Half Life 2: The Orange Box
Review
Five games for the price of one.
by Kevin
reviewed on PC
Portal
Portal is an experimental puzzle game that is part of the Half-Life universe. The gameplay is based off of the independent freeware game, Narbacular Drop. In the game, the player controls the main character, Chell who is guided through the otherwise abandoned Aperture Science building by the Artificial Intelligence known as GlaDOS. The object of the game is to use the Portal gun to solve puzzles and advance to the next room. With this gun it is possible to establish a portal between two places, offering instant travel between them.
Each room increases in difficulty but the puzzles aren't complicated to the point that you will be pulling your hair out. They do require a bit of thought and planning to advance. There are some interesting things that can be done with portals, such as using built up momentum to shoot yourself long distances, or placing objects into places they normally wouldn't go by picking them up with the gun and using it to 'throw' them.
There isn't much combat in the game. The most action you will get is when you are knocking over turrets to deactivate them, and when you are disposing of the end-boss. That said, there are plenty of dangers in the game. Some of the hazards include rooms flooded with chemical waste, flying balls of energy and armed turrets that shoot on sight. Oh, and I almost forgot to mention the threat you pose to yourself: use portals improperly and you will die.
Due to the game's length, I don't recommend a separate purchase of Portal, but it is most definitely worth getting as part of The Orange Box. For more information on the game, check out our Portal review.
Team Fortress 2
Team Fortress 2 adds some multiplayer fun to The Orange Box. Based on the Quake mod Team Fortress and the more recent Team Fortress Classic, the game has plenty to offer. Players can choose between nine classes that fall under the Offense, Defense, and Support categories. Available classes include Scout, Pyro, Demoman, Engineer, Spy, and Medic. Each class has its own unique abilities as well as strengths and weaknesses. For instance, Heavies and Soldiers deal huge amounts of damage, but they are slow and therefore make easy targets for Snipers or Scouts. The balance between the different classes is outstanding and there are no major advantages or weakness in any of them.
Unfortunately there seems to be a serious lack of communication and coordination between Team Fortress players. For a team-based game, that is very disappointing. Instead of forming a strategy using the team chat channel, most players will go off to complete objectives by themselves, which is basically suicide and only hinders the team's progress. Aside from these problems, the game's fast pace and cartoonish yet violent graphics make it a valuable and entertaining multiplayer experience.
Deal or no deal?
If you haven't already guessed, The Orange Box is well worth the price you pay for it. While the single-player games are a little on the short side, the achievements and multiplayer action of Team Fortress 2 will keep you playing for months. The package is available at most retailers and the PC version is available through the Steam service. PS3 fans will need to wait for a while longer. Their version is still in development and will be released in Europe on November 16th, followed by the US release on December 11th.
9.0
fun score
No Pros and Cons at this time
