The Orange Box - might as well be the best game compilation out there for the 360...
Valve isn't on of my favorite developers. Their Left for Dead series is rather boring, considering the lack of single player campaigns or at least a solid one. But with all-time great games like Portal and Half Life 2, no gamer can go wrong but to invest in this package.
Disclaimer: I am primarily a single player gamer, so i won't be reviewing Team Fortress 2. Actually, i ended up playing it for about an hour and for that time it was "OK".
PORTAL
With Portal 2, which came out not too long ago, revisiting the original Portal game was a must. The uniqueness of this first person puzzle IP is not the only worthy asset, but we also get to meet one of most surprisingly presented characters of all time - GLaDOS,
Story
The buzzing sounds of the fluorescent lights wake you up in a futuristic cube-like area. A computerized voice acknowledges you and prompts you to start the so called "experiment" - a part of a research in the infamous Aperture Labs. Armed with a portal gun, you pass test after test after test in order to reach your ultimate goal - being able to finally try a piece of what is supposed to the most delicious cake ever known. One thing keeps bothering you though - "The cake is a lie"....
This little game fragment gives me shivers just by writing it. The story of Portal, while very miniature, is full of outstanding scripting and a narrative between the main character and GLaDOS (a gone "rogue" AI) 10/10
Graphics
Considering the year that Portal first came out (long before The Orange Box compilation was released) the graphics are solid. Well, there isn't really much detail to the environments and there are really only a couple of characters involved, but nevertheless the game is rendered very well. 9/10
Sound and Voice Acting
There is only one voice and that's GLaDOS's, which is synthesized and computerized (no surprise there). Portal features one of the most memorable final theme songs you will ever experience in a video game. This fact alone made me give it an outstanding score for its soundtrack. 9/10
Gameplay
Well, it is a first person puzzle game. The movements of your character are very fluid. The game is stable, there are pretty much no glitches or bugs that i encountered. The portal gun is very responsive. The main story line is about 5 hours long, but some of the levels can be done on a different difficulty which adds to the overall experience. One of the things that Valve are famous for is the great job they do when it comes to game physics. Portal is another example of how good the physics of this game are. No wonder they play such a big role in the gameplay as well. 10/10
Long Lasting Appeal
Portal is a unique game. There is nothing like it that i have played nor i believe there is anything like it. Well, Portal 2 of course. If you are gamer, Portal is one of those games that you must experience before you retire from your gaming career. 10/10
Overall score: 10/10
HALF-LIFE 2
I have never actually played Half Life 1. I played Counter Strike,which was an expansion, but never the first game. If you are finding yourself in my predicament, then you might want to catch up on the story of the first HL.
Story
Half-Life 2's story is evasive if you have not played the first one (as i already mentioned). Make sure you find some info online or actually play the first game before you start the second one, if you want to be fully aware of what is going on. But, playing only HL2 is not the end of the world. The story comes together in the end and can be perceived as one and separate from the first one. Once again we step into the shoes of the MIT graduate Gordon Freeman. With the alliance of Alex Vance, you set out on a journey to save Alex's father and in the meantime to stop the former Black Mesa' administrator Dr. Breen. 8/10
Graphics
It is easy to see that despite the fact that it was released a long time ago now, Half Life 2 still looks wonderful. The graphics are crisp, the environments are beautiful. The only less impressive part is the human models. 8.5/10
Sound and Voice Acting
HL2's soundtrack is very appropriate for the setting and the idea of the game.The voice acting is solid as well. Nothing overly impressive but definitely one of the better games when it comes to audio stats. 8/10
Gameplay
It is one of the best story-driven first person shooters of all time. There are several weapons to collect and use. Gordon Freeman also has a special suit that uses energy when breathing under water, sprinting, using a flashlight etc...The gameplay is solid, with pretty much no lag. Just like Portal, Half Life 2 takes advantage of a great engine that supports and handles object physics to a unprecedented level of stability. 10/10
Long Lasting Appeal
Will we ever see Half Life 3 and if so when? There are millions of gamers out there who fell under the spell of Half Life and consider it as one of the most important games of all time. And i can hardly blame them...9/10
Overall score: 9/10
The Orange Box also contains Half Life 2: Episode One and Half Life 2: Episode Two. Those two are about 5 hours long each and further add to the story of Gordon Freeman. Their particulars are pretty much the same as the main game itself. The compilation also includes Team Fortress 2, an online multiplayer shooter, which i only played for an hour. I have heard nothing but great things about it, but cannot objectively review it since i have not played it longer.
Overall, having five great games on a single disc makes The Orange Box the best game compilation for the 360 so far...
EvilSelf