> Rather that it was a cubic world were everything could be destroyed and created.
'Survival mode' is what was reviewed initially though [1], and gave the voxel world idea a way to flourish.
> Besides "the cake is the lie" there is no real story
The story drives the single player experience, ending with a fight with the main antagonist GLaDOS. This is then expanded on in the second game. The story contains well known characters such as GlaDOS, Atlas and P-Body. Particularly GLaDOS's deadpan humour is a big part of the story and is referenced frequently.
I'm actually convinced that you didn't pay any attention in portal. The story is thin, it's the story of a tester that is constantly being thrown curveballs. Finally the testing is done and the AI decides to kill you, you then escape behind the scenes and plot to kill the AI. I think when people praise the game for it's non-mechanics what they are actually praising int he characterization and writing of GladOS (and then later in Portal2 Whetley).
It really was the coolest thing when you escaped the final test chamber and found yourself alone in the abandoned facility; the music just stops. Up until that point you knew something was wrong but not quite what. The lack of scientists in the observation windows, the creepy graffiti in the alcoves stating "THE CAKE IS A LIE" next to a mountain of broken security cameras and the disturbing fits the robot would get into on occasion. The game was a great example of the "show don't tell" style of story telling.
Also lets be honest, the whole cake thing in Portal was pretty funny. It was just the people burning the joke into the ground and snorting the ashes that ruined it.
Isn't that game meh? Not a great example.
> Minecraft gained popularity originally because it added enemies that came out at night
I've never heard that point of view before. Rather that it was a cubic world were everything could be destroyed and created.
> Portal, the mechanic was neat, but the story is what people always talk about
What? Besides "the cake is the lie" there is no real story, people talk about the game mechanism not the story.
Conclusion: I disagree with 3/4 of your post.