A post-apocalyptic masterpiece and everything they told you Bioshock was
User Rating: 10 | The Orange Box X360
Though Half-Life 2 was released a couple years ago it still holds up as the greatest shooter ever made. Yes, that's better than Halo or Bioshock. With the power of the 360 the graphics have been amped all the way up and look much better than they probably did on your PC two years ago or on your original xbox. The sound design is full of the small details that really matter when trying to get drawn into a game, from the chatter of combine soldiers to the far off hum of enemy drop ships everything sounds perfect. The combat here is always intense and just when you're getting used to things the game throws some new quirk at you to keep things fresh all the way up to the end. The story in HL2 is also one of its strongest features, the closest thing to a page turner I've played in a long time. The subsequent episodes are definitely a fan service picking up where the game left off. While both are pretty good, the first is a little less exiting than you'd expect and only lasts about 3 hours. The second on the other hand ramps things right up again and leaves you wanting more. The games other two diversions are really everything they're cracked up to be. Portal really is a brilliant puzzler with a quirky sense of humor and I'd definitely like to see more. Team Fortress 2 is just about as good as a shooter 10 years in the making (not by 3D Realms) can be. While there are only six maps, they are all beautifully designed on just about every level and provide for tons of variety each time you play. The class system is perfectly balanced and lets even new players hold there own with the more experienced. The sole complaint I have with the game is that the load times for each game are far too long, considering they each only take you to a menu it's a little confusing. But this is a really very minor annoyance from and otherwise outstanding game. All and all, for only $60 you're getting a metric ton of game play, all of which is solid and oozing with quality. Really THE must buy game for the xbox. 
