new Porbles. Though it’s not really necessary to catch more than three creatures. The Porbles don’t have many defining features that make them stronger than others and type advantages don’t seem to matter much. Basically, pick whatever looks the coolest. Now, there are some cool creature and character designs that I can appreciate.
It was also difficult to even just play the game. Portal Fantasy doesn’t run on the Steam Deck and I had great difficulty with it on the Lenovo Legion Go, the entire time while playing the frame rate was so low that the game actually kept giving me a “low frame rate” message. It kept suggesting to turn the settings lower but that had little to no effect. I also couldn’t turn the message off. Portal Fantasy doesn’t have a lot of positives because it has too many little things that pile up. It feels unpolished, it doesn’t have things that the games it’s inspired by do. It doesn’t even tell you in battle if you’ve caught the Porble you’re fighting. The games lackluster gameplay isn’t enough to take away from the problems you’ll be encountering when playing.
