MellyStu says, “Play this game.”
Orange Box is worth the purchase just for Portal. The game play is fun without being impossibly hard, but that isn’t the best part of the game. The best part of the game is GLaDOS*. The writing of the game is what made it fantastic. My favorite quotes by the computer trying to have you give up so you can go to your party and eat your cake:
- “The Enrichment Center promises to always provide safe testing environments. In dangerous testing environments, the Enrichment Center promises to always provide useful advice. For instance, the floor here will kill you. Try to avoid it.”
- “Cake, and grief counseling will be available at the conclusion of the test. Thank you for helping us help you help us all.”
- “Have I lied to you? I mean, in this room? Trust me, leave that thing alone.”
- Place the device on the ground, then lie on your stomach with your arms at your sides. A party associate will arrive shortly to collect you for your party. Make no further attempt to leave the testing area. Assume the ‘Party Escort Submission Position’ or you will miss the party.”
- “There was even going to be a party for you. A big party that all your friends were invited to. I invited your best friend the companion cube. Of course, he couldn’t come because you murdered him. All your other friends couldn’t come either because you don’t have any other friends because of how unlikable you are. Unlikable, it says so here in your personnel file: Unlikable.
I could quote them all, but it will be much more fun if you just played the game. If you don’t want to get the Orange Box, I think you can download just Portal from Steam.
Even the ending credit song was great. I thought it sounded like something that Jonathan Coulton would write, and it turns out that it sounds that way because Jonathan Coulton wrote it. And of course, it is on YouTube.
*Genetic Lifeform and Disk Operating System
Great game. Not my Game of the Year but I’d put the Orange Box as a whole in my top 15. How were the controls on the X360?
The controls were really easy. The game was a nice surprise to find on that disc, and proof that you don’t need an overly complex game play for one to be a lot of fun. If it wasn’t for the writing though, I wouldn’t have enjoyed it as much as I did.
I downloaded Psychonauts, and just started playing that. I had that on my wishlist forever for the PS2.
My Game of the Year is Rock Band. Rock Band is up there with my favorite games that I’ve played in all of time.
I think you’ll enjoy Psychonauts. Erik Wolpaw was co-writer for Psychonauts before he left Doublefine to work for Valve as a writer. The actual mechanics of the game are pretty standard 3d platformer, but the art, design, and writing are quite good.
I’m really digging Rock Band as well. I’ve RMA’d the guitar so well see how long it takes for the replacement to show up.
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