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Orange Box, The

EMAIL PRINT pc

9.5 User Score:

Universal acclaim

Based on 34 critic reviews
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Based on 646 votes
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Game Info

Publisher: Electronic Arts / Valve Software

Developer: Valve Software

Genre(s): First-Person Shooter, Action, Compilation

Players: 16

ESRB Rating: M (Mature)

Release Date: October 9, 2007

Summary

Games included in The Orange Box compilation: The original Half-Life 2 - The player again picks up the crowbar of research scientist Gordon Freeman, who finds himself on an alien-infested Earth being picked to the bone, its resources depleted, its populace dwindling. Freeman is thrust into the unenviable role of rescuing the world from the wrong he unleashed back at Black Mesa. And a lot of people - people he cares about - are counting on him. Half-Life 2: Episode One - The player reprises his role of Dr. Freeman, who must immediately face the repercussions of his actions in City 17 and the Citadel. Freeman reconnects with Alyx Vance and her robot, Dog, as they continue their support of the resistance's battle against the Combine forces. Half-Life 2: Episode Two -- the second installment in Valve's episodic trilogy advances the award-winning story, leading the player to new locations outside of City 17. Portal - a pioneering type of single player action game that rewrites the rules for how players approach and manipulate their environment – much like how Half-Life 2's Gravity Gun reinvented the way gamers interact with objects in the game. Team Fortress 2 - an all-new version of the legendary title that spawned team based multiplayer action games. The game's daring new art style features the most advanced graphics of any Source-based game released to date. [Valve Software]

Also On Metacritic

GAMES: Half-Life Half-Life 2 Half-Life 2: Episode One Half-Life 2: Episode Two Half-Life: Counter-Strike Portal Team Fortress 2

Cheat Codes & Hints: Cheat Code Central

Also On The Web: Official Website

What The Critics Said

All critic scores are converted to a 100-point scale. If a critic does not indicate a score, we assign a score based on the general impression given by the text of the review. Learn more...

100

Eurogamer

The Orange Box offers everything any fan of first-person shooters could possibly want: some of the best single-player gaming ever in the shape of Half-Life 2 and Episodes One and Two; wonderful innovation from Portal, and the most refined, downright fun team-based online FPS currently available in Team Fortress 2. If that doesn't warrant a 10 out of 10, nothing does.

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100

GameTap

After playing through both the old and new stuff, I realized that there is one word that perfectly summarizes Valve: craft. Never mind that ballyhoo about whether games are capital-A art or not. Instead, put someone in front of a Valve game, and watch that person experience sheer craftsmanship. It seems that Valve just can't make a bad game.

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100

GameSpy

Every game in the package is a winner, and the price makes it a no-brainer for anyone remotely interested in Half-Life or PC shooters in general.

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100

Game Almighty

Regardless of whether you enjoy first-person shooters or not, The Orange Box is one title that every gamer must experience. If you buy one game this year, make it The Orange Box.

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100

1UP

A stunning compilation.

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100

GamerNode

Orange Box is the best deal in terms of bang-for-the-buck since Mario All Stars. Not only that, but every game in it is a winner. Three classic games and two great games for this low price? You're an idiot not to get it.

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100

Boomtown

Some might say that Valve is crazy, putting all these gems in one box. But in doing so it has provided a clear statement of its place among the top ranks, offering value for money as well as truly superb gameplay.

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100

Edge Magazine

As a whole it is almost overwhelming in its depth, irresistible in value and certainly, unreservedly, brilliant. [Dec 2007, p.82]

100

Gaming Age

You get 5 outstanding games that give you a little bit of everything, action, story, puzzles, multiplayer, and just flat out addictive content. If you own a decent PC, a 360 or a PS3...you would be doing yourself, gamers, and the wonderful developers a great injustice by not buying The Orange Box. Not only is it possibly the best bargain in gaming history, but arguably the best FPS experience of all time.

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100

AceGamez

Each and every one of these titles is a worthy contender for a full price tag and individual release in its own right. As a whole, if you have any interest in first person shooters at all then you owe it to yourself to snap up The Orange Box immediately.

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Jolt Online Gaming UK

With something like 30 hours of outstanding single-player gameplay, plus a solid multiplayer mode and even a whole new audience being introduced to one of the greatest game series to have been produced, make no mistake, the release of The Orange Box is An Event.

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Gamer 2.0

Really, The Orange Box is a must-have game. There are few games that even begin to approach the value and quality that can be found here.

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Game Informer

For those who have played both, don’t worry – there is still $60 worth of new content in this package, so you too should go ahead and re-read that headline, because you shouldn’t have to read this whole review to understand why The Orange Box is probably the best videogame deal ever.

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GamingTrend

The Orange Box is packed with enough content to keep gamers satisfied for a long time. In addition to the original masterpiece of Half-Life 2, the continuation of the saga with Episode 2 and Portal provide more fun than we’ve seen in years.

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Play.tm

I'm constantly reminded that this is effectively five fantastic games for the price of one. If you're even a casual fan of the FPS genre then there is no reason not to add this to your collection. Hell, I'd probably buy it for Portal alone!

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GamingExcellence

Now, what did I say before…ah right: Orange Box is a great package, filled with excellent games that are instant classics, and is a must-play for any gamer that enjoys a solid story, polished gameplay, and a great deal.

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Game Positive

This collection is an astounding value, and crams so much refined gameplay into one package that anyone who doesn't experience it is missing out on one of the best releases in recent memory.

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IGN AU

Damn you Valve. That's what rival game publishers must be thinking.

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YouGamers

This is pure value-for-money: a total of 5 excellent games for the price of one (and a bit). The sheer quality of the gameplay to be experienced makes The Orange Box an absolute "must have" purchase. Get it now, get the gnome into space but don't eat the cake.

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Play Magazine

There are many reasons to praise Half-Life 2 that reach well beyond the surface of its gameplay and into the expression of its complete world of fantasy. [Nov 2007, p.66]

GameSpot

With three amazing new games and two classics all in one package, it's impossible to go wrong with The Orange Box.

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IGN

Not only do you get the best single player first person shooter ever created, you also get the two next chapters, a 3D puzzle game that also happens to live in the Half-Life universe and a terrifically fun team-based multiplayer first-person shooter. This is a lot of game in one package for only 50 dollars.

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Game Over Online

As has already been pointed out in many other places by many other people, The Orange Box may be the single greatest value in gaming history.

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PC Gamer

Leave it to Valve to deliver the goods on such an ambitious game package...The Orange Box is one of the finest compilations of gaming content ever produced. [Nov 2007, p.58]

Cheat Code Central

One of the best deals in gaming. All five games that are offered are a blast to play, and if Portal and Team Fortress 2 were fleshed out a little more, they could easily stand on their own. However, most gamers will not be angry at Valve for packaging all of the games together, giving a nearly complete Half Life 2 experience.

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ActionTrip

The Orange Box is a mix of conceptually different products that when combined, provide great entertainment on so many different levels.

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GameZone

The Orange Box is worth a hundred bucks; you will pay half that. So much fun and excitement packed into this collection, it should be a crime.

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PC Format

United they stand, divided they fall doesn't apply. Each game stands alone as an example of inspired design. Together they are essential. [Dec 2007, p.94]

Worth Playing

The once-great are still very good, and the newer titles continue pushing the envelope in terms of quality, narrative and how much you can do within a given genre.

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GameTrailers

When you consider that you have what many coined a perfect game in Half-Life 2, two incredible mini-chapters, one of the most innovative puzzle games you’ll ever play, and addictive online multiplayer all for just 60 bones, you can’t go wrong. Do not hesitate. Man’s freedom awaits.

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GameShark

The Orange Box may not restore the reputation of the bargain box, but it is a bargain, and it is worth your time. The three titles may vary in quality, but a fan of the franchise can probably overlook the flaws in Episode 2, and everyone, without exception, needs to experience Portal.

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NZGamer

Five fun slices of an extremely delicious pie. If you’ve never played Half Life 2 before, this package will keep you occupied for some time to come, and rarely makes a wrong move.

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Deeko

Coming in at ten dollars less that its console counterpart, you should be giving your PC some long overdue attention.

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The New York Times

The Orange Box reminds me of those knife sets sold on late-night TV, where if you act now you get a vegetable chopper and a cutting board. Besides Episode 2, Portal and Team Fortress 2, the package includes the original Half-Life 2 and Half-Life 2: Episode 1. But no cake. If someone tells you the Orange Box comes with cake, remember that whatever else you choose to believe, the cake is most definitely a lie.

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What Our Users Said

The average user rating for this game is 9.5 (out of 10) based on 646 User Votes

Note: User votes are NOT included in the Metascore calculation.

Marcel B gave it a10:
This mite be the best game of all time i mean like really first of all 5 games which are one of the top in the world second the price and third they fit perfectly together because first you do is play a epic and long fps campaign second you solve amazing puzzles because you finished the campaign and third you finished everything and you still have endless fun playing a multiplayer mode.

Jeff G gave it a10:
The absolute best you can do with $30. 5 games, and I give a perfect 10 to every single one of them. I'll just give a short review of each game, shall I? Half-Life 2: The environments are all incredibly engaging and give that perfect feeling of eerie loneliness. The story is beautiful, it unfolds subtly, yet has a great impact. The characters are all beautifully designed and interactions between them feel 100% real. Not only that, you find yourself genuinely caring about them. The pacing is phenomenal, the graphics still look great 5 years later. I could go on and on, but I'll just leave it at "Half-Life 2 is the absolute best game ever". Half-Life 2 Episodes 1 and 2: Episode 1 did a very good job of creating a scary environment environment, and the addition of Alyx as a companion makes the trek very fun. As I said, you really care for her, and her AI is the best there is anywhere. She seems totally real, and you begin to feel very glad you have her with you. The environment in Episode 2 was also fantastic, taking place in beautiful (yet eerily lonely) rural areas, and the open world battle at the end felt truly epic thanks to the inclusion of destructible environments. Portal: The story is perfect, the puzzles are a ton of fun, and the black humor is absolutely hilarious. The journey through the abandoned (And eerily lonely, damn Valve is good at that) Aperture research facility is gripping, and the ending battle is both epic and hilarious. There are absolutely no flaws in Portal. One could complain about length, but there are so many beautifully realized community made mappacks for it that you could play nonstop for a year and still have new content you haven't touched yet. Team Fortress 2: Incredible game, what all multiplayer games should be. The classes are all very different from each other, each requiring entirely different tactics, and they balance each other out perfectly. For example, the Heavy can mow down an entire team with his minigun, but he can easily be taken out by a single Spy. The game's unique design ensures that it will still look great 10 years from now. The characters are all incredibly charismatic and funny, and you can tell a lot of heart went into making the game.

[Anonymous] gave it a10:
Half life 2(including all the episodes) is one of my favorite games ever made- It's in my TOP 3! and to that one guy who is comparing halo 3, one of the worst games ive ever played, to half life 2, you haven't played this game yet. when u go on steam, you dont have to buy the games! its just like the xbox live marketplace(yes, i have and xbox and u could buy half life for it) but you can buy full games on it. i agree with you when you say that if you lose your account all your games are gone, and you can't reenter any codes you got with the game disk. but valve will probably fix that. i also have to say, if u think there is nothing innovative about half life, then tell me, whats innovative about halo? there's a sword made of energy? Gee, that's never been done before in any sci fi book, movie, game ect. and if you hate steam, go and complain to the companys, not in a review for a game that would kick halo 3's arse any day of the week. sure, halo was fun for the first few weeks it came out, but it got real old real fast.

red ninja gave it a10:
I love this game. Best game and deal I've had the pleasure of playing. Much better than FPSs like the overrated Halo 2, Star Wars Repulic Comando and GoldenEye IMO. Half-life 2 is Awsome, Half-Life 2 Episode 1 is awsome, Team Fortress 2's awsome, and Protal's awsome (I haven't played Episode 2 yet if you're wandering.) Get it NOW if you don't have it.

Lee G. gave it a10:
I am a Malaysian and bought The Orange Box for RM175.I mean,those game including Half-Life 2 and other games are Game Of The Year,and I like it!!Especially HL2 and Portal

Lee L. gave it a10:
The most compelling and enjoyable gaming experience of my Life. Every asset within the orange Box was pure gold.

Bob B. gave it a10:
Almost any game being sold for 10 dollars is amazing, but five of the best ever created for 10 dollars each is beyond description.

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Orange Box, The

Game Info

Summary

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