The Orange Box
The Orange Box
Rating: 
Product Features
Product Description
The Orange Box includes all the content of The Black Box for PC, plus the original Half-Life 2 and Half-Life 2: Episode One. Innovative games featured in The Orange Box include 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, as well as the pioneering type of single-player action game Portal, which rewrites the rules for how players approach and manipulate their environment, and Team Fortress 2 — an all-new version of the legendary title that spawned team based multiplayer action games with a daring new art style features the most advanced graphics of any Source-based game released to date.
The Orange Box Reviews
I have played the whole of the Orange Box on 3 systems: a midrange system from a few years ago (Pentium 4, nVidia 7300GTS video card), a brand new system (Intel Core 2 Quad, nVidia 8800GT video card), and the PS3. I have seen the XBox 360 version, but I have not played it myself, so I won’t pass judgement.
I will say this: I hate all the complaining about the PS3 version, with everyone comparing it to the other versions. Yes, EA is a horrible game developer, with substandard ports, and Valve should not have handed the Orange Box off to them. Yes, because of this, the PS3 version suffers, both graphically (no 1080p options), and with some drops in framerate (most notably in parts of Episode 2). But the problem with this sort of reviewing is that it is not objective to this game on this system, and deters people from an amazing gaming experience.
The Orange Box is one of the most amazing gaming experiences and gaming values you can get. I don’t feel any need to elaborate; most people have either already experienced it, or read any of many reviews giving details in depth. The PS3 version is still that amazing experience, no question. It has semi-long load times, but nothing nearly as bad as I have experienced with other games (in other words, about normal). There are a few framerate drops and graphical glitches, but most (I repeat MOST) people wouldn’t notice or care. Again, they are really no better or worse than most other games out there. Normal. My only real complaint is that even with the PS3’s capabilities, the screen resolution maxes out at 720p (but then again, that was my main complaint with Heavenly Sword, Uncharted, Motorstorm, and several other PS3 [and XBox] games). But honestly, it still looks absolutely amazing; 720p is still HD, and most people can’t tell the difference between 720p and 1080p anyways. I can, but it’s really doesn’t matter. The quality of the game as a whole does.
A quick breakdown of the framerate issues in each part of the game, for those who care:
HL2: None
HL2, Ep.1: Some during the last levels
HL2, Ep.2: Some at the beginning, some during driving sequences, and at a few points during the last level
Portal: None
TF2: Here is where there is no excuse. ANY framerate problems during a real-time online fighting game causes huge problems. And there are a few.
I should note, the lowest I saw the framerate drop was to around 15-18 frames per second, which is noticeable for those who care, but NOWHERE near the slideshow that some reviews have been spouting. Also, there was a slight delay in gameplay during quick-saving and right after loading, but that’s pretty normal for games. Nothing to kvetch about.
For those who need some comparison, I will now compare it to both of my PC experiences.
The PS3 version far outshines my gameplay experience on my midrange system. Load times, framerate, and VISUALS are far superior on the PS3. Would I have complained about the PC version? Not really, because even with the minute long load times, low resolution, and really choppy framerate on my PC, I still really loved the game. So the PS3 version was a huge step up.
With my new system, well, duh, it’s going to look and feel better than the PS3 or XBox versions. And it does, very much so. That was expected.
So which way do I prefer, PC or PS3? Well, it’s sort of split for me. The PC version is technically superior, and keyboard/mouse controls have always been better than using a console controller. But there was something that tickled me about being able to lie on my couch, watching the game on a huge screen, and hearing footsteps and action all around me with surround sound (I realize you can hook up surround sound on PC’s, but how many people actually do? Most people put the money towards their home entertainment systems. And while I have a VERY large widescreen computer monitor, it’s nothing like my television.). So I’m honestly split.
Final thoughts (sorry for making this so long):
If you have multiple consoles, and are choosing between this and the XBox 360 version, skip it. The 360 version was directly overseen by Valve, which is reason enough to spring for that as opposed to an EA port (again, I haven’t actually played the 360 version, and I really don’t like what EA does for games).
If you have the PC version, it’s up to you whether or not you want to get it for PS3. Paying twice for the same game may seem a waste, but some people (myself included) like to have the option to play in front of a desk, or to relax on the couch and play. If you’re still not sure, I suggest renting the game first to get the experience. That’s what I did, and now I’ve made the decision to get the game for PS3 in addition to the PC version I already own.
If you don’t have the Orange Box at all, shame on you! But if you’re looking to get it, have a PS3, and your computer isn’t mid-high range, the PS3 version is a good choice. (Plus you don’t have to deal with Steam, and you can sell or return the game, which you can’t do with the PC version)
Hope this helps.