Half Life 2 puts you in the shoes of Gordon Freeman, a research scientist turned badass by the corrupt actions of Dr. Breen. You will take your adventure from where you left off in Black Mesa and try and end the dictatorship-like actions of Breen and his force of soldiers and unearthly creatures that separate the path between you and him. HL2 is intense, creepy, and very addicting. You will come across many characters along the way that will help you in your quest, including the adorable Alex who becomes your companion towards the end of HL2 and throughout both Episodes 1 and 2.

What makes HL2 so special? Well there are too many factors to list, but here are a few examples. First off the game is one of the few titles that directly will keep you in the confines of the first person world. You never witness a cut scene as the events unfold in front of you in real time, including plot points, character interaction, and area changes. You never leave the world created by Valve, which is an impressive feet to say the least.

Next you have incredible visuals, especially keeping in mind this game is a couple years old. You’ll be impressed by the game’s lighting, Havok engine physics that even provide some interesting puzzles, and most impressively the characters faces, which show great emotion and feel truly alive.

The game play is stellar and ever changing throughout the game. Just when you feel as if the game is starting to become monotonous the story will provide something new that will keep you going, whether it’s a new weapon, gravity gun, taking part in vehicle missions, or even the ability to control the ant lions.

The length of HL2 is around 12-15 hours depending on your skill level, and the game never feels stale or tedious. The events of city 17 are so alive that you never want to put the controller down as you are interested in the mysteries that lie ahead of you. The game’s story is so addicting you’ll find yourself playing to get to the next plot change, then playing more as you just want to know what the hell is going on. Lastly the game’s A.I. is very impressive as you will find even the most useless foot soldiers try and take cover, toss grenades when you have the upper hand, or even evade gunfire to attempt to take you out no matter the cost.

Top it off with the inclusions of HL2 Episodes 1 and 2 that continue the story right where HL2 leaves off. Each expansion is more enthralling than the last, and each outdoes even the original HL2 with advanced polygon counts and physics use. Episode 2 really shows you the evolution between the time HL2 came out and today as you’ll witness even more vibrant textures and lighting effects that outdo its original counterpart. You’ll find about 5 hours of play time in Episode one, and close 8 hours in Episode 2, depending of course how you rush through them. Add all 3 together and you have a 3 part game that will take roughly 20 hours to complete, and for a FPS, that’s pretty freakin lengthy. I did hope that the Lost Coast area would have been added as my PC at the time of release couldn’t handle that title. But alas, that really is an omission that hurts no one or leaves any plot points unturned.

If that were all, I’d say you already had your money’s worth, but let’s not forget about Portal. In Portal you now find new ways to interact with your environment. You are a test subject attempting to complete 19 tests in a certain allotment of time. These test range from finding the button that opens the exit door to taking out turret guns that block your path of success. Much like HL2 ‘s gravity gun, you not only control the physics of certain objects but you have the ability to create portals…hence the name. These portals aren’t just used for getting you from point A to B, but you will use them to direct project tiles, move objects to unreachable spots, and even utilize them to launch you to area that go beyond gravity. The first 19 stages are challenging and humorous with tons of HL2 references and jokes, but the advanced stages will take your brain stem further into parts you haven’t used in quite some time to solve certain puzzles. Even though there is no mention of downloadable content on the box, here’s hoping Valve issues more maps for this delightful title in the future. What’s more, imagine if you will the possibilities of using a portal gun in Episode 3 or HL3 for that matter.

Last but certainly not least you gotta have multiplayer of some kind. While most gamers were unhappy to find out that Counter Strike Source would not be a part of this package, the developers did go on to make a very cool multiplayer game set in the Team Fortress universe. Team Fortress 2 uses the Source engine and allows you to take part of one of nine roles. You choose from a Heavy Gunner, a Spy, a Scout, a Demoman, an Engineer, a Medic, a Sniper, a Soldier, or a Pyro. Each role has their own strengths and weaknesses and each provides a different gaming experience from the next. Which is the right role for you is depending on what kind of gamer you are. The game’s class system also puts a stronger emphasis on team work than going it alone. There is also a deliciously wicked sense of humor throughout the game which makes it even more engaging. The only real downer of the game is that each map has a game type attached to it, so if you like one particular game type; expect to only see the same map(s) over and over again.

If one thing is certain, there is not one game out there that offers such a complete package at the regular retail price of a single game. You get 5 outstanding games that give you a little bit of everything, action, story, puzzles, multiplayer, and just flat out addictive content. If you own a decent PC, a 360 or a PS3 (granted you have to wait till December) you would be doing yourself, gamers, and the wonderful developers a great injustice by not buying The Orange Box. Not only is it possibly the best bargain in gaming history, but arguably the best FPS experience of all time. Now if you’ll excuse me, I’ve got a gravity gun I need to put to good use.