November 8, 2007 - Orange Box is a great package, filled with excellent games that are instant classics.

Oh wait, I was supposed to lead up to that statement. Damn. Okay, let me start again.

What we have here are five games, three new titles and two that have already been released. The latter two are Half-Life 2 and its first instalment in episodic content, Episode 1. Half-Life 2 was an exceptional title when it was released, and it still is. It is a must-play title for those that haven’t already played it and it’s filled with an epic storyline that follows the fate of Freeman after the Black Mesa incident, tight controls, and great level design. Its follow-up, Episode 1, is toned back on the storyline, but still delivers a solid experience leading to the climactic explosion of the Citadel, reducing City 17 to rubble and leaving the fate of Alyx Vance and super-scientist Freeman unknown.

Half Life 2: Episode 2
Episode 2 starts immediately after this, in the wreckage of a train. There’s a lot more plot this time around, though as questions get answered, even more are revealed. The pacing this time around is a little on the slower side, allowing time for conversations and exposition, including some revelations about the mysterious G-Man and his role in the incident at Black Mesa. The AI for Alyx has also been improved a little this time, and she fights better alongside you, as do your other allies that fight with you.

There are inclusions of new enemies as well, the Worker Antlion and the Hunter, the latter a little more memorable due to the way that it gets introduced. Other than these additions, however, it’s unlikely that players are going to find anything very new in this game beyond locations and plot. This isn’t quite as bad as it sounds, however, as the action is just as intense, whether you’re defending a small room against swarms of Antlions (with a couple of NPCs that add some humorous dialogue to the mix) or repelling a Combine attack, holed up in a mansion. One of the final action sequences in the game, in particular, is quite different from anything that has occurred before in the Half-Life series, a large-scale defense that’ll keep you driving back and forth across an expansive map in response to the threats that appear.

The Source engine has also been improved, though subtly. There is the presence of cinematic physics that allow larger-scale events to occur, like an entire train crashing through a bridge to the ground below. Other aspects, graphical effects in particular, have been added, though as was mentioned before, these are subtle, and might not be noticed except for those with keen eyes.

Overall, Episode 2 adds just enough to stay interesting, introducing new plot, new enemies, new environments, all while keeping the same spot-on design and gameplay. Though more plot-oriented and slightly slower-paced that its predecessor, there’s nothing boring about it, and it will make players look forward to the forthcoming Episode 3.

Portal
There is, by and far, nothing quite like Portal out on the market. This game innovates in so many ways it’ll make a designer’s head spin, and that’s without getting into the technical details of what the game achieves.

What we have here is a puzzle game that requires you to think much, much more differently that any others. Essentially, your character, a woman, wakes up in a small detention chamber. A digitized female’s voice says that it “hopes your detention in the relaxation chamber has been a pleasant one,” and you’re immediately introduced to the namesake of the game, stepping through an orange hole in the wall. The important part to notice is that, through this hole, you can see yourself stepping through this orange hole in the wall.

Hello [Insert Name Here]. Welcome to the Enrichment Center. Soon there will be cake.

Throughout the game, you’re given the technology to fire what are essentially holes in the fabric of reality, and step through them. But that’s not all. “Speedy thing goes in, speedy thing comes out,” as the voice points out, which means that any momentum you have while entering the portal is kept when you exit. This simple property allows some fantastical moves to be pulled off, like falling into a hole in the floor and using that gravity to propel yourself out of a hole in the wall, launching you across the room. This makes for some very, very interesting puzzles.