So, last weekend I hit Steam and got Portal & Half Life 2:Episode 2.  Before I get to the game review, I wanna gripe about one thing.  Check out this chart.


 Portal Half Life 2:Episode 2 Orange Box

  • Half Life 2
  • Half Life 2: Episode 1
  • Half Life 2: Episode 2
  • Portal
  • Team Fortress 2
 $19.95 $29.95  $49.95

So, even though I already have Half Life 2 & Episode 1, I really had no choice but to buy them again in the Orange Box.  At least they gave me "Gift Passes" to HL2 & Episode 1, so that I can give them away to friends (or sell them at a discount ;-) ).

Anyway, I bout them Friday & finished both of them by Sunday. 

Portal
Portal has been widely discussed on the Internet because of the interesting "Portal Gun" mechanic.  It’s essentially a 3d puzzle-game where you use your ability to create wormholes between any 2 locations to reach the exit.  It’s got a great sense of humor as the computerized AI simultaneously helps and taunts you throughout the game, and Valve even managed to link it to the Half-Life story via the company that’s running the "Portal Experiment", the Aperture Technologies.  Unfortunately, it’s a very short game as I managed to beat it in about 2 hours.  If you wanna get a feel for the game without paying for it, you can try Narbacular Drop or the Portal Flash Game.

Half Life 2: Episode 2
Starting immediately after the explosive ending of Episode 1, this episode has to trekking through the wilderness to reach the "White Forest" research facility (Black Mesa, White Forest, see a theme?)  Along the way you help alot of resistance fighers and Vort’s, and meet the Combine’s newest unit: The Hunter.  Just like Episode 1, you start with nothing but the Gravity Gun and have to rely on Alyx to lay out the lead.  The tables quickly turn however, and toward the end you’re a one man killing machine.  The end of the Episode culminates in an epic warzone where you lead an entire batallion of soldiers against an incoming force of Striders and Hunters, being the only person with the power to actually damage the striders. The story also has a few major advancements, like Alyx’s father knows the Man in Black, and he shows up for an extended dialog. 

Both of these are fantastic games, but (in my opinion) hardly worth the $50 it costs to buy them alone.  As part of Orange Box it’s a good deal, but both of these should really be available at a $20 price point combined.  Nonetheless, I’ve gotta give them both a 4 of 5.
[tag:steam][tag:portal][tag:halflife2][tag:game]

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