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The Orange Box: five fantastic games in one
(by Caleb Rumley - February 13, 2008)
The Orange Box, a compilation of five first person shooters, is one of the best deals in gaming history. The sheer value of the set is amazing – I’d say there’s more than 30 hours of gameplay. The Orange Box includes Half Life 2, HL2 Episode 1 and 2, Team Fortress 2, and the incredible Portal. Orange Box is available for the 360, PS3, and PC, and make no mistake – you should buy this game.
I’ll start from the bottom up – with Half Life 2 and its two episodes. I recently took HL2 for a spin, and the game holds up well. It’s not as mind blowing as it was when it was first released, and it definitely looks a little dated, but it’s still one of the most revolutionary FPS games to date. Playing with the physics in the creepy world of City 17 is great, and the sheer amount of puzzles and obstacles Gordon Freeman has to face are innumerable.
Even though the game is a few years old, I still had several “wow” moments with HL2. Solving the crazy physics-based puzzles separate HL2 from your normal FPS. Using the Gravity Gun for the first time is a lot of fun, and as a whole, the game is incredible polished. The Orange Box has both of its episodes, and you can play the HL2 series from the top to bottom.
Team Fortress 2 is also included in the Orange Box, and it’s quickly become one of my favorite multiplayer games. The game has artistic cel-shaded graphics that remind me of Looney Tunes, but gameplay like Counter-Strike.
You can chose from eight different playing classes – from the support-based Medic to the maniacal Heavy. Every class plays a little differently, and anybody can find something they’re good at. I’m not the best FPS player, so I play as the Spy. Spies can run and disguise themselves as the enemy, slip behind enemy lines and wreak havoc. Anybody can find a class to play and eventually propel their team to victory.
If you play on good servers where people play as a team, the game can be really intense and exciting. Charging in with groups of your teammates into the enemy Capture Point and finally taking it is just an awesome experience, and I’ve sunk hours into the strategic gameplay of Team Fortress 2.
And that’s not all! Portal, a futuristic puzzle/FPS is one of the most unique experiences out there. Portal uses a teleportation gun to solve ingenious puzzles, and the computer announcer GLaDOS is really sarcastic, saying things such as, “This next test is impossible. Make no attempt to solve it.” Trust me, you really have to play this game – it’s one of the most refreshing games out there, and deserves all the praise it’s received.
Valve has thrown together a ton of games together for a great price. The Orange Box has a huge amount of gameplay and value, and you really need to own it. I would suggest the PC because I’ve always been a fan of the keyboard and mouse, but the 360 and PS3 versions are great as well. With five great games together in one package, how could you go wrong? The Orange Box gets a 10 out of 10, and is one of the best games I’ve played in a long time.
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