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Half-Life 2: The Orange Box Review (Xbox 360)
From the moment it was officially announced last year, gamers have referred to Valve Software’s The Orange Box as the biggest bargain in the history of video games. While that statement is debatable (after all, there have been some excellent compilations over the years), there’s no denying that this is one of 2007’s must-have releases, as well as one of the best Xbox 360 games to date. Each element of the collection is excellent, from the classic Half-Life 2 to the innovative (and highly entertaining) Portal, and while there are a few issues that you’ll have to contend with, I enjoyed nearly every minute I spent with the game. However, before we break things down, let’s take a brief look at what you’ll be getting for your hard-earned money.
For those of you who are unsure as to what’s actually inside The Orange Box, here’s a detailed breakdown. Although it’s three years old, the still stellar Half-Life 2 comprises the majority of the single-player action, offering a solid 8 to 10 hours of gameplay. You’ll also get the previously released Half-Life 2: Episode One and the brand-spanking-new Episode Two, which may very well be the best entry in the series. The Orange Box also introduces Portal, a mind-bending title that adeptly blends first-person action with puzzle-solving, as well as Team Fortress 2, the sequel to the game that brought class-based multiplayer action to the masses. That’s a lot of gaming for $59.99, isn’t it?
Despite the fact that it’s three years old, Half-Life 2 is still one hell of a game. When it was originally released, the game was lauded by critics and consumers alike as a masterful blend of intense combat, challenging puzzles, and a riveting storyline. It’s one of those rare games that actually stands the test of time and is worth playing through again (and again?), although there really isn’t anything in the way of new content to lure in those gamers who have already beaten it. Given that the game was a huge hit on both the PC and the original Xbox, we’ve got to assume that a sizable percentage of the gaming population falls into that category.
With that said, you’ll likely fall in love with the game all over again as you play through it, especially when you get to those amazing sequences that made the original so memorable. Seriously, how can you not love firing sawblades at zombies in Ravenholm or trying to avoid attracting the ant-lions in Sandtraps? One of the best things about playing the game again (well, aside from the sweet new HDR lighting system) is the achievements, which essentially challenge you to approach the game differently. Think you can make it through Ravenholm using only the Gravity Gun or take out every sniper in City 17? If you’re up for the challenge, you’ll be rewarded handsomely.
Although Half-Life 2: Episode One is an enjoyable romp through the ruins of the Citadel and City 17, it pales in comparison to the stellar Episode Two. There’s really a lot to love here, from the introduction of a number of new environments (ewwwww, ant-lion dens are slimy) to several new enemies. It’s a nice showcase for the Source engine too, as much of the game takes place outside, rather than in the drab urban environs of Episode One. The storyline moves along quite well here, too, another improvement over the first episode.
All in all, the Half-Life 2 offerings in The Orange Box are excellent, and should certainly be considered “required gaming” for anyone who considers him- or herself a hardcore gamer. The physics system is still amazing (I could spend hours screwing around with the Gravity Gun), and while the graphics are starting to look a little bit dated, the developers have added some nice bells and whistles here and there. Our only real qualm with the game is the frequent (and lengthy) load times, which we were hoping could have been fixed in the 3 years that the franchise has been alive and kicking. It doesn’t hurt the overall experience that much, but it definitely takes you out of the action from time to time.
While Portal doesn’t really offer much in the way of a storyline (all you really know is that you’re a female character who must progress through a test chamber of some sort), it’s one of the best-written games in recent memory. The dialogue is laugh-out-loud funny, as the disembodied voice of your female AI overseer alternately supports and taunts you throughout your travels. The guys from the now-defunct website Old Man Murray did the writing, and anyone who’s familiar with their particular brand of humor should check it out. Hell, anyone who loves games should check it out, as this is one of the most entertaining gaming experiences of the year.
At its core, Portal is quite simple: you go into one portal and come out the other. The player’s hand is held during the first few levels, as you’ll be walked through a few rudimentary puzzles and will gradually obtain the tools of your trade. You’ll be able to short an orange and a blue portal, then walk between them. Simple, right? Although the game doesn’t feel that tough at first, the difficulty ramps up considerably toward the end, and there will be times when you feel like bashing your head against a wall. While this is occasionally due to the fact that the game doesn’t leave much room for error (even when you know what you need to do, execution is another matter altogether), more often than not it’s because the game’s later levels are downright hard.
Unfortunately, the game is very short, and many gamers will be able to beat it in under 3 hours and will be left wanting much, much more. This is really a testament to how good the game is, and while a bunch of challenges and some “advanced” version of the levels are unlocked after you beat it, it’s just not enough. It was definitely nice of the developers to include all of these bonus challenges, but this is one of those games that would benefit greatly from a healthy dose of downloadable content after release. Please Valve, we don’t even need you to continue the story (although we have no doubt that we’ll be learning a lot more about Aperture Science in the future), just give us some more puzzles!
The final element of The Orange Box is Team Fortress 2, the long-awaited sequel to the game that arguably introduced class-based multiplayer action to the masses. Given that it’s the only multiplayer offering in the collection, this is likely the game that everyone (hopefully) will still be playing months from now. It’s a ton of fun, offering the best class-based action on the Xbox 360 and one of the best multiplayer experiences of the year.
The most striking thing about the game is its unique visual style, which looks a bit like a cel-shaded version of “The Incredibles.” That’s definitely dumbing it down a bit (yes, Valve, we know it’s not actually cel shading), but this game’s visuals are tough to nail down. One of my favorite elements of the game is the way the designers used the environment and gameplay to direct player actions. For instance, rather than seeing an arrow floating in the air or a HUD indicator telling you where to go, you can follow the signs on the walls or billboards. When your opponent captures your “intelligence,” they’ll leave a literal paper trail behind them, making it easy to track them down. It may not sound like much at first, but it’s stunning in its simplicity.
As you might expect from the sequel to one of the most beloved class-based multiplayer games of all time, the classes in Team Fortress 2 are almost perfectly balanced. There’s a good chance that you’ll start out your time with the game playing as one class, but it won’t be long before you’re experimenting and trying new things. Personally, I love playing as the Engineer and Spy, although I’m beginning to enjoy playing as the Medic, too. Hopefully there will be a lot of people playing as a lot of classes, rather than everyone picking the strongest or fastest guy. Thankfully, the developers did a great job of balancing the classes, so we’re not too worried.
While the gameplay itself is incredibly deep, the customization options are a bit disappointing. The game is only shipping with six maps (the PC game will be supported by user-created maps and mods), each of which is tied to a very specific gametype. The maps are perfectly suited for their particular gametype, but the fact that you don’t have any other choices definitely hurts the proceedings. I can understand why the developers decided to do it this way, but I’m a big proponent of letting gamers figure out what they like and don’t like when it comes to multiplayer offerings. However, with that said, this is still one of my favorite multiplayer games of the year.
So, is The Orange Box the best bargain in gaming? While there might be longer games (Oblivion, for example) or games that pack more titles onto a single disc (any of the “classic” compilations), this is a near-perfect blend of varied games. I had a blast playing the game for dozens of hours, and I’m looking forward to playing it even more (I gotta beat Episode One with only one bullet!). Although this is undeniably one of the must-own games for the Xbox 360, we have a few questions. Will we be getting Episode Three over Xbox Live? And where’s our Counter-Strike: Source?