The Orange Box

The Orange Box
From Electronic Arts

Price: $19.99 & eligible for FREE Super Saver Shipping on orders over $25.

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Product Description

The Orange Box includes all the content of The Black Box for PC, plus the original Half-Life 2 and Half-Life 2: Episode One. Innovative games featured in The Orange Box include Half-Life 2: Episode Two, the second installment in Valve's episodic trilogy advances the award-winning story, leading the player to new locations outside of City 17, as well as the pioneering type of single-player action game Portal,

which rewrites the rules for how players approach and manipulate their environment, and Team Fortress 2 -- an all-new version of the legendary title that spawned team based multiplayer action games with a daring new art style features the most advanced graphics of any Source-based game released to date.

Product Details

* Amazon Sales Rank: #189 in Video Games
* Brand: Electronic Arts
* Model: 9849
* Released on: 2007-10-09
* ESRB Rating: Mature
* Platform: Xbox 360
* Dimensions: 3.00 pounds

Customer Reviews

Team Fortress 2, need I say more!?
Let me start by saying this is by far the greatest value of any Xbox 360 game. You are getting 5 games in one box....The Orange Box that is. I will only focus on the new ones. I purchased this game based on two of the titles; TF2 and Portal. Portal was the first game I played because i was the most intrigued by it.

It is a great new way to game. The idea is you have a gun that lets you place entrance and exit portals, so you can use them transport items, as well as yourself. There are tons of possibilities. Secondly the LONG AWAITED Team Fortress 2. When I first saw the trailer of the Cartoon looking characters I cringed!

But now that I have the game in my hands and have been playing it, its not the end of the world...although I think I would like Half Life 2 graphics more. Bottom line, the average Xbox 360 game price for 5 games is a great value, even if it were 5 mediocre games, but this is not that, this is 5 great games for the price of one. I would say a solid buy just based on re-playability alone!

Most generous amount of good swag ever!
Even if the orange box merely consisted of Half life 2 and its' other two episodes it "still" would have been a steal for the price. However on top of that gamers also get Portal and Team Fortress 2.

For those unfamiliar with Portal it uses the same engine as half life and pits your mind against a diabolical computer which uses everything from deadly traps to psychological war-fare to slow your progress. Your only gadget is a gun that can make portals through solid walls and your sole goal is to get out of a giant experimental maze alive. While the environments are a bit bland in portal the "puzzle aspect" is fun and addictive even for people who would not normally enjoy puzzle games.

Team Fortress 2 is a slapstick humorous co-op online fps which seems to burrow a lot of cheese from old spy espionage movies and action flicks. Every character has side splitting outrageous quirks as well as their own unique weapons and skills.

Besides for Bio shock and Jedi academy I've never been in love with the fps genre. However valve presents each of their concepts with such flare and originality even jaded critics would be hard pressed not to like at least "something" the orange box offers up.

Obviously my favorite game is Half Life 2. The only glaring faults with the game are that the controls are not quite so easy to learn as Bio shock's and that if you have not played the first Half Life the story has many plot holes which remain unexplained.

Once you get into driving a swamp boat with a mounted gun turret around in a series of canals while blasting away at corrupt law enforcers and military helicopters or find yourself crawling around in tunnels filled with organic alien traps that want to slurp you up with their hanging tongues to devour you it is easy to appreciate the vast realistic yet nightmarish environments Half Life 2 offers up to the player.

The story though obscure is also quite good. Apparently as Gordan Friedman you helped develop dimensional travel technology in a place called black mesa. Unfortunately the open doorways you and your cohorts created allowed hostile aliens to spill through. Before you knew it humanity got conquered by a hostile group of crazy tyrannical creeps from a close by neighboring reality.

The human resistance which did not succumb to the demands of the enemy despot regime formed lucrative alliances with other aliens who were being enslaved by the same oppressive fraction. They all see you as a type of "messiah" who can bring down "The Man".

The only thing I do not understand is since you are partly responsible for the invasion why does no one see you in a negative light? For a guy that set back human civilization you sure do get a lot of rear-kissing compliments! Besides for that oddity there is also the haughty feeling you get from Friedman.

A lot of people talk to him yet Gordon never says anything in turn. You get the subtle feeling he is either mute or a bit conceited. A guy that is supposed to be a sophisticated scientist should have "something" to say to someone. The beautiful,brave, and capable Alyx is always at Friedman's side yet I have not seen him flirt with her yet.

Now that ranting wiener fest is over there were things I enjoyed immensely about the cast in half life 2. The cast you interact with are believable, flawed, and endearing. They are akin to what your neighbors and friends would be like if they were suddenly faced with losing their families, friends, and basic human rights.

The men are rightfully rugged and while the females are cute they are not that plastic unrealistic false perfection you find in games such as Soul Calibur 4 or Sexy beach. There are no scantily clad big busted model types running around it slinky red dresses or in super short skirts and halter tops. Half life 2 proves you can make women characters "pretty" yet still respect them as people at the same time.

Honestly I think the gravity gun is one of the best ideas ever but beyond it and your environmental adaptation suit I found the weapons to be lack luster. We've seen the incarnation of the crow bar many times as well as machine guns, assault rifles, pistols, and grenades. While Half life 2 does have a decent Selection Bio Shock had "plasmids" which literally gave you cool powers.

But yet if you flip over the same argument Half Life 2's environments are much bigger, there are at least 2 fun scenarios where you get to pilot vehicles, and the game is much longer. My final analysis found me loving both games equally for different reasons. However as far as re-playability is concerned even Half Life 2 by itself trumps Bio shock significantly.

Because of Half Life 2 and every other game within the orange box I cannot offer much of an objection. It is akin to a genie offering you grand wishes for a nickel apiece. Can any gamer honestly argue with a bargain of that magnitude?

Pros

+ All the games are high quality.

+ Besides for Bio Shock Half Life 2 is arguably the best first person shooter out there.

+ Fans of brain teasers will adore portal for its biting humor, wit, charm, and challenge.

+ Team Fortress 2 was a nice addition for co-op play over X Box live. Personally it is not for me but for those that prefer co-op and socializing it is a real gem!

+ A steal for the price!

Cons

- All the games still use a basic fps format so the variety is still limited in some aspects.

- Unless you have played Half Life 1 Half Life 2 will have you scratching your head on more than one occasion.

- Half Life 2's controls are a bit unique from other shooters so mild frustration may occur until you get the hang of things.

Greatest Deal Ever
If you haven't played this game now is the time! At the price you can get it now this game is a steal. Having Half Life 2 alone is worth at least 30 dollars, but you also get its two expansions. Portal, although short is brilliant, and unlockable challenges give it replay value. Team Fortress 2 is a very good multiplayer game.

It may not stack up to the experience you would get on a PC but it is good enough to enjoy. If you enjoy a great single player experience this is a must have game. If you only want to get orange box for team fortress, your better off getting it off steam.

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