The Orange Box

 PlayStation 3
User Score
8.2

Generally favorable reviews- based on 223 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 181 out of 223
  2. Mixed: 15 out of 223
  3. Negative: 27 out of 223
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  1. JrDouble
    May 21, 2023
    9
    Half Life 2 and Portal are great games and make this collection well worth the price. Team Fortress sucks, but this is still a 9/10 if you ignore Team Fortress is included in the collection.
  2. Flashyboy89
    Jan 26, 2020
    1
    The game is brilliant but I don’t recommend you play this broken PS3 Port. Play it on PC or Xbox 360.
  3. okayokay
    Oct 10, 2018
    8
    rrrrrrrrrrraaaaaaaaaaadddddddddddiiiiiiiiiiicccccccccccaaaaaaaaaaalllllllllll
  4. MetaRogue
    Nov 12, 2014
    10
    The Orange Box is a great way to get a hold of 5 Valve games for the price of 1. The updated graphics for PS3 show and EA has handled it well. Quick Save is definitely a useful feature to have when encountering those roadblock moments or failing a jumping puzzle section.

    The games themselves are iconised as classics with the package even stating that Half Life 2 is the Highest Rated PC    The Orange Box is a great way to get a hold of 5 Valve games for the price of 1. The updated graphics for PS3 show and EA has handled it well. Quick Save is definitely a useful feature to have when encountering those roadblock moments or failing a jumping puzzle section.

    The games themselves are iconised as classics with the package even stating that Half Life 2 is the Highest Rated PC Game of All Time by (guess who?) Metacritic.

    The only downside is that trophies don't come with the PS3 version, despite being available on Xbox 360.

    That said, revisiting City 17 or venturing as Gordon Freeman for the first time to understand why HL2 was so highly raved about does pay off and offers comparison to how far FPS games have come.

    Portal is a fun, but short puzzle based FPS that focuses more on using the Portal Gun effectively and mastering the mind bending effects of those portals. The story and dialogue are also another fantastic element: GLaDOS will go down in history as one of gamings most villainously sadistic AI's besides SHODAN.

    The only disappointing thing about playing The Orange Box is finishing HL2 Episode 2 and wondering what exactly happened to Episode 3 or Half Life 3 for that matter.

    What happened Valve?    … Expand
  5. glitchmaster
    Dec 6, 2013
    8
    the game's arren't super team fortress has got a lot of lag
    half life is okay but not superb
    portal is i guess nice if you're a puzzel game fan if not you're going to find this very boring too wel the reason why i give this a 8 is because it cost almost nothing you get 5 games for the price of 1 and that's a fantastic bargain even do the game's arren't super portal:7/10 half life 2:    the game's arren't super team fortress has got a lot of lag
    half life is okay but not superb
    portal is i guess nice if you're a puzzel game fan if not you're going to find this very boring too
    wel the reason why i give this a 8 is because it cost almost nothing you get 5 games for the price of 1 and that's a fantastic bargain even do the game's arren't super

    portal:7/10
    half life 2: 7/10
    half life episode 1 :6/10
    half life episode 2 :6.7/10
    team fortress 2:7.5/10 the game is nice just to much lag    … Expand
  6. KT36
    Sep 19, 2013
    10
    Amazing value in the Orange Box. This is my first time playing HL2 and i loved it. Portal is a blast. The environments are rich, gameplay is pleasing...the games draw you in like no other. Unique gaming experience to be had and shouldnt be missed.
  7. Strike2
    May 1, 2013
    10
    The Orange Box is some of the best value I've had in a game. Half-Life 2 is awesome and deserves a 10 on its own but when put with its 2 fantastic episodes, the creative puzzler Portal with GLaDOS as one of the best game characters ever and Team Fortress 2. You might hear there are a few bugs and frame rate issuses and to be honest there were but they were nothing major and didn't wreckThe Orange Box is some of the best value I've had in a game. Half-Life 2 is awesome and deserves a 10 on its own but when put with its 2 fantastic episodes, the creative puzzler Portal with GLaDOS as one of the best game characters ever and Team Fortress 2. You might hear there are a few bugs and frame rate issuses and to be honest there were but they were nothing major and didn't wreck these 5 awesome games at all.… Expand
  8. EpicWinGuy
    Mar 28, 2013
    8
    I simply LOVED the games, the fun i had with them, the challenges they offered me and the stunning campaign i had given the honor to play. Sadly, this version of the Orange Box had many technical issues, like lag, for example. It has been over 6 years since the compilation came out and it only got 1 patch. It could have been so much more if Valve had more attention.
  9. theforeveverwar
    Dec 11, 2012
    9
    Great collection of games, I will probably come back to this review and rate each game individually. But definely worth checking out. Absoluetly loved the orignal portal and was a late comer to half-life 2, This was the first time that I got to play episdoe 1 and 2 and they were really fun and good.
  10. nickolas77
    Oct 13, 2012
    10
    Are you kidding me 8.2 user review way low. This is one of if not the best single player experience that can be had on the current generation of systems. Great gameplay and creative puzzles and physics. My favorite xbox 360 game with mw2 not 3 a close second. Just try to unlock all the secerets, cant be done. This is a game that makes you think from time to time a great think if u ask me.Are you kidding me 8.2 user review way low. This is one of if not the best single player experience that can be had on the current generation of systems. Great gameplay and creative puzzles and physics. My favorite xbox 360 game with mw2 not 3 a close second. Just try to unlock all the secerets, cant be done. This is a game that makes you think from time to time a great think if u ask me. Get it you wont be disapointed. 5 great games in one and a wonderful story. You feel like your part of the movement. Get it Get it Get it.… Expand
  11. Funkymonk
    Sep 26, 2012
    7
    I actually bought this mainly for Portal because Portal 2 is one of my favourite games ever and i just had to play the original. Plus Half Life 2 is one of those games that lots of people rave about and as i saw it for the bargin price of £6.99 it was a no brainer. Now, Portal is a work of genius as i knew it would be but very short, TF2 is an ok multiplayer but not the best. HalfI actually bought this mainly for Portal because Portal 2 is one of my favourite games ever and i just had to play the original. Plus Half Life 2 is one of those games that lots of people rave about and as i saw it for the bargin price of £6.99 it was a no brainer. Now, Portal is a work of genius as i knew it would be but very short, TF2 is an ok multiplayer but not the best. Half Life 2 is certainly a good game but in my opinion not the amazing game i thought it would be after all i'd heard about it. The gameplay is solid but as Kentc and Plutonium Tiger said it still just feels like another FPS and the other things people rave about such as the plot and pacing also pale in comparison to todays best action games such as Uncharted. Maybe in 2004 this was the pinnicle but cetainly not now. I appreciate i'm in the minority and if you see it for a similar bargin bin price go ahead but i'm just advising to lwer your expectations a bit.… Expand
  12. PlutoniumTiger
    Oct 23, 2010
    6
    Unfortunately, I would have to agree with Kentc. No doubt this is great value for money (within it's genre that is) but it doesn't change the fact the main selling point is just wildly overrated. Yes, drag me to the Town Square and burn me at the Stake if you must, but I just can't tell most of these FPS' apart. The game has some serious defiencies; a severe lack of enemy variation forUnfortunately, I would have to agree with Kentc. No doubt this is great value for money (within it's genre that is) but it doesn't change the fact the main selling point is just wildly overrated. Yes, drag me to the Town Square and burn me at the Stake if you must, but I just can't tell most of these FPS' apart. The game has some serious defiencies; a severe lack of enemy variation for one(how many Helicopters are there again???) & some lacklustre A.I amongst others. In it's defense however, I will say I didn't experience any "Framerate drops" in the roughly 20 hours it took me to complete the HL2 Trilogy.… Expand
  13. MichaelA
    May 24, 2009
    9
    John S and Grant are both being fanboys. The Orange Box has 5 incredible games in it. The three Half-Life 2 games are superb with brilliant storytelling and interesting, varied gameplay that works great. Portal is an innovative puzzle games that challenges you to manipulate your environment and use a "Portal Gun" to (in a way) teleport you around a room. I haven't gotten the change John S and Grant are both being fanboys. The Orange Box has 5 incredible games in it. The three Half-Life 2 games are superb with brilliant storytelling and interesting, varied gameplay that works great. Portal is an innovative puzzle games that challenges you to manipulate your environment and use a "Portal Gun" to (in a way) teleport you around a room. I haven't gotten the change to try Team Fortress 2 yet (my PS3 isn't online, and TF2 is online-only), but I hear it's an excellent multiplayer FPS. The PS3 version suffers from some technical problems, such as long load times (usually more than twice as long as the 360 version) and the rare framerate drop, but those problems are so minor that you won't even notice most of the time. EA didn't do a very good job with the PS3 port, and as a result the 360 and PC versions run better, but if you own a PS3 and not a 360 or PC, go ahead and bump the score up to 10.… Expand
  14. DanB.
    Oct 29, 2008
    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 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
  15. johnmuggli
    Oct 24, 2008
    10
    If it did not have all 5 games I may have given it a 9. But with all 5, it is the best deal in gaming then and now. You can not go wrong and now it is only $29. Do not pass up this great set of games.
  16. JoshuaB.
    Jul 12, 2008
    10
    Amazing offer for a game. Half-life 2, possibly one of the best pc games out there, its sequels, episode 1 and 2, portal, a great puzzle game that'll blow your mind, and tf2, a crazy multiplayer game where you have different classes, resulting in different types of battle skills. This is portrayed in a cartoony style type of graphics. tf2 for the Ps3 sadly only has 5 maps from the, Amazing offer for a game. Half-life 2, possibly one of the best pc games out there, its sequels, episode 1 and 2, portal, a great puzzle game that'll blow your mind, and tf2, a crazy multiplayer game where you have different classes, resulting in different types of battle skills. This is portrayed in a cartoony style type of graphics. tf2 for the Ps3 sadly only has 5 maps from the, say about 50+ maps from the pc version, but were hoping this will change. Good news about it: It had better graphics than the pc (Special effects) until pc got an update... o well... It is a great package, and if I would say so myself, a bargain.… Expand
  17. RobertoR.
    Jun 11, 2008
    10
    Just Portal makes getting this game worth it. TF2 is loads of fun and Half-Life 2... well, there are great FPS games, then there is Half-Life.
  18. JohnS.
    May 16, 2008
    10
    This game is great the ps3 three version easly destroys the 360 in graphics and is much much more smoth on ps3. there is no reason to buy the 360 or any game on it cause of the ps3 unserpassive graphics free online play ps store larger HD + internet browser and much beter games soon coming.
  19. KeadenC.
    May 16, 2008
    10
    It was the first game I've ever layed on a ps3 and I have to say teamfortres is great.
  20. Grant
    Mar 29, 2008
    0
    Fun, but UNPLAYABLE, especially after the mid-March update. IF you can connect, expect frame rates in the single-digits. I got this for Team Fortess 2 and Portal. Played Portal for just a few hours (without a walkthrough) and got to level 18, then found out there's only 19 levels. It seems more like a demo than anything else. Some say it came free with Half-life and Team Fortress, Fun, but UNPLAYABLE, especially after the mid-March update. IF you can connect, expect frame rates in the single-digits. I got this for Team Fortess 2 and Portal. Played Portal for just a few hours (without a walkthrough) and got to level 18, then found out there's only 19 levels. It seems more like a demo than anything else. Some say it came free with Half-life and Team Fortress, but I paid money to play it without knowing how short it was. Team Fortress is a fun fps but it's annoying! There are only 5 (smallish) maps, and most of the time a quickmatch connects to the 2Fort map, which isn't that big. There are only a couple of characters, each with three weapons. TF2 problems: can't connect, much worse since mid-March frame rates worse since mid-March won't save your statistics long long load times (but what game doesn't have this problem lately?) a bunch of other little things UNPLAYABLE.… Expand
  21. JustinM.
    Mar 12, 2008
    9
    This title (and all games within) is f*cking sick. totally adictive. us ps3 owners crave more games of this calibur.
  22. DavidL.
    Mar 10, 2008
    0
    This is the inferior version of the Orange Box. The frame rate issues completely kill any fun that was there to have. It's a shame but like every PS3 multiplatform game, it's far inferior to the other versions.
  23. BryanS.
    Mar 8, 2008
    10
    An absolute steal... This is some of the best bang-for-the buck... I would not rate any individual game as a 10 (well, ok, Portal would be really close), but together, it's just WORTH it!
  24. SammyR.
    Mar 4, 2008
    9
    What an outstanding deal! Each of the five games is stellar, the frame rate issues are very noticeable only in Episode 2, so don't let that be a buying issue. Portal played without a hitch on my PS3. On a side note, I picked this up on sale for $39.99 at Target, so I essentially paid 8 dollars per amazing game. The deal might still be there, so buy it now!
  25. DonM
    Feb 10, 2008
    9
    WOW! I was a little hesitant to buy this game but I must say...I am very impressed. Half Life 2 is a great campaign, especially since it's over 3 years old. I love it's perfect blend of shooting, puzzles, strategy, and story. The graphics still rival other FPS's. I had a fun time playing this game and was hooked from the start. If you like FPS's then you will want to WOW! I was a little hesitant to buy this game but I must say...I am very impressed. Half Life 2 is a great campaign, especially since it's over 3 years old. I love it's perfect blend of shooting, puzzles, strategy, and story. The graphics still rival other FPS's. I had a fun time playing this game and was hooked from the start. If you like FPS's then you will want to play all three of the half life games included on this disk. I would say it's a combined 40-50 hour game. And when one game ends the next episode picks up exactly where the last game ended. CONS: Framerate slowed down occasionally, mostly after quick saving game data, no biggie. Load times are horrendous but you will get over it. PROS: So much content, fun game play, great intriguing storyline which really sucks you in. Great voice acting, puzzles, and guns. Portal is fun and addicting and will kill about 3-4 hours of time. Highly Recommended!… Expand
  26. Davie
    Feb 5, 2008
    10
    Best game ever made. Times 5!
  27. NeilR.
    Feb 2, 2008
    9
    Have to agree with others, EA did an ok job with the conversion, it's nowhere near as bad as was reported and it is quite clear that it's a coding issue, luckly it's very rare. Loading times is the only negative i have for this game. they are annoying when you have to wait 30 seconds for the game to continue after you die. TF2 is great fun, occasionally laggy but mainly it Have to agree with others, EA did an ok job with the conversion, it's nowhere near as bad as was reported and it is quite clear that it's a coding issue, luckly it's very rare. Loading times is the only negative i have for this game. they are annoying when you have to wait 30 seconds for the game to continue after you die. TF2 is great fun, occasionally laggy but mainly it runs smoothly and seems to be improving. Portal is great.… Expand
  28. RodB.
    Feb 1, 2008
    8
    This is a must-have! The framerate issues mentioned by the critics is not an issue. The Half Life series is very well designed, offers a lot of autonomy (open map), and great storyline. Graphics are a bit yesterday, but not bad.
  29. Nick
    Jan 27, 2008
    4
    echhhh.... this game is sooooooo boring...omg shoot me now... the only good thing about the orange box is portal... tf2 is way too laggy and half life aswell had lagg on the first day i got it.... lucky the video shop had a 7 day guarantee so i could return this sucker and get my money back to spend it on a decent game like cod4 or preodering battlefield: bad company
  30. KentC.
    Jan 17, 2008
    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 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
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Awards & Rankings

5
#5 Best PS3 Game of 2007
12
#12 Most Discussed PS3 Game of 2007
9
#9 Most Shared PS3 Game of 2007

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
89

Generally favorable reviews - based on 21 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 20 out of 21
  2. Mixed: 1 out of 21
  3. Negative: 0 out of 21
  1. IGN
    84
    All five games in The Orange Box are awesome, and even though we had problems here and there with some of the control choices, the experience of playing Half-Life 2 games should not be missed. Valve should be counted among the few that simply know how to tell a good story. However, the PS3 version is without a doubt inferior.
    Read full review
  2. GameDaily
    80
    The PS3 version runs slower than its Xbox 360 counterpart, but it's still a heck of a fun time.
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  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.
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