The New Black

by Nick Judin
November 14, 2007

Platform: PC | 360

Valve knows how to make a video game. They know exactly what the market wants. Critics love them. Hardcore gamers love them. Casual gamers love them. The Orange Box is a perfect example of why.

Each game in The Orange Box shares only a handful of similarities with its companions, the main aspect being the Source engine. The box offers what it says it offers: five games for $50. Individually you’d pay $130, so you do the math. Keep in mind that if you own any of the previously released games in the collection, you’ll be able to send one free copy of that game via Steam to anyone you like, which means you’re getting your $50 worth, no matter what you already own.

I also highly suggest buying this and all other Valve games for the computer instead of the 360 version, which is a port and just doesn’t feel right.


Half-Life 2
Some critics consider the Half-Life games to be the greatest ever. If you’re a gamer, you owe it to yourself to sit down one week and play through the entire series, from Half-Life and all its expansions to the end of the upcoming Episode 3 when it is released. It is one of the few gaming experiences of its caliber.

Inside The Orange Box you’ll find not only the critically acclaimed Half-Life 2, but also its first two expansions, Episodes 1 and 2. They pick up right where HL2 left off, and despite offering a somewhat slow start, each provides plenty of action. Unlike the original expansions, the player still controls Gordon Freeman in Episodes 1 and 2, and the plot focuses on the aftermath of HL2. I won’t spoil it for you, but there are plenty of developments to make any fan’s jaw drop.

Half-Life 2 takes immersion to a new level. Incredibly deep physics, beautiful graphics and responsive artificial intelligence doesn’t just give the players the illusion of a living world, it puts them in one. The production value is killer; and the voices, sounds and background tracks are superior.

Half-Life 2 is the star of The Orange Box, but don’t let that detract from the other gems inside.


Portal
Portal became an Internet phenomenon within hours of its release. The setting is simple: Welcome to the Aperture Science Enrichment Center. Perform admirably in tests and receive cake—at least, that’s the theory.

Portal is, at its core, a physics test. The hero, while technically the orange-jumpsuit-clad Chell, is really the Aperture Science Handheld Portal Device. (Half-Life nuts will get the Opposing Force reference.) Like almost everything else in Portal, it’s as simple as point and click: Left mouse button fires Portal 1; right fires Portal 2.

Now, this next part is a bit difficult to grasp. The portals, which can be created on almost any smooth surface, are just that. Stick a hand through Portal 1, it pops out Portal 2. Make a portal in the wall and another on the ceiling. Step through, and you’re falling to the ground. Still following?

There’s no end to the possibilities in Portal. The game is based around Chell’s trials in the Enrichment Center. Subjected to various dangerous tests and constantly dogged by the malicious cyber-entity GLaDOS (Genetic Lifeform and Disk Operating System), the silent protagonist strives toward … well, cake.

Portal, being such a simple game, lacks the muscle of its companions. It’s not the prettiest game: The graphics are crisp, but the level design is a bit bland; it’s not the longest and certainly not the most challenging. But there is one thing that Portal does like no other game. It makes you laugh—hard. To explain would be a waste of time. You’ll have to experience the derisive nature of the mechanical world poor Chell is in to get it, but when you do, you’ll have to take breaks.


Team Fortress 2
Team Fortress, in its most primitive form, had nothing to do with Half-Life, the Source engine or Valve itself. Originally, three Australians—Robin Walker, John Cook and Ian Caughley—came up with an idea for a TC mod (Total Conversion Modification: same source, new kind of game), particularly a class-based shooter. The idea eventually developed into Team Fortress Classic, a Half-Life mod, and then became an official project. The release of TF2 was delayed so long it was considered vaporware—a myth, much like the Loch Ness Monster, fan death and “Duke Nukem Forever.”

Players are split between Team Blue and Team Red, and then choose one of nine classes—Scout, Soldier, Pyro, Heavy, Demoman, Engineer, Medic, Sniper and Spy. Each class offers a different range of weapons and abilities, and each team needs a balance of all classes to be truly effective. The game types are fairly limited as of this release, but more are in the works. Right now the choices range from a Capture-the-Flag-styled “Intelligence” match or a King-of-the-Hill “Bases” matchup.

The graphics are a far cry from the rest of the titles in The Orange Box. Valve opted for cartoony, even comical designs, but it works. It’s not often characters in a multiplayer-only game have … character. As with most multiplayer-only games, TF2 is a work in progress, but between the player-made content and Valve’s upcoming additions, the options should only expand.


Overview
The Orange Box is the perfect collection—something old, something new, something for everyone. You’re bound to find something you like in the hours of gameplay provided by Valve. Plus, if its early success continues, it may not be long until Valve releases another color-coded box of goodies—and that’s something everybody should want.