(This review is based on the Xbox 360 version of the Orange Box).

Because the Orange Box is really a collection of three different games (five, if you count Half-Life 2: Episode 1 and 2 separately), it didn’t seem fair to review them all as one package.  Therefore, this will be a partial review for just Portal, one of the games included in the package, and one of the most innovative games to be released in some time.

Graphics – 90%
Portal is based on Valve’s Source engine and similar textures, and as such, looks very similar to Half-Life 2.  But even now, three years after its launch, the Source engine renders environments, objects, and characters with such beauty that it will astound the player.  The environments in Portal in particular though, are rather plain and repetitive.  Although this is partially due to the game’s setting (Aperture Laboratories, the manufacturer of the Portal Gun), it would have been nice to see the developer include a little more variety. 

At any rate, the graphics are very pretty, in particular, the portal graphics.  I often found myself staring in amazement at what I could see through the portal.

Sound – 90%
The sound is well done, and suited to the game.  Ambient noise is nearly absent, but the voice acting is superb.  Whoever voiced the lab’s AI did a stellar job.  The AI is an important character, and is quite believable because of this performance.

The soundtrack is…how shall I put it…”inspired”.  I really enjoyed the music, and honestly, I have been humming one of the songs all day.

Gameplay – 90%
The gameplay in Portal is deceptively simple in concept.  You are the subject of an experiment in which you must run an obstacle course, divided into nineteen levels, inside Aperture Laboratories.  To complete the course, you are armed with Aperture Labs latest invention, the Portal Gun.  The Portal Gun creates a rip in space: a portal.  After creating both gateways of the portal, a tunnel is created, connecting the two.  The Portal Gun makes tasks that otherwise may have been impossible, achievable.

As with most games I have reviewed lately, this game is too short.  As slow as I am, I completed Portal in approximately five hours.  I flew through the early levels with such ease, I was initially afraid that I might finish the game in three hours, but around level sixteen, the obstacles become dramatically more complex.  And although Valve’s typical “Save Anywhere” feature is absent from this game, the auto-save system works very well, saving the game often.

***SPOILER ALERT***
After completely the nineteenth level effortlessly, I was at first disappointed as I rode the moving platform toward the party and cake I had been promised.  That’s when the facility’s intentions became clear: they were going to kill me.  This is when the game really gets interesting, as you utilize the Portal Gun and the tricks you have learned along the way to surpass insurmountable odds, defeat the complex, and escape.

If you complete the game, you will bear witness to the most unique ending I have seen in a game for some time, possibly ever.
***END OF SPOILER***

The game is exceptional to say the least, and although I am disappointed it was so short, I am willing to give it a pass.  The game is included in a package with so many other games, the portion of the proceeds you spennd on Portal (less than $10 if consider Half-Life 2 still runs about $20) makes it quite a value.

No telling if this genre, First Person Puzzler (FPP) as I refer to it, will continue, because even as a big fan of first-person shooters, it was refreshing to not pick up a single weapon over the course of a game.

Cut Scenes – 95%
There are very few cut scenes in this game – in fact, only one comes to mind: the end sequence.  I know this may cause a stir, but I love the end of this game.  As I stated earlier in the spoiler section, you will either love or hate the conclusion.

I contemplated including a video of the end of the game, but decided against it.  If you plan to buy the Orange Box, it could ruin Portal for you.  If not, you can go to YouTube, and search for “portal ending”.

Controls/Interface – 100%
I have a confession to make: I feel as though I have betrayed my PC.  After my childhood experiences with the Atari 2600, I moved on to PC games.  For years, I played PC games, foregoing the purchase of the latest console so I could afford to purchase the next PC upgrade.  So, when I chose to buy the Orange Box for my Xbox 360, I felt as though I were betraying my PC upbringing.  I also was afraid I would not like playing the game with a controller; after all, I’ve always been more comfortable playing first-person games with a keyboard and mouse.

Surprisingly, my fears were unfounded.  The control scheme, at least as it pertains to Portal, is perfect.  Thumbsticks are utilized for movement, as in any first-person game.  The A button is jump; X is use/pickup.  The portals are assigned to the two triggers: orange on the left, blue on the right.  Although both blue and orange are identical in function, it is sometimes necessary to deploy one before the other.

Simple as it is, it works well - so well, in fact, the controls become intuitive to the player.  Good thing too, as there are times when there is not time to stop and think about which button to press.  Finally, the ability to adjust the sensitivity of the thumbsticks has been included, although the defaults work fine.

Summary – 93%
The game is good, and although on its own doesn’t warrant one’s purchase of the Orange Box, it certainly is a welcome addition.  I am hoping for a sequel, or possibly even a multiplayer add-on for the game.  Maybe Valve and Xbox Live will partner for some premium downloadable content.

I certainly hope so, because the game is great.  I just wish there was more of it.

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