Whether PC, Xbox360, or PS3, this game is a must buy. Half life 2 is perhaps one of the finest examples of pure gaming joy that you will find these days.
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I should mention up front that I'm a PC gamer, and that while there are some here that might hold that against me (you console folks can be brutal) I'm going to give as honest a review of the Orange Box games as I can. Given that Valve's release coincided with some catastrophic malfunction of my wife's car, the funds I had set aside for this game for my PC ended up getting sucked up into car repairs, thus I was forced to play this on my brother's Xbox 360. And that said I thoroughly enjoyed the Xbox version, much to my surprise, even without a mouse and keyboard to aim and shoot with.
Orange Box includes the original Half Life 2, and it's subsequent followups Episodes 1 and 2. In addition it contains the quirky spatial-puzzle game Portal, and as icing on the cake Team Fortress 2. To get these separately (at least on PC) would run in the realm of $250, more or less, and to get all 5 games in one bundle for all of $60 is too good to be true. On to the actual reviews.
Half Life 2 begins with MIT PhD Doctor Gordon Freeman, released some 20 years after the Black Mesa incident by the G-man and into a dystopic City 17. It appears that Earth has been conquered by a galactic conquering empire of sorts who used Freeman's previous handiwork at Black Mesa to burrow through the walls of time and space to invade Earth. The game follows his insertion into this volatile situation culminating in his leadership of Earth's rebellion against the Combine Overwatch. The game's "silent protaginist" approach, where the player's character never speaks, is played out perfectly and adds greatly to the storytelling angle. The game tells it's own story and you're basically along for the ride. The weapons selection is fairly standard fare for a shooter, with your usual selection of pistols, rifles, and the ubiquitous shotgun. The real nice touch is the Gravity Gun, which can pick up loose objects on the ground and can then be used to hurl said objects at your enemies. The sound, voice acting, and atmosphere of the game (of a familiar world turned into an Orwellian style police state) are all fantastic.
Episodes One and Two both continue the story as Gordon Freeman and Alyx Vance both try to escape City 17 in the former and deal with the remnants of the Combine in the latter. Each new episode showcases a new technology add to the engine (lighting effects for Episode One, motion blur for Episode Two) to increase gameplay.
When I loaded up Portal I had only the vaguest idea of what to expect. The game is admittedly hard to grasp at first and requires you to think puzzles out using Euclidean geometry and Newtonian physics and a little bit of brain juice all mixed in. The game begins with the protaginist, a female in an orange jumpsuit, being forced to complete a number of puzzles for the test facility's computer using a hand-held portal generating device. One can cross chasms by blasting an entry hole in the wall next to you and an exit hole in the wall across the chasm and simply cross it by walking through the portal. Each test gets harder, and it becomes apparent as things move along that the computer running the tests (and you) is more than a little deranged. As this game is set in the Half-Life universe I look forward to seeing how the plot of this game fits in with that of the larger title.
Lastly we come to Team Fortress 2. I must admit that I have loved Team Fortress since it's inception and have played it religiously since 1998 on the PC. This game spent the better part of 7 years in development limbo and those of us among the originals fans were pretty skeptical that the game would ever be released at all, but the finished product is here and is an absolute blast. Players can pick one of among nine classes to play, from the lightly armed but fast moving Scout, to the lumbering two-legged tank Heavy. There are only 6 maps included in the game, which is a downside, but the maps themselves are quite solid and the game dynamic is unique. The game itself is done in a style reminiscent of "The Incredibles" and this lends some rather comedic elements to the overall experience. The game is entirely Capture the Flag (CTF) so don't expect to go into Deathmatch as it was never designed to do this.
There are some minor points I must mention about Orange Box though. For starters the Half-Life games are really dark. I've had the benefit of having played this on the PC and the lighting is pretty ho-hum on the Xbox version. Case in point, even with the brightness on the game turned up you can still barely see in even dusk conditions, let alone the details on your weapons. The caveat here is that if you turn the brightness up *too* much then you end up getting flooded with bright light when you enter better lit areas, resulting in a weird glaucoma-style whiteout. Expect to have your HEV suit light on *a lot*. In addition the surface textures aren't quite as crisp as I what I was accustomed to with my previous experiences on the PC, although this didn't detract from the game that much.
I also felt it something of a disservice to 360 owners that as big as the game release was Valve kind of dropped you into the *middle* of the story, without the courtesy of even giving the new HL player an overview of what's happened thus far. The events of Half Life, HL: Opposing Force, and HL: Blue Shift are all integral to the storyline, and taking someone completely new to the story and simply dropping them off halfway through it seemed a puzzling choice. As they'd gone as far as making a game release this big how difficult would it have been to at least add HL 1:Source into the mix? Granted, it's an eyesore by today's standards, but still.
With TFC2 I don't have complaints, more like concerns. In the PC world you have literally thousands of custom player-made maps, as well as numerous Valve releases, and I'm wondering if players will be able to play classic Valve TFC maps like "Rock" and "Hunted". I suppose it wouldn't be too difficult to accomplish, but all in all it was a befuddling thing to place such a great, solid game into the mix with only 6 maps. And I'm wondering if they plan to eventually add class-specific grenades as those would most certainly enhance the gameplay.
Still the game package itself is fantastic and it's clear that a lot of love was poured into their production and subsequent carryover to the 360. I'm impressed enough with the 360's performance with these games that even an old, grizzled PC gamer like myself is giving it a serious second look. Cannot recommend Orange Box enough! Now if only they had a mouse/keyboard setup for old PC diehards like me to play with. :)
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5 different games and many many hours of entertainment for under $20! Even Applebee's at happy hour can't beat this deal!
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Five games, one box, $27 dollars. There isn't a better value in gaming right now. Half Life 2, Episode 1 and Episode 2 are basically all the same game. Sure, HL2 has outdated graphics but the gameplay is engaging and wide ranging. Half-Life's story itself is very interesting and it kind of drives me nuts that its going to have taken over 10 years for the whole tale to be told.
Portal, the next game, is the most unique game I've ever played. Describing it as a first person puzzle game will have to suffice but it doesn't do it justice. Portal challenges the way you think. Toss in the ridiculous humor and the re-playability (a variety of difficulty levels) and you have a great game; most of the most unique things to hit the market in years.
The last game, Team Fortress two, the sequel to the grand daddy of team based combat. It's incredibly simple, but also incredibly fun.
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The Orange Box packs in not only the legendary Half-Life 2 series but two other ground breaking games. Portal and Team Fortress 2, Portal is a puzzle game that I actually enjoyed. Its first person perspective was innovative and immersive. I never had a chance to play an online round of Team Fortress 2 because my internet is slow, so I just ran around maps in commentary mode.
The games are all extraordinary and nearly perfect in design. I have played through the Half Life games nearly twenty two times, Yeah they are that good!
The Orange Box
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I got this game initially for Portal. I had played this game over someone's house and loved it! The game is awesome and great for the mind who likes to think things through and maybe isn't highly excited with the shooting aspects of the Orange Box. However, I began to play the other games and found them entertaining and a bit like Portal as well. So even if you like one thing in this package and aren't sure about the rest-odds are you'll like all of them.
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It's Half life 2 and it's episodes. It also has Portal, one of the most original and fun games on the market (even though it is pretty short). Pretty much 5 awesome games for only 20$.
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I played this game for about a week and it is a great deal getting five games in one, but I didn't like Team Fortress that much. All the Half Life episodes were great though.
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If you are a true gamer then you have probably already experienced the incredible gameplay of Half-life 2. That combined with Episode 1 and Episode 2 makes this package all the more tantalizing. The graphics, physics, and gameplay have been the standard for FPS's for years. Nothing new there except that the graphics look a little better. Portal, on the other hand, is such a pleasant surprise that I can hardly contain my excitement. The game is set in the Half-life universe where you find yourself a test subject having to make it through various puzzles using a high tech portal gun. The portal gun looks and feels similar to the gravity gun. In addition to creating portals, it can pick up and move various objects. The first few puzzles are relatively easy to understand and get through, but as the game goes on they become much more involved and complex. Portal forces you to rethink space. Nothing is really linear anymore. I've had to use the strategy guide to get through most of the complex puzzles because they're so darn hard. There are a lot of unique achievements for this game, such as falling 30,000 feet (try to get that one). I also enjoy the commentary by a robotic sounding guide who monitors your progress and dishes out ham-handed, sarcastic encouragement. I haven't had the pleasure of playing Team Fortress 2 yet, but it's on my list. It's pretty amazing how they fit 5 games on one disc. Kudos to Valve for their expertise and innovation.
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This is the best deal in video game history, hands down. Valve continues to make top notch games, and never disappoints. Just having one of the best games ever made (Half-life 2) and the two episodes to follow it up included makes purchasing the Orange Box more than worthwhile. Then on top of that, Portal (a 20 dollar value itself if you ask me) is unbelievably fun, and really makes you think while Team Fortress 2 never seems to get old. To tell you the truth, I bought three of them. It was a perfect Christmas gift for 2 of my friends, and there was no way I could pass up buying one for myself at this price. If you like good games, and you like first person shooters, this is an absolute must. If you don't like good games, and you hate first person shooters, then you had still better get this game, because it is just that good!
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What an amazing deal! This package includes Team Fortress, Portal, and the new Half Life 2 episodes, plus a remake of the original that fixes a LOT of problems. First off, the graphics are improved (the floors are a bit shinier, etc.) Secondly, the frame rate is AWESOME (it was horrible in the original version) and the save system is just as great as ever.
The best Sci-Fi FPS pack in history. Buy it now!
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This magnificent deal consists of 3 games and two expansion packs, Half life 2 and the first twi if three episodes, Portal, and Team Fortress 2.
Half-Life 2 (and its episodes) is a first person shooter with a unique feel. Mysterious, exciting and mentally stimulating it has much to offer to gamers of all stripes.
Portal is essentially a puzzle game, players are obliged to use a device to open two linked portals. Stepping into one portal and exiting out of the other, you are given various tests to pass, a pernicious obstacle course of sorts, the gameplay is challenging, dynamic and memorable.
Team Fortress 2 is a multiplayer only affair. Players select one of nine classes each with their own set of weapons and abilities. Team work is necessary to win each match.
The Orange Box is definately one of the best deals of all time, three games with gargantuan replay value, The Orange Box belongs in every game library.
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When deciding whether to invest in a new game or rent one, this is the one buy. Multiple full length games on one disc make this game the best value on the market. And each game is fantastic.
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portal and half life 2 on one disc
the gameplay is engaging and fun, the physics and graphics are great, but everybody knows this
quite simply the $20 price tag is literal theft
if you dont own this yet you should order it now
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For $30 you get 3 Stand alone games and two expansion packs for Half Life 2. You can't go wrong.
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