The Orange Box - Game Review

When you order the orange box that's what your going to get, an orange box. But what's even more important is what's inside the box. Because, inside, there are some of the best games ever made: Half life 2, Portal and Team Fortress 2.

I'll start with Half life. Half life 2 Episode 2 puts you once again in the role of scientist Gordon Freeman. As Gordon you do what he does best, shoot everything and being generally awesome. Valve has once again created a great story based on previous events in the half life series (Half life 1, Half life 2 and Half life 2 episode 1).

When you get "salvaged" from the rubble you get your Gravity gun and trusty crowbar and set off. It's just more mindless shooting that we've seen in previous half life's but it has the Valve touch.

When you play half life 2 its like playing a entirely different kind of shooter. This is because of limited ammo capacity, enemy swarms and zombies suddenly bursting out of cupboards, it's just nerve wrecking at some points. Especially when your low on ammo and attract a horde of city guards with gunships. Overall, it's not a game with length but it will fill 5-10 hours of gaming.

Next up is Portal. Portal is a puzzle game that uses portals to solve puzzles. There are 18 puzzles in total which makes it a very short game, however it's extremely funny. There is this voice in the game that makes comments on your progress and about the rooms. For example, when you enter the first room with a hazardous floor the voice says: "Don't touch the floor, if you do we are forced to give you less points, and death".

The difficulty curve is pretty fucked up, you see, you'll get through the first 16 levels if you have more then 2 brain cells, but the final 2 are extremely hard. It's like an evening stroll when suddenly a hobo jumps out of a trash can, throws a rubiks cube at you at forces you to solve it, but you don't know how the fuck you solve a rubiks cube!

But if you manage to solve the last 2 you'll unlock some bonus levels which are even harder, they're just for the challenge really. The game is fun to play and full of creativity, a real recommendation.

Finally there's Team Fortress 2 (often known as TF2). Team Fortress 2 can only be played online against other players, there is no single player.

When you play tf2 for the first time, it appears as a hectic homicidal mess. But when you get used to it there are actually tactics behind the madness. There are different character to play (which can be changed while playing) that all have their own pros and cons. The scout runs fast, the pyro sets people on fire, the soldier can "rocket jump" (google it), the demoman can lay mines, the heavy has a mini gun, the engineer can build Sentries, dispensers and teleporters, the medic can heal people, the sniper can kill people with a single shot (if aimed at the head) and the spy can turn invisible, back stab and disguise himself as the enemy.

There different arena's and different modes to play, there aren't a lot of them but there's an active online community that provides diversion. For example, you can play capture the flag in a turbine room and play the same game totally different the other day. That community provides you with hours upon hours of entertainment and joy. It isn't an extremely varied game but it's fun to do and will stay fun to do even after you did every level and every game mode.

Overall review

• Gameplay
  It all runs on the same engine, and it's great, great controls and great everything.


• Story
  Half life 2: after fixing the error in the time and space in half life 1, now you have to stop some evil organisation. Portal: you are a test subject for the aperture science team and need to test a portal gun, to be used with shower curtains. Team Fortress 2: none, just none.


• Graphics
  Again it runs on the same engine, so it practically looks the same, TF2 however is a bit more cartoony

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