Amazon.com: The Orange Box: Playstation 3: Video Games

57 Reviews

5 star:		(40)
4 star:		(12)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(1)

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4.5 out of 5 stars (57 customer reviews)

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

81 of 84 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars This game is AWESOME, don't believe the bad press., December 13, 2007

By	Your Mother/pot3ntial2suck (New York) - See all my reviews

Fun:5.0 out of 5 stars

The Good:
The Orange Box for PS3 is an outstanding purchase for any Half Life fan or for those that wanted to play HL2 but didn't have a PC that could run it. This package comes with 5 games which give roughly 30 hours of single player gameplay and infinite online multiplayer.

Included are the titles: Half Life 2, HL2: Episode 1, HL2: Episode 2, Portal, and Team Fortress 2. I have played through all five titles and can say that, on the whole, this is a very good port to the PS3. It has enhanced Hi-Definition graphics and the whole package has a very cool vibe to it.

Half Life 2 and the two expansion episodes are basically intellectual First Person Shooters with a huge emphasis on puzzle solving. HL2 was named game of the year by over 50 gaming publications when it was released. This version is better looking and is almost like playing the game for the first time. Portal is an insanely fun puzzle game where you shoot two portals onto walls and then warp between them to clear levels and reach objectives. It is easily the best puzzle game I've ever played and even better, my wife loves playing it as well. Team Fortress 2 is a fast cartoonish team-based online FPS. You use one of eight character types (engineer, scout etc.) to work together to defend your team's objectives. The game is a blast and has a crazy style to it.

The Bad:
There have been many complaints about this game having longer loading times and worse framerates than the other versions. But, I am here to tell you that these issues are WAY overblown and that in over 15 hours of playtime I have experienced only one substantial framerate drop and the few that popped in were gone within a few seconds and were barely noticeable. In fact, the framerate issues are no worse than they were in Heavenly Sword, or Assassins Creed.

Also, the loading times are longer than the other versions, but only by a few seconds and this is outweighed by the PS3 exclusive console ability to quick save at any point during the game. Loading times are also much worse on other highly praised games like Oblivion. But it does get annoying if you start dying a lot!

The Verdict:
If you're like me, you heard the bad press and got really worried about getting the highly anticipated and acclaimed orange box for PS3. I'm here to tell you that on its own merits as a game for PS3, this game is simply OUTSTANDING. The issues are minimal, and the overall fun and value of this game outweigh any of the negatives. If you only have a PS3, like Half Life, and want the best puzzle game of 2007 (Portal is incredible), then get this now. It may not be the best version available, but it's definitely a version worth getting and is an awesome addition to any PS3 library.

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37 of 39 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Ignore all the badmouthing, this game on the PS3 is good, December 17, 2007

By	B. Mostafavi "deadonthephone" (Charlotte, NC) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Fun:5.0 out of 5 stars

I have played the whole of the Orange Box on 3 systems: a midrange system from a few years ago (Pentium 4, nVidia 7300GTS video card), a brand new system (Intel Core 2 Quad, nVidia 8800GT video card), and the PS3. I have seen the XBox 360 version, but I have not played it myself, so I won't pass judgement.

I will say this: I hate all the complaining about the PS3 version, with everyone comparing it to the other versions. Yes, EA is a horrible game developer, with substandard ports, and Valve should not have handed the Orange Box off to them. Yes, because of this, the PS3 version suffers, both graphically (no 1080p options), and with some drops in framerate (most notably in parts of Episode 2). But the problem with this sort of reviewing is that it is not objective to this game on this system, and deters people from an amazing gaming experience.

The Orange Box is one of the most amazing gaming experiences and gaming values you can get. I don't feel any need to elaborate; most people have either already experienced it, or read any of many reviews giving details in depth. The PS3 version is still that amazing experience, no question. It has semi-long load times, but nothing nearly as bad as I have experienced with other games (in other words, about normal). There are a few framerate drops and graphical glitches, but most (I repeat MOST) people wouldn't notice or care. Again, they are really no better or worse than most other games out there. Normal. My only real complaint is that even with the PS3's capabilities, the screen resolution maxes out at 720p (but then again, that was my main complaint with Heavenly Sword, Uncharted, Motorstorm, and several other PS3 [and XBox] games). But honestly, it still looks absolutely amazing; 720p is still HD, and most people can't tell the difference between 720p and 1080p anyways. I can, but it's really doesn't matter. The quality of the game as a whole does.

A quick breakdown of the framerate issues in each part of the game, for those who care:

HL2: None
HL2, Ep.1: Some during the last levels
HL2, Ep.2: Some at the beginning, some during driving sequences, and at a few points during the last level
Portal: None
TF2: Here is where there is no excuse. ANY framerate problems during a real-time online fighting game causes huge problems. And there are a few.

I should note, the lowest I saw the framerate drop was to around 15-18 frames per second, which is noticeable for those who care, but NOWHERE near the slideshow that some reviews have been spouting. Also, there was a slight delay in gameplay during quick-saving and right after loading, but that's pretty normal for games. Nothing to kvetch about.

For those who need some comparison, I will now compare it to both of my PC experiences.

The PS3 version far outshines my gameplay experience on my midrange system. Load times, framerate, and VISUALS are far superior on the PS3. Would I have complained about the PC version? Not really, because even with the minute long load times, low resolution, and really choppy framerate on my PC, I still really loved the game. So the PS3 version was a huge step up.

With my new system, well, duh, it's going to look and feel better than the PS3 or XBox versions. And it does, very much so. That was expected.

So which way do I prefer, PC or PS3? Well, it's sort of split for me. The PC version is technically superior, and keyboard/mouse controls have always been better than using a console controller. But there was something that tickled me about being able to lie on my couch, watching the game on a huge screen, and hearing footsteps and action all around me with surround sound (I realize you can hook up surround sound on PC's, but how many people actually do? Most people put the money towards their home entertainment systems. And while I have a VERY large widescreen computer monitor, it's nothing like my television.). So I'm honestly split.

Final thoughts (sorry for making this so long):

If you have multiple consoles, and are choosing between this and the XBox 360 version, skip it. The 360 version was directly overseen by Valve, which is reason enough to spring for that as opposed to an EA port (again, I haven't actually played the 360 version, and I really don't like what EA does for games).

If you have the PC version, it's up to you whether or not you want to get it for PS3. Paying twice for the same game may seem a waste, but some people (myself included) like to have the option to play in front of a desk, or to relax on the couch and play. If you're still not sure, I suggest renting the game first to get the experience. That's what I did, and now I've made the decision to get the game for PS3 in addition to the PC version I already own.

If you don't have the Orange Box at all, shame on you! But if you're looking to get it, have a PS3, and your computer isn't mid-high range, the PS3 version is a good choice. (Plus you don't have to deal with Steam, and you can sell or return the game, which you can't do with the PC version)

Hope this helps.

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12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Best Game Package I've Ever Owned - - Portal Blew My Mind, December 31, 2007

By	Mark Twain "Sr" (Sherwood, WI) - See all my reviews

Fun:5.0 out of 5 stars

I bought this game despite some reviewers saying there were frame rate slow downs etc, and I'm so glad I did. This isn't the best PS3 game out (that goes to Uncharted in my book) but this is my number 2 PS3 game.

There are five games included in this package, and each one is mind blowingly good. Portal is the most unique game experience I've had in a long time, and Portal alone is something every gamer should experience.

Then there's the Half-Life 2 series, which includes three variations of that game basically, and countless hours of content. The atmosphere and story is excellent, and again unique. The nice thing about these games is that the story is all told by the things other people say to you, and the things that happen in the environment. This is true of Portal as well. The fact that your character doesn't talk makes it feel more like it's you in the game, and it allows you to have your own thoughts/reactions to what's being said and done, without anyone telling you what your character feels. It's wonderful.

There are some frame drops and the occasional hitching, but this honestly didn't bother me very much at all. It happens rarely, and honestly games in previous generations suffered much worse and didn't stop anyone from buying them, and nor should it stop anyone here. For the most part the game is smooth, with gorgeous graphics, anti aliasing. Most home computers would probably run this game at less detail offered here, and STILL have far worse technical problems. I had my second best gaming experience of the year with this game (Uncharted being number 1) so clearly I think it's a superb addition to any PS3 library.