Orange Box [360] - Thoughts and Impressions please.

[CeeKay]

Grabbing this tomorrow, but probably won't have time to play around until after 8pm cent. 

Kato- if you want to try some TF2 later on send me a message!

Absolutely, lets give it a try.  It seems that most of the GamingTrend community is going to get the PC version, but I think we'll have at least a full team of GTers.

yeah, it looks like alot of people got the PC version to get a headstart on TF2.

[denoginizer]

Played about 15 minutes of TF2 just to try things out.  The game is fun as hell. It runs smooth as silk over Live and the controls seem pretty tight.  I LOVE the art stye they chose. 

Can't wait to play more later this week and over the weekend.

[tiktokman]

I picked up the Orange Box for 360 and stand-alone TF2 for PC. I am a whore.

Haven't got to dive in yet but from what I've seen it looks sweet as hell.

[JuniorDan]

Soooo.......With the Orange box being 5 games, dose that mean there are 5000 achievements to get?

[Laner]

Nope - just 1000.

[Devil]

IN!

[MerianMoriarty]

i can't even begin to convey just how much i loved Portal. (i'm already going back through to get achievements, now that i've played the normal game and the commentary)

first, the pacing is perfect for pretty much any learning curve.  second, the puzzles are challenging without being impossible (the normal puzzles, anyway...some of the more 'advanced' modes are reeeeeeally hard).  third (and most importantly for me), GLaDOS is fabulous.  she has the best comic dialogue i've heard in ages -- some real gems include....

Spoiler for Hiden:

"Portals have been proven to be perfectly safe.  The Device <that generates them>, however, has not.  Do not look into the operating end of the Device.  Do not touch the operating end of the Device.  Do not submerge the Device in water, even partially.  And most importantly, never *bzzzzt*"
"...but <the ballistic energy balls> can and have been known to cause permanent disability such as vaporization."
"Conservation of momentum.  In layman's terms: speedy thing go in, speedy thing come out."
"Excellent, you have euthanized your weighted companion cube more quickly than any other test subject.  Congratulations."
"You will be baked, and then there will be cake."
"Remember when the platform was sliding into the fire pit and I said 'Goodbye' and you were like 'NOWAY!', and then I was all 'We pretended we were going to murder you'? That was great."
"One day we will look back on this and laugh.  And laugh.  And laugh.  Oh, boy."

...and many more that i can't really remember very well at the moment.  the entire end credit sequence has her singing a little ditty called "Still Alive" (you can view it at GameTrailers), and it may just be my favorite comic song ever.

i'll yap more once i've played a little TF2, and i'm sure Jarrod will be glad to talk about HL and how well/poorly it's translated from PC to console as soon as he's had some time with it (i kinda monopolized the orange box all night playing Portal XD).

[disarm]

i caved in and picked this up for the 360 despite my concerns about how it would play compared to my experience with HL2 and Ep1 on my PC, and i have to say that i'm pretty impressed so far.  the visuals look every bit as good at 1080i on my 50" tv as i remember them at 1280x1024 with some level of AA on my 19" monitor, and there are even noticeable improvements in some areas.  i've only played Portal and a little bit of HL2 so far (in the middle of Route Kanal), but i've already noticed the HDR upgrades to HL2, as well as some improved textures (most noticeably on the vortigaunts).  damp/wet surfaces are much more shiny than i remember (but not overly so), and some metal surfaces have a shine to them now instead of just being dull textures.  despite being a three year old game, there's a quality to the graphics of HL2 (mostly the incredible texture detail) that keeps them looking good even in comparison to the latest releases, and the 360 has kept a rock-solid framerate so far.  anyone concerned about the visuals for these games can rest easy...HL2 looks fantastic, and if the later episodes are really an improvement over the original, they'll be a sight to behold. 

as for gameplay, i was very concerned about how well HL2 would play with a controller after experiencing it the first time with a mouse and keyboard.  while a controller will never work as well for a FPS as my trust K&M, it does a pretty good job here.  after playing quite a few FPSs on consoles, i'm still not sure exactly what quality it is that makes some games control well while others fall short, but they seem to have gotten the feeling right with HL2.  it's obviously a little harder to pull of quick headshots, but i have found myself able to pull of some fairly quick, precise aiming during my short time in the game.  the biggest control issue i've come across so far is trying to swim and shoot at the same time.  this was easy on the PC because you could just hold down the 'jump' key (spacebar) to stay on the surface, but on the 360 controller you have to hold the A button to stay afloat...not easy to do when you need to aim with the right stick at the same time.  if memory serves me well, however, this isn't an issue that will come up often enough to be a real detriment to what is otherwise looking to be a great game

[USMC Kato]

Portal is fantastic, and i finally get to play the HL2!!! Tried 2 games of TF2 and it was fast, and looked great.  I need to RTFM or go online to get some tips for TF2 since there is no tutorial for classes, abilities, etc etc.... (if there is a tutorial, I'm just ignorant) 

[EngineNo9]

I like some of you to try out Team Fortress 2 on the 360 and let us know how it compares to playing it with a mouse and keyboard, or if you see any detriments to playing that way.  I'd like to be able to play these games on my HDTV with full details on because I'm sure it would look better than my crappy PC, but I don't want to end up with a version of TF2 that is basically gimped. 

[Kevin Grey]

I agree with everything disarm said.  HL2 controls fantastically on the 360 and doesn't feel like a port at all.  Visually, it's also an upgrade, though not a huge one.  The only area that looks like it might have been downgraded is the water- it's still very good but I don't think they support the volumetric fog that the PC version did. 

[mytocles]

This is on my birthday list, but I really need to do more research on it first, apparently.

OR, I could be lazy and just ask y'all! 

How is the single player game on the 360?  Is most of the collection made specifically for Live play?  I'm totally unreliable for Live play now, due to my extremely pitiful thumb and wrist problems, so I need a pauseable, stop/ save at any point, game (grrrr...)

Also, I'm no longer able to adjust to a game's controls - they must adjust to me, now.  I played HL on the PS2, for about 10 minutes, because I couldn't get the controls to my liking.  Can most of the Orange Box game controls be tweaked - in particular, can both axes be inverted? I always need the vertical one inverted, and sometimes the horizontal as well, depending on what the game considers as horizontal inversion.  Btw, sorry about the horizontal/ vertical description - I've lost the memory cells that carried the info as to which was the Y axis, and which the X! 

[wonderpug]

Team Fortress 2 is the only multiplayer part of the Orange Box.  Half-Life 2, Episode 1, Episode 2, and Portal are all single player only.

Dunno about the axis swappifying.

[Kevin Grey]

Vertical axis can be swapped.  I don't think horizontal axis can, but I'm not sure that anyone plays first person games with the X axis inverted anyway. 

[CeeKay]

I've lost the memory cells that carried the info as to which was the Y axis, and which the X! 

why the y axis is the one that ges Y and the x is the one that goes X!    

WPug's right, there's a ton of SP fun to be had with the HL2, Ep1, Ep2 and Portal.

I'm kind of curious about the save system myself- did they go with save anywhere or did they go with a checkpoint system?

[Kevin Grey]

I'm kind of curious about the save system myself- did they go with save anywhere or did they go with a checkpoint system?

Both.  Checkpoints are frequent and appropriately placed but you can also save anywhere. 

[jblank]

Great game, very happy with HL2, but the controls don't feel as precise as they need to be. For some reason, I seem to get stuck on a lot of objects, much more so than other FPS I own on the 360/PS3. Outside of that, and the graphics not being reworked as much as I was hoping for, I am extremely pleased. I haven't played any of the other games but personally, I think this is a no brainer, and everyone with a 360 should own it.

[mytocles]

Yay, thanks everyone - this is all great news, it will remain on my b'day list, for sure now! 

And on the axis thing, I've never known why, but occasionally (very rarely), the horizontal camera has felt backwards and I had to invert it.  Why everyone can't just stick with Halo-like controls in games, I'll never know.  Once you set your vertical preference, moving with one stick and seeing with the other, is just so natural. Now that I think of it, one of the bad examples is FFXI, which - bizarre, but true - I had to set the first person camera angles differently from the third person ones... to get the same effect! 

[Kevin Grey]

Third person horizontal axes can definitely be an issue and I often need to invert them.  But I don't know that I've ever heard of anyone who inverts them for first person games. 

[unbreakable]

For some reason, I seem to get stuck on a lot of objects, much more so than other FPS I own on the 360/PS3.

I have the same problem on the PC.  If I recall, that was also a bit of a problem in HL.

[wonderpug]

The times when you most often see x-axis weirdness is in 3rd person games.  Left can either mean moving the "camera" to the left clockwise around your avatar, or the other way so that you can better see something that was to your left.

And I can see that Kevin beat me.  I don't care, I'm posting it.  So there.

[CeeKay]

And I can see that Kevin beat me.  I don't care, I'm posting it.  So there.

The Grey is greater than you.

[Bullwinkle]

I'm kind of curious about the save system myself- did they go with save anywhere or did they go with a checkpoint system?

Both.  Checkpoints are frequent and appropriately placed but you can also save anywhere. 

But you only get, like, six, which kind of sucks.

Has anyone seen a list of the Lambda locations?  I want that achievement, but I forgot how damn long the levels are.  I'd hate to miss one and have to trudge back through.

I have to say, I wasn't really planning on playing through HL2 again, I was going to start with Ep 1 and go from there, but I was curious to see it and now I'm through the first two levels.  Whew.  Hooked again.

[whiteboyskim]

Wait, did they add achievements to the original HL2 and Ep1 or is that just for Ep2 and Portal?

[wonderpug]

Wait, did they add achievements to the original HL2 and Ep1 or is that just for Ep2 and Portal?

The former.

[Kevin Grey]

I'm kind of curious about the save system myself- did they go with save anywhere or did they go with a checkpoint system?

Both.  Checkpoints are frequent and appropriately placed but you can also save anywhere. 

But you only get, like, six, which kind of sucks.

Six saves?  Still doesn't seem like a big deal since in addition to your last two checkpoints (which prevents you from getting stuck) you can also select the beginning of a level at any time. 

[Bullwinkle]

I'm kind of curious about the save system myself- did they go with save anywhere or did they go with a checkpoint system?

Both.  Checkpoints are frequent and appropriately placed but you can also save anywhere. 

But you only get, like, six, which kind of sucks.

Six saves?  Still doesn't seem like a big deal since in addition to your last two checkpoints (which prevents you from getting stuck) you can also select the beginning of a level at any time. 

Yeah, but with the huge levels, if I missed something an hour and a half into it, I'm not going to want to go all the way back to that point just to get it.  Also, there are no screen shots of where you saved the game.  Not a huge deal, but something helpful I miss from the PC version.

[IkeVandergraaf]

Ok, so help me decide.  I played HL2 and Ep1 on my PC, which was at the time of release of Ep1 entirely adequate for that game.  I picked up the Orange Box for PC yesterday on sale at CC, but havent' opened it yet because I'm not sure if I want it on the 360 instead.

I like the graphics on the PC and I prefer mouse and keyboard for shooters.  On the other hand, I like the idea of playing on my couch, big tv, and 5.1 sound system.  And I like achievements.  And I could see myself playing through the entire series again on the 360.  Most importantly, though, I prefer multiplayer games on the 360 because I think that XBL is so well designed.  I have a full friends list on XBL but I'm skeptical whether I will ever play TF2 on the PC.

What should I do?

[Lockdown]

Going strictly by what you said, I think you should get it for the 360.

[Kevin Grey]

Ok, so help me decide.  I played HL2 and Ep1 on my PC, which was at the time of release of Ep1 entirely adequate for that game.  I picked up the Orange Box for PC yesterday on sale at CC, but havent' opened it yet because I'm not sure if I want it on the 360 instead.

I like the graphics on the PC and I prefer mouse and keyboard for shooters.  On the other hand, I like the idea of playing on my couch, big tv, and 5.1 sound system.  And I like achievements.  And I could see myself playing through the entire series again on the 360.  Most importantly, though, I prefer multiplayer games on the 360 because I think that XBL is so well designed.  I have a full friends list on XBL but I'm skeptical whether I will ever play TF2 on the PC.

What should I do?

Play it on 360.  I'm in the same boat as you (with the exception of caring about TF2).  I decided to go with the 360 due to the slightly better graphics in HL2 original and, most importantly, being able to play it on a 46" screen instead of 20".  I've played through a fair bit of the original and it plays great and I'm not missing mouse/keyboard much.

[IkeVandergraaf]

So are (GT) people playing TF2?  And are the graphics as good?

[denoginizer]

So are (GT) people playing TF2?  And are the graphics as good?

I'm playing TF2 on the 360.  The graphics look great to me.  Much better than my aging pc could muster. In fact I like the graphical style of TF2 much more than Half Life and the Episodes.

As I said earlier it plays smooth as silk over Live and the controls are very tight.

[Ridah]

Ok, so help me decide.  I played HL2 and Ep1 on my PC, which was at the time of release of Ep1 entirely adequate for that game.  I picked up the Orange Box for PC yesterday on sale at CC, but havent' opened it yet because I'm not sure if I want it on the 360 instead.

I like the graphics on the PC and I prefer mouse and keyboard for shooters.  On the other hand, I like the idea of playing on my couch, big tv, and 5.1 sound system.  And I like achievements.  And I could see myself playing through the entire series again on the 360.  Most importantly, though, I prefer multiplayer games on the 360 because I think that XBL is so well designed.  I have a full friends list on XBL but I'm skeptical whether I will ever play TF2 on the PC.

What should I do?

I'm in the same boat as you, I plan to buy Orange Box and play through everything again in addition to Ep2. Can't wait!

[disarm]

Ok, so help me decide.  I played HL2 and Ep1 on my PC, which was at the time of release of Ep1 entirely adequate for that game.  I picked up the Orange Box for PC yesterday on sale at CC, but havent' opened it yet because I'm not sure if I want it on the 360 instead.

I like the graphics on the PC and I prefer mouse and keyboard for shooters.  On the other hand, I like the idea of playing on my couch, big tv, and 5.1 sound system.  And I like achievements.  And I could see myself playing through the entire series again on the 360.  Most importantly, though, I prefer multiplayer games on the 360 because I think that XBL is so well designed.  I have a full friends list on XBL but I'm skeptical whether I will ever play TF2 on the PC.

What should I do?

I'm in the same boat as you, I plan to buy Orange Box and play through everything again in addition to Ep2. Can't wait!

i'm working my way through HL2 on the 360 right now, having played HL2+Ep1 on my PC in the past, and i'm loving the experience so far (just reached Ravenholm).  as i said in my earlier comments, the graphics look fantastic on an HD bigscreen...every bit as good as the PC version when it was released, with a number of improvements.  the more i play, the more i notice extra little graphical touches that weren't in the original PC release...improved textures in a few places, better lighting effects, and a cool motion blur effect that i didn't really notice until i was flying through the canals on the airboat.  the biggest difference, however, is experiencing the game on my home theater setup.  i played on a 21" monitor with 4.1 surround speakers on my PC, but it doesn't compare to a 50" HDTV with a good 5.1 setup.  the benefits of a big screen were expected, but the audio is what has really surprised me most.  the sounds of weapons fire carry an unbelievable amount of weight now that was missing on my PC setup, and even the positional effects seem much improved.  most importantly, however, the game plays and controls very well for a console FPS...not really missing the mouse and keyboard at this point

[Lockdown]

I appreciate everyone's thoughts.  I was really hoping it would be great on the 360 for my nephew's sake, as that is the version he got.

Any more TF2 thoughts and impressions?   Have you guys invested any appreciable time with it yet?

[Kevin Grey]

i played on a 21" monitor with 4.1 surround speakers on my PC, but it doesn't compare to a 50" HDTV with a good 5.1 setup.  the benefits of a big screen were expected, but the audio is what has really surprised me most.  the sounds of weapons fire carry an unbelievable amount of weight now that was missing on my PC setup, and even the positional effects seem much improved.

I noticed the same thing. I've got a pretty nice PC surround setup (5.1 Klipsch Promedia THX) but the sounds in HL2 defintely carry more punch with better positioning on the 360.

[Jarrodhk]

HL2 is just as good as I remember it when playing on the PC.  No control problems.  Still haven't booted up TF2 yet.

[Chaz]

Having just finished Portal last night, I don't know that I would've been able to complete it with a gamepad.  The later stages of the regular game require a lot of quick, precision shots, and I think using the controller for those would have just frustrated me.

I do plan on picking up the 360 version for the cheap at some point in the future so I can see it on my big TV.  For now, I'm glad I stuck with the PC version for the controls.

[Jarrodhk]

Having watched Moriarty go through the entirety of Portal on the 360, I suspect it is down to personal preference/what you are used to as far as controls go.

[Kevin Grey]

I'm on Level 18 of Portal and haven't had any control issues on the 360.