The Orange Box

"Half-Life 2 The Orange Box is a must buy if you own an XBox 360."

Perfection, that is the word that will soon be replaced by Half-Life The Orange Box. Half-Life The Orange Box is a compilation of Half-Life 2,Half-Life 2:Episode 1, Half-Life 2: Episode 2,Portal and Team Fortress 2. Half-Life 1 was thought by many to be one of the greatest first person shooters ever to grace a PC or a console, if you were one of those people, prepare to feel that way again.


Let's start with Half-Life 2 and the Episodes.


Half-Life 2 is a deep, complex shooter that requires use of your brain and your trigger finger instead of the usual point,shoot and strafe formula that has plagued many other first person shooters.

The graphics of Half-Life 2 and Episode 1 and 2 are nothing short of stunning. The lighting system is also another graphical high point in Half-Life 2. And as with great lighting, it must be accompanied by great shadows, right? Of course it is, once more Valve ceases to amaze the eyes with lighting, shadows and overall stunning visuals. Very seldom will you get a jagged visual or a pop-up visual, but that's only when standing a great distance away from whatever you're looking at, and trust me when I say that you won't be focusing on the minor flaws of the visuals from far away, but rather admiring the visuals close to you.

The sound of Half-Life 2 and the Episodes.


The audio Half-Life 2 has to offer is amazing. From stepping in water to hear a small splash, to firing your rocket launcher to hear an earth shattering boom,it's all there. Your speakers will be graced by the audio this game is capable of pumping out. Enemy radio chatter couldn't sound more realistic if it tried.Monsters scream and you'll swear that they're hiding behind your television. Weapons sound very realistic and promise to please your ears every time you squeeze the trigger. Fires crackle and your dune buggy's engine roars with shocking realism. Overall this is some of the best audio I've heard a game produce thus far.

The controls have a small learning curve, but playing for an hour or so and Half-Life 2's controls will be like second nature to you.

The Story of Half-Life 2 and it's Episodes.

Without spoiling anything, the story definitely delivers to fans that have been waiting to experience it for a while. New characters,old characters,info on old characters and most importantly, new story elements. The story of Half-Life has always been very deep, and Episode 1 and 2 keep those elements as tradition and could be called the most important pieces of story thus far.


Overall, I give Half-Life 2, Half-Life 2 Episode 1 and Episode 2 of Half-Life The Orange Box a 10/10. They are some of the most beautiful and witty first person shooters I've seen in a long time.


Now, on to Portal and team Fortress 2.

Portal is a very clever game that makes really makes you think and may even confuse you at some points. The audio and video are very good. The visuals are good, but after a while they do get boring. Afterall, you are in a laboratory and the constant sight of gray,white and black really does become and eyesore.

The Portal gun is a very interesting new concept that breathes new life into the gaming industry. I don't quite know what else to say about Portal. If you buy this game strictly for Half-Life 2, you may find out you like Portal and you may find that you do not like Portal. It's really up to your personal tastes.

I give Portal a 10/10 for being one of the coolest new video game concepts I've seen in a while.


Team Fortress 2. This game is the most fun you will have playing multiplayer in a long,long time.

Team Fortress 2 consists of several classes of characters to tailor to your personal favorite attributes of a character. Like being slow and able to plow through anything that comes your way? The Heavy is the character for you. Like being fast and equally balanced in power and speed? The scout is for you. There are many other classes to choose from. The graphics are cel-shaded and that's what I think is kind of unique. In a world of multiplayer shooters that keep a serious vibe, Team Fortress 2 stands out and provides a guaranteed chuckle in every match. The audio is also very good.

Overall, I give Team Fortress 2 a 10/10 for some good multiplayer action.


The Orange Box has it all, multiplayer and single player. Great effects and sounds. I highly recommend picking up this gem of a game as soon as you can. This is one of those games that I guarantee you'll be popping in your Xbox 360 for years to come.

I give Half-Life The Orange Box a 10/10.

Reviewer's Score: 10/10, Originally Posted: 10/25/07, Updated 10/26/07

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