Orange Box PS3 Reviews

[CardboardRobots]

Please! As a courtesy to others; avoid posting any spoilers in your reviews.

A 10 should only be given for a landmark game that sets new rules, a 9 for a truly excellent game without flaw, and an average game that does things right but nothing special should get a 5 (not a 7 or 8 like some would have you believe).

With thanks for Durera for providing the format (makes sense to keep it consistent across AVF)

[russd1978]

Portal for me is a landmark game - short but its truly one of the best games Ive played, even has a sense of humour about it which is refreshing in a world of games that take themselves very seriously. A totally different experience to anything Ive been used to.

[Jhuxley]

Can't vote because I've not played the PS3 version, but on PC this is easily one of the games of the year. I guess it's kinda cheating because it's actually five games in one package...although penalising it for offering such good value seems equally perverse.

Besides, all five are such superb examples of the genre they could easily contest game of the year on their own. HL2 and its two sequels are about as good as single player FPS games get. HL2 should by all rights be getting long in the tooth now, but in all honesty nothing has really come along and bettered it by a good margin.

Portal is short yet extremely sweet. Innovative and unusual while still managing to be fantastic fun. It's more puzzle than FPS really, although reflexes will come in to play, especially later in the game. And even if it's not your thing, it's worth completing for the song at the end

Now...TF2. I don't want you to look at my Steam profile because it's embarrassing how many hours I've played this game (and how bad I am to boot)! Quite simply the finest team-based multiplayer game I've had the pleasure to play.

10/10 if I don't say so myself. I hope EA's port doesn't let the technical issues get in the way of what should be a real highlight for the PS3.

[Zeromajor]

Here is my opinion on the orange box package after my experiences with it on the ps3. Please note that although i'll try to omit spoilers for a few of the games, it'll be pointless to review certain ones without including details about the gameplay involved.

Half-Life 2

Half-life 2 is a linear plot-driven fps game with a clever physics engine which is used to set up puzzles, traps and set-pieces. The game is set 30 odd years after the original, and besides the odd reference for fans of the original, there is no need for you to have played half-life before in order to 'get' this one or lack any enjoyment from it. As a gaming experience, it's second to none, and even after playing the pc version 3 years ago the game still feels fresh and serves as a solid benchmark to similar games of how to make an excellent interactive experience.

Graphically in comparison with the pc version; my pc could never run it with all the bells and whistles on like the big gaming rigs could. The game engine that it runs on (the source engine) has had some significant improvements over the years - of which all the games in the orange box now benefit from (HDR lighting, motion blur post processing, enhanced lip-syncing and other great features). These are thoughtful additions and mean that even though the graphics look slightly dated next to the best looking titles on the ps3 (cod4, uncharted), the extra effects still give it that current-gen edge.

The game runs on average around 30 fps even in large outdoor sections. The only factor which affects the framerate drastically is the buildup of many enemies on screen. Reading the reviews claiming there were parts which were 'unplayable' proved to be extremely wrong. Even during the strider sections it barely dropped below 20 and never hindered me.

The sound is identical to other versions in every respect other than the omission of 5.1 surround over optical. This could be an important factor for some people so it's worth bringing up. It didn't matter as much to me, but it would've been nice and something hopefully that could be patched in the future.

The save system is still as effective as before - as you pass through each 'checkpoint', the game will load for upto 8-10 seconds and automatically quicksave for you. A slight problem was upon dying, the amount of time it would take to re-load from either the last checkpoint you had it, or the last time you quicksaved. This would easily be in excess of 20 seconds and at times was frustrating.

Other flaws (not exclusive to the the ps3 version) include: there are very few variations of enemies, scenery is constantly re-used and the squads you aquire later on feel a little weak to be helpful. Many people complain about the abrupt ending, but with the addition of both episodes one and two in this package it's not an issue.

Even so, it's one of the greatest videogames i've ever played and a true masterpiece in storytelling, design and gameplay. You feel fantastic upon finishing it and there are memories from almost all of it that will stick with you as being some of the best gaming has to offer.

Score = 10/10

Half-Life 2: Episode One - ***SPOILERS***

This is the weakest point in the Half-Life 2 universe for me for a few reasons. After the climax of the previous game and battling your way through the austere and opressive citadel, the game forces you back in there to complete another task. To me that just wasn't a fun prospe(k?)t and one that I entered into with very little interest.

Thankfully, the citadel sections were improved over the last game, and you spend the majority of it with the enhanced gravity gun which is a great deal of fun to play with and adds an extra dimension to the puzzles and killing (picking a guard up by his boot and flinging him into a stream of pure energy results in him being reduced to dark bubbles of matter - still very satisfying!).

After this you move through the streets of city17 again, now not completely under combine control and the game picks up. You spend quite a while underground and your relationship with alyx becomes strong - often you rely on her to take out enemies whilst you're working out a puzzle. She never feels too scripted and makes the squad-based npcs seem a little wooden in comparison.

Outside of the plot - and a minor niggle - but the game did not recognise the control configuration that i'd set up from the previous game either, so I had to go into the control settings and change everything (including stick sensitivity).

The main problem I had with episode one is how much it felt like the latter section of HL2. There was not enough variation in the environments, objects, enemies, weapons or gameplay (save for a few excellent puzzles) for my liking. Maybe I expected too much - it is still upto the very high standard of the original and the relationship progression between you and alyx is an excellent addition.

Graphically this was near on idential to the previous game on the system. There was a very noticable drop in framerate during a water/electricity-based puzzle section, but other than that it was as slick as ever.

Score = 8/10

Half-Life 2: Episode Two ***SPOILERS***

This is the episode that really starts to showcase the originality that I felt was missing from the previous one.

New enemies and much more 'organic' environments are introduced, storyline twists and sudden events really shock you, some of the puzzles and action set-pieces are every bit as, if not better than some of the series best - an excellent new vehicle is available and the graphics are improved to a standard that puts it on par with cutting-edge titles.

Due to that last point, this is also the title that suffers the most from the slowdown. I was quite disappointed at how much there was in parts - again, it was never quite enough to prove unplayable, but drops to 10fps and below are common enough to make you feel like that.

I've not finished this title, but i'll make sure to update this thread when I do. I can see it's the longest out of the two episodes, and at halfway through, feels more than twice the game episode one was. It brings the excitement back and due to that i'll award it:

Score = 9/10

Portal

Portal changes the way you think about videogames forever. If half-life 2 evolved games by introducing the laws of gravity, portal revolutionises them by introducing a mechanic that changes the term 'first person shooter' into 'first person thinker'.

You're an unnamed 'test subject' in an almost clinical laboratory - and over the course of the 'experiment chambers' you're given access to a weapon named the portal gun.

It works like this: You fire the blue trigger, a blue portal appears, you fire the orange trigger, an orange portal appears. You go through the blue portal, you come out the orange portal. In essence, it's as simple as that.

The beauty of it is that the laws of physics discern how exactly you are able to navigate through those two portals. Jumping through the blue one at a great height, will see you shooting through the orange one at the same speed you went in. This leads to some truly mind-bending situations and enables puzzles to be set up taking full advantage of this.

The game itself is very short, I finished it in under four hours - so in comparison with the rest of the orange box package you could say it's a sweet side attraction to the main event. But it's really not. You'll go back in again and again just to play about with the physics and well, just to experience it all again.

There is a sembelance of a plot throughout the game, but the lack of that plot being the main focus of the game is what makes it so brilliant. There are sections during the experimental chamber sections where you're able to 'sneak' outside of where you're supposed to be, exposing 'behind the scenes' and linking (abeit very vaguely) the game into the half life universe, which adds something special and almost scares you into wanting the game to be nothing more than a series of tests!

Graphically, this is the poorest out of the orange box titles - which owes a lot to the portal mechanic, but also to the setting. The framerate issue raises it's head at a few points, but not many and again, takes nothing away from the gameplay.

Technically, it's the most impressive game i've ever played. How a videogame can give you vertigo or resemble motion in such a realistic way is beyond me but it's something that has to be commended. A true pioneer, something that should be experienced by everyone, becuase of that I can only give it full marks.

Score = 10/10


Team Fortress 2

I've only played this twice due not getting on with the cartoon/pixar-styled graphics. The slowdown and interface compared with other modern team/class based shooters like Call Of Duty 4 seems paltry in comparison, but again i've spent very little time with it so i'm not in a position to review it properly or give it a score.


Overall View

The orange box really is an absolute bargain. Collected here are some of the greatest games you can play not just for the playstation 3, but for any platform. If you've not played any of these game before it's an absolute must, you'd be a fool not to. If you've played some of these before on the pc then it's more than worth delving into the Half Life 2 universe again in the comfort of your living room on the big screen. And finally if you've never played Portal before i'd argue that £30 would be more than worth the price for it alone.

There are framerate issues at times, but unless you're a hardcore pc gamer, you're not going to care. The games themselves walk all over any flaws you care to think of and leave you only feeling utterly and completely blown away like nothing else on the system can.

Score = 10/10, by far.

[m4rkie23]

couldnt agree more.

this HAS to be the best value-for-money game out there for the PS3

[irgsefton]

I played half-life 2 a few years ago when it was first released on the PC so when I bought the Orange Box I expected to just play the 2 episodes and Portal but after what I thought was a quick try to see how it compared to the PC version I found myself completely drawn in again and hours later forcing myself to put down the controller.

For all the great graphics in many other games I don't think any on the PS3, with the exception of MGS4, can compare to the engrossing story in the Half-Life series.

[hat1]

BTW - Brilliant game !! 10/10... just about to start Episode 1 now.

[TyFlip]

When I first got home with the Orange Box (release day) I was spoilt for choice with which to play. I started playing all 3 of the Half lifes along side each other (when one got tri9cky, I moved onto the next lol) until I thought "no, do it properly!" and went through them section by section, episode by episode.

At first I didn't like the game and found it difficult to enjoy it but I persevered and after completing the Half Lifes and then Portal, I was hooked. They are absolutely SUPERB!

I give them 9 out of 10!

[bobbytoad]

Had it for ages but never played it till a few weeks ago

to report HL2 is great fun, just as you think it's a bit samey it changes to a new environment and new challenges vehicles, thenyou're hooked again.

Great story telling through charachters.


Portall is really clever, the comouter voice in the background is genious of black comedy. gives me a headache though when the puzzles get more complicated

Team Fortress - i appreciate the genious and style but a bit too slow and indirect for my liking - prefer COD4 dynamic

well wroth the £15-20 or whatever it costs these days

[kiran255]

such great value in one box.

[clc.sheff]

Originally Posted by kiran255

such great value in one box.

Bit long winded for me