Orange Box

I've been playing The Orange Box since it was released.  I never was able to play Half-Life 2 when it came out, so I am making my way through that one first.  So far it is great.  Graphics might have aged a bit in the last two years but I hear Episode 2 looks a lot better.  I'm probably about ½ through.

 

I've only been able to play a few quick matches of Team Fortress 2.  A few of them were plague by pretty bad lag.  I hear Valve already has a patch ready to go to fix the problem, but it is still going through Microsoft's long certification process.  The game seems like a lot of fun.  The visuals are stunning.  The frame rate is fast and smooth.  The various classes play significantly different from one another.  Like I said, I think I might have played only a total of four matches.  The only negative that jumped out at me (aside from the lag) was that the environments are completely static and you cannot interact with it aside from putting bullet holes in the walls.  Maybe that aspect just jumped out at me because I have been playing so much HL2 and using the gravity gun to interact with everything I see.  So, when I shoot an object in TF2 I expected it to go flying off the shelf.  But it doesn't.  Oh well.

 

And then of course, there is Portal.  Portal is just fantastic.  It is the best game in the entire set (this coming from someone that hasn't even gotten to Episode 1 or 2 yet, so I am judging before trying it all).  The game is fun, challenging and down right funny.  Yes, funny.  I wasn't expecting to laugh out loud constantly while playing it, yet the game has a fantastically dark sense of humor thanks to the female computer voice with guides you through the levels, and it had me in stiches most of the time.  Really, really clever writing.  And perfect execution.

 

As far as the whole concept and puzzle elements go, the game is top notch.  Throw in the "story line" and the game jumps another notch.  Then, mix in the final level (which is great and different from the previous ones) and the best ending song ever and you have yourself a very satisfying experience.  My only complaint is that I want more!!!!  I beat the game in one sitting (maybe around 2 - 3 hours).  I want PLENTY more Portal Valve!  I hope you have the DL content just lined up, because I am ready to buy!

 

The Orange Box has got to be one of the best values in gaming.  In an age when we compain about games' $60 pricetags and being nickled and dimed to death with DL content that we feel should be for free, it is refreshing to see a company release a game that I actually feel I underpaid for (don't tell that to Valve).  If you haven't already done so, buy this game now!!!!