The "OFFICIAL" ORANGE BOX REVIEW!! By yours truly...

About the Review:

Hi and welcome to the Orange Box review! First of all I want to let you all know that this is not an official NBR review thus I am not following any strict guidelines so excuse any unprofessional comments. This review will contain my opinions and bias which will naturally make an influence on the review so please refrain from negative criticism about my opinions. I will try to be as objective as possible.

This is a mainly review to help many people who do not know about the games within the Orange Box (or what the Orange Box is for that matter) and so I took the liberty to review it and show them what they may or may not be missing. I urge everyone to leave any comments, questions, and constructive criticisms that you may have which will help improve the quality of the review. That said enjoy the review and if you find the review helpful, interesting, insightful etc. feel free to to show appreciation by throwing some rep my way. That said any helpful comments will merit rep points for you.

Also this is my first review so cut me some slack. Thanks and enjoy!

Note: All screenshots taken at 1680 x 1050 res, with all settings on high, 2 x AA, and v-sync enabled.



What is the orange box?
The orange box is a compilation of 5 games created by developer Valve creator of the legendary half life series. The box contains the games Half Life 2, Half life 2 Episode: 1, Half Life 2 Episode: 2, Portal, and Team Fortress 2. It is currently available for pre-purchase on Steam ( http://www.steampowered.com/v/static_web.php?) for $45 .Through Steam you may also pre-load the games onto your pc so that you may start gaming immediately once it is released on October 10,2007. Pre-ordering will also enable you to participate in the Team Fortress Two Beta (not nearly as important since we are approaching the release). It is widely available on websites for pre-order and can also be found for $45 or even less on certain sites.

Why 5 games in one box?
Valve has done this essentially to offer a consumer the most bang for their buck and at 5 games for essentially the price of 1 brand new game from other developers, it is hard to deny the value. There were plans to create a Black Box version which would include only the brand new games (Portal, TF2, HF2 Episode 2) but that idea was discarded since retail stores were not happy about two similar games taking up shelf space so Valve decided to create only 1 product: The Orange Box. “So I’m paying for games I already played? So lame.” While I can’t deny that you are paying for more than you need if you already played the first two iterations of the Half Life 2 series, but only at an additional cost of $10 compared to the Black Box I hardly consider it a deal breaker. For those who have not played any of the games it comes out to $9-10 a games and not only is that a great deal but its borderline thievery.


System Requirements:
Minimum:
Processor-Pentium 4 1.7GHz
GPU- DX8 Compatible
Ram: 512 MB
HD Space: 5GB
OS: Windows 2000/XP/Vista

Recommended:
Processor: Pentium 4 3 GHz
GPU: DX9 Compatible
Ram: 1 GB
HD Space: 5 GB
OS: Windows 2000/XP/Vista

My Setup:
Notebook: Asus C90s
Processor: Intel Core 2 Duo E6600 2.4 GHZ (Overclocked 10% on Gaming Mode)
GPU: Nvidia 8600M GT 512MB DDR2
Ram: 2 GB Corsair PC 5300 DDR2-667
Hard Drive: 160 GB Seagate Momentus 5400 RPM
OS: Windows Vista Home Premium
Speakers: Logitech Z-2300 2.1 THX Certified
Mouse: Logitech MX 518 1600 DPI Gaming Mouse

Yes all accessories are black and silver to match my C90. Also want to thank GentechPC- 1toppc.com (particularly Ken) for taking such great care of me as a customer and the excellent quality of my C90. I recommend them to anyone considering an Asus laptop.

Also want to thank Chaz and Coriolis for helping me and making this review possible. Thanks guys!!

On to the reviews! First off I won’t be reviewing Half Life 2 since I am already reviewing 4 games and it is a ton of work. Also Half Life 2 is a massive game and is fairly old now so I’m assuming everyone knows about it. My first review will be Half Life Episode One since a surprising amount of people have not played it yet (shamefully I admit I was one of those people until I ordered the Orange Box).

What is Half Life 2 Episode 1?

Episode one is the first part of a three part trilogy of the continuation of the Half Life 2 series. It is the continuation of scientist Dr. Gordon Freeman’s adventure to save humanity from the Combine invaders. You take the role of Gordon Freeman once again in the events immediately following Half Life 2. Half life 2 Episode 1 has received game of the year awards in 2006.

The bane of Gordon Freeman's (Your) existence, the G-Man.

"Damn, running out of ways to mess with you Mr. Freeman."

Why episodic content?

Whether you hate or love it the Half Life series has taken a new approaching to producing games. They introduced the concept of episodic gaming in which parts of games are separated and sold as smaller sections. Valve feels this allows them to produce finer quality products because instead of meeting deadlines and milestones for a massive game like Half Life 2 they can meet smaller goals and essentially not be as pressed for time. Episodic content also allows (obviously) games to get to the consumers more quickly so rather than waiting for one behemoth project, smaller projects will come out in about the same time period.

One overlooked aspect of episodic content is it reduces hardware requirements. What I mean is instead of jumping generations by waiting a few years for a new product the smaller episodes allow the current generation (CPUS, GPUS) to essentially stay up to date. This considering the gap between Half Life one and Half Life 2 was 6 years whereas the time between HF2 and Episode 1 was approximately a year and a half. It will be approximately a 1 year and 4 month differential between the release of Episode 1 and Episode 2.

One of the most famous weapons in videogame history.

"A crowbar is forever."

There are negatives to episodic content of course. The main complaint about Half Life Episode 1 was that it was considered very short . Valve themselves confirmed it should take 5-6 hours to beat (my steam recorded I was logged in for 4.7 hours.) Many felt that the price of Episode One ($20) considering the amount of content was very steep (Not applicable for Orange Box Owners). There were will be a Half Life 2 Episode 3 and it also seems Valve has deemed there will be no Half Life 3 because the three episodes will serve that purpose. Though this has been confirmed it does not mean that after this series we will no longer return to the Half Life Universe. There are rumors and suggestions by Valve that a new series may begin although this has not been confirmed by Valve.

Gameplay

Half Life 2 Episode 1 includes Alyx Vance, daughter of one of the combine resistance leaders Dr. Eli Vance, as an integral part of the core game play experience of the player. From the very beginning to the end of the game Alyx is your partner in crime. She wields an automatic pistol and has the ability to use fatal melee combat when enemies get too close. I was impressed by the A.I. because Alyx acts very naturally throughout the game. She knows when to take cover and often when to retreat and reload in many situations. She is not a bad substitute for an actual human co-op player because the AI reacts accordingly to situations. In the beginning stages of the game I personally let Alyx do a lot of the work because in the early stages you either have only the gravity gun (more on the gravity gun later) as a weapon or have weapons with limited ammunition. I’m not ashamed to let a woman do my dirty work particularly one that is so deadly.

Alyx is more than capable of taking care of herself.

"Looks like you've got things covered. I'm gonna grab a beer."

That being said Alyx is not invulnerable. Often when overwhelmed by enemies (particularly Zombies) up close Alyx will die when she cannot kill the enemies fast enough resulting in her death and game over for you. The A.I. is not flawless though because often Alyx will stand there and attempt to fight back when overwhelmed and will not retreat. This maybe to encourage to actually helping instead of letting her do all of the work especially when you are not being attacked but regardless it is annoying particularly when grenades are thrown. Overall though there were very few problems with Alyx because she reacts accordingly to your actions such as when taking cover, she is not a hindrance and instinctively moves out of your way quickly in most situations.

At certain locations Alyx will take the intiative to help you however she can.

"Something about a woman firing a turret really gets my magnum going."

Alyx was a very welcomed feature of Episode 1. She is a very lively character who often makes humorous jokes and comments to lighten the mood in eerie situations. As if Alyx’s help during fighting wasn’t enough she also had immeasurable effects on the game (at least for me). Mostly attributing to Valve’s great work Alyx actually becomes part of your world when immersed in the game. When your backs are against the wall its welcoming to know that you are not alone and have a competent partner who knows how to take care of business. To Valve’s credit the immersion level and interaction with Alyx gives you a sense of satisfaction in some situations (particularly the creepy zombie infested parts ) that you have someone you can rely on for support . I particularly like her comment about the poison headcrabs, “I hate those things”, especially because I along with her literally said those words when the crabs made their first appearance. You Half Life Veterans know their particularly deadly effect.

Alex is always ready and poised for battle.

"You mind pointing that thing somwhere else?"

Another interesting change was the emphasis placed on the gravity gun. For those who don’t know the gravity gun is both a weapon and a tool in the Half Life Universe. It allows players to manipulate objects by allowing them to defy gravity and lift objects off the ground and also allows the player to shoot the lifted object at a high velocity. Certain heavy objects like cars cannot be lifted but can be pushed around with the “punt” feature of the weapon which essentially pushes objects which often destroys weaker objects and moves heavier objects. This allow players to use objects as a weapon by firing them but also plays an integral part in solving puzzles in which objects must be manipulated to allow the player to achieve a certain task. The physics in the game are top notch as objects react accordingly to your manipulation with gravity gun as well as how they interact with each other leading to interesting outcomes when attempting to do such things as get to a higher level by stacking objects.

Dog is one of my favorite characters.

"Dog how many times do I have to tell you, we don't play fetch with my grav gun."

In episode 2 the early portions of the game only the gravity gun is available as a weapon causing the player to more strategically evaluate their options instead of running and gunning which will lead to an early demise. Throughout the game I noticed a lot more objects which were interactive with the gravity gun compared to Half Life 2 which seems to encourage using the gravity gun instead of normal firearms.

The main disappointment in Half Life 2 Episode 1 was the lack of puzzles. The Half Life series received such critical acclaim because often there were intricate puzzles many which often seemed daunting at first but gave a sense of accomplishment when completed. I found the puzzles here very lacking both in quantity and quality. Often when there were puzzle elements they were very short and lacking in depth.

The action is all still there. The game has many intense firefights and action is definitely not lacking. The episodic content seems to make an impact here because it appears to tradeoff puzzles for more action which is good or bad depending on your preferences. The episode is very to the point and you never feel like the game is just dragging on but there is always something after the next and each more daunting than the previous.

Don't let the skinny legs fool you, the Strider packs a punch.

"Have you seen a guy named Aragorn running around using my name?"

Overall the game play is what you would expect from a Half Life game. The game is very refined and all your favorite weapons make their return to Episode one. The new elements of the game are certainly exciting and engaging but overall Half Life 2 Episode 1 left me slightly disappointed at its length but simultaneously left me wanting much more.

Visuals

“What would a Half Life game be without stunning visuals?” “Nothing, it wouldn’t be a Half Life game. “

Taking the use of the Valve’s acclaimed Source engine to new levels Episode One simply looks stunning making it comparable to many current games despite its age. With my game running with an average 38 (33 min) FPS at 1680 x 1050 resolution, with all settings on high, 2 x AA and V-sync enabled (Nvidia V-Sync, thanks to Odin5578 for the tweak s: http://forum.notebookreview.com/showthread.php?t=172717 ) the game simply looks amazing. The updated source engine makes use of High Dynamic Range (HDR) which is a new technology in producing more realistic lighting such as more advanced bloom effects, water and global reflections and refractions as well as overexposure. This simulates more realistic lighting effects which we encounter in our daily lives but contribute to a much more immersive experience when used in games.

HDR lighting in action, after a few seconds you will adjust to the light like humans normally do, look away for a bit and look back and its overexposure again.

"The light, the LIIIIGHT!"

Also another major change is the use of Valves facial animation 2 system which provides life like motion and detailing in the faces of characters. Mainly this can be displayed by Alyx who looks very life like when expressing sadness, anger, or humorous moods. It is very impressive to see her face contort and and change to what she is saying and feeling. Often I turned the sound off and was impressed to see that I could get a good idea of her attitude about the subject just by her facial expressions and also how life like it is when her attitude changes and how accurately those changes are expressed.

The many faces of Alyx.



"I can't tell, just tell me how you feel."

Overall the game looks much more polished than Half Life 2. Character and environment models are definitely more detailed and some of the moments in the game are photorealistic. The game’s visuals will not fail to impress. As always the game is very optimized and the indicated * symbol which indicates what settings is recommended for your pc is useful albeit it is not very strict and you can tweak the settings a bit higher such as AA. It also does not take the resolution into account but overall the game appears to be very scalable and should run fine on a wide variety of hardware.

Sound

Sound quality is also impressive on Episode one. The music is very impressive whether it be eerie music intended to scare you out of your wits or techno-ish up beat music intended to get you pumped and ready for action. The music is appropriate to what is going on and it is also often a precursor to major events (zombie bonanza anyone?).

The voice acting is top notch particularly with Alyx and this with the incredible visuals only further makes her even more realistic. Sounds in the game are good as interacting with objects with the gravity gun makes realistic effects depending on the interaction. The weapons sound great and many of the powerful explosions and gun fire really take advantage of the z-2300s powerful bass and give my walls a good shaking. Zombies and creature sounds are great as usual. Nothing like hearing a dull moaning to alert your senses to danger or a whirring buzz sound...

One of the most annoying enemies, deadly in herds.

"What did mom always say about running with a deadly aerial buzzsaw killing machines? Ah thats right be careful or you'll chop your head off."

Only disappointment are some of the objects often have generic sounds as in similar objects often make identical sounds and often some objects make repetitive sounds regardless of what it interacts with. This is just a minor drawback and overall sound quality is great.

Conclusion:

Pros:

-Another amazing foray into the Half Life universe
-Graphics and Physics are Top Notch
-Alyx’s companionship is a nice feature

Cons:

-Lack of quality puzzles
-5-6 hours may not be enough to satisfy some gamers

Bottom Line: For those who have not played Episode One (I was an example) it is hard to pass up this great game packaged with the Orange Box.

 

EDIT IMPORTANT: Join the NBR Steam community post your steam ID as a post and I will add it to the list.

About the Review: System requirements and setup is the same as above. This review is based off of the beta and thus may not reflect actual gameplay of the final build in its entirety.

Also this review was written kind of quickly because I was pressed for time (sorry I was out all last night) but don't worry I didn't sacrifice any content of the review. What I did sacrifice was quality control; there is probably a good amount of mistakes in the review so please leave comments if you notice anything. Also I appreciate the rep greatly but I didn't check the comments till today. I had no idea so many of you were eagerly awaiting this review so please feel free to voice any comments, suggestions, critiques, inquiries etc. that you may have by leaving a post. Tanks for the help and responses! Did you catch the spelling mistake? If not you’re not doing your job!

Edit: I had some problems with fraps and have to go out soon. So excuse the lack of pictures. I might fix it later tonight but probably will do it tomorrow. I had some nice pictures taken but didn't realize stupid fraps changed the key that takes the pics so I lost them all. Again sorry about this. I figured I'd post it today since so many people were expecting it today.

Note: All screenshots taken at 1680 x 1050, all settings on high, 2 x AA, with v-sync enabled.

What is Team Fortress?

Team fortress also known as Team Fortress Classic was a class based first person shooter mod released in 1996. It was a free mod of the original Quake game and quickly became popular. It was based around the concept of having distinct classes interacting with each other to achieve goals as a team based effort. Its popularity sparked the idea of creating another mod of Quake II dubbed Team Fortress 2. However, in 1998 the Valve Corporation contracted the creators (Team Fortress Software) to create a standalone game which became the Team Fortress 2 Project.

What is Team Fortress 2?



As mentioned above it is a standalone sequel to the mod Team Fortress. It has had a rough history of delays because of decisions to change major aspects of the game which essentially led to designing a completely new project. In 2000 Valve announced it would be switching to the Source engine which caused a major delay. For 6 years Team Fortress fell off the map until the summer of 2006 during which Valve showcased the new Team Fortress 2. With its announcement came the massive surprise that the game would deviate from the typical realistic visuals in favor of visuals that mirrored CGI (Computer Generated Imagery) movies such as Toy Story and Shrek which were progressively becoming more prominent. Valve assured gamers that the game would stay true to its roots and the realistic gameplay would not be compromised.



Meet the Crew of TF Two

Before I get to the actual review I thought I would give summaries about the classes within TF2. For those who did not play the original Team Fortress Classic there are 9 classes divided into three categories. The first category (Offense) consists of the Scout, Soldier, and Pyro. The second category (Defense) consists of the Demoman, Heavy, and Engineer. The third and final category (Support) consists of the Medic, Sniper, and Spy. The categories are not strict and should not be interpreted as so because any class may be used in any situation depending on the player.

The classes are all unique in terms of how they play as well as their persona and attributes. Each class is based off of a racial ethnicity which gives them a sense of individuality and charisma making each of them standout from the others. Although the gameplay is realistic, due to the "cartoony" nature of the game all the characters and the gameplay in general are very comical. It is very refreshing to play a multiplayer game which can make you want to simultaneously want to smash your mouse as well as make you laugh.



Valve will be releasing short videos which serve as a type of introduction to the characters since none are offered in the game. Currently the introduction to the heavy video is viewable from Steam's official site.

The characters generally consist of a main weapon, a secondary weapon, and a melee weapon and I will list them in that order. I will also list their health points and any special abilities. Also excuse me for not reviewing the melee weapons of each class since most operate similarly.

OFFENSE

Scout
(American, East Coast Accent)
Weapons: Scatter Gun, Pistol, Baseball Bat
Health: 125
Special Abilities: 2x Control Point takeover speed (passive), Double Jump (Active)

The scout is the fastest and most agile of the group making a great offensive player. On maps with control points his innate ability of counting as 2 people when taking over points means he takes over points twice as fast compared to the other classes. His speed combined with his powerful scattergun and bat make him deadly up close and his double jump ability allows him to jump in mid air and change direction to avoid fire. The speed and agility come at a price because he is one of the weakest classes in terms of health in the game.



Soldier
(American, Military Dialect and Voice)
Weapons: Rocket Launcher, Shotgun, Entrenching Tool
Health: 200
Special Abilities: Rocket Jump (Active, damages health)

The soldier is a major threat in short to medium distance fighting due to his shotgun and rocket launcher. The rocket launcher fires powerful rockets which can often kill weaker classes instantly when hit dead on. However the rockets are rather slow so it is not well suited for long distance fighting but causes splash damage when fired at the ground. The soldier is one of the slower characters and that’s no surprise considering he is the second most powerful units in terms of health. His rocket jump ability allows him to jump great heights by firing a rocket at the ground while jumping, this however is at the cost of some health. I personally have seen this ability used to great effect and have seen some masterful escapes employed by using this technique.



Pyro
(Undeterminable ethnicity, mumbles speech due to gas mask)
Weapons: Flamethrower, Shotgun, Fire axe
Health: 175
Special Abilities: Lights enemies on fire dealing damage even after the initial attack (Passive), does not catch on fire due to hazmat (Passive)

The Pyro is arguably the most powerful close range class. His flamethrower deals massive amount of damage up close and lights the enemies on fire which damages the units until they jump in water, or are healed by a pickup, medic, or dispenser (the fire also dies out after an allotted time). When the enemy escapes the flamethrowers range his shotgun is meant to finish them off. With no effective method to dealing with medium to long range fighting the pyro is often vulnerable in some situations.



DEFENSE

Demoman
(Scottish, speaks as if drunk)
Weapons: Grenade Launcher, Sticky Bomb, Bottle of Scotch
Health: 175
Abilities: Jump greater heights at the cost of health using explosives (Active)

The Demomans explosives offer some advantages. His grenade launcher fires grenades which bounce before exploding allowing him to deal damage at angles which no other class can such as destroy a sentry inside a building by firing throw a window. His sticky bomb launcher fires up to 8 sticky bombs which stick on any surface and is meant to be used on ceilings and walls to destroy unsuspecting enemies. His sticky bombs can be activated any time with the right click even when any of the other two weapons are being used. His average health and slow rate of fire for both of his explosive weapons make him vulnerable at close range combat.



Heavy
(Russian)
Weapons: Minigun, Shotgun, Bare Fists
Health: 300
Special Abilities: Spins minigun without firing allowing him to be prepared for incoming enemies (Active)

The Heavy is the powerhouse class of the game. He has a whopping 300 health points and one of the strongest melee weapons in the game (his fists). His minigun fires at an incredible rate bombarding enemies with fire. His minigun is deadly at close to medium range but is very inaccurate over long distances. He is the slowest character in the game and is even slower when firing his minigun making him particularly vulnerable to sniper fire. His wide frame makes him and medic combo popular since the medic can essentially use him as a shield while healing him.



Engineer
(American, Texan accent)
Weapons: Shotgun, Pistol, Monkey Wrench
Constructible Units: Sentry, Dispenser, Teleport
Health: 125
Special Abilities: Only unit able to construct structures (passive)

The engineer is a very unique character because he is the only class able to construct structures. He can build sentries (turrets), dispensers (dispenses health and ammo to teammates and himself), and teleports (allows him to create a 2 structure teleporter which teleports anyone to the spot he builds the teleport exit). His construction costs metal which he can replenish by picking up ammo pickups or weapons that are on the ground. Sentries are very powerful and can kill nearly instantly. The sentries have 3 upgrade levels which give them more health, a longer range, and more powerful weapons. The dispenser while a relatively weak structure dispenses health and ammo to all nearby allies (though it must recharge if too much is taken.) The teleport is a very weak structure but allows transportation of units very quickly and the entrance and exit are designated by where the engineer builds them. The engineer can also destroy any one of his built structures in order to relocate them as he sees fit. The engineer himself is very weak and is of average speed. The sentries while powerful cannot fight over certain medium ranges leaving it vulnerable to snipers, rockets, and grenades. The teleport also must recharge after teleporting a single person albeit it does not take very long. The dispenser also heals rather slowly compared to the medic.



SUPPORT

Medic
(German)
Weapons: Healing Gun, Syringe Gun, Bone saw
Health: 150
Special Abilities: Regenerates Health (Passive), Heals Units Up to 150% of their health (Passive), After healing a certain amount the Ubercharge is unlocked which when activated allows the medic and targeted ally to become invulnerable for 10 seconds (Active)

The medic is often considered the most essential component of any good team. Many teams without medics often fail miserably. The medic heals units very quickly by simply targeting them with his gun. His gun heals them up to %150 of their health which diminishes back to their original health when he is not targeting them. His ubercharge often turns the tides of battle and often causes mayhem especially when paired with the Heavy. The medic also regenerates his health automatically. The medics syringe gun which fires needles very rapidly at enemies while comical is very weak and inaccurate. Coupled with his average speed and weak attacks the medic is not much of a warrior. Players can press the "E" key to call for a medic which places a places a talk bubble (like in comics) above the player and types it in to the chat automatically letting the medic know where they need to go.




Sniper
(Australian)
Weapons: Bolt Action Sniper rifle, Sub-Machine Gun, Machete
Health: 125
Special Abilities: Charges Up Rifle Bolt while zoomed in (passive)

The sniper is obviously the king of long range combat. His bolt action rifle kills any class instantly with a shot to the head depending on the power of the charge. His rifle also does powerful damage when charged to its maximum state. The sniper is very effective at long range and due to his long range zoom he can flee when he sees enemies are getting too close. That said the sniper is armed with a sub-machine gun to deal with nearby enemies which has a high rate of fire but is fairly inaccurate. The sniper has average movement and weak health making him a poor close range fighter.



Spy
(Indeterminable, European, Most likely French)
Weapons: Revolver, Pocket Knife, Electric Sapper
Health: 125
Abilities: Cloak (Active, must be recharged), Disguise (Active)

The spy is arguably the most controversial unit because it is often considered the most overrated or underrated class. The spy uses a powerful revolver which has a great accuracy and range although a relatively slow rate of fire. The spy's knife allows for an instant kill when he stabs someone in the back (considered backstabs DUH!). He has the ability to disguise himself as an enemy by smoking a cigarette and engulfs himself in a cloud of smoke before becoming a replica of an enemy. Teammates see him as a spy but simply with a paper mask on his face and a picture of who he is mimicking. He has the ability to cloak which is useful because whenever he attacks he loses his disguise allowing him to flee while invisible for a short period or simply when he is discovered as a spy. His sapper places a device which short fuses the engineer's structure disabling them while simultaneously draining them of health (Using the sapper while disguised does not remove the disguise, also turrets are fooled by his disguise). The spy takes on the name of an enemy player of the class who he is disguising often requiring strategic use of the disguise. A spy can be revealed by being fired upon and seeing whether the enemy takes damage. While so far the spy seems glamorous there are shortcomings to the spy. While disguised he takes on the speed of the class he is mimicking but when he is not disguised he is rather slow and has low health making him rather vulnerable. Also his weapons are overall not great for combat but meant as a deterrent before cloaking to escape. Also since there is no FF (Friendly Fire) (more on this later) in the players often shoot random players to check to see if they are a spy. His use of an enemies name is often a giveaway that you are a spy especially to the person you are mimicking. Also when disguised during firefights the spy cannot mimic enemy weapons and enemies might notice him not fighting resulting to the conclusion he is a spy.



Gameplay

Team Fortress 2 consists of 6 maps with 3 different types of games depending on which map you are playing. There is a typical capture the flag (intelligence in TF2) map. There are also maps which consist of 5 control points. At the round start each team controls two points while the center point is uncontested. The objective of the map is to take over all of the control points. If either team cannot accomplish this task within the round time limit then the round goes to Sudden Death. In sudden death there is no respawning or health pickups so teams really have to work together and medics and dispensers are often essential. In sudden death a team can win by either taking over all the points or simply by killing all the members of the opposing team. If both teams fail completing those objectives then the round is simply declared a stalemate and neither team gets a point. These maps usually have a best out of 5 point system with the round winner earning a point. The third type of map is a territorial objective map in which one team is offense or defense. These maps consist of two or three control points which must be taken over by the offensive team to win the round. Whenever a control point is captured there is a 3 minute award given to the offensive team. If the offensive team fails to capture the point within the time lit the defensive team wins the round, simple no?



In terms of game play TF2 stays true to its name because teamwork is essential to success. The maps and overall game play are conducive to teamwork especially on some maps due to limited amount of chokepoints where the teams will eventually clash. That’s not to say you won't get the occasional person who is not a team player and insists on doing their own thing. Players like this often learn quickly that taking the "lone solider" route often means being overwhelmed by a strong opposing team. For instance on the capture the intelligence map there is essentially one way to get to the enemy base (few exceptions, depending on class) which means you can usually bet that it is well defended. Also there are two actual paths to take to enter the room itself. You can take the "go it your own" route and attempt to take the flag completely on your own which I do not deny happens on occasion, but attempting to do this over and over will lead to a flood of frustration. Here are two perfect examples of strategies well executed strategies that I've seen:

1) You are a scout attempting to take the flag but there’s a pesky level 3 turret which means a certain doom if you attempt to run past it, so what do you do? Employ some good ole fashioned team coordination and cooperation of course. A medic and heavy combo take the advance and activate the ubercharge allowing to them divert the turrets attention. During this chaos the scout used his speed and double jump to swiftly run past the enemies and turret. Once the scout has gotten past the medic and heavy slow back off while the scout quickly runs down to the intelligence room when our female narrator announces that your team has taken the intelligence. The medic and heavy move in once more to divert attention the enemy to that side of the base while the scout swiftly exits the other way and uses his double jump ability to walk on top of the bridge connecting the two bases and successfully capture the intelligence.



2) Your a spy who knows there is a turret within the enemy intelligence room. Though you can cloak and disguise yourself to the room the engineer is employing the old trick of having his back against the wall so you can't backstab him. It was interesting was to see a spy and demoman man work so well together. The demo man and spy made their way to the base entrance when a Solider appeared. The spy quickly cloaked while the demoman layed sticky mines around a corner deterring the soldier from coming closer but rather to back off and attempt to shoot rockets from afar at an angle. The spy quickly flanked around another direction and a quick uncloak and stab and the soldier was no more. The duo then made their way to the intelligence room where each was poised at the two different paths. The demoman used his grenades to lob the grenades at the sentry around a corner. The enemy engineer quickly equipped his shotgun and went after the demoman leaving the spy to disguise into the base and use his sapper to destroy the weakened sentry. The spy then took out his revolver to aid the demoman and the duo was able to take down the engineer. Then the spy disguised himself once more to steal health from the enemy dispenser. The spy then grabbed the intelligence (which disables using disguises or cloaking) and the two made their timely exit. Once they got to the bridge the demoman layed sticky bombs to deter anyone from following.



With 9 different classes the interactions and strategies employed can be employed vary widely (of course teams often just wing it and call it a strategy ). Another excellent feature of the game is the balance between the classes. While certain classes are more specialized (pyro, sniper) and more powerful on certain maps such as the pyro in maps with buildings ready to broil unsuspecting victims or snipers in maps where wide open spaces offering a clear line of sight exists it does not mean that they cannot be played on certain maps. Each class can be made useful in any map depending on the player. The balance is excellent between the classes not leading to any class essentially being more powerful than the other. Each class can effectively deal with another class (while some not as well as others) which makes more complex than the traditional "rock, paper, scissors" developers often use in their games. With the tap of the comma button you can easily switch your class depending on the situation or simply if you want to try a new class. I found the fact that if I felt that I was bored of a certain class there was always another class which I could hone my skills on. I have personally seen each class rack up the most points by a wide margin compared to the rest of the team (yes even the medic). Points and your contribution to the team effort are more than just kills. A medic for example racks up points according to how much they heal and usually end up with the most assists because simply by healing a player who kills someone it counts as an assist, thus it’s possible for the medic to rack up the most points on the team without actually directly killing a single person. Engineers also get points in indirect ways such as the use of his structures. Of course his sentry's kills rack up as his but build a teleporter that is being heavily used and you rack up points and he even gets points for healing much like a medic. Flag captures, flag defenses, and destroying enemy structures also merit points. It’s nice to know that even if you aren't massacring the other team like someone else your score won't be left in the dust because there are plenty of ways to earn points in the game.


Afte I changed my name to Forerunner it stopped keeping track of my most points for each class. Anyone know a solution?

Along with that is also great to see that because there is no overriding class that a certain balance of classes within the team is sometimes necessary. "It’s our turn as offense so let’s all be scouts?" Wrong, enemy turrets will rip everyone to shreds. "It’s our turn as defense so let’s all be engineers?" Wrong again long range fire from snipers, rockets, and grenades will hammer you not to mention it would be a spy’s sapping paradise. Overall in most games if a team has too many of one unit the effects of these actions are clear as day and night. Too many heavies can result in enough players not getting to the team in a timely manner once they have died resulting in a weak assault. Too many spies on the team often leads the enemy team to paranoia resulting (and is obvious alot of the time) resulting in wasted lives and thus wasted slots on your team that could have been useful as another class. Balance in this game is key and often mature friendly players understand that a constantly evolving strategy is necessary for victory. Sure a medic may not get alot of glory but your when you come to save teammates' lives from the brink of death they will certainly appreciate it and your score will reflect that. Compare that to a sniper who is very conservative and is just hanging back trying to get as many headshots for himself as he can which neither helps his team much or his point total for that matter.



Another excellent feature of the game is the stat tracking. Simple yet innovative the game literally keeps tracking of many features such as: kills, assists, flag captures/defenses, structures destroyed, life length, headshots, backstabs, healing etc. Had an awesome run and it came to an abrupt end? The stat tracker casually lets you know your achievements usually beginning with the words "On the bright side..." letting you know have reached a record for something such as kills. This is also not for all the classes in general but all your stats are kept independently for each class giving you a certain sense of satisfaction and achievement. For example, 5 kills may not be much for a soldier or heavy but first time getting 5 kills with a medic? The game will let you know about your incredible feat once you die which might be enough to put a smile on your face. Have another go with the medic and come up short with 4 kills? The game will let you know that you were close to your record. It’s simple but often it becomes another addictive aspect of the game just trying to top yourself. As you can see my record for spy backstabs was three and it often leads me to the brink of insanity trying my best to get to 4 (cut me some slack, I'm a clumsy assassin ) and I was really close a few times. One particularly frustrating event was when I was on the near brink of backstabbing an enemy soldier for my 4th kill only to have an allied sniper headshot him literally a second before. To add "insult to injury" I was backstabbed by a disguised enemy spy a few seconds later and swore to have my revenge.



Another interesting element of the stat tracker is the concept of a nemesis. Get killed by an enemy enough times and he becomes your "nemesis" with a symbol (boxing gloves) indicating he is dominating you. On the flip side do that to an enemy and you are considered to be "dominating" him indicated by placing a symbol (looks like a bull's eye) above his head. Getting killed by someone you were dominating or killing an opponent that was dominating you (termed "revenge") merits extra points to the appropriate player. I once dominated 2 opponents at the same time as pyro only to have them team up and coordinate their attack on me from afar (simple with the voice chat feature) and get their revenge. In a better turn of events a certain scout was dominating me while I was a heavy. Finally I saw the little midget enter the enemy base and went after him. While literally having 3-4 people firing on me the scout became overconfident and attempted to get the main kill on me only to have my minigun rounds shred through him seconds before I died (ah sweet revenge).



The Physics of the game as expected from Valve are great. While not as much physics are present in the game compared to the Half Life series there is still a fair amount. Mainly present in the explosions present in the game which often can you send flying around the map, the physics are very impressive. Many who were worried about the fact that the game would contain "cartoon antics" based on the visuals will be pleasantly surprised. With the exception of the scout's double jump ability (which is great) the physics of the game are very realistic. So anyone wanting the antics of a certain cartoon containing the famous "Beep Beep!" sound should like elsewhere.

Game sounds great so far right? It is, but there are some flaws that I have noticed. One being the lack of maps. After a while the lack of a multitude of maps became apparent. Not to say the maps aren't great but sometimes it feels like you've played the same map a million of times (I probably have) which sometimes takes away from the gameplay experience. Valve has confirmed though that they will release free downloadable content for the game including maps in the future, so it’s not that big of a deal.



Though overall the class balance is great there has been one problematic character for Valve : the Pyro. Originally the pyro was the least used character because of his weak damage and short range with the flamethrower. Valve later tweaked the pyro to effectively increase his range by a fair amount and greatly increase his damage. While before he was considered too weak many often regard him as too powerful now (I somewhat agree) and this apparent by the fact that so many people play as a pyro now. Effectively what I feel this change has done is diminish the heavy. Now you see more pyro medic duos than heavy medic because effectively pyro does the heavy's job better. With an ubercharge and much faster speed (which thus does not slow down the medic as much) the pyro/medic team can wreak havoc by doing insane amounts of damage more quickly because their faster movement. Also in general since the pyro is faster and the heavy is basically walking when firing the mingun he is much more vulnerable to sniper while pyro is a harder target. I understand why this is a complex and delicate issue to deal with and I hardly blame Valve because it is tough to balance this character. However Valve is constantly updating their game through steam and hopefully they will find the perfect balance which will satisfy the majority of players.



Like I said this is still the beta and although the Orange Box has gone gold there may still be some things Valve is tinkering with in the Beta. However I along with a fair amount of people are experiencing glitches. Though the game is never crashing I am experience black outs during which I have to alt tab and wait a minute or so before being able to play the game. Valve has released some new fixes while I am writing this review which I have not tested so let’s see if they help. Valves efforts to fix the issues as fast as possible is commendable and while the flitching isn't heavily prevalent it is annoying and frustrating when it does occur. These issues should work themselves out and are just a minor drawback.

One decision that I disagree with and has upset many people was the remove of FF(Friendly Fire) from the game. Originally each server was designated to have friendly fire enabled or not however Valve has completely removed that option from the game. I often like FF games and its not that much of a hassle to find a non FF game by simply looking at the server name which usually lists it as so. Regardless while not a major issue it is worth noting.

Visuals

For those who surprised by the visuals of Team Fortress 2, you weren't alone. Playing the game for the first time you feel like you've walked into another dimension and are expecting to see Shrek or Mr. Incredible around the corner. The visuals are stunning in this game. The colors are vivid and really standout giving the entire world a very detailed and lively appearance. The lighting and shadowing effects are excellent due to the use of phong shading which effectively is high detailing and light reflection which is dependent on where you are viewing from. Don't let the smooth visuals fool you. The world is very detailed and textured. If you actually find the time to stop and appreciate the environment and characters you'll see there is an incredible amount of detail in the game. Maps have unnoticed details such as a factory giving off smoke in the distance or a massive ship floating on the ocean which you can appreciate assuming you’re not running for your life.



While you may consider that the visuals in TF2 are nothing revolutionary there are many innovative technologies that are going in to affect which my screenshots (amazing as they are) don't do justice. Such as the new soft-particle technology which essentially creates volumetric effects such as the pryro's flamethrower compared to the old method. It essentially allows effects such as the flame or smoke to move independetly of objects. These particles actually interact with objects instead of moving through them giving them a much more realistic look.

Another new technology is the use of the new facial animation 3 technology making its first appearance in TF2. This gives even more realistic facial expressions to the characters demonstrated by grimaces when they are weak or hurt or the Heavy's wide grin when is on a roll.

TF2 also makes use of motion blur technology. Essentially what it does is blur the player's vision when making fast turns making it seem more realistic. This option can be enabled in the graphics options menu but I disabled this feature do to the marginal impact on performance it had. It is a rather cool feature though and players of the Crysis MP Beta know what it looks like.

Sound

Sound is also great. The shots and explosions of the firearms are spot on. With the fast paced action of the game it can sound like a war zone when you are in middle of a firefight. Character sounds are particularly enjoyable. The voice acting of the accents is spot on and the overall tone of the characters makes them a downright riot. Each character has different taunts according to which weapon they are using and they are just downright funny. Their cries for medics are even believable and overall it’s a fantastic balance between humor and realism.

Conclusion

Pros:
-Highly addictive fast paced gameplay
-Great Variety and Level design
-Physics and Graphics are very realistic

Cons:
-6 Maps get repetitive after a bit
-Some balance and glitch problems still exist

Bottom Line: This I believe is my favorite multiplayer game of all time. Why is that? Sure Counter Strike, Quake, and Unreal Tournament are great games. They hardly have the genius of being simple and yet completely complex at the same time. TF2 actually demands teamwork and rewards you for it.

Bottom Bottom Line: No multiplayer FPS has ever made me laugh as much as this game.

NBR TF2 STEAM COMMUNITY
(Name in parentheses is alternate name to search if first doesn't work)

1) TheForerunner (For3runner)
2) ViciousXUsMC
3) C2 (Disagreeablehead)
4) dimonay (dennis)
5) Razer_Dayz

See you online!!

 

Reserved for Portal Review.

What is portal? Find out here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=if3Qv2tHyfA

 

Reserved for Half Life 2 Episode 2 Review.

 

Before anyone does this, I'll jump the gun:

These games (insert rude comment here). (Insert Game Here) is better. My opinion is better than yours because (insert elitist remark here). Your review is completely (insert rude comment 2 here). My mom can make a better review. Your mom is (insert rude comment 3 here). You (insert illegible rude comment here) if you think what you said is true. Even though I didn't actually play the games, nor read your review, you're still absolutely wrong. A (insert animal here) is smarter/better than you. Go home and hide in your (insert unfavorable location here). (Insert 1337speak here) !!!11!!eleventyone!!.

+rep.

Edit: If anyone want to play mad-libs...

 

you probably want to put those three pictures that are lined up beside each other in a more vertical order, it makes your text too wide for my screen.

 

Edited hows it look now link?

 

Beautifully done, I really enjoyed reading that. The content is great and I find your writing style to be relaxing. Your thoughts generally mirror mine about Episode 1, I thought it was awesome. I am anxiously awaiting Episode 2.

Keep up the great work!

 

still off for some reason =/ oh well i don't mind scrolling.

 

Sorry I'll try tinkering with it some more. Thanks for the props Chaz and thanks for the rep people.

 

Awesome!

I really need to get the episodes as I only have HL2, and an Asus G1s that can easily handle the Source engine.

This just made me want BlackMesaSource all the more though.

 

Good reviews though I'm getting the same scrolling problem (on the computer at work).

 

I'll just line them up vertically. Its just the part with ALyx's faces thats causing the issue right?

 

This is one fine great review for Orange BOX in EVERYWHERE right now
The content is well-written and detail as possible. I like how you emphasize on new facial system it does look incredible!!! Two thumbs up !!!
Btw I too get the text spread too wide on resolution 1200x768 on computer at work. There is no picture line up problem as far as I can tell, but still no clue what's happening. No problem for my laptop though.

 

..eagerly awaiting portal review

EDIT: btw, the z-2300 speakers are great!

 

Portal is the reason I got the orange box.

already had the HL games so it was abit of a waist. Been playing TF2, while I didnt think i would like it... its actully pretty fun but I can see how it will get old fast due to lack of stages and things.

Its definitly better than that POS game called Shadowrun. Gah I hate that game and despise the fact I spent money on it.

Want to play the prequal to portals???

download and play narbacular drop, these are the people that made portals. the game is short but gives you the idea and its alot of fun. Then go download all the player created maps for alot more fun and challange.

http://www.nuclearmonkeysoftware.com/ (click for games home page)

 

I can't believe VALVe is demanding people buy 2nd, useless copies of Half-Life 2 and Half-Life 2: Episode One.

 

They had to make a decision to either stick with the Black Box and not include the older games or make the Orange Box. Its only 5 dollars more for each game and its not like those games don't have any replayability.

 

Nice review Forerunner!...even though i'm anxiously waiting for your Portal review, I won't be going out to buy it because my laptop only lacks 64mb of video RAM to play it (according to systemrequirementslab.com...that's the only area I fail to meet minimum requirements)...lol...oh well...+rep tho Forerunner!

 

Well, its tomorrow

waiting...

 

thanks for the link. I'll check it out.

 

wheres the TF2 review?

 

Working on it now, will have it up later today.

 

I don't understand...Team Fortress 2 isn't out yet..o did you get it?!?!

 

maybe from the beta

 

If you purchase Orange Box through Steam you get to play TF2 before release. It has been open to all players for about two weeks now I believe.

They are doing it to stress test it to work out what little bugs still exist.

The Forerunner horrible review, I always knew you were evil.

Joking of course, great review. =)

 

Hehe thanks guys. I've run into a big trouble however. Whenever I try to take a picture with fraps team fortress 2 just exits automatically. Any tricks or any other thing I can try? The written part of the review is done but I'm stuck without pictures. HL2EP2 was run through steam too and that didn't crash.

 

i know this isnt orange box, but which server do uyou play FEAR on?

 

UPDATED WITH TEAM FORTRESS 2 REVIEW!! Excuse the lack of pictures. I will get more up tomororw. Its explained in the beginning part of the review.

 

u shud be getting paid to do this... great work!

 

You're right I should.

 

Enjoyed your review and went to Steam and bought it.

As for having the earlier games,check out the steam site:

General Information
What are Orange Box gifts?
Orange Box gifts are allocated to users who own either 'Half-Life 2' and 'Half-Life 2: Episode One' and then go on to purchase The Orange Box, which includes these two games. An Orange Box gift allows users to give either or both 'Half-Life 2' and 'Half-Life 2: Episode One' to a friend who does not already own the game. An Orange Box gift is an easy way to let your friends enjoy 'Half-Life 2' and 'Half-Life 2: Episode One' for free.

Giving Orange Box Gifts
How do I get Orange Box gifts to give away?
If you own either or both "Half-Life 2" and "Half-Life 2: Episode One" and then install The Orange Box using the Steam account that contains those games, you will automatically receive Orange Box gifts you can give to friends. You can receive Orange Box gifts by purchasing The Orange Box on Steam or at any retailer.

As I already have Half Life 2, I'm willing to give some poor, deserving student who would like it.

 

I heard about that. Good find. Any method to giving it as a gift? I don't see anything on steam.

My review actually helped your decision to get the game?

 

they're not implementing the gift giving of HL2 and such until EP2 and Portal are released, which is a few days

 

Great review The Forerunner!

I'm buying the Orange box as soon as I get my XPS 1730 delivered . As I have had way too much work on my hands the last two years I have not owned a gaming rig and thus have not even played through HL2 ... so this will be alot of value for me. Really looking forward to TF2!

 

Nice write up!

I only have one problem with it though. You said that Team Fortress Classic was a mod of the Quake engine, but the only TFC mod I have ever seen or played was for the first Half-Life engine.

Other than that, keep up the good work!

 

Empak, well ... the first version of Team Fortress was made as a mod for Quake, then came a version for QuakeWorld (back in 1996). Team Fortress Classic was made as an update to the original Team Fortress and made to work as a mod on the Half-Life engine, which is actually a, heavily, modified version of the Quake engine.

 

I really like both of the reviews. I think everyone should write more game reviews. That would make this a very interesting and diverse website

 

The original team fortress for quake was the best multiplayer game ever. i believe it took up my whole summer vacation that year!!! im awaiting this tuesday to come around to dominate once again :x

 

I will start up a "donations" box for people willing to donate their games to others. Don't know how much it will help but I'm assuming there will be a good amount of people who won;t buy the orange box and have steam and haven't played those games. Rep and appreciation for those who participate

You won't be dissapointed. I've lost many hours of sleep.

 

When Empire Earth 3 comes out, I'll do a review on it.

 

Is that ZaZ super model in TF2 ?

Thanks for the review , have it on pre order since ever but there is no such thing as too much TF2 .

Any FPS readings to know how well this game ran with 8600 ?

 

Oh I'm sorry yeah. Its similar to ep 1. I got Minimum about 34 average of 39. With 1680 x 1050, 2 aa, everything high, no motion blur, v-sync enabled.

 

That was a pro review. You have a big vocabulary and I think members like chaz and you are, are thoose members who makes this site even better. Nicely written review. I very much got a detailed picture in my head of what it would be like to play HL2. Thank you

 

Hi The Forerunner once again great review on Team Fortress 2
I'm kinda tempted to buy orange box thanks to your review (?) LOL But your review not only depict the gameplay of TF2 well but even go as far how each class work and some comments regarding their play role ingame. My hat off to you.

Btw, here's little suggestion from me I'm just wondering if you could change those screen shots to thumb-nail style and enlarge them in another window when clicked. One or two game reviews shouldn't be too much of problem but I could see with more reviews to come all in same page some people on slower internet connection may expereince slow page loading.

Keep'em coming The Forerunner

 

Thx hirush and zeyork.

I'm new to posting pics so if you can tell me how to do that I would appreciate it. Didn't even think about people with slower connections.

Also what do you mean "kinda tempted" you? I guess the portal and hf2 ep 2 will have to leave without a single ounce of doubt.

Thanks for the recommendation.

+Rep

 

I know it seems like a silly question but...

does getting HL2 = getting instant pass to CS:S?

 

Looking forward to it.

Don't think so, though I have no idea but I didn't hear anything about that.

 

Hey Forerunner,

I'm leaning towards purchasing the PC version for a few reasons.
1) More players
2) Keyboard/Mouse
3) Mods
I'd like to play it on my Xbox 360 sitting on the couch with a nice HDTV and surround sound, but I'd opt for the PC for the reasons above. I just have a question for you. I haven't upgraded my PC in a while and it's as follows:
AMD64 3700+ @ 2.6
ATI 1900GT
2GB RAM
Do you think I'll be able to run it with smooth frames on "High" settings? I run HL2, CS:S, DoD, etc on highest without too much trouble so I'm guessing I can run TF2 close to, if not, high settings. What do you think?

 

I am too, I can't wait until it comes out

EDIT: do you want me to make a new thread or post it in here and have the mods change the name to something like the "official video game review thread"?