Conclusion, Final Thoughts and Awards
Right then, time to sum up The Orange Box. So let’s get it out of the way for those of you that don’t have Half Life 2 in any shape or form. This is easy, just go and buy it. It represents some of the finest gaming you’ll see on the PC and includes the groundbreaking Half Life 2, which alone is still worth playing even some 3 years after release. Add in the two episodes, the Portal platform puzzler and the superb Team Fortress 2 and it’s a bit of a no-brainer.Now it’s time to sum it all up for those of us more than familiar with Gordon and his crowbar. Here it’s a bit trickier. Portal, whilst being brilliant and thoroughly enjoyable, is only a diversion of a game. By that, I mean that it’s a day’s gameplay at most and very likely only half a day if you’re adept at lateral thinking and can grasp the concept of how portals work. Sure, there’s more life to be had from Portal doing the advanced maps, but even those are ones you’ve already played, just made harder or with extra challenges such as against the clock or minimal use of portals. So, whilst Portal is fun and refreshing to play and doesn’t become dull too quickly, you’ll not be on it for more than a day or two.
Click for larger imageNext up is Episode Two which for me, unlike Episode One, started to drag from just about the moment you meet the first Hunter. I’m really sorry to say that as much as I like Half Life 2 and the whole saga we’ve got going on here, Episode Two just didn’t bring me anything new. For sure it’s looking good, Valve have obviously tweaked and added to the Source engine but in places it still showed up as being a three year old engine under the bonnet. Once again we found ourselves in mines and tunnels and though the return of the acid spitting Antlion, along with the Hunters added new bad guys, the lack of new weaponry or skills was a letdown. Ok, so in the last level you get a new extra for the gravity gun but it’s not really a new weapon… just an add-on. Having finished Episode Two I can say that I’m looking forwards to what happens n Episode Three, especially as it alludes to the same Aperture Laboratories you’re introduced to in Portal… but getting to the end of Episode Two was more an act of loyalty to the Half Life 2 series than for the fun of playing it.
Click for larger imageAnd then there’s Team Fortress 2 which has surprised me as being the best of the bunch. Before playing The Orange Box I was fairly sure that I’d be loving Episode 2 and Portal and Team Fortress 2 would be an enjoyable aside, but that’s been turned totally on its head. Simply put, Team Fortress 2 is one of the most enjoyable romps you’ll have online. It’s forgiving for the new player with one shot kills a rarity. The class and weapon balance is just about there and the maps thoroughly encourage team play rather than lone-wolfing… You simply haveto have a go either at being a Medic and healing a Heavy as he rips up the map or play as the Engineer and set up an ambush of sentry guns before luring in the unwary… it’s brilliant.
Click for larger imageBut all of this is somewhat tempered by The Orange Box package itself. Why Valve have chosen to force a second copy of Half Life 2 and Episode One on us, even through Steam, is a mystery. I can sort of understand it for boxed versions as to have two different packs would be confusing for the new player and expensive for publisher EA. But surely Steam is the perfect medium for tailoring the content according to what the player already has? Ok, so you could try and make some money back by selling your extra games through the gift system but in reality every bugger is going to be doing that too, so they’ll be worth next to nothing.
So whether to go for The Orange Box really comes down to how much you want to get your hands on Episode Two, Portal and Team Fortress 2. Maybe get a non-Half Life 2 playing mate to chip in a third of price... but if you don’t have those options, I’d think twice before splashing the cash because you never know, Valve might see some sense and release each game individually on Steam, because what’s here, to be honest, doesn’t justify the cost.
Pros
Portal is pure genius
Episode Two continues the Half Life 2 saga
Team Fortress 2 offers up excellent gaming for all
Technically adept
Cons
Not the best value if you already own previous Half Life 2 games
Episode Two offers up little that’s new
Team Fortress 2 still reliant on decent team players
The Orange Box represents excellent value for first time players but ain’t so hot for the Half Life 2 faithful.
HEXUS Awards
The Orange Box – PC
