| The Orange Box | 
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| From: Electronic Arts
Category: Video Games
List Price: $29.99
Buy New: $24.00
You Save: $5.99 (20%)
New (25) Used (3) from $9.99
Avg. Customer Rating:  233 reviews
Sales Rank: 587
Platforms: Windows Vista, Windows Xp, Windows 2000
ESRB: Mature
Media: DVD-ROM
Autographed: No
Memorabilia: No
Batteries Included: No
Age: 17 - 20 years
Shipping Weight (lbs): 2
Dimensions (in): 0.1 x 0.1 x 0
MPN: 9852
UPC: 014633098525
EAN: 0014633098525
ASIN: B000PS2XES
Release Date: October 9, 2007
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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| Customer Reviews:
 Overall game package....Better than I'd hoped ... maybe even a 'Game of the Year' contender in this group October 15, 2007
42 out of 53 found this review helpful
Some comments on the 3 new components of this 5 game package.
Episode 2...a worthy sequel to Episode 1...
In fact, qualities good enough (IMO) to think that it might have contended for single player, Game of the Year*, (however, its shorter overall length would probably preclude this honor.)
This game was all that I'd hoped for; it has some great battles, an extended car driving component, an interesting new weapon (towards the end), a compelling story line, a hint of humor and a touching, emotional ending.
In addition, it has smooth flowing graphics, well sync'd voice and lip movement and a few interesting puzzles. Also, the way the other characters (i.e. Alyx, Dr. Vance etc.) watch you and turn their bodies to adjust to your position (Freeman) is remarkable; very realistic.
My only small complaint would be that the first quarter of the game was a little drawn out and repetitious; however this is only a minor concern in an otherwise incredible PC game.
Easily 5 Stars...more if I could.
*****
Portal...quirky and different but fun!
A rather unique, single player puzzle game that involves going in and out of doors; doors you make with (what else), your portal gun. However, this task is not quite as easy as it sounds; to accomplish your goals you must use strategies of lateral thinking, timing and momentum to get through all 19 different levels. Of course the challenges become more complicated as you progress and to win the game (and escape), you must defeat the increasingly neurotic test-facility robotess in the finale. Great fun!
This spacial concepts took a little time to get use to, but once the basics were mastered this was an interesting and fun exercise in abstract thinking and puzzle solving. 4 ½ Stars.
*****
Team Fortress 2...non-stop action
An excellent addition to the original TF. The gameplay could best be described as multiplayer chaos, with everyone running around like mad trying to survive. It is, however, great fun. 5 Stars.
Conclusion:
Great value for the money; 1 new game, 2 new sequels, plus a couple of old games thrown in (games that, for anyone who likes this genre, has already played long ago). Overall package...5+ Stars.
*other nominees for single player 'Game of the Year' might be 'Bioshock' and "Call of Duty 4', with 'Timeshift' and 'STALKER-Chernobyl' close runner ups and 'Crysis' in a more distant grouping.
Superb October 14, 2007
29 out of 40 found this review helpful
Excellent price for 5 triple-A quality games. Lives up to the hype.
...and if you already own HL2 and episode1, Valve (through Steam) lets you transfer those licenses to a friend.
Fantastic value for money. October 14, 2007
6 out of 10 found this review helpful
The Orange Box has to be the best value I have ever known in my 20+ years of playing video games on many formats. There are five games in the Orange Box all of which are brilliant in their own right. I already owned Half Life 2 and HL Episode 1 but I was still more than happy to pay the US dollar equivalent of £30 for the three games that I didn't own.
The five games that you get in this pack are:
1)Half Life 2 - Probably the best FPS ever
2)HL 2 episode 1 - A rather short expansion pack for HL 2
3)HL 2 episode 2 - The second expansion pack for HL2
4)Portal - A physics based puzzle game
5)Team Fortress 2 - An online multiplayer FPS
All three Half Life 2 games are graphically excellent with a really well told story and immersive gameplay.
In Portal you wake up in a lab and must solve increasing difficult puzzles to escape. What makes this game unique is it's use of the portal gun that enables you to open 2 portals at a time. When you go through one portal you emerge from the other. What makes it tricky is working out where and at what velocity you will emerge. For instance, if you jump from a ledge and enter a portal in the floor you might emerge from a portal in the side wall at the same fast speed. You must solve the puzzle for each level to get to the elevator. Anyway, it's tricky to describe but is indeed good fun.
My favourite though is definately Team Fortress 2. I just love this game. It's an online shooter involving two teams over six maps. You can choose from nine classes of combatant such as the engineer who can build turrets and teleport points to assist the team, the Heavy who carries a large chain gun, the spy who can camoflage himself as the opposing team, the soldier with his rocket launcher and five other distinct characters all with their own unique gameplay altering traits.
Overall the Orange Box has something for everyone and is worth every penny. I highly recommend it.
Hands down, the best video game package ever. October 13, 2007
7 out of 12 found this review helpful
Every game in this package is worth buying, playing, and playing again.
I was mostly impressed by Portal and Team Fortress 2. Both are innovative in their visual style and humor, and they both play like a dream. Portal is mind-bending, and while short, offers plenty replayability in it's bonus maps. Team Fortress 2 will keep you busy for days. There aren't a lot of maps to start with, but the multiplayer, class-based gameplay keeps things from getting old.
I can't really review Half-Life 2: Episode 2 here because I have not finished it yet. Though so far, the graphics are amazing and the pacing is spot-on.
The Orange Box is incredible, and for the price that most companies will make you pay for one game, Valve gives you 5.
 Some Good, Some Bad October 13, 2007
10 out of 22 found this review helpful
Half-Life Episode 2: Grade: C
I have just completed Half-life: Episode 2. Honestly, the story is the only reason why I finished it. The game play just felt like more of the same. No new weapons, two new enemies and an extremely short game. It took me 5 1/2 hours to complete, according to my personal game play statistics page on Steam, and I spent some of that time lolly-gagging around and exploring. If I stuck to plowing through the game, I probably could have beaten it in 3 to 4 hours. The story is Episodes 2's saving grace. Now that TF2 has finally been completed, lets hope the team can put more energy into the third episode.
Team Fortress 2: Grade: A
I started playing this during Beta testing and I've been addicted to it since. The graphics, characters and balanced game-play is a vast improvement over the first Team Fortress. The Orange Box is almost worth it just for this.
Portal: Grade: B-
Decent game with puzzling maps to exercise your mind. I finished it relatively quick. There are bonus maps that take the game-play a little further. It has an interesting story that adds to the Half-Life universe.
The Package Overall: Grade: C+
It's a good thing Episode 2 came in a package of other games. Here's hoping that Episode 3 is a stunner. TF2 is amazing fun. Portal is decent fun with quirky game play. Half-life 2 and Episode one have been out for a long time now. If you are new to the Half-life experience, then you have hours upon hours of game-play. If you are already an experienced Half-Lifer and Episode 2 was what you were waiting for, then you may be in for a disappointment.
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