The Orange Box

 PC
The Orange Box Image
Metascore
96

Universal acclaim - based on 34 Critic Reviews What's this?

User Score
9.1

Universal acclaim- based on 2251 Ratings

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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 intoGames 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
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Critic Reviews

Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 34 out of 34
  2. Mixed: 0 out of 34
  3. Negative: 0 out of 34
  1. Eurogamer
    100
    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.
  2. Gaming Age
    100
    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.
  3. 1UP
    100
    A stunning compilation.
  4. IGN AU
    95
    Damn you Valve. That's what rival game publishers must be thinking.
  5. IGN
    95
    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.
  6. ActionTrip
    94
    The Orange Box is a mix of conceptually different products that when combined, provide great entertainment on so many different levels.
  7. The New York Times
    88
    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.

See all 34 Critic Reviews

User Reviews

Write a Review
Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 252 out of 265
  2. Mixed: 9 out of 265
  3. Negative: 4 out of 265
  1. NikG.
    Oct 12, 2007
    10
    This is gonna be the best game of the year, team fortress 2 is amazing and different, portal just fantastic i really enjoy the puzzle solvingThis is gonna be the best game of the year, team fortress 2 is amazing and different, portal just fantastic i really enjoy the puzzle solving and episode 2, lets just say i can't waite for episode 3!… Expand
  2. JohnS
    Oct 11, 2007
    10
    Every game included in the orange Orange Box is Uniquely amazing. The orange Box will set a new standard of quality and entertainment by Every game included in the orange Orange Box is Uniquely amazing. The orange Box will set a new standard of quality and entertainment by which all games will ascribe to... only the Orange Box did it first!… Expand
  4. El_Burrito
    Dec 4, 2010
    10
    What's that, you need to be convinced that 5 games for the price of less than one is worth it? Shame on you. Not only does this master pieceWhat's that, you need to be convinced that 5 games for the price of less than one is worth it? Shame on you. Not only does this master piece come with Half life 2 and the first two episodes, which have amazing single player story value, it also comes with Portal, possibly the most innovative game of the year! Then on top of that, when you have to get your multi-player fix, you have one of the most diverse, fun and chaotic team based shooters on the market! Valve really know how to make you think you're stealing from them.… Expand
  5. ChristianM.
    Oct 22, 2007
    10
    An awesome deal for all this games including Half-Life 2. Even thou its still old, its still a legend. Portal was a fine mind puzzle game. An awesome deal for all this games including Half-Life 2. Even thou its still old, its still a legend. Portal was a fine mind puzzle game. Team Fortress is the best multiplayer game ive played in a while. Half life 2 Episode Two was awesome too and im looking foward to Episode three!… Expand
  6. ERIDIAN
    Apr 21, 2011
    10
    To be blunt, this is the PC gamer's starter kit. For the low price of $30, you get five games, that's $6 a game. All of them are rankedTo be blunt, this is the PC gamer's starter kit. For the low price of $30, you get five games, that's $6 a game. All of them are ranked among the best games of all time, mentioned with the likes of other gaming greats. Once you purchase it, the games within quickly become the staples of your gaming library, and the fondest remembered, most notably, Team Fortress 2. This game in particular has a very laid back and generally nice community, there is plenty of fun to be had, you will be laughing even when you lose. The games within the Orange Box are all content that is generally needed to effectively run Garry's Mod, another popular game. Without the Orange Box games, red ERROR signs and the ol' pink and black checkerboards will endlessly annoy you in Gmod (though a copy of Counter Strike Source and Day of Defeat are also highly recommended).
    Even if you want just one of the games within the box, it is still a better deal to buy them all together.

    If you call yourself a PC gamer, and you haven't yet played the games with the near legendary Orange Box, you, sir/madam are missing out sorely, and, at least in my opinion, lack the right to call yourself a PC gamer.

    Also, the few negative criticisms on this fine collection of games are related to the Steam content delivery system when it was first released, which has since become the proprietary form of delivering video games to PC gamers. Though I still find Steam to be a little bit slow to load and argumentative at moments, everything on this computer has those moments.    … Expand
  7. SeyeerGame
    Dec 30, 2020
    10
    The best solution is to put the pilot projects in one box. And Valve did it! And even very successful. I love TF2, the portal and the secondThe best solution is to put the pilot projects in one box. And Valve did it! And even very successful. I love TF2, the portal and the second episode. Once upon a time, Valve was not afraid to experiment.

    Лучшее решение - собрать пилотные проекты в одной коробке. И Valve это сделала! И даже очень удачно. Обожаю TF2, портал и второй эпизод. Когда-то Valve не боялась экспериментировать    … Expand
  8. MessiahL.
    Oct 21, 2007
    0
    Here's an idea: don't shove medicine down people's throats if you are unwilling to take it yourself. Quit under-rating Halo 3 Here's an idea: don't shove medicine down people's throats if you are unwilling to take it yourself. Quit under-rating Halo 3 because you don't own a 360, and quit hyping up the Half-Life franchise like it's full of innovation. What, exactly, aside from the gravity gun, is innovative about Half Life 2? It's possibly one of the most HEAVILY scripted and narrow games I've ever played. Is it good? Hell yes. But so is Halo. So quit trashing another good franchise just because you're a spoon-fed fanboy. I've built several of my own machines and Half-Life 2 looked gorgeous on ALL of them, but I've also owned an Xbox in my time, and I'm willing to concede that Halo is just as good as a series. My biggest complaint is with Steam. Yes, maybe steam users are stupid enough to put their money into what is obviously going to be a monopoly, but I'm not. The only Steam games I will ever purchase are Valve games, because Steam is all you can play them on. So go ahead, put money into something like this and watch as the market is monopolized and you have to pay for every game through Steam, keeping in mind that if your account was ever lost for whatever reason, all your games would be gone. Sadly, people don't think ahead, they've got the sheep mentality and it's going to screw us all.… Expand

See all 265 User Reviews

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Awards & Rankings

1
#1 Best PC Game of 2007
8
#8 Most Discussed PC Game of 2007
7
#7 Most Shared PC Game of 2007

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