By Chandler Claxton
Generally, video games are released one at a time, not bundled into packs.. “The Orange Box,” for the Xbox 360 and PC, however, contains five distinct games: “Half-Life 2,” “Half-Life 2: Episodes One and Two,” “Team Fortress 2” and “Portal.” At its core, “The Orange Box” is a compilation pack, but it’s also the best compilation of games since “Super Mario All-Stars.”
“Half-Life 2” is a three-year-old first-person shooter, and though it is beginning to look its age, it still might be one of the best single-player experiences on any console this year. In addition, the episodes are great continuations of the Half-Life story and allow for more of the same fun. “Team Fortress 2” and “Portal” could have been bundled together to create a full game even without the addition of all the Half-Life bonuses, but they weren’t and the value here is amazing.
“Portal” is probably the most important of the games on the disc–and the one that begs to be played first. The genre of the game, first-person puzzler, is one that didn’t exist before “The Orange Box” was released. The game invites you to use portals to solve puzzles moving from room to room in a laboratory. While that may sound a bit tedious, it isn’t because of how much fun it is figuring out the proper way to advance through the levels. Along with the innovative game-play, it also contains one of the funniest games ever released and a great story told in the Half-Life universe. The onslaught of dark humor assaults the gamer at every room, from the talking turrets to the all-seeing antagonist. This game is nearly perfect with its only flaw being its length (less than four hours)-though one imagines that a ten hour version of it might get tedious near the end.
“Team Fortress 2” contains one of the most diverse multi-player games in character selection and the exact opposite in level and game type. In addition to the lacking of choice in some areas, there are absurd amounts of lag on the 360, an aspect which causes many headaches. With the problems out of the way, the art design is beautiful, and the game is obscenely fun to play for no other reason than the fact that it’s a team game. Individual character classes complement each other in such a way so as to make it a great multi-player experience. This game gives “The Orange Box” the multi-player element it needs and forces each gamer to at least play the game long enough to try all of the nine classes, assuming the gamer gets past the bugs.
“Half-Life 2” stands up against other games released this year because of its gameplay. While they don’t hinder the fun of shooting zombies and soldiers, nor solving the physics-engine-based puzzles, the graphics here-which were phenomenal three years ago-look mediocre now. Stacking boxes on one side of a seesaw has never been as thrilling as doing it in City 17. The story of the game is engaging and leaves the gamer wanting more, which are what the episodes give.
“Episode One” starts off where “Half-Life 2” ends and feels a bit like filler rather than a game that took nearly two years to be released. It can still be called a good game even if it doesn’t do anything particularly well and feels weak, especially when book-ended by the full game and “Episode Two.” “Episode One” remains a must-play for “Half-Life” fans and for those who hope to make it to the brilliant and considerably better “Episode Two” which channels the fantastic pacing and level design present in “Half-Life 2.” While it does many similar things to “Episode One,” this second version does them much better. It also brings back vehicles and allows for heavier interaction with newer enemies. The narrative fleshes out more, and the game is terrifying, with a cliffhanger ending worthy of any great second part of a trilogy.
“The Orange Box” is a game unlike any other; it combines many great games giving it an unfair advantage over normal games. The value alone makes it a must-buy for fans of first-person shooters, puzzle games and games that make you think. There is a game in the box for everyone, and, as a whole, “The Orange Box” is one of the best game compilations ever released.
(xbox360media.com)