Obviously, Valve's Aperture Desk Job is not a properly great game or anything, but it is a great tech demo, which is all Valve set out to do. It serves as a tech demo for the new Steam Deck, which I do not own, so I played it on my PC instead. It still works quite well with a Steam Controller (though it does function with other controllers too). The gameplay is nothing all that special, going from a controls demo to a pretty standard rail shooter, but Valve's typically witty writing elevates the experience beyond average. The graphics look quite great considering they're designed for low-level hardware, with very expressive animation and impressive use of materials, though the lack of any configurable settings beyond resolution is a little disappointing for those not playing on a Deck. My favorite aspect of Desk Job is how many Portal mythology gags they include. For example, Cave Johnson being trapped in a computer and begging you to kill him was originally a cut concept from Portal 2! They even brought back JK Simmons to reprise his role! My only complaint is Grady's voice actor, who does a competent enough job but doesn't really seem to fit his character. Nevertheless, Valve's clear love and passion for the Portal universe brings a big smile to my face and I'm excited to see what else they have in store.

Obviously, Valve's Aperture Desk Job is not a properly great game or anything, but it is a great tech demo, which is all Valve set out to do. It serves as a tech demo for the new Steam Deck, which I do not own, so I played it on my PC instead. It still works quite well with a Steam Controller (though it does function with other controllers too). The gameplay is nothing all that special, going from a controls demo to a pretty standard rail shooter, but Valve's typically witty writing elevates the experience beyond average. The graphics look quite great considering they're designed for low-level hardware, with very expressive animation and impressive use of materials, though the lack of any configurable settings beyond resolution is a little disappointing for those not playing on a Deck. My favorite aspect of Desk Job is how many Portal mythology gags they include. For example, Cave Johnson being trapped in a computer and begging you to kill him was originally a cut concept from Portal 2! They even brought back JK Simmons to reprise his role! My only complaint is Grady's voice actor, who does a competent enough job but doesn't really seem to fit his character. Nevertheless, Valve's clear love and passion for the Portal universe brings a big smile to my face and I'm excited to see what else they have in store.