Back when this came out in '04 I didn't have the proper PC to play a game like this. So I didn't get to experience the magic, so-to-speak. I was and always will be partial to consoles.

Anyways, after completing The Orange Box recently, more specifically Half Life and Ep. 1 & 2, I must say I was thoroughly impressed. Even though we're talking about a 4 year old game here, It holds up wonderfully in my opinion.

I was particularly blown away by the story. To me FPS's sometimes lack in this department, but I was completely into this game. Even though 'The Freeman' never make a peep, I felt a connection to him and the overwhelming odds he had to overcome. The total lack of cutscenes are a big plus because you get to be in control 99% of the time. When there is some important plot development going on, you have the choice to pay attention or just run around and knock shit off tables.

By todays standards the graphics definitely show some age. But I can totally see how these were awesome back then. During the course of the game I noticed some pretty good lighting, shading etc that still looks pretty good. The visuals do improve from HL2 to Episode 1 to Episode 2, slightly, but noticeable. There are a few instances throughout the game where the framerate does drop significantly, but definitely not to the point of 'unplayable.'

Now lets talk about Portal and TeamFortress 2. Portal was just amazing! Great puzzles with a lot of dark humor. It was a great way to spend 3 hours. TeamFortress 2, in my opinion is totally fun. There are a lot of people who complain about it being unplayable, but I had a blast. It's a pretty basic team-based, online shooter. Totally straightforward and accessible. I will admit that I didn't spend too much time with it simply because online-play really isn't my thing, but from what I gathered, really fun.

Five games on one disc is a great deal. It's not the most perfect port of a game, but It's definitely not the worst.

This was my first review, thanks for reading : ]