I never played half life 2 or episode 1 so i had the unique opportunity to play both parts as well as the brand new episode 2 in succession for the 1st time and it was a wild and unforgettable ride. it is certainly one of the best sci fi stories around and might be my favorite shooter. There is nothing to hate when it comes to the HL series. the characters are loveable and all the voice acting is spot on and prefectly crafted. the game is not easy, nor is there an overwhelming learning curve. the balance is struck perfectly and there are a bunch of edge-of-your-seat moments along the way. Bioshock stole telekenesis from the gravity gun! just wanted to get that out of the way. the dystopian future that half life brings to reality is seamless and is a great story of fiction and really sucks you in. Portal could not have been more fun and is impossible to not love. It has a lot of replayability and when you factor in all the extra challenges and advanced maps you can definitely log some serious time with the game. It will have you scratching your head in ways you never thought possible from a video game and when you finally solve the puzzle you feel like Einstein. This is a great lateral thinknig game and should be considered as an educational tool as well. It makes you think out of the box and in a way that you are not accustomed to. Portal is sharp!
Team fortress 2 is also long on charm and all the playable characters are well balanced and it is tough to find a favorite. i wish i had more time with TF2, but all my friends play Halo 3 and dont want to bother with TF for some reason. i guess the only weak point is the game type that is lovked to each map but i am sure there wil lend up being new maps and team deathmatch in the future, it would just make no sense not to do it. the animation and cell shaded look is well executed and adds a unique feel to a game that already has a ton of standout qualitites. Overall THE ORANGE BOX is a cant miss title. You've never spent $60 bucks better in your life.
The other reader reviews are ridiculous, they're complaining about the value of this game when you get 5 excellent products. Even with the new products alone (ep2, tf2 and portal), $60 would have been about right in comp... Read Full Review
The Good: 5 amazing games for the price of one; Episode 2 is a solid entry in the series; Portal is the most unique puzzle game that you'll ever come across; a solid number of manageable achievements; characters that you... Read Full Review
