The Orange Box is a collection that will always be special to me. Prior to owning an Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, or even a PC capable of playing games, it was somewhat of a far-off dream for me, with the included game of Portal especially catching my interest. I'd watch videos about the game online and see the memes, but I never thought I'd find a way to own it for myself.
Well, after my uncle opened his own bakery and I received my first part-time job, the Xbox 360 itself was my first purchase, and The Orange Box became my first M-rated game. I'll never forget the day I walked into the mall, headed over to GameStop, and put both it and Need for Speed ProStreet on the counter. I pulled out my ID for the first time to prove I was old enough, and finally headed home to play it. Of course, Portal was my first stop, but the next day I'd dive into the rest of the package as well, embarking on a journey unlike anything I had ever experienced.
Related: Portal: Companion Collection Review
The Portal Phenomenon
Portal itself was everything I had hoped for. Despite watching videos online, I avoided the major spoilers and made sure I didn't ruin the answers to the puzzles. Its physics-based gameplay kept me captivated from start to finish, but the story is what truly had me hooked. It is a game I would force all of my friends to play due to its short runtime, and it was one I'd return to time and time again just to find new ways to solve each stage.
Valve truly created something special, and still to this day, it is easy to recommend as a must-play. While Portal 2 is technically superior in every way, it'll never truly replace the original, making Portal itself an all-time classic.
Becoming Addicted to Half-Life 2
Moving past Portal, The Orange Box also included the entirety of Half-Life 2, which included Half-Life 2: Episode One and Episode Two. Despite the name, Episode One is actually separate from Half-Life 2 itself, though it continues the story. With an end-of-the-world alien invasion story front and center, the game expertly blends action-adventure gameplay with that of a first-person shooter and a physics-based puzzler.
Despite Portal being my main focus with the collection, Half-Life 2 is what became my true addiction. With a larger, semi-open world to explore, driveable vehicles, and the nightmare experience that is Ravenholm which shook me to my core, it is a title I returned to quite often while trying to seek out every little secret along the way. Years later, I'd make Half-Life 2 my first PC purchase on Steam as well, but the Xbox 360 release will always be special to me.
Team Fortress 2
The final part of the collection was none other than Team Fortress 2, and to be frank, I didn't really care at the time. This early on into owning a 360, Halo 3 was my main focus for multiplayer shooters, but I settled for TF2 simply because I couldn't afford Halo at the time. I have fond memories of playing with my online friend "Varon," but this release was before the game exploded into the hat-fueled obsession it'd later become known for.
On the surface, it was a fun "hero shooter" with multiple unique classes to choose from and different objective-based modes to compete in. Sadly, the console version would get left in the dust as time went on, but it was still a great time and a nice entry to help round off the overall package.
A Lasting Gaming Legacy
The Orange Box truly was a must-have for console owners at the time, and the impact of each title contained within it is something we still see to this day. There's a reason Half-Life 3 has been a pipedream for many for so long, and why Portal still gets referenced. Meanwhile, Team Fortress 2 is the game that paved the way for today's modern multiplayer shooters, with titles like Overwatch and Marvel Rivals being household names. The gaming world owes a lot to this little package, and I'll never regret spending the little extra money I had at the time to buy it.
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