Amazon.com: The Orange Box: Xbox 360: Video Games

131 Reviews

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4.6 out of 5 stars (131 customer reviews)

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88 of 96 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Best deal in video game history! 5 games in one box!, October 11, 2007

By	JR Media Freak "Jon Reynolds" (Wisconsin) - See all my reviews

Fun:5.0 out of 5 stars

I have been a fan of Half Life, so I knew I would get this for Xbox 360. (I prefer playing games on consoles.) I was also curious about the other games in this package. There is one disc...when you put it in the 360 a main menu comes up with five choices across the bottom of the screen...1. Half Life 2, 2. Half Life 2 Episode One, 3. Half Life 2 Episode Two, 4. Portal and 5. Team Fortress 2. That's right 5 games! One disc. One box. $59.99! Great deal.

Half Life 2 appears to be much better looking graphically than the original Xbox version...there are not as many glitches either. The backwards compatible version had quite a few bugs that made playing the game on the 360 quite annoying. Not to worry here. The game play is smooth and quite comparable to the PC version. The bonus here of course is that you have both Episodes One and Two to move on with after completing Half Life 2...or you can play just Episode One or Two. You don't have to solve one to play the others. That may be beneficial if you have played Half Life 2 and just want to jump right into the Episodes. The graphics on the Episodes really shine...it looks amazing...they did a great job with this version.

Portal is an interesting game and quite challenging. It seems very similar to Half Life 2 in that it is in first person, but this is more of a puzzle game. You have a portal shooting gun, and you have to figure out how to use the device to get through a maze or puzzle. There are a few twists on this too...moving platforms, switches, blocks, weight activated floor buttons, electrical sensor receptacles, energy emitting zappers that can activate the receptacles and later in the game this is even more complicated by motion sensing robotic machine gun turrets. It really stimulates the brain. It definitely makes you think outside the box. Eventually, you get the ability to shoot two different portals...one an entry portal, and the second an exit portal. I got addicted to this game and played for two hours straight until I became completely stuck and confused. I had to put it down and relax for a while...I was getting a little too intense. I can't wait to play again.

Team Fortress 2 is an online multiplayer based game. You are set up into teams, and then there are different objectives to play. I only played it twice, so I don't know all the ins and outs of it. However, it does look quite interesting. There are a few different characters to choose from with different abilities. These abilities can make one character better at defending a base, one is better at going out and stalking the other team, etc. There are snipers, medics, heavy weapon handlers, spies, scouts and a few others that I can remember. This game appears to have some replay value and a lot of fun for online multiplayer.

With all those games in one box and on one disc, who wouldn't want it for $59.99?!? This is truly the best deal in video game history. Why don't more companies do this and release more content at one time? This may make developers think about quantity in addition to quality.

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9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Best Game Compilation Ever!, November 17, 2007

By	Bob Chan (SoCal) - See all my reviews

Fun:5.0 out of 5 stars

Not only is this game the best value in console history, with 5 quality titles, its also includes some of the most innovative first-person game play design as well. I'll review each title:

Half-Life 2 (4.5/5) - Probably the single best 1-player first person shooter ever made, definitely for the PC. I played this game on the PC and it gets a perfect 5/5 there. The console version gets a 0.5 star deduction if only because the 360 controller proves to be slightly less adept than the mouse/keyboard combo. Combat is fine because they've added some auto aim to compensate, but often times you'll find yourself strafing back and forth at doorways, in order to line up correctly and get through. But the absolute worst is the vehicle control. Halo is the only FPS I've played that got vehicle control right, but HL2 is bound by the rule of never leaving Gordon Freeman's eyes, and so driving must be done first-person. But the driving segments are relatively short, given the total length of the game, and there are plenty of breaks. Certainly not a deal breaker, but still noticeably inferior to the PC version in this regard.

Half-Life 2: Episode 1 (4/5) - The first in the "episodic content" experiment, HL2:EP1 returns you to the Citadel, where you ended HL2. The first portion of the game has you repeating the same style of combat, using your enhanced gravity gun. Some new puzzle elements have been added here, which basically involves shooting energy balls around. Its interesting, but not nearly as diverse as the first game. Same with the rest of the game. Although there are some interesting new ideas, and a few new enemies, there is also a little too much repetition for such a short title, and although the story is captivating as always, it doesn't advance very far. Ultimately though, its HL2 so it rocks. These are minor complaints, and would be diminished if it didn't have its predecessor to be compared to. There is also an unbelievable XBox 360 "Achievement" that involves completing the entire game using just one bullet!

Half-Life2: Episode 2 (4.5/5) - The first "new" game on the disc. A little longer, and a little better than the previous episode. The game play has changed a little here. There are a few less physics puzzles, and more varieties of combat. A brutal new enemy is unveiled, and quickly gives you a reason to despise them. One of the byproducts of this stylistic change, means more frustration. The first two games are very linear and do an excellent job of indicating ideal strategy, while still letting you "run and gun" if thats your style. While this title is still pretty linear, you have to work out some strategies on your own, and that usually involves dying a lot. In the middle of the game, navigating an underground antlion nest involves EVADING a mother antlion. Its not exactly clear (the AI characters only tell you not to KILL it), and you'll waste ammo (that you ABSOLUTELY need later) if you even try and combat it. For the first time, there is an epic "end battle". This was probably the most intense experience in the whole series, and it follows the same style as above: there are multiple strategies to attack the encroaching enemies. This is the first time I wanted to throw my controller out the window, but finally winning was awesome. When does Episode 3 come out again?

Portal (5/5) - Another reviewer has said that if you don't like Portal, then you are stupid. There isn't much else to say. Talk about an innovative idea that is perfectly executed! Portal is not only a unique puzzle game, its wickedly smart and funny. Although the game is far too short, it does have some replay value with a few advanced maps and some other challenges. I'm very interested to see where VALVe take this awesome idea! This is the first real first-person style innovation in a while.

Team Fortress 2 (4/5) - The online multiplayer aspect of the package. TF2 is awesome looking (almost cell shaded?) and pretty fun and funny as well. This is class based combat, meaning that if you aren't any good at shooting people than you can be a medic or an engineer or something else useful to the team. I have two complaints. First is that its one player per console. This makes sense as its a ported PC game, but it still suffers when compared to other major FPS online games (ahem, Halo 2 & 3). The second is that the online matchmaking system isn't as smooth as others (ahem, Halo 2 & 3). Once again, this is because its based on the PC model. But its no fun to have find an almost full match only to find out its been filled in the time it took you to push the "A" button and then have to start the whole process over again. There are only a couple maps, but thats OK because it removes some of the steep learning curve. Combined with the simple controls and fixed weapon options, it allows n00bs to jump right in and at least enjoy the experience, unlike other games (ahem, Halo 2 & 3).

So the final verdict is that you have to buy this title. Now. Do it. Click "Add to Cart". Do it.

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3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Most generous amount of good swag ever! , February 7, 2009

By	Benjamin S. Sprague "Broken Hierophant" (North Carolina) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Fun:5.0 out of 5 stars

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.