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The Orange Box PlayStation 3
The Orange Box Image
Metascore
89 out of 100

Generally favorable reviews - based on 21 Critics What's this?

User Score
8.2 out of 10

Generally favorable reviews- based on 110 Ratings

Your Score
10 out of 10
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  • 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]… Expand

Critic Reviews

Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 20 out of 21
  2. Mixed: 1 out of 21
  3. Negative: 0 out of 21
  1. AceGamez
    100
    It is better than you could possibly imagine and it deserves all the praise that it has gained in its short life so far.
  2. Playstation: The Official Magazine (US)
    100
    For Playstation gamers who might not have played these game on other platforms, The Orange Box is the best value package available on the PS3. [Feb 2008, p.72]
    All this publication's reviews
  3. GameSpy
    70
    In spite of framerate drops, inconsistent online multiplayer, and other serious issues that weigh it down, there's little doubt that the five games in this package exude Valve's attention to detail and show off the developer's talent for making great titles.

See all 21 Critic Reviews

User Reviews

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Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 28 out of 37
  2. Mixed: 3 out of 37
  3. Negative: 6 out of 37
  1. DanB.
    10
    Yes, opinions do vary, but the vast majority agrees that the Half-Life franchise is the apex of FPSs. Orange Box lives up to the expectations of those opinion holders. If you are a HL fan it won't matter which system you favor, PS3 or XB360 (no need to praise one and harp on the other), OB will give you a great experience in one great package. Being a PS3 owner, I found the single player games just as good as ever. If the load times were longer than normal, I didn't notice. The graphics & the game play is among the best I've played & the story is as compelling as any Hollywood movie; basically everything we've come to expect from a HL game. I will grant that TF2 isn't the best multiplayer out there, but it was of minor consequence to me. Whatever the system, Orange Box is a must.… Expand
    • 0 of 0 users said yes
  2. KentC.
    6
    Sure, there are some frame rate issues and glitches, but nothing to ruin the gameplay experience. After hearing so much about how half life 2 is one of the greatest games ever, I played it first. I wasn't very impressed. The gameplay seemed like any other FPS and I didn't see any big deal with the game. Team Fortress 2 is a fun time waster, while portal is very creative. People overreacted about portal's script. It has entertaining dialogue (although that dam voice does get annoying after a while) but it wasn't anything hilarious. People called the game laugh out loud funny, but it wasn't. The cake part of the game seemed strange, and I don't know why people made such a big deal about it. We were promised cake, but there wasn't any... wow, that's not funny. No, i'm not a grouch who takes things too seriously, I love to laugh and watch comedies of all kind, but portal just wasn't funny. It was very creative and fun though.… Expand
    • 2 of 2 users said yes
  3. c4r105
    1
    Very poor conversion of great games - check out either the PC or 360 versions for some smooth fun.
    • 0 of 0 users said yes

See all 37 User Reviews

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