The Orange Box

 PC
User Score
9.1

Universal acclaim- based on 2251 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 2,049 out of 2251
  2. Mixed: 64 out of 2251
  3. Negative: 138 out of 2251
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  1. RonaldA.
    Apr 14, 2008
    10
    Orange box is the best for the best value ever!!
  2. CallumL.
    Jun 21, 2008
    10
    By far the best gaming deal of all time I highly recomend it to anyone its great espeacially the new team fortress2 updates they rock!!!
  3. JohnR
    Nov 13, 2009
    9
    I've only just now finished Half-Life 2 and have to admit, despite being an old-school PC gamer and a fan mainly of RPGs and RTSs, that this game has to go down as one of the best I've ever played. My gripe is that, while The Orange Box is undoubtedly superb value - only the Infinity Engine compilations can rival it - it isn't really a game as such and shouldn't be I've only just now finished Half-Life 2 and have to admit, despite being an old-school PC gamer and a fan mainly of RPGs and RTSs, that this game has to go down as one of the best I've ever played. My gripe is that, while The Orange Box is undoubtedly superb value - only the Infinity Engine compilations can rival it - it isn't really a game as such and shouldn't be given a metacritic ranking of its own. Instead it's a compilation of games (Half-Life 2 + Episodes One and Two ; Portal and Team Fortress), the others already having their own separate rankings. All the same I'd advise anyone who has never played Half-Life 2 to get The Orange Box.… Expand
  4. JeffG
    Aug 15, 2009
    10
    The absolute best you can do with $30. 5 games, and I give a perfect 10 to every single one of them. I'll just give a short review of each game, shall I? Half-Life 2: The environments are all incredibly engaging and give that perfect feeling of eerie loneliness. The story is beautiful, it unfolds subtly, yet has a great impact. The characters are all beautifully designed and The absolute best you can do with $30. 5 games, and I give a perfect 10 to every single one of them. I'll just give a short review of each game, shall I? Half-Life 2: The environments are all incredibly engaging and give that perfect feeling of eerie loneliness. The story is beautiful, it unfolds subtly, yet has a great impact. The characters are all beautifully designed and interactions between them feel 100% real. Not only that, you find yourself genuinely caring about them. The pacing is phenomenal, the graphics still look great 5 years later. I could go on and on, but I'll just leave it at "Half-Life 2 is the absolute best game ever". Half-Life 2 Episodes 1 and 2: Episode 1 did a very good job of creating a scary environment environment, and the addition of Alyx as a companion makes the trek very fun. As I said, you really care for her, and her AI is the best there is anywhere. She seems totally real, and you begin to feel very glad you have her with you. The environment in Episode 2 was also fantastic, taking place in beautiful (yet eerily lonely) rural areas, and the open world battle at the end felt truly epic thanks to the inclusion of destructible environments. Portal: The story is perfect, the puzzles are a ton of fun, and the black humor is absolutely hilarious. The journey through the abandoned (And eerily lonely, damn Valve is good at that) Aperture research facility is gripping, and the ending battle is both epic and hilarious. There are absolutely no flaws in Portal. One could complain about length, but there are so many beautifully realized community made mappacks for it that you could play nonstop for a year and still have new content you haven't touched yet. Team Fortress 2: Incredible game, what all multiplayer games should be. The classes are all very different from each other, each requiring entirely different tactics, and they balance each other out perfectly. For example, the Heavy can mow down an entire team with his minigun, but he can easily be taken out by a single Spy. The game's unique design ensures that it will still look great 10 years from now. The characters are all incredibly charismatic and funny, and you can tell a lot of heart went into making the game.… Expand
  5. JoshW.
    Nov 13, 2007
    10
    This is perhaps the best deal in gaming ever, an aspect commonly overlooked when producing a game, and it doesnt just win there, superb top par graphics STILL after so many years, amazingly easy to run. Each game packed full of excitement, action and "WOW!", the new cinematic physics system really showing its prowess in Portal and HL2, and Team Fortress being a great online addition to This is perhaps the best deal in gaming ever, an aspect commonly overlooked when producing a game, and it doesnt just win there, superb top par graphics STILL after so many years, amazingly easy to run. Each game packed full of excitement, action and "WOW!", the new cinematic physics system really showing its prowess in Portal and HL2, and Team Fortress being a great online addition to their growing list of source based mp titles. Portal is fun throughout, and is an innovative fps experience, HL2EP2 continues where the game left on, and with amazing graphics, continued immersive gameplay and truely groundbreaking cinematic physics - this game is the most polished i have played this year. Truely remarkable. This is just a must buy for any pc owner, with a spec that even settles on low.… Expand
  6. AlexM.
    Dec 23, 2007
    10
    Every game in the Orange box is great gaming expierience. Portal is much better than i thought before buying, because of the extreme new gameplay. Team Fortress 2 is just fun to play and Episode Two is another well done Half Life part.
  7. sarojz
    Jul 27, 2011
    10
    Needless to say the Orange Box is a Stellar product, all of it. Valve really knows how to put together games that PC gamers can get into and play. No dumb down mechanics or gameplay just good pc gamer core fun. I for one will look forward to any product Valve puts out because they take the time to explore what PC gamers want the demand. E'nuff said 10 baby!!!
  8. muzziklover
    Feb 25, 2012
    10
    No complaints here. 5 great games in one package at a price of one retail game. Half-life 2 and two of its episodes are triple A class shooters with compelling stories and great writing, Team Fortress 2 is probably the best online FPS game I have ever played and Portal is a unique puzzle platformer that is incomparable with any puzzle game and is also one of the funniest games I have everNo complaints here. 5 great games in one package at a price of one retail game. Half-life 2 and two of its episodes are triple A class shooters with compelling stories and great writing, Team Fortress 2 is probably the best online FPS game I have ever played and Portal is a unique puzzle platformer that is incomparable with any puzzle game and is also one of the funniest games I have ever played. No complaints at all.… Expand
  9. JordyAtkins
    Sep 23, 2010
    10
    A few years old, and still an absolute joy to play. All aspects of this game, from Half-Life 2 to Team Fortress 2 can literally take hours of your life without you even realising it. A particular highlight of the boxset is the inclusion of Portal, probably one of the most trippy games to play, not that its over difficult but the first time you play through it'd probably be wise to be in aA few years old, and still an absolute joy to play. All aspects of this game, from Half-Life 2 to Team Fortress 2 can literally take hours of your life without you even realising it. A particular highlight of the boxset is the inclusion of Portal, probably one of the most trippy games to play, not that its over difficult but the first time you play through it'd probably be wise to be in a sober state. TF2 has to take the biscuit though, a massively fun online shooter, nothing that takes itself too seriously like the people who sit and play CoD all day because they think its "real", this game will have you laughing as 32 characters bounce around the screen shooting rockets and using flame-throwers all on a small map. Definite Purchase for all… Expand
  10. dklingen
    Sep 29, 2010
    10
    Probably the single greatest game value of all time - three games in one and all of them are great!!! If you have not indulged yourself in this experience you are really missing a true gem - better hurray before HL3 (or episode 3) come out.
  11. 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 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 inTo 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
  12. lionalio
    Apr 28, 2011
    10
    I have one word and just one word for this game package: Awesome!!! It is a heaven for the Half-life and for the First-person shooter fans, and a very interesting Portal that await the gamer in this package. All of the spectacular games with just 20 EUR or 30 $, what are you waiting for to not have it in your collection? Oh you must be anti-gamer to not have it, :). If you are a seriousI have one word and just one word for this game package: Awesome!!! It is a heaven for the Half-life and for the First-person shooter fans, and a very interesting Portal that await the gamer in this package. All of the spectacular games with just 20 EUR or 30 $, what are you waiting for to not have it in your collection? Oh you must be anti-gamer to not have it, :). If you are a serious gamer and you are complaining about your computer doesn't have enough space for this. UPGRADE OR BUY A NEW ONE IMMEDIATELY, or you are missing a legend in game history!… Expand
  13. MisterDoctor
    Apr 19, 2011
    10
    The Orange Box is by far one of the most greatest, and best deals that i have ever seen. 5 games that all got a 90 percent rating or above, (with the exception of episode 1), TF2 having a very addicting multilayer with an option to choose from 9 classes which now have new guns, and awesome hats. Portal which is sadly only 4 hours, but having an amazing story, and gameplay, and the HalfThe Orange Box is by far one of the most greatest, and best deals that i have ever seen. 5 games that all got a 90 percent rating or above, (with the exception of episode 1), TF2 having a very addicting multilayer with an option to choose from 9 classes which now have new guns, and awesome hats. Portal which is sadly only 4 hours, but having an amazing story, and gameplay, and the Half Life series. This series mixes intense FPS action, with puzzeles, and a great story. Also to top it all off it is now only 20 dollars. What more do you need.… Expand
  14. StickNik
    May 8, 2012
    10
    This pack shows the highlights of the gaming industry, single and multiplayer, I haven't seen anyone else make such a thing of such good quality.

    'Some people think that they can outsmart them, maybe... maybe, but I have yet met one who can outsmart bullet'
  15. Greenlemonade
    May 6, 2013
    10
    This bundle includes 3 of the greatest games of all time.
    Half-Life 2 changed the face of gaming and is still a highly emersive, beutiful and fun experiance.
    Team Fortress 2 though free now, still remains the most balanced, creative, diverse and fun multiplayer FPS. Portal's mesh of FPS and Puzzle and flawless voice acting and story has wet to be replicated with such perfection. The    This bundle includes 3 of the greatest games of all time.
    Half-Life 2 changed the face of gaming and is still a highly emersive, beutiful and fun experiance.
    Team Fortress 2 though free now, still remains the most balanced, creative, diverse and fun multiplayer FPS.
    Portal's mesh of FPS and Puzzle and flawless voice acting and story has wet to be replicated with such perfection.
    The Orange Box along with Steam made me switch off Consoles to PC gaming and I've never looked back. Better graphics and more games at a MUCH cheaper price; Better controls (mouse+keyboard) and customization; Endless amounts of Mods; Slightly more mature communities. You can't beat it!    … Expand
  16. SJ_pl
    Jan 23, 2012
    10
    If someone haven't played those games so far it's the BEST DEAL out there! I would say that it's a kind of a starter pack for regular+ gamers :) For me Portal was the biggest innovation there but it wasn't until the second part that it really spread its wings.
  17. SandeProElite
    Jun 13, 2011
    10
    The Orange Box is a great package that makes you want to play its games over and over again. In my opinion, it is one of the greatest PC gaming experiences there is. There are very few games that I personally enjoy to play all around the year and I've been playing it for two years non-stop now.
  18. snowshreder
    Jul 5, 2011
    10
    This was and still is a must buy, I believe it is even cheaper now so if you don't have it ADD IT TO YOU COLLECTION NOW. Half-Life set the standard in First Person Shooters many years ago, And you are going to seriously lost if you buy the next Installment which is going to be awesome not to mention hard to find on the shelf's during its release.
  19. Lordeldar
    Jul 18, 2011
    10
    Half Life 2, Episode One, Episode 2, Portal, Team Fortress 2. Certainly a fantastic offer, Every Game that comes with it is fantastic. The Orange Box is a fantastic collection of Games that everybody should try out
  20. CRL
    Jul 25, 2011
    9
    Games today are ridiculously overpriced, at most new shooters begin around $50. The Orange Box is a combination of three awesome shooters, an iconic puzzler, and one of the best multiplayer games you'll ever find. Think about that. Five games, four of which I believe have 'Universal Acclaim' on this website, for the price of one. Half Life 2 and it's episodes: some of the most funGames today are ridiculously overpriced, at most new shooters begin around $50. The Orange Box is a combination of three awesome shooters, an iconic puzzler, and one of the best multiplayer games you'll ever find. Think about that. Five games, four of which I believe have 'Universal Acclaim' on this website, for the price of one. Half Life 2 and it's episodes: some of the most fun shooters ever made. Portal: the game that revolutionized puzzlers. TF2: multiplayer at it's best. Valve took a bit of a gamble when this was released, and in doing so created one of the best deals out there.… Expand
  21. DocFunk
    Oct 2, 2011
    8
    I would have given it a 10, but since TF2 is now free, it's lost a little value. I bought this a few years ago for TF2, and it was only 5 extra dollars to get HL2 and Portal, so I thought why not? Team Fortress 2 is by far the best online FPS I've ever played. It's endless fun, and the drop system is awesome, and there's unlimited maps to play which are all free. Portal was pretty fun. AI would have given it a 10, but since TF2 is now free, it's lost a little value. I bought this a few years ago for TF2, and it was only 5 extra dollars to get HL2 and Portal, so I thought why not? Team Fortress 2 is by far the best online FPS I've ever played. It's endless fun, and the drop system is awesome, and there's unlimited maps to play which are all free. Portal was pretty fun. A little bit overrated in my opinion, but that doesn't mean it was good. The first run through it was AWESOME although short, and it's worth a second go. The challenge maps are okay. Should give you a day or 2 of playtime. Half Life 2 is great. It's got shooting combined with puzzles, and an awesome story. It's got quite a bit of playtime between the 3 Half Life games, just playing each one once takes a little while. I like how you had to think a lot, although sometimes I would have to look up what to do on the internet. Anyways, if you like single player games, this is a great buy. If you only like multiplayer games, which was pretty much me, get TF2 for free and don't bother, although I think it's worth a try if you have a few dollars. I normally hate single player games and I enjoyed them quite a bit. Anyways, if TF2 still had a price, 10/10 best value on the market. Even now that TF2 is free, still a great value.… Expand
  22. FFStudios
    Mar 24, 2012
    10
    Let me make it clear that I'm no longer what you could call an impressionable gamer; I don't buy into the hype, I only buys games if I think I will genuinely enjoy them, or for artful reasons. Anyway, The Orange Box, and I know won't sound surprising, is probably the best bundle of games I've ever played. The Half Life games are often cited as a benchmark for game design, and it shows.Let me make it clear that I'm no longer what you could call an impressionable gamer; I don't buy into the hype, I only buys games if I think I will genuinely enjoy them, or for artful reasons. Anyway, The Orange Box, and I know won't sound surprising, is probably the best bundle of games I've ever played. The Half Life games are often cited as a benchmark for game design, and it shows. Portal on the other hand is quite short: not that I'm implying that it's bad, in terms of design it's probably the best game ever made, easily negating its short length. Some might know that I've stopped playing BF3 and MW3; I just wasn't having any fun whatsoever. Team Fortress 2 is no doubt the most fun I've ever had playing online. Even when I'm at the bottom of the leaderboard (which is all the time), I'm still having fun with the cartoony art style and addictive gameplay. I guess what I like about it is that it has a sense of humour most modern "realistic" shooters seem to ignore in favour of gun torches or incessant profanity. All you need to know is this: whether you're a single-player (like me) or into multi-player, The Orange Box is possibly the best buy you'll ever make. And for £10? I feel like I'm stealing from valve… Expand
  23. hyrule13
    Apr 15, 2012
    10
    I got this for $10 in the 2011 christmas sale on steam, I would of happily payed $30 or more if I had any idea how much fun I would have for that $10. Over 24 hours of intense and enthralling gameplay with the first 3 parts of the Half Life 2 saga and 5 hours of head scratching gameplay in portal (or more if you played it 6 times through like I did) and endless hours of fun and financialI got this for $10 in the 2011 christmas sale on steam, I would of happily payed $30 or more if I had any idea how much fun I would have for that $10. Over 24 hours of intense and enthralling gameplay with the first 3 parts of the Half Life 2 saga and 5 hours of head scratching gameplay in portal (or more if you played it 6 times through like I did) and endless hours of fun and financial strategy in TF2 this pack has drawn in more of my life then any other game that I can think of (Over 300 hours and counting in TF2 alone)… Expand
  24. e_x_p
    May 14, 2012
    10
    My last but not least boxed PC game purchase. Thank you Valve for creating such an amazing collection and the digital era opened by Steam. This is a must have collection for any Valve/FPS fan.
  25. Xineombine
    Sep 28, 2012
    10
    It's 4 full length games for the price of one, IF anyone complains about quality or quantity, the should just leave, Valve is one of the best publishers and developers in the gaming world and deserve your respect
  26. Muchomexicano
    Nov 16, 2012
    10
    5 games for less then the price of 1. One of those games is considered by many the game of the year albeit short. What else needs to be said anyone rating in the red doesn't know what games are or deals. Valve has always been great towards its customers anyone who states otherwise are usually self spoiled brats that if you give them a inch they'll expect a foot and be mad with anything less.
  27. sherbz
    Dec 11, 2016
    10
    If you cant appreciate this offer, then there is something wrong with you. I only bought this for HL2. But I ended up enjoying portal far far more. And if that wasn't enough, you were also given TF2, which is one of the best multiplayer games out there. 5 quality games for the price of 1. Simply magnificent!
  28. kane148
    Aug 6, 2012
    10
    As someone who hadn't already played Half Life 2, this bundle way already a really good bargain, but the addition of Portal--which was simply brilliant--and Team Fortress 2 makes it officially the best gaming value I've ever seen. Do yourself a favor and drop a few bucks for this pack: you won't be disappointed.
  29. ColombiaGames
    Jan 21, 2013
    10
    How about the 5 best valve games and almost of the world.
    The Orange Box brings us 5 tons of fun with Half Life 2 , ep1 , ep2 , Portal and TF2 making this one of the best deals for a computer owner. Buy it and don't think to much about it.
  30. Sumguy
    Jan 23, 2013
    10
    Five games for (as of this writing) twenty bucks seems like a scam in an era where a full game with DLC can run you into the nineties. Trust me when I say that it's not. If there are three PC games to play before you die, it's these three - the worthy sequel(s) to one of the most iconic and innovative shooters of the 90s, the greatest class-based multiplayer game in history, and the solid,Five games for (as of this writing) twenty bucks seems like a scam in an era where a full game with DLC can run you into the nineties. Trust me when I say that it's not. If there are three PC games to play before you die, it's these three - the worthy sequel(s) to one of the most iconic and innovative shooters of the 90s, the greatest class-based multiplayer game in history, and the solid, sublime hour that is the original Portal. Put simply, if the Box doesn't make you burn your consoles and join the Glorious PC Master Race, very little ever will.… Expand
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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

Critic Reviews

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Metascore
96

Universal acclaim - based on 34 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 34 out of 34
  2. Mixed: 0 out of 34
  3. Negative: 0 out of 34
  1. PC Gamer
    94
    Leave it to Valve to deliver the goods on such an ambitious game package...The Orange Box is one of the finest compilations of gaming content ever produced. [Nov 2007, p.58]
  2. 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.
    Read full review
  3. 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.
    Read full review
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