The Orange Box: The best PC Game deal for 2007!

*Warning* I realized, after writing this post, that I’ve reverted back to my antisocial geeky state. The following post contains raves about a series of game titles I’ve held close to my heart since college. Thus, there is sentimental value for the nostalgia the Orange Box brings as this is basically Part II of where I spent most of my college life – at the Internet gaming cafe. I still managed to graduate with a GWA of 1.99 though. Heh. College. Anyway …

Yeah, so Hellgate London has been a mix of disappointment and glee. I can probably best describe it as a drinking spree with a bad hangover afterwards. Though Hellgate has its charm, a lot of the basic stuff — like stable server connectivity — isn’t being delivered over to the Asian servers. Not Bill Roper’s fault. It’s the parters from Singapore.

Which is why, after thinking about it for a while, I decided to grab a copy of The Orange Box at Datablitz Greenbelt I. I got my copy for P2,200.00 but found out later on that you can acquire this for a much cheaper price in Datablitz SM Bicutan (roughly P1,500.00). Argh! Oh well.

If you’re a gamer and dead set on grabbing a great deal for the PC, The Orange Box includes the first three episodes of Half Life 2, the much awaited Team Fortress 2, and Portal – oh man, Portal. Five games in one package, all of which have received great praise for their various things: TF2 for its simplicity to learn, depth of play, and stereotyped 60’s spy movie humor (ala No One Lives Forever and Evil Genius) and Portal, an innovative physics puzzle game masked within a gripping yet disturbing sci-fi plot.

Although Portal is fundamentally a puzzle game, it still contains a plot, set in the Half-Life universe,[4] which is revealed to the player via audio messages from GLaDOS and side rooms found in the later levels. Additionally, further background information is found on the Aperture Science website created by Valve to promote the game. The game begins with Chell waking up from a stasis bed, at which point she is informed by GLaDOS that she must complete a series of potentially hazardous tests using their new “Aperture Science Handheld Portal Device” to navigate various test chambers. Chell is promised to be rewarded with cake and grief counselling once she has completed the tests and is continually reminded of this throughout the game. [Portal]

Orange Box Installation Problems
There has been discussion over the Internet on installation problems with Orange Box. Apparently Valve was not able to release detailed instructions on how the game should be installed given that there are two CDs in the package. So, for those of you who chanced upon this site searching for “Orange Box install problems” or “how to install disk 2 of Orange Box” then you’re in luck.

After installing the Steam client, do not update the games listed in your purchase after entering the CD key. This will make the computer assume that you’re downloading 6 GB worth of data (all 5 games). Rather, cancel the install and run the disk setup again. You will see two new options – one of which is to reinstall Orange Box. Click on this choice and you will be able to install the first and second disks containing the game data of all five games. There will be a small update required to play afterwards but it should not take very long.

Taken from Penny Arcade

As for online play using Steam, I get a decent connection (I can do head shots with the sniper rifle) when playing with people from around the world. I’m using the basic 999 plan of PLDT myDSL in the Philippines.

If you’re still thinking of getting this game, do take a look at the website (click on the trailers of Team Fortress 2 – they’re hilarious), or read the reviews at Gamespot, Joystiq and IGN.