QUICK JUMP
What we're playing: The Orange Box
Much has been made of the fact that The Orange Box, released this month on the Xbox 360, is actually five games in one. Yes, the games are a great value. But somehow highlighting its cost cheapens the hidden gem that is Portal - one of the five and far and away the most addictive and inventive.
Portal starts simply and builds to trippy-yet-entertaining mind teasers. The player is basically a lab rat forced to complete tasks to advance and live. You're armed with a gun that creates portals to travel through. It's a simple concept that becomes much more fun when you realize that the portals allow you to not only walk through walls but fall through floors and drop from ceilings. The 3D puzzles basically boil down to fun with physics. And fun it is. Who knew?
The Orange Box also features Half-Life, a popular PC game, and it's two-part sequel along with Team Fortress 2, an online-only shoot-'em up. While Half-Life and Team Fortress 2 have their charms, Portal could sell The Orange Box all by itself.