Northern Labs

I thought I got a good deal when I bought 2 PSP games for the price of one, but the Orange Box retails at £34.99 and is by far the single best gaming deal in the world right now. By Far. And that is not an exaggeration, not one bit. You see, for your £35 you actually get 5 games. The original Half-Life 2, Episodes 1 & 2 (expansion games), Team Fortress 2 (an online FPS) and Portal (an innovative puzzle FPS, more on that later). What’s more, these games are not half-arsed 10 minute long mods or add-ons. True, Episodes 1 & 2 are expansion levels but the design, detail and characters of each is equal to the original, and the HL2 story continues from where it left off.

Like HL2, the graphics are spectacular in episodes 1 & 2, from the very first scene to the very last. Plenty of old favourites return to help out through various parts of the game, and unlike HL2, Alyx will play, fight and interact alongside you in 95% of the game. People I know are divided on whether Alyx is a clever piece of AI, an annoyance, or just an excuse to appeal to a wider audience because of the fresh element. Personally, I think that after hearing the directors commentary (more on that later) you appreciate just how complex the whole AI system is, including Alyx, DOG, and the enemy soldiers. Unlike in other games, the NPC’s in HL2 don’t get in the way, don’t shoot you by mistake, and most importantly; are likeable to the point you actually care whether they live or die. Having Alyx shooting, ducking and climbing alongside you is very refreshing and at times, integral to proceeding through the game. One particular moment has Alyx acting as backup sniper, shooting zombies while you rush forward, and another scene in the dark has Gordon shining light and directing Alyx where to shoot. She also has twice as many facial features for a much wider range of emotions, and you can see the importance placed on her character, as her background is also explored, as well as her connection and relationship to Gordon. Enemy AI is also as sharp as ever, and there are also soldier AI fighting zombie AI, which is great fun, as it gives you the chance to do what you want, a theme throughout the game as there are often multiple ways to solve a puzzle. You can either wade in and shoot anything and everything, take tactical sniper shots, or wait and pick of any remaining enemies. There are also all the usual HL puzzles, intricate level design, and challenging action, and the 2 expansion packs are every bit as good as the original, something I wasn’t expecting.

Team Fortress - I’ve had a go on it and can instantly see why it appeals to so many people. The first thing that TF2 reminded me of was the Timesplitter series on PS2. (Timesplitters is a FPS regarded as one of the PS2’s best FPS series) the graphics are cartoony although somehow realistic and very sharp, and look absolutely beautiful and slick. When joining a team there are several different roles for you to choose, each with unique weapons, abilities and roles. So everyone will have their own tactics and characters. Map designs are varied, look great, and the whole game runs seamlessly – not only graphically, but from a players point of view, the loading times are kept to a minimum, and options are all animated, a nice little touch that not many other games bother to include. Although I’m not hooked like some people are, I can see why people do love it as much as (if not more than) Counter-Strike: Source and other online shooters. I haven’t been drawn in yet, and still mainly play Counter-Strike: Source.

Now, Portal is something special. This is the wheel, this is sliced bread, and this could be the single most brilliant concept ever. Portal is one of those things that come along every now and then and completely change the way games are thought of. I don’t think I can accurately describe just how utterly brilliant this game is, but I’ll give it a go anyway. The game is played like a FPS but is actually a puzzle game. Your only ‘gun’ is a portal device, you shoot 2 portals from it onto certain surfaces and use these portals to travel around and solve the puzzles on each map. I have no idea how the developers made it, but it’s simply astounding. The commentary from the PA is in typical Valve fashion and witty and truly entertaining, with quotes such as “do not attempt this puzzle as it is impossible”, “If you fail the test, the experiment will end – because you will be dead.” I’ve tried to do it justice in my description, but maybe this video will convey the brilliance of the game, and explain the concepts better. And remember this is a new game, and while it uses the HL2 engine, the thought behind each levels design, not to mention the additional way the portals are used. So much thought and effort has gone into the Orange Box that each individual game is worthy of a £30 price tag on its own, so you can see why £35 for the lot is such a great deal. Some other features are directors commentary on Portal and Episodes 1 & 2, bonus maps, loads of community maps are being developed, as is custom content, and add to this all the usual HL2 graphics, AI, physics, level design, characters, everything is in place and done to perfection. Quite simply, this is the single greatest gaming set in the world, and is the benchmark for any games in the future.

Overall - 9.5/10