The Orange Box Review (X-Box 360)
Posted by David Redkey on 11.18.2007
It is awesome that this game contains five different games. A potential collection of the year.
What would a person consider the best first person shooting on the market?
Depending on whom you asked, when you asked, you would get various answers. That would typify a subjective answer. It does not represent anything beyond the person’s own opinion. It only reflects the person’s own point of view, and their opinion.
That is a tough question to consider. The “best” is exactly that term. It is all about perception of reality. Contrary to what I feel, there are people that strongly dislike the Metal Gear series because they do not enjoy the story the creator supply.
That does not mean the game is not great; it just means that the game is not the unequivocal piece of first person shooting. It has peers. They excel in areas that The Orange Box never even tries to attain. In short, I give you the opportunity to see if you agree with my assertation.
Graphics
Let us get the first thing out of the way; the release of Half-Life 2 was in 2004. There was not an update to the original graphics for the version in The Orange Box. There is not a change between this version and the one on the PC or X-Box. This is a prettier version of the game that we saw on our X-Boxes back in 2005.
The Orange Box is not just a prettier version of Half-Life 2. This game contains Half-Life 2: Episode 1, Half-Life 2: Episode 2, Portal, and Team Fortress. Half-Life 2 (the original) is the weakest game in the “graphics” department. Over the other two episodes, the graphics have made a step forward. Half-Life 2: Episode 2 is the best looking game, graphically, in the whole collection, or the 360. Portal and Team Fortress 2 are no slouches either.
Each of Team Fortress 2’s character class has its own look and personality. That really differentiates them from one and another. The Spy looks completely different the Heavy Gunner. There animations convey their different personality types as well. That is a welcomed surprise. On a side note, it is nice to see that Valve went for more whimsical look as opposed to the ultra-realistic look.
Portal is the game that goes for the futuristic look. There is nothing wrong with that. It actually fits the story that the creators are trying to tell. Valve had to create a futuristic world that would have a machine, which creates “portals” for a person to transverse from one side of the room to another.
Overall, my hat is off to the designers of the graphics and animations in this game. Thank you for creating something that can really stress how videogames are a form of (commercialized) art.
Gameplay
If you hate First Person Shooters, The Orange Box will only slightly sway your judgment because of Portal. This game is straight puzzle game that requires you to place an entrance portal at one point. The other point should be the exit portal.
You can transverse through one of the portals to solve the puzzle and advance through the game. It is very relaxing and entertaining, because it is not the action game like the others. In any event, it is a welcome addition to people that like FPS, and puzzles as well.
Team Fortress 2 is the purely for team based action only for X-Box Live. Unfortunately, the game does not allow split screen death matches. In addition, there is not a pure death match. On every map, you and your team will have to work together to achieve victory. The game forces you to work together, or die alone (idea stolen from Lost). Both games are truly nice in the entire package; however, the true reason to buy The Orange Box is for Half-Life 2 and the extra content.
With its 2005 release, Half-Life 2 was a revolutionary game. Unfortunately, the release of this game has illustrated how little the FPS-genre has advanced over the years since it was released. We people (even fellow writers) buying into the hype that was supplied by Microsoft concerning Halo 3.
That is truly tragic, in my opinion. Games should be advancing. We should not just except the laziness that Microsoft and Sony provide. The designers should be the true innovators, but the public hate “new” concepts and ideas. We still have resistance to Darwin’s theory of evolution by the population that cannot accept man evolving from monkeys. I will cut that short because that is unimportant. It has nothing to do with the game at hand.
Sound
This tends to be the area that Half-Life 2 easily trounces all its competition. The reason for this is simple. The music easily fits the overall package. The voice work tends to be a step above many first person shooters. The characters provide believable voice work. They script is excellent across the board.
One example I need to recognize is the computer voice in Portal. The delivery and the script fit the game so well. It transcends the usual puzzle motif, and gives the game a hilarious experience. Do not cut your experience short; the character is well worth the experience alone.
Lasting Appeal
Let me reiterate something to my fortunate readers. This package has five games. Each one alone would be worth the price. This is especially true if Microsoft was the one that made it themselves. You have plenty of game to keep up the entertainment.
That is a lot of gaming to keep you happy for a long period. There is one problem worth mentioning. This game is on a console. The limits of console gaming are apparent to anyone that enjoys PC gaming as well. You are unable to download user-created content.
Fun Factor
If love FPS, it is criminal to pass up this game. This is a disservice to you to pass it up.
The 411
Halo, Halo 2, Halo 3 are all garbage in comparison to this total package. That is only in comparison to the greatest and innovation. Graphics have not made the jump that Sony and Microsoft has led us to believe. This game illustrates that point beautifully. This game is arguably the best package on the 360, bar none.
Graphics
9.5
Half-Life 2 is at least two years old. Episode One is a year old. Everything else is brand new, and it looks it. Beautiful.
Gameplay
9.5
The Gravity Gun is still awesome. The A.I. is pretty intelligent, but it doesn't compare to F.E.A.R. Portal is a relaxing puzzle experience. Team Fortress 2 fills out the multiplayer area nicely.
Sound
10.0
The music is gentle, moving, or pulse-pounding depending on the mood.
Lasting Appeal
9.5
You can not download user-created content. That is a mark against the 360 version, and console games in general.
Fun Factor
10.0
There is enough gameplay to satisfy anyone that puts down the money towards this game.
