Half-Life 2: The Orange Box

by Rob Suski - 2007/12/27 9:08pm

Valve has always been known for consistently releasing quality games, and Half-Life 2: The Orange Box is certainly no exception. It’s easily the best deal available in the gaming world. Comprised of five games, Orange Box sells for the standard price of any new next gen title. The package includes the original Half-Life 2, the highly acclaimed Half-Life 2: Episode 1, the newest addition Half-Life 2: Episode 2, Portal; a new puzzle mini-game, and Team Fortress 2; a new online multiplayer game and long-awaited sequel to 1999’s Team Fortress Classic. The Orange Box is a good mix of old and new. Each game contributes something of its own to the overall gaming experience.

If you enjoy First Person Shooters, but still have not played Half-Life 2, you should seriously consider The Orange Box. Half-Life 2 is still one of the best FPS’s on the market, period. What sets HL2 apart from the rest is its well-written storyline and character development. In HL2 you play Gordon Freeman, a former Black Mesa physicist trying to escape from City 17, a sort of Orwellian city in the near future. Episodes 1 and 2 are continuations of this storyline, after Freeman escapes the City and enters the wilderness. In Episode 2 the levels are more open than those in the original, where you are more confined to the city streets and alleys with linear pathways; however the battles remain just as well defined and chaotic.

The gameplay in Episodes 1 and 2 is also unique due to Valve’s source engine, which allows players to kill enemies in ways other than filling them with holes (enter the gravity gun), and solve game puzzles throughout. The game also has quite possibly the best physics system to date, as enemies, allies, and game objects act according to their real-life properties. However, there certainly are some technical issues, most notably slow load times and framerate drops, though this is mostly evident only in Episode 2. Even if you’re not a fan of First Person Shooters, The Orange Box is a definite pickup, there is no other deal like it, and all the games are AAA quality.



Perhaps the most anticipated addition to Orange box is Portal, a sort of mini-game that stands out from the rest. Mini-games usually serve as a minor distraction from the main game; however Portal has become a whole game on its own. With its challenging game play, Portal tests players as they try to solve puzzles with the portal gun. The comedic dialogue is actually quite funny and provides a few one-liners that gamers will find memorable. The only downside here is how quickly Portal comes to an end, clocking in at only a few hours long. Be sure to stick around and listen to the ending theme song afterwards.

Team Fortress 2 is Valve’s newest Multiplayer Online First Person Shooter. Don’t expect another Team Fortress Classic though, the games visuals and gameplay are very stylized and make for a much less serious, if equally entertaining game. Usually a player can choose nearly any weapon to use in online FPS games. However in Team Fortress 2, player have to pick a class they wish to play. Each class has its own unique abilities, all quite similar to their Team Fortress Classic counterparts. This enables teams to strategize with the different classes of their players. The only downside is that TF2 has few levels and a limited amount of game types to choose from. However, Valve promises new levels and game types in the future.

Overall, there are some technical issues that seem to be PS3 specific, such as longer load times and texture differences in comparison to other systems. Technical issues aside, The Orange Box offers a wide range of quality games and has more than earned its role as an essential to your gaming collection.