Well, the Orange Box was released over Steam yesterday, and I'm sure that quite a few forum members have played and enjoyed its contents by now. Here are my opinions on the new titles in the pack, namely Episode Two and Portal.

Episode 2:- Amazing. Some excellent firefights and gorgeous outdoor settings. The combine hunter makes for an intimidating and formidable opponent. The storyline and dialogue are top-notch, with an excellent ending making you pine for Episode 3 already. The game reaches a crescendo with one of the most exhilarating pitched battles I have ever played, and IMO is destined for a place in gaming folklore. It is a tad short (just over 6 hours for me), but what is there is tight, enjoyable and gripping, with none of the fluff that is found in many other FPS's. I won't say too much more as I don't want to ruin it for you.

Portal:- Well, for what is essentially a 'freebie', I was pleasantly surprised with Portal. It is a puzzle game at heart, with you using a handheld portal generator to negotiate several 'lab tests'. What I didn't expect was the dark humour that the game is suffused with, from the robotic female voice egging you on, to the graffitti found on walls later on. Fantasitically, it manages to weave its own story to fit around the half life universe. It also boasts one of the funniest and most memorable ending sequences ever. It took me about 3 hours to play through, but I still have the advanced levels and the challenges to go. I defy anybody not to get sucked in and enjoy this game.

So, thats my opinion, what do you all think?

I haven't bought it, because I didn't have Episode 1. Then some clever dick gives me Episode 1, but I'm still not buying any orange boxes.

I might be in a minority but I thought that HL2 was long enough, I didn't need any more of it, nor do I want a re-make of an old team-based shooter, and I'm not paying $50 for a two or three hour long puzzle game.

I've got HL2 and Ep1, but I'd have preferred a full HL3 rather than a couple of hours play each episode.

I loved the HL2 story and bits of Ep1 were good too, but dipping in and out like that really spoils the mood. I think it would've worked better if they'd been able to keep to their planned timescale, but in the time it's taken them to get Ep1 & 2 out we could've had a full HL3 and been engrossed from start to finish.

I won't be getting the Orange Box because I'm not paying for content I already have. I also need to hear more about the multiplayer modes in TF2, since I'm not that fond of basic DM/CTF.
Hopefully they'll release Ep2 by itself and maybe a demo of TF2. Although it took me like 8 months to get Ep1, so it could be a while yet

I didn't buy the Orange Box, as the other contents didn't really interest me. But I did buy EP2 on it's own, and I've enjoyed it so far. It'll take me several days to complete, even if it's only 6 hours of play time, because I don't have a lot of gaming time recently. But it's quite entertaining, and quite moreish, a bit like a good book.

Dajmin - EP2 is available on it's own via Steam.

Sounds good to me, I'll need to check it out. You can see how often I load Steam
The fact that they're moving into large outdoor areas with Ep2 is going to add a lot of possibilities. I like the Source engine a lot, but it's starting to suffer compared to UE3 and CE. But it has a gritty urban feel to it, which I still like.

Quote from thisnameistaken :

I haven't bought it, because I didn't have Episode 1. Then some clever dick gives me Episode 1, but I'm still not buying any orange boxes.

I might be in a minority but I thought that HL2 was long enough, I didn't need any more of it, nor do I want a re-make of an old team-based shooter, and I'm not paying $50 for a two or three hour long puzzle game.

You don't need Ep1, as it comes with ToB, and any games you already have (HL2 and/or Ep1) you get a gift certificate so you can give it to someone else.

The remake of TFC was appalling, more so if you got the screen shots I saw in the 90's of what it was supposed to be like. But really HL2 sucked, HL1 was the far superior game, even if it wasn't "photo realistic" graphics, the game, the story, and the plot were by far better. Plus HL2 doesn't have Chubby.

But I feel a wasted money on ToB, as it is average at best.

Had a lot of fun with Portal. It was over much too quickly though, but I guess that's what mods are for. I'm expecting a lot of add-on levels in the time to come. Episode 2 looks quite entertaining as well, but I haven't gotten very far yet.

Quote from Dajmin :

I like the Source engine a lot, but it's starting to suffer compared to UE3 and CE.

Episode 2 does a great deal to catch up I think. It looks absolutely gorgeous, and it runs pretty well too on my relatively slow computer. Bio Shock (UE3) uses faaar more resources to look half as good in my opinion. No, Source doesn't have 100% dynamic lighting like a lot of the other engines have, but when the pre-generated light maps look this good I'm not one to complain about technicalities.

Not that the engine itself really has that much to do with the look of a game. It's more down to art direction these days.

Ep2 introduces semi-dynamic lighting - not all lights are dynamic, but my flashlight gives some nice shadows now. I think I can also use depth of field, but I haven't tried it yet (frame rate killer I reckon).

Quote from wien :

Not that the engine itself really has that much to do with the look of a game. It's more down to art direction these days.

IMHO Valve's art department saved HL2 single-handedly. All the pre-release hype was about how they'd got physics props and "revolutionary" (yawn) AI, and how nothing in the game was scripted, and when it was released of course very little of that was actually true. The art direction was inspired though, and it carried the game.

Quote from tristancliffe :

Ep2 introduces semi-dynamic lighting - not all lights are dynamic, but my flashlight gives some nice shadows now.

Yeah, I noticed that too. All secondary lighting seems to be complete with shadow maps and everything this time around. Compared to the Doom 3 engine, and Cry Engine 2 it's still fairly static though. You can't just flip a switch and suddenly have it be night time for instance (like in the Crysis video where they cycle through an entire day over a few seconds, with completely dynamic lighting and shadows). You still have to recompile the map to generate new light maps after changing the lighting, so they lack a bit of "oooh" and "aaah" there.

I can't argue with the results though. Again, it looks absolutely gorgeous and that's really all that counts.

I really want to play Portal.

Great to hear Episode 2 is out, must now finish Episode 1 (Yeah, i know, i just keep coming back to LFS, it's an addiction!)

I completed Portal today. Awesome ending I have to say.

Spoiler - click to reveal

The bit with the fire at the end confused me, I was just thinking, what, that can't be the end of the game already, saw the platform and went for it. Kinda eerie at the end, something I didn't really expect from a puzzle game.

Another who will not be buying Orange Box..
I already have HL2, and Ep 1...if you know where to look, then Ep 2 and Portal are already laying around....
I agree with the previous comments about consecrating their efforts to HL3 rather than pussyfooting around with short stories...unless these short stories were released more frquently, and at around £5 ($10) per instalment.

Sounds interesting. The orange box is okay, but there are better valve deals.

And TF2 or FF seem nice

Love it. Played TF2 by far more than any of the other games (already own and beaten HL2 and Ep1), so Ep2 sorta hasn't grasped me yet, for some reason like Ep1 did, and Portal is a great distraction from the usual, then Peggle, I beat that as I was waiting for Ep2, TF2 and Portal to download

TF2 is absolutely epically awesome, 2fort though is by far my favourite map. The achievements and the Revenge system is a good distraction from the normal.

Ep2 is good graphically, but it still has problems keeping me into it, like Ep1 was like "ZOMG! I WANT TO KEEP GOING!" but Ep2 lacks a certain amount of... something that keeps me away from it for some reason, Antlions maybe?

Portal is a great game, a bit different thought process, but the whole portal bit is freaking amazing, the sound of hitting terminal velocity is.. exquisite.

Now to find who I can get my spare copys of HL2 and Ep1 to... Maybe a certain Moderator as a birthday present, if he wasn't asleep/deaf!

Well I just finished Episode 1 (which I didn't buy - someone gave it to me). First... 90% or so I got really annoyed with that girl constantly patronising me. There were a couple of decent gags (Barney's crowbar provision, Alyx's "Is it dead? Why don't you hit it with your crowbar to make sure.") but not enough to offset the general annoyingness of Story Propulsion Girl.

The finale was suitably big and explosion-packed I suppose, for a game that is basically an action movie with mouse-waving required, but I was tired of being led from set piece to set piece long before I arrived at that most convoluted of set pieces. In fact I was tired of them by the time I finished Half-Life 2, which is why I never bought Episode 1. Damn that guy who gave it to me for nothing!

portal must have the single best ending in the last couple of years (the boss fight is bloddy annoying and boring though) not to mention the amazing backstory to it

1979 - Both of Cave Johnson's kidneys fail. Brain damaged, dying, and incapable of being convinced that time is not now flowing backwards, Johnson lays out a three tiered R&D program. The results, he says, will 'guarantee the continued success of Aperture Science into the fast-approaching distant past.'

its beyond silly

Holes in sky things can fly.

I've been looking forward to Portal ever since the first trailer and playing Narbacular Drop The whole creepy robotic voice and the hint that there's something more sinister to Aperture Science on top of what should be a great game really appeals to me.

(Haven't played Portal yet )

They all seem like great games, I really feel compelled to lay some money down for this lot. Half Life 2 is always good quality entertainment, though I imagine the newest installment is a little samey. I'm actually more interested in Portal and TF2. Portal because it's strange and new (never played Narbacular Drop, well I did... but I couldn't get out of the first room) and TF looks like a really fun MP game with a great sense of humour and lasting appeal. Good all round family fun I'd say...

I had no idea this was out so soon! I thought they'd knocked it back till next year.


*Immediately opens Steam*

Quote from Electrik Kar :

never played Narbacular Drop, well I did... but I couldn't get out of the first room

yeah nd has a very steep learning curve mostly down to the fact that the input and the way you place portals is completely messed up

my fav way to solve the first room is to lay portals on both buttons and jump in to press them both at the same time

Quote from thisnameistaken :

Well I just finished Episode 1 (which I didn't buy - someone gave it to me). First... 90% or so I got really annoyed with that girl constantly patronising me. There were a couple of decent gags (Barney's crowbar provision, Alyx's "Is it dead? Why don't you hit it with your crowbar to make sure.") but not enough to offset the general annoyingness of Story Propulsion Girl.

The finale was suitably big and explosion-packed I suppose, for a game that is basically an action movie with mouse-waving required, but I was tired of being led from set piece to set piece long before I arrived at that most convoluted of set pieces. In fact I was tired of them by the time I finished Half-Life 2, which is why I never bought Episode 1. Damn that guy who gave it to me for nothing!

Wow, talk about a jaded individual...! You get a game for free (a critically acclaimed one at that) and you still don't seem happy. Perhaps you should take a break from FPS's in general, as I can't see anything on the horizon that would change your mind.

Cheer up, you only live once. You're even frowning in your avatar for chrissakes!

I quite like the set piece, linear approach of Half Life 2. It means you get to see what was designed as it was designed to be seen, and you get a more gripping storyline with it. Most non-linear games I've played, which allow multiple methods end up quite dull quite quickly. The exception was Far Cry, which was good non-linearity, but then they got bored and introduced the jumpy mutant alien things which is when I stopped playing.