Platform: Xbox 360/PCDeveloper: Valve

The Orange Box: Portal, Team Fortress 2, and Half Life 2: Episode 2

The mysteriously named ‘The Orange Box’ has arrived for Xbox 360 and PC. And the package contains no surprises – other than that, it’s virtually perfect.

The box consists of a plethora of games based off the critically acclaimed Valve series ‘Half-Life.’ The original ‘Half-Life 2,’ its sequel, Episode One, from last summer and, of course, the very anticipated new release Episode Two make up the main portion of the of the package. On top of this explosive series, gamers receive two ‘Half-Life’ mini-games, ‘Portal’ and ‘Team Fortress 2.’

So strap on your hand-held portal devices and get ready to take a dive through video game history.

‘Portal’

‘Portal’ was supposed to be a simple third-party modification of the ‘Half-Life 2’ graphics engine, but Valve got a hold of the third-party concept and made it big – really big. It takes an interesting and revolutionary new approach to the first-person gaming genre, turning it into a first-person puzzle game. Gamers must get from point A to point B by overcoming obstacles such as weight-activated doors, massive gaps and jumps. But here’s the kicker: You’re in control of what’s called the Aperture Science Handheld Portal Device. This little device shoots a portal on certain surfaces through which your character can travel. Confused? Picture this. Shoot a portal on the wall in front of you; shoot another portal on the wall behind you. Now jump into the portal in front of you, and you’ll teleport to the portal you’ve created behind you. The mini-game takes little more than two hours of game play, but the puzzles can become complicated. Plus, gamers find themselves having some fun with this concept of interconnected portals. There’s actually an elaborate storyline, with plot twists included. And throughout the game, a creepy, robotic voice keeps promising you cake, giving you a just dessert for beating a challenging game. Besides, who doesn’t like cake?

5 out of 5

‘Team Fortress 2’

Yes, it’s finally here. And by now, you’re probably all grown up and ready to play the game that’s been 10 years in the making. Valve has finally come through with its promise to remake the well-known first-person shooter and class-based multiplayer online game called ‘Team Fortress Classic.’ Well, ‘Team Fortress 2′ might be worth the decade-long wait. Valve has put together an intricate and addicting multiplayer shooter. Each weapons’ class, ranging from the sneaky Spy, to the ever-popular Sniper and Engineer, all the way to the Heavy Weapons Guy, has its own unique capabilities and strengths and weaknesses. Yet all the classes are flawlessly balanced. A brand new rendering feature makes the game resemble the movie ‘The Incredibles.’ It plays like it should, looks better than it should and has some hilarious features that can only be seen by playing this game online with 30 of your friends. For instance, there’s no better way to taunt your friends than by lighting your farts with a flamethrower.

5 out of 5

‘Half-Life 2: Episode Two’

You’ve waited through countless delays and rumors – and at last we can stop waiting for Episode Two, and start waiting for Episode Three. ‘Half-Life 2: Episode Two’ is here. The last installment of ‘Half-Life 2’ played mediocre and didn’t add much to the storyline of Valve’s previous hit. Episode Two, however, makes up for what Episode One lacked. Like all the other ‘Half-Life’s,’ you start off with the familiar Zero-Point Energy gun (aka a gravity gun) and have to work your way through the game to earn new and more damaging weapons. This episode has a much more movie-like plot and characters, and your comrade Alyx plays a much more pertinent role in this installment. There are twists, turns, flips, chase sequences in a 1979 Camaro, massive gun fights and naturally, huge explosions. However, a word of caution is required to all those who hate cliff hangers: Episode Two ends in the worst possible way, leaving you screaming at your screen, demanding more. But look on the bright side; now we have Episode Three to look forward to – it may not be in our lifetime, the way Valve releases games, but we can always dream.

4.5 out of 5

Published on October 17, 2007 at 12:00 pm