The Orange Box

"Goodbye H3, hello OB"

The Orange Box consists of Half Life 2, Half Life 2 Episodes 1 & 2, Portal, and Team Fortress 2. That totals as three kickass single-player FPS's, an innovative and extremely fun puzzle-shooter hybrid, and a Multiplayer-based game that gives Halo 3 far more than a run for its money, but trounces it instead. All of this for the ridiculously steep price of one game, in one disk, and you've got something that cannot possibly given anything less than a 10. I'll review these games one at a time, for my own convenience and maybe yours.

Half Life 2 is an incredibly well-reputed game, and with very good reason. It has only single-player, but that's okay because I've always been a big fan of it, having only purchased online about a month ago. It lasts about 15 hours if you take your time and you'll have a blast doing it. The graphics are nothing stellar, being a "last-gen" game, but it has been updated a bit and no longer suffers from the terrible framerate issues it had on its lackluster XBox incarnation. While most PC fans swear by the mouse and only the mouse, it works fantastically on the 360. The gameplay itself has some great mechanics to it, with the A.I. being competent and the firefights actually intense - the guns sound and act like real guns, not the air rifle variety. Combat is visceral (with some incredibly realistic blood-spray, if you're into that), filled with noise and a lot of fun - each downed enemy is a huge satisfaction, mostly because they seem like real antagonists. They're mostly intelligent and have the weight and movements of a real person. That being said, the physics engine is a bit dated but still preforms extremely well - unfortunately, Valve used this (and still uses it) as an excuse to throw you the occasional physics-based puzzle, which do get stale very fast. That being said, the game does not-it is constantly throwing new objectives your way and new enemies-the story itself is well-paced and is something you can really get into, as well as the extremely well voiced and animated NPC characters. Overall, HL2 is extremely deserving of its reputation because it is the shooter done right.

HL2: Episode 1 is essentially the same as HL2, but with more focus on this story which does, unfortunately, hurt the gameplay. You are accompanied by the Alyx Vance, a fairly combat-competent woman who is actually quite likable compared to most game characters. This leads to, like the last game, some great battles and intense sequences. That being said, what really ground my nerves was that, unlike the last Half Life, you really felt like you were someone's lapdog. Alyx is constantly asking you to preform menial tasks that she would probably be capable of doing herself, having her sometimes surprising way of getting around the environment. I felt as though ventilation shafts were more common than streets while you wade through all sorts of danger to restore power to a door while Alyx waits for you, humming and hawing. While not as strong as its predecessor, HL2 Ep.1 still preforms very well, with a great ending sequence.

And finally we begin with the new content, starting with HL2 Episode 2, which blends Ep.1's storytelling with the originals great action to an almost perfect degree - there's some great vehicle-driving sequences, and interesting (if not all that wonderful) underground level, and closing with an awesome battle with the imposing Striders and their escorts, the new and very awesome Hunters. At first I didn't expect much, but every battle with a Hunter is great because they are genuinely dangerous. The Striders are more of something to hold at bay, but the Hunters off the real combat - they are fast, fluid and very deadly, relentlessly stalking you until either of you are killed. This, like the last two games, result in some excellent firefights and action sequences. The game is starting to feel like its recycling content at this point, however, as some things feel a bit too familiar...but nevertheless, Episode 2 is one hell of a title, and definitely leads up to what is sure to be an amazing finale.

Then we have Portal, the most unique and bizarre specimen of the bunch, which mixes a revolutionary game mechanic, some very bizarre black humor and some genuinely clever puzzles. It revolves around, well, portals (a common Valve motif) which allow the character to travel through the map by essentially opening holes in it and walking (or jumping) through them. It sounds simple, but the game soon gets very complex - you'll be needing a lot of imagination to beat some of the later levels. It's loads of fun and a bit creepy as the computer overlord of the testing chamber, GLaDOS, speaks to you in its monotone synthetic voice, often saying nonsensical or just plain bizarre things. ("The Companion Cube will never attempt to stab and, in fact, cannot speak.") As the puzzles get more and more challenging and mind-bending, you really have to admire how well Valve has incorporated this. Though the game is short, it's a lot of fun and you still have some (very difficult) challenges to complete afterwards, making Portal a brief, but very satisfying experience.

And finally we have the multiplayer sequel to the class-based online game, Team Fortress 2. You probably already know a lot about it, but in case you don't, it is an entirely team-based game in which you and your pals attempt to destroy your enemies and their pals in order to either defend your bases, steal theirs, or capture their fla...sorry, intelligence briefcase. The game's unique art style and over-the-top sense of humor really help make it feel like more of a laid-back experience...which is both good and bad. You might not be feeling very competitive, but it's still way too much fun to pass up, and is in many ways (in my humble opinion) superior to the XBox 360's online Juggernaut, Halo 3. There are no particularly unfair or unbalanced classes or weapons, teamwork is essential, and the gaming audience is generally more mature. It doesn't have many bells and whistles, save the commentary, but the sheer insanity of the game really helps you ignore its lack of extra content, It's not flawless, however. It only has six maps designed specifically for one game type (though more are promised to be added) and myself, along with many other players are suffering some extreme lag (slowdown) during gameplay, a problem that is likely soon to be patched. Despite these problems, TF2 makes a great, fun, off-the-wall multiplayer experience.

Reviewer's Score: 10/10, Originally Posted: 10/18/07

Game Release: The Orange Box (US, 10/10/07)