Game review: The Orange Box

BAGHDAD, IRAQ

03.07.2008

Courtesy Story

Multi-National Division Baghdad

By Sgt. Mark Matthews
Multi-National Division - Baghdad

CAMP LIBERTY, Iraq — It's rare, but every once in a while someone, somewhere has what I like to call "a good idea." Cheese in a can, America and indoor toilets were all great ideas. Joining this elite group of greatness is The Orange Box for the Xbox 360, Playstation 3 and Personal Computer, developed by the Valve Corporation.

The Orange Box did what many thought was impossible: put five good games into one small box. The Box consists of the complete Half Life 2 saga, including the original Half Life 2l; Half Life 2: Episode One and the brand new Half Life 2: Episode Two; as well as the class-based multiplayer phenomenon Team Fortress 2 and, my personal favorite, Portal.

The meat of the Orange Box is the acclaimed Half Life series. The entire concept of the Box was to introduce Episode Two and reacquaint gamers with the franchise that redefined gaming physics back in 2004, when Half Life 2 was originally released for the personal computer and then later ported to the Xbox, Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3. The same year, it won more than 35 "Game of the Year" awards, and the franchise has sold more than 16 million units. It was the Halo of its era.

Now the series, although re-mastered and re-boxed, seems to look dated. Graphically, it can't compete with Gears of War and Assassin's Creed. The story is as good now as it was then, but it lacks presentation.

The truth is, if you are a fan of the series and have played through both Half Life 2 and Half Life 2: Episode One, then you won't be able to help yourself; you must play Episode Two. For everyone else, it will be difficult to find the time or motivation to replay a four-year-old game when there are so many new, innovative games on the shelves.

Team Fortress 2 was another "good idea;" it was just poorly thought out. Great characters, amazing graphics, hilarious cartoon humor, fantastic class balance and completely over-the-top weapons – this game has it all, almost. There is no split screen. Even with the great progress of online gaming, half the fun of a shooter is still inviting your buddies over to battle the gaming world together. In order to successfully set up a local network and play, you had better have a lot of TVs, a lot of consoles and an equal number of copies of the game. This was the biggest disappointment in the Box for me. I love playing with friends, and I was hoping this would be something fun and a nice change from Halo 3. I was wrong.

The last title in the Orange Box is Portal. This wasn't a "good idea" – It was a "fantastic idea." It's a first-person puzzle game and is nothing short of amazing. Portal is a mind-bending, innovative, addictive gem. It's short, and if you know what you're doing, you can beat it in three to four hours, but it's learning what to do that will suck you in and not let you go. The way it works is you are equipped with two portal guns, an orange one and a blue one. If you shoot a blue portal on one wall and an orange portal on another, you pass through time and space by walking, jumping or falling into them. The portals are connected, and by walking through one, you walk through the other.

In Portal, you play as a girl who is trapped in some kind of experiment, not unlike a lab rat, and you must escape each room using your newly acquired portal guns. You are not alone during this journey and are accompanied by the voice of a hilarious and often ridiculous artificial intelligence being whose only goal is to ensure you fail at your quest for freedom. I'll give you one piece of advice: "The cake is a lie."

The Orange Box is a welcomed addition to my video game shelf. The Half Life series is a love, hate or don't really care title. Everyone is different. I enjoyed it once and will probably never play it again. Team Fortress was a bit disappointing, but Portal more than makes up for its shortcomings.

I give The Orange Box 4 cakes out of 5.

• Date Taken: 03.07.2008
• Date Posted: 03.07.2008 14:11
• Story ID: 17116
• Location: BAGHDAD, IQ