PS3 Orange Box Not So Broken?

A recent preview on the PlayStation 3 version of Valve's The Orange Box was less than kind. Sure, the PS3 edition of Portal seems fine, but the adventures of Gordon Freeman were given a lashing. Terms "downright unplayable", "slideshow" and "substandard" were peppered throughout the preview of the Half-Life 2 portions of the collection. Many days late and frames per second short, PS3 owners were finally getting a stinker of a port from EA UK. Recent previews from IGN and Gamespy, however, paint a slightly less depressing picture.

[the worst]

kotaku.com please dont try 2 save it
unreal tournament 3 for me

[djtek184]

looks like another sloppy second.

[gamesR4fun]

Sad ya but dont expect much from this.

Surprising enough Im hearing Burnout might be decent was hoping for a new racing game soon... Still gonna wait until I see some reliable reviews.

[Danja]

Nope this game was meant to be played on PC

and once I heard they handed it over to EA...that's when I stopped wanting this game on PS3

UT3>>>PS3>>FTW ..!!!

[InMyOpinion]

All I hear is lots of sobbing.

A PS3-fanboy looking forward to a FPS. Now that's funny lol!
Your logic is missing. If Half-Life 2 is better to play on a PC, even more so is UT3. I'd say most FPS's are. But then again, you had to say it cause you're getting a crappy port of Half-Life 2...

[mark09]

actually it is ment to be played on the pc and halflife and halflife2 were the best fps of their time. I lost interest after they started adding episodes even though I will prpbably have to finish it one day just to see how the story turns out.

[Real gamer 4 life]

that one of the few game that i am looking forward too is UT3, Ill stop playing ff12 when i get ut3

[jackdoe]

Even if it isn't as broken, it is still broken. Frame rate issues are still present in Episode Two which shouldn't be there. Can't believe that even with a freaking two month delay, EA can't iron out these kinds of frame rate issues. They are well on their way to becoming the most hated developer by PS3 owners. Actually, I think they are already there. They are just cementing that position. EA should have just delayed this game to next year and make sure that everything is nice and smooth. But no. They want to compete against UT3, UT3 which has Mark Reign one of the least douchiest people on the planet (he loves the PC, PS3, and 360), against the gimped Orange Box and Gabe Newell, possibly one of the most disliked men by the PS3 population.

-edit- At TPlarkin, quit bullsh!tting. No need for fanboy comments like that.

[xplosneer]

No....more like putting in an iron box, sealed by a laser, and dropping into a volcano.

[tplarkin7]

When are we going to face the facts. The PS3 isn't as powerful as the 360. The excuses don't matter. Games play better on 360.

[wil4hire]

How come:

Infinity Ward
Epic
Naughty Dog
Incognito
Insomniac

Can do it?

[blusoops]

yeah...Ninga Theory and Evolution Studios can do it too!

[socomnick]

Ps3 owners dont overlook this its a awesome game . One of the best shooters ever bundled with 4 extra awesome games.

[LeonSKennedy4Life]

The problem is...PS3 owners are long-time fans of video games. It's the Xbox owners that are fairly new to gaming...(Halo, anyone?)

That means that most of us have already played Half-life 2. Why would we want it again? I mean, we can pick up the PC version for 10 bucks less and it plays better.

Seriously guys...The Orange Box will play on pretty much ANY computer...

[wil4hire]

I've been playing DOD/Counterstrike since before many xbots were born. orange box is nothing new, just portal. Which I'm playing on my pc.

[InMyOpinion]

So will UT3. I guess you are getting the PC version as well? Would be a waste of aiming precision to get it on the PS3, don't you think?

I've been gaming since the Amstrad, C-64 days. IK+ ftw!

[IGNFTW]

PLAYED IT ON XBOX,THE WHOLE PACKAGE= 8.0/10

GOOD,BUT NOT REVOLUTIONARY.PLAYED HALF LIFE 2 AGES AGO,AND TEAM FORTRESS 2 IS THE MOST LAGGIEST ONLINE GAME I HAVE PLAYED SINCE I STARTED ONLINE GAMING.

P0RTAL IS WHAT SAVES THE ENTIRE PACKAGE,BUT REALISTICALLY,IF YOU'RE A QUICK THINKER AND VETERAN GAMER THEN YOU WILL BE DONE WITH P0RTAL WITHIN TWO DAYS.

TRUST ME: UT3 WILL BE A BETTER INVESTMENT OF YOUR TIME AND MONEY.

[ScottEFresh]

It's true...most PS3 players/owners already have a history of gaming. A lot of us have already played HL2 and with it being an inferior version and late I just don't see this package selling on PS3. Sure there are going to be people who want it but with HAZE comming out after the new year and UT3 covering ground until then I can't see the Orange box for PS3 selling too well.

[candystop]

What the he11 are you talking about? HL2 was on xbox and pc not ps2 so what history is this you dream of? You guys are not going to support another game it looks like so i'm pretty sure that eventually developers are going to pull out of PS3 land all together once and for all!

[jackdoe]

You do realize a history of gaming encompasses more than the PS2. Jeez, dumbass.

[candystop]

You know what he means dipsh!t so quit being a smartazz!

[PimpHandHappy]

have never played HL so im buying this game. I might wait till i get my Elite. Maybe

anyway

i played TF on my buddys 360 and no one was playing it and when we did get a game going it felt like i was back in the castle wolfestien days with all the dam hallways! I like the humor in TF but the maps and the game types are corny and so basic that game would fit in 5 years ago

[jackdoe]

I played TF 2 just today. Didn't really like it. Didn't feel right to me. And those freaking scouts piss the hell out of me. Anyway, I'm gonna stick to Halo 3 and CoD 4 for multiplayer.

[jackdoe]

Also, I want to see every review site completely decimate this game in their reviews. EA and Valve need to be taught a lesson in what shoddy development or lack of care about an IP will lead to. Don't pull punches IGN and deduct only .5 for framerate drops. Go the whole shebang and deduct two or three points. A two month delay should not result in framerate drops like the ones described by IGN, Gamespy, and 1up.

[zslash]

Frame rate dips below 30 is pretty terrible.

[jackdoe]

I can handle some dips below 60fps, but when you dip below 30, an already low number, then things start to become choppy and unplayble.

[candystop]

Great game and I would buy it regardless of the dips in frame rate! Support PS3 and buy games :)

[hardcorehippiez]

and ive been like that since the days of the genesis and its because they pump out nothing but sequel after sequel and the games dont really progress that much. i think ( if i remember correctly ) the last game i bought was road rash and yea i liked that so if the ever made a remake of that game it mite persuade me to try it but they really need to step up and try something new.

[Hydrollex]

you'll be double pissed off when you get -30 FPS lol that sucks

[Creep]

screww EA and their lazy wack ports to the ps3 they always suck f.e.a.r. sucked, madden sucked, what other EA port is not gonna suck on the ps3. Also screw that lazy fat bastard gabe newel from valve i have played all the half life games on the pc which is better anyway, but your episodic content thing sucks anyways i paid 30 dollars for the last one episode two and the damn thing didn't last but 6 hours which felt shorter than the first one. I don't know why that fatass is complaining anyways because if he had sold enough copies of half life on the pc which is a great game he wouldn't of have to realease it on the consoles so show some love for ps3. I play games on both the pc and ps3 but i speak for those with only one console and who take a side.

[Close_Second]

...and Episode I and II are sublime single player FPS experiences. Its a pity that they seem to be hampered by frame rate issues as the PS3 could certainly push out the games with ease.

Portal was fun but for pete sake but its nothing that previous gen consoles could not have handled.

Team Fortress 2...umm, I can't see what people saw in this. It really did nothing for me and offers nothing close to the kind of experience you get with something like COD4.

Basically, if they had nailed the HL2 games I'd say pick it up but since they have not my recommendation would be to at best rent the Orange Box on PS3.

[Hydrollex]

IMO = TF2 > COD4 Online. TF2 is hella fun

[BloodySinner]

I doubt that.

[Close_Second]

...I played it for about 4 hours trying to like it but just couldn't. There's simply no depth to TF2. The graphics were ok but were nothing special - suited the style of game.

If this was being sold on its own for a similar cost to that of COD4 then I doubt it would sell much at all on consoles.

[Mr Tretton]

It was said in the PS3 IGN podcast, that the original HL2 in PS3's Orange Box is actually more advanced than both the 360 and even PC version. They put extra effects in there that aren't in the other versions.

Also, something PS3 has that the 360 doesn't. AUTOSAVE. Just hold start. Beautiful. No stupid checkpoints. That's the way it's supposed to be. I hope they start doing this to more games.

(If you want to research for credibility of my statements, it's ign.com PS3 podcast EP.23)

So, in my opinion, it pretty much balances out. They said the little hiccups in EP2 aren't going to ruin your experience.

LOL at the 360 fanboiz and their continued nonsense. The first HL2 (which is the biggest part of the whole thing) is more advanced on PS3, and 360 doesn't have autosave, and none of the glitches are severe. Most all games have glitches and drops in framerate at some point. I REALLY doubt the 360 is "flawless." There is no such thing.

So. Buy this for PS3. Ecspecially if you never played any HL2 before. It's gonna rock ya.

I love being the voice of reason on this strange planet. =)

[Close_Second]

...and you can save progress no matter where you are throughout the game. It also has autosave.

[Neurotoxin]

Some slowdown which isn`t detrimental to the game is good to hear, no slow down is better obviously but hey nothing is perfect these days, especially near to S*itMas.

Don`t know what everyone is complaining about though, Mass effect has huge amounts of slowdown on the 360, 360 fans aren`t boycotting it. Just enjoy the game, Personally not buying it though as i`ve played it on my pc.

[achira]

yeah, it seems, that the xbots try to convince the ps3 gamers not to buy that game, because they want that ea drops support for ps3. the game is ok, and it is the same as on the 360. like ign says, its in some areas even better! ppl should stop the bs talking and buy the game!

[marcellizot]

Erm I have been playing HL2 on the 360 for a couple of weeks and it does have autosave. Even if it didn'T is this really the sort of feature you want to hold up to claim that one version is better than another?

My advice to PS3 owners is to buy the Orange box, most of you don't have a clue what 30fps let alone the difference between 30 and 60fps actually means anyway, its just more numbers you use when arguing about what is better than what.

Forget Haze, forget Halo 3, forget Gears forget Bioshock; they may all be great games but in my eyes HL2 is still the interstellar leap in FPS gaming that has yet to be bettered and if you are a PS3/360 owner you owe it to yourself as a gamer to give this a shot.

[achira]

i think you are right. out of all games you listed, is half life2 the best, when it came out, it was a revolution!

[Mr Tretton]

hmm, the thing about autosave may have not been made clear from the guy from ign podcast that said that. He said "oh, there's autosave", and all the guys were like "ah cool"

So I was under the impression that it didn't have that on 360

that's fine, I'm glad it does, because that just gets it out there that more games like this need that kind of PC function on consoles.

[stevenhiggster]

I played HL2 to death when it first came out(4 years ago, and it still owns everythin else)and I still bought the orange box for pc, as it was cheaper than buyin episodes 1 and 2 seperately. I just hope for the game's sake and for ps3 owners sake that this isn't another EA balls up, the game deserves so much better, so do ps3 owners! HL2 is the best game ever! FACT!

[guerojose]

What, you mean another "reviewer" has sacrificed all credibility in order to take an over-the-top swipe at the PS3? Why not, it's all the rage these days, and there's plenty of room on the bandwagon.

One wonders why the same sort of language isn't used more often to describe games like Mass Effect, with its frame rate issues and long load times. Or just about anything on the Wii, where every flaw is given a free pass as having "nothing to do with gameplay". Oh wait, that's right, it's a sliding scale, and the bar is set significantly lower for the other consoles.

The one good thing to come out of the past few months is that it's now painfully obvious just how useless the proliferation of self-professed game reviewers are. Ah, the glory of the internet, where everybody's got a bullhorn.