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The Orange Box
Released On: Oct 10, 2007
8.8
Metascore
Universal Acclaim Based on 54 Critic Reviews
96
100% Positive
54 Reviews
54 Reviews
0% Mixed
0 Reviews
0 Reviews
0% Negative
0 Reviews
0 Reviews
Metascore
Universal Acclaim Based on 54 Critic Reviews
96
100% Positive
54 Reviews
54 Reviews
0% Mixed
0 Reviews
0 Reviews
0% Negative
0 Reviews
0 Reviews
It varies from amazing to simply good, but it'd be worth the money at twice the price if you haven't already experienced any of it before.
The Orange Box offers more value for money than any RPG package in history. Valve and EA could have charged through the nose, but wisely kep it honest. It's the best ?50 you'll ever spend. [Issue#25, p.39]
User Score
Generally Favorable Based on 872 User Ratings
8.8
87% Positive
761 Ratings
761 Ratings
8% Mixed
67 Ratings
67 Ratings
5% Negative
44 Ratings
44 Ratings
User Score
Generally Favorable Based on 872 User Ratings
8.8
87% Positive
761 Ratings
761 Ratings
8% Mixed
67 Ratings
67 Ratings
5% Negative
44 Ratings
44 Ratings
Sep 23, 2025
This is the dictionary definition of quality. First of all, you get the Half Life 2 trilogy, which is considered one of the best single player experiences out there. And then you have Portal. Single-handedly of the best puzzle games ever and contains one of the best antagonists out there, being GLaDOS. With a gorgeous and unique setting to top it all off, though it is a bit short. And of course we end with Team Fortress 2, which is one of the best multiplayer shooters there is, with a charming art style at that. 10/10 would paint a box orange again.
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Xbox 360 The Orange Box is the greatest quantity of quality gaming ever...Even at $60, this box is value-priced to the point of philanthropy. [Dec 2007, p.124]
An engaging single player adventure broken out into several episodes, a brilliantly balanced and class based multiplayer shoot-fest, and an original game that will bend your mind.
You will be hard pressed to find a better deal this holiday season and to those who think gaming was better back in the glory days, enjoy your 8-bit sprites while I continue to indulge life as a Freeman!
In the end, The Orange Box is worth more than your $60. The Half-Life 2 games alone could comfortably sell at that price, but the addition of the surprisingly fun Portal and the incredibly deep Team Fortress 2 make this a must-have game.
The Orange Box reminds me of those knife sets sold on late-night TV, where if you act now you get a vegetable chopper and a cutting board. Besides Episode 2, Portal and Team Fortress 2, the package includes the original Half-Life 2 and Half-Life 2: Episode 1. But no cake. If someone tells you the Orange Box comes with cake, remember that whatever else you choose to believe, the cake is most definitely a lie.
Apr 17, 2025
These days there are all sorts of game collections, like Rare Replay, that pack an insane amount of value. But for its time, there was no beating The Orange Box, not only in terms of quality but also sheer variety. Portal was the gem in its crown, unexpectedly, and is to this day one of the better first-person puzzle games. Team Fortress 2 feels primitive in 2025 but was groundbreaking and provided breezy fun with friends. And of course, Half-Life 2 and its subsequent episodic stories were equally revelatory in how they blended in-game storytelling, exploration and a satisfying physics system. While a 10 back then isn't necessarily a 10 today, this is a momentous release in game history, and any younger players who weren't around to experience it in 2007 owe it to themselves to try out each piece of the collection to see what Valve was capable of at their creative apex.
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Xbox 360 Aug 25, 2012
I was excited when I got the Orange Box. I saw that there were basically 5 games on it and they were supposedly all good. Unfortunatley, I was dissapointed. Portal was fantastic and I loved playing it. However, I couldnt get into Half Life 2 and in the end I just gave up on trying to be entertained. Team fortress 2 is also good but i'm not a big multiplayer fan. So, The orange Box is good for some people and not so good for others.
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Xbox 360 Nov 24, 2010
I think I was a little late to the Orange Box party. By the time I picked this up, the Half Life 2 portion of it seemed a little dated. Portal was awesome, just very short. I got my money's worth out of this title, I just wish I had gotten to it earlier.
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Xbox 360 Jun 28, 2014
Been a "gamer" for probably 3 years now and I am always looking for great games to play. I'm through with all the current and several-year-old games that interest me and based on the awesome ratings, both old and relatively new, this game was next on my radar. The main game here is Half-life 2 and,while I definitely see why, in 2004 when this was released or even in 2007 when released on XBox, this game was so highly praised, it is clearly outdated today. The story itself is very, very slow starting and overall quite weak; which in itself isn't a dealbreaker for me as some of my favorite games have weak stories (Skyrim anyone), but add to this the game mechanics are very 2004 (actually they kind of remind me of the original King's Quest on PC) and you have a game that is neither interesting nor overly enjoyable. In 2014 buyer beware.
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Xbox 360 Oct 23, 2011
Let me start off by saying that I agree with those who are saying that The Orange Box is a deal - 5 games in a case. Yeah but these games are just terrible. Team Fortress 2 makes for one of the worst online FPS I've played. The gameplay reminds of Q3 arena but with no fun in it + it is impossible to play this game on a console(it is an okay PC game however) Then, there is Portal. It has 19 and the ending part(would be a spoiler), but all of these chambers are not challenging at all!!! The game takes around an hour to complete! Chambers are not creative compared to what could be done and it's too easy, but you always have to listen that annoying GlaDos. Finally there is Half Life 2 and both add-ons/expansions for it(episode 1 and 2) I found both, the original Half-Life 2 and the Episode 1 to be extremely boring, the plot was awful and, i usually dont mind when the main protagonist is mute, but in this game he NEEDS to speak. Episode 2 was better, i'd even say i liked it, and it was the only good time i had with Orange Box. People are saying it's 5 games for 60$(at launch) , while it is more like 2 games(TF2 and HL2) with 2 add-ons(Episode 1 and 2) and a Mini-game(Portal) IMO it isn't worth 60$ even for 2007, however I picked it up for 9.99$ so I don't feel so bad.
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Xbox 360 Summary Games included in The Orange Box compilation: The original Half-Life 2 - The player again picks up the crowbar of research scientist Gordon Freeman, who finds himself on an alien-infested Earth being picked to the bone, its resources depleted, its populace dwindling. Freeman is thrust into the unenviable role of rescuing the world from t...
Rated M for Mature
Platforms:
- PC
- Xbox 360
- PlayStation 3
Initial Release Date: Oct 10, 2007
Developer:
Publisher: EA Games
Genres:
