the orange box (xbox 360)

There are many levels of value in this world. Having two things come out of a vending machine when you only bought one is fairly low value, while buying a car that comes with a lifetime of free gasoline is very high value. The Orange Box takes value to a whole new level. The Orange Box costs sixty dollars, the same price as any other brand new video game. What sets it apart is the fact that it isn't just any brand new video game: it's five brand new video games. What's more, they aren't just any bargain basement titles, they're five top-tier shooters which would be worthy of top marks even if they were sold individually.

The main part of the box is Halflife 2, the top rated PC game of all time. The classic game is present in all of its glory, accompanied by the 2 pseudo-sequels Episode 1 and Episode 2. It's quite obvious why this game is regarded as a classic: the controls are perfectly tuned, the graphics are amazing, and the level of design is ingenious. Whether you're shooting monsters or solving puzzles, you're guaranteed to be having a good time. The plot is as good today as it was three years ago on the PC, and for many console gamers this will be the first time they play the game. Plus, the inclusion of the brand new, long awaited episode 2 means that even longtime fans of Halflife will be able to get something new from the experience.

Another game set in the world of Halflife is included in the package. It is called "Portal," and it is essentially a first person puzzle game. The puzzles in the game revolve around manipulation of the environment via the portal gun, an incredible new game play device that allows you to create two-way portals on any flat, non-metallic surface. You literally have to think in four dimensions to solve some of the harder puzzles. As an added bonus, the game is totally hilarious, thanks mostly to the psychotic computer who torments you endlessly until the final boss fight, where she tells you, among other things, that you are adopted and that nobody loves you. The game itself only lasts about three hours, but it's funny and fresh enough to warrant multiple replays, so you'll get plenty of fun out of it.

Rounding out this stellar package is "Team Fortress 2," one of the best class-based online shooters ever. You play on either the red or blue team, and are given the task to either invade the opposing team's base, or claim the enemy intelligence. To assist you in this task, you are given the choice of a number of unique classes. From speedy scouts to stealthy spies, all of the classes are fun to use and are well balanced. Each class has its own special abilities: Scouts are very fast and can do double jumps, Soldiers can shoot rockets at people, Pyros can burn things, Demo men can blow things up with grenades and stickybombs, Heavies can tear through any defense with a huge minigun, Engineers can build healing machines and turrets, Snipers can shoot people in the head from far away, Medics can heal people and make them invincible, and finally, Spies can turn invisible and disguise themselves as members of the other team. It's a very complex game and I don't have the space to get into specifics, so it will suffice to say that it's good.

The whole Orange Box is tons of fun to play, a great value, and each game deserves five out of five on its own. I have no choice but to give it a score of 6 out of 5- it's that good.