For those of you who don't know who Gordon Freeman is...
Prior to purchasing the Orange Box I had never played Half-Life, Half-Life 2 or Counter Strike. This review is from a non-fanboy perspective.
Yes it is 5 games for the price of one, but if they're 5 crappy games is it really worth it? These 5 games could not be sold separately at full price. Half-Life 2 has dated graphics, Episode 1 is WAY too short, Episode 2 has the best graphics, but is still too short. Portal is a mind-bending blast! But it's too short to be sold separately, and Team Fortress 2 is a lot of fun, but is strictly online multiplayer.
So now that we have all of the bad stuff out of the way let's get to the good.
1) Half-Life 2: This has the worst graphics of the group, but it is the longest and has the best weapon set. The driving levels are a little long and tedious, but the rest of the game is a lot of fun. The gravity gun is the trademark of the Half-Life series. As long as there is something you can pick up w/ the gravity gun nearby you have ammo. Whether it's saw blades, radiators, washing machines, etc, this gun is a blast to use! Also the laser scoped rocket launcher and controlling the antlions are a lot of fun as well. The graphics will probably be a huge turn off when you pop this one in, but the game is so fun you'll get sucked in and get used to the graphics in no time.
2) HL2 Ep 1: This game is the shortest of the group. You get to know the characters a little better, but being the shortest it is also the least memorable. Thanks to the achievements I know it's possible to play this game firing only one bullet. That's how short it is!
3) HL2 Ep 2: Episode 2 has the best graphics. Almost as good as Gears of War and Assassin's Creed. In Episode 2 you'll REALLY become attached to the characters and the end will blow your mind! It will leave you screaming for Episode 3!
4) Portal: It's the best thing since Tetris! In Tetris it's the same blocks falling over and over, but it's different every time. In Portal you have the same concept of shooting portals to get to hard to reach places, but it's different every time! You can beat Portal in about 3 hours or less, but you'll come back to it over and over. It is the new and innovative game of the group. Add in a few more levels and it's worth the full price tag by itself!
5) Team Fortress 2: It's a squad based online multiplayer. Every character has their strengths and weaknesses. The spy can look like someone from the other team, but has weak weapons. The Heavy has the most powerful gun, but he's slow. The Engineer is great at setting up defensive turrets, but isn't very good at offense.
The bottom line: The Orange Box is worth a purchase. I would avoid renting it because you'll spend many hours playing through the different games, and you'll want to come back over and over. The early reviews say: "5 games for[...] what a deal!!" Now that it's[..] how can you pass it up?
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Great set of games even for a non-gamer!
I'm a middle-aged woman who just can't seem to get the hang of the game controllers. I know, so sad and lame--and I'm usually pretty coordinated.
But I LOVED both "Half-life" games--I sit next to my husband and shout at him at while he controls the action. "Half-life", unlike many other gaming titles, has a progressive, linear plot, and requires enough thoughtful strategy that I could actually make worthwhile contributions without a controller! "Portal" is also a fun *team* endeavour.
Can't wait for the next Half-Life!
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