This is a must own package.
Let's start with Half Life 2. Released on the PC four years ago, this game remains as one of the premier games of the first person shooter genre. The source engine looks great on the XBOX 360, and the Havok physics engine makes Sir Isaac Newton weep in his grave. Of course, the game has aged over the years, and it does have a few flaws.
One of the major draw backs of this port is the load times. The load times are constant, and they're long enough to be annoying. They occur too frequently for a stream less experience. It can be over looked, but it can't go unnoticed.
Another drawback would be the physics engine. It doesn't render as well as it did on the PC. Items seem to lose weight once in picked up. Again, this can be overlooked, but when a game that's renounced for physics has such a noticeable flaw, it can't go unmentioned.
Episodes One and Two simply add icing to the cake. Both continue the tale of the Freemans journey. This time though, he's aided by Alyx Vance throughout. She's a hot companion to have around, and she kicks a lot of but. Having these two only compliment Half Life 2 for the truly amazing game that it is.
The overall design of Half Life 2 and the expansion packs is a marvel. While this technology is old, gamers who never got the chance to experience can truly enjoy it on their home consoles. Playing Half Life 2 is an experience that every shooter fan should have. While the style maybe old school, it feels fresh to have such a long and compelling single player story to watch unfold.
The best part of The Orange Box is Portal. Portal is a first person puzzle game. It takes gravity, velocity, momentum, and other factors into play. You'll have several levels to complete with a portal gun that allows you to create portals. You can have two portals at any given time. One is an entrance portal, and one is an exit portal. You'll have to place them through various parts of maps to progress. It's humorous, fun, and could've sold as a standalone game.
Overall, The Orange Box is the best deal you can get this year. For the price of one game, you get five. Three of them total up to 30 plus hours of game play and portal can tack on another six to eight. They each have high replay value, as the re-experience can be extremely memorable. The Orange Box is a must have for any game collection.