Base 2 Games

About Base 2

2010-11-14T14:40:00.000-05:00

At this time there are no plans to further contribute to this blog.
New places to look for content from us:
youtube.com/griffoliansgames
youtube.com/contreramanjaro
contreramanjaro.blogspot.com
alphabetaclassic.blogspot.com

Store Displays: A Must for Game Collecting

2010-08-09T03:39:00.000-04:00

A short description, detailing how to obtain store displays from Game Stop.

Battlefield Bad Company 2 Review for Xbox 360

2010-07-25T01:05:00.002-04:00

Base 2 presents:

Battlefield Bad Company 2 Review

For Xbox 360

by Contreramanjaro (Sam)

There are quite a few people familiar with the Battlefield series of games. These people are also likely to be familiar with the name Dice. These people are largely PC gamers due to a shallow pool of Battlefield titles available on consoles. Only recently have consoles been able to stand toe to toe with PC's in the online playing field. With this evolution, Dice delivered a great Battlefield title for the masses as well as the core audience.Populating the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 and PC, Battlefield Bad Company 2 delivers the classic Battlefield feel with a great modern user interface and level design. This is my in-depth take on the title.

Physical:

Packaged in an unsurprising green plastic case typical of Xbox 360 games, Battlefield Bad Company 2 possesses some of the most appealing artwork I’ve ever seen. Preston Marlowe, your single player character is shown walking in what looks like a charcoal drawing or an engraved stamp plate showing an orange glow on one side of his body. His lowered gun and stolid disposition reflect his frustration with the war in game.

Front of case

Plastic saving design

Other than the main character on the front, the front cover is dedicated to showing off the multiplayer abilities in the game. Two helicopters, a heavy tank, a personnel transport, and a soldier are shown approaching, each one with a Gamertag or screen name above it. The Dice logo is front and center serving as much as an advertisement for the game as the rest of the box. Finally, the phrase ‘Defining Online Warfare’ is proudly displayed on the front of the packaging.

Menus and Navigation:

The menu navigation is very fluid and shows some resemblance to the genius design of the Express Media Bar that is found on the PlayStation 3 and PlayStation Portable. Getting into a single player, or multiplayer match is extremely easy and very streamlined. It makes Call of Duty look complicated. Dice and Electronic Arts have done extremely well with the navigation in this game.

Single Player:

There are 13 missions in the game with three possible difficulty levels. The first level is actually a throwback to World War II. The rest follow the continuing story of Bad Company. A group of more expendable soldiers, Bad Company is sent on the less desirable missions with somewhat high mortality expectancies. While it is a continuation of the first story, you will not lose that much if you do not play the first of the two games. This time you are not the cliché FNG of the group so there’s not quite the high school fitting in game you were thrown into in the first game.

The difficulty of the missions is what veterans of first person shooters would call boring. If you are a gamer, stay away from easy. It is insultingly simple with enemies diving into bullet paths. So starting on medium or even hard is not a bad idea. There is no achievement for playing through on hard except for the final mission, but if you find the game boring, step up the difficulty. There is some decent enemy AI hiding behind the difficulty settings barrier.

Playing through once is enjoyable enough, but trying to find collectible guns spread throughout the missions or destroying the M-Com stations can extend your experience if you are into achievements, however there isn’t much desire beyond that. For what it is, the campaign is enjoyable; however if you do not plan to play online, take a pass on this title. The online experience is this games defining feature. There are plenty of cut scenes scattered throughout the campaign, some of them enjoyable, others feel like forced comedy. The characters are unique enough however you never feel a relationship with them. It feels more like a movie.

In the end, I really enjoyed the single player campaign. I know that battlefield games are based around their multiplayer, so I can forgive the campaign's briefness but it does not keep me from wanting more.

Multiplayer:

This day in age, online multiplayer has come to define each console. If you look back to who was doing it first, chances are pretty good you’ll come across Dice and Battlefield 1942. They didn’t do too well with their move to consoles with Battlefield 2: Modern Combat. It was a solid game but never could take hold for consoles. They shook that trend up with this release.

Dog tags from stabbing victims

Building on where the first Battlefield Bad Company made it after several updates, the only missing ingredient to this game was players. This has never been a problem. Thanks to a full-featured multiplayer demo, this game has a great community and wonderful upgrade systems. This is what it felt like the downloadable title Battlefield 1943 lacked. If you liked that game, you’ll love this one.

Conquest, Rush, Squad Rush, and Squad Deathmatch are the game modes you can play here. They all work great too. Plenty of maps let this game be fresh and familiar for every multiplayer game. Upgrading classes is really quite addictive. One may find themselves doomed to complete upgrades for all classes: assault, engineer, medic, and recon.

The maps are big and very well designed. I have yet to hear a complaint about the map design. It is also extremely innovative in the way that the environment is fully destructible. Often a heavy tank will level a building if an opposing sniper has tucked away inside.

One terrible thing that has happened to the online part of this game is the inclusion of VIP codes. They are part of EA’s attempt to increase sales of new titles rather than used. If you don’t have one, you are prompted to enter one every time you log on. If you do have a code however, you get access to free downloads so it is not all bad.

Controls:

The controls simply work. They divert a bit from the standard Call of Duty or Halo console controls but they work great and do not take any time to learn.

Sound Design:

Do you have surround sound or a subwoofer? If yes then owning this game has just gone from a option to a requirement. I have never been more impressed with in game audio than I have been in this game. The deep bass, wonderful sounds of normal things are perfectly replicated which may even cause a completely sane man to turn around to the sounds of a tank behind him. It’s hard to describe a sound in text but this game has come awfully close to perfection with this element.

Artistic Presentation:

Graphically this game does impress, and then you realize that it’s all destructible and it seems even greater. The various environment types used in this game all look great, from vegetation to snow covered mountains. This is built on the Frostbite Engine and it reproduces lighting and textures in a way that reminds me of a very stable CryENGINE 2. It feels like a more cinematic 24-30 frames per second but I have no complaints and rarely saw a frame rate drop.

Conclusion:

The multiplayer is state of the art and the brief single player campaign is good while it lasts. There are areas where you can ask for more polish but overall it is a very fun game. The great controls, stellar sound design, fresh campaign and multiplayer with excellent graphics built on top of the great Frostbite Engine all lead to a great fun experience. That is what it is all about, right?

Buy Battlefield: Bad Company 2 (Xbox360™) at Play-Asia.com

Earth Defense Force: 2017

2010-07-18T20:59:00.004-04:00

A few weeks ago, I was able to pick up one of my most highly sought after Xbox 360 games, Earth Defense Force 2017 ( EDF ). I fell in love with this game ever since Petedorr, a YouTuber with a great channel for gaming, posted his top 10 underated Xbox 360 games. EDF, was his number 10 on the list and boy, did it look like fun.

After many months of searching, normally forgetting to look for it, I finally obtained this highly addicting 360 arcade shooter. EDF, developed by Sandlot, was released in North America during the first quarter of 2007. For those of you who are not familiar with Sandlot, they created Robot Alchemic Drive ( RAD) for the Play Station 2. You will be reading references often about RAD and hearing us in our videos. This game went under the radar by most gamers. Everyone is missing out on this game.

However, EDF has many drawbacks. In this day in age, gamers are too focused with brilliant graphics, quality story telling, and innovative, yet pick-up-and-go controls. EDF does not meet any of these requirements. Naturally, it was not picked up by most gamers. And, as time went on, slowly dropped in price at used game stores until it was dirt cheap. That's where Base 2 comes in.

I, along with the other members of Base 2, were fortunate enough to snag a copy of EDF at Gamestop for roughly $14. This is a steal. Booting up the game, players navigate their way though simple options menus. They are basic and easy to use, allowing players to choose what level they would like to play, the weapons they carry into each mission, and the difficulty level. EDF has 53 levels ramping up in difficulty with every next level. As you make your way through the game you will unlock multiple weapons. Weapons, along with health packs and armor upgrades are the three items a player can collect in any mission. To obtain these weapons, the player simply has to defeat his enemy. This can be easy or extremely difficult depending on what difficulty the player has chosen. The difficulty levels are as follows: Easy, Normal, Hard, Hardest, and Inferno. The last one is my favorite, sadly, it is highly challenging.

EDF has a wide array of enemies to defeat: Black Ants, Red Ants, Spiders, Robots, Drop Ships, Tiny Spacecraft, Queen Ants, Giant Spiders, and mecha-dinosaurs. Some enemies are harder than others to defeat. Luckily, there are a few vehicles at every players disposal. Depending on the level, players are able to control a mech-like robot, tanks, speeder bikes, and Helicopters. Helicopters have very clunky controls and are very frustrating to use.

EDF, at its core, is a classic arcade shooter. Think of it as a high detailed Dreamcast title. The controls are quirky, and could use work. But, this doesn't take away the experience the game has to offer. It's simply mindless fun. Get together with a friend or family member and prepare to laugh from the beginning of mission 1. If EDF has Xbox Live support, then it would be eating up all of my time, along with my friends, and fellow members of Base 2.

Earth Defense Force: 2017 is a unique game. It simply can not be overlooked. It's price is almost too good to be true, and its replay value is extremely high. Gamers that are looking for next-gen graphics will be disappointed. Track this game down. Purchasing Earth Defense Force: 2017 will not be in vain.

Base 2 Used Game Show: Episode 2

2010-07-13T21:39:00.004-04:00

Sam's Collection

Introductory Episode (2 of 5)

Sony Playstation 2

In 2001 the Playstation 2 was all the rage. For the low low price of more than I could fathom, I could get a video game console that also acted as a DVD player. This sounded awesome, but I decided to see what Nintendo did and then this mysterious entry of the Xbox. Time passed and my contentment with my PC as a gaming platform led to me skipping an entire console generation. In about 2006 I realized the sheer genius of the system and it's wacky amazing games. When the choice came down to getting a couple of Xbox 360 games or the now $129 PS2 slim, I went for the 360. Now recently I decided that I really really wanted a PS2, and as luck would have it, John (Griffolian) and I found a yard sale that was selling a few for five bucks. I ended up buying three with no guarantee that they would work. I got a 39001 50001 and a 79001. I'll tell you about the status of each console below.

I started buying games for the system a few months earlier knowing I would get one eventually. but I didn't even guess how lucky I would be on the cost. Without further ado, I present the list.

I'll start the list.

Console 39001 - $5

Well, this one didn't read discs at all, blue, black, or silver. We used it to make an Emotion Engine necklace.

Console 50001 - $5

It works but won't read most blue discs.

Console 79001 - $5

Works great except one of the magic gate slots is missing the dust door. I keep a card in at all times though so it doesn't bother me too bad.

2 Dualshock 2's - free with consoles

1 Dualshock - free with console

s-video cables for PS2

Power cables for all

Now for the Games.

In alphabetical order. Full case and book unless specified.

Clock Tower 3 - $3

Final Fantasy XII - $8

Half-Life - $8

Ico - $15

This is more than I'd normally pay for a used game but normally this game goes for around $30 used so I got it.

RAD (Robot Alchemic Drive) - $7

This game isn't in the original case and doesn't come with the book but I could not find it anywhere else complete. This will have to do for now until I can find it again.

For a total of $56, not too shabby. I have a long way to go but I'm pretty happy with my little collection. I've only had my PS2 for around two or three weeks so. Watch new episodes to see new games I get in the coming weeks.

Griffolian Makes an Entrance

2010-07-11T12:50:00.000-04:00

With his impressions and a short introduction, John (Griff[ff]olian) talks about
Earth Defense Force 2017 - for Xbox 360.

Base 2 Used Game Show: Episode 1

2010-07-06T00:13:00.003-04:00

Sam's Collection
Introductory Episode (1 of 5)

The Sega Dreamcast

Released on 9.9.99. The Sega Dreamcast was set to change the way we thought of video games. This is sort of the marketing line for a great many system however with the Dreamcast, it seemed like a personal goal for Sega, the developers, and the fans. It seemed to be then natural progression of consoles with great accessory support, a functional revolutionary online system and a built in modem. As it is common history, the Dreamcast died in a way that seemed very bitter, and never sweet. As modern consoles emerged a gained speed, many forgot about the Dreamcast, its many great games and its extremely fun and unprecedented innovations.

My goal of collecting games isn't supported by any kind of finances. In my world where twenty dollars is a way lot to spend on games, I'm always in search of the bargain. As it is, the high definition games of modern consoles hold their values for a long time and fewer and fewer developers are able to release quality titles with any sort of originality. I've always had the idea of getting a Dreamcast in the back of my mind but only when I really started looking into did I realized the affordability of the system. As it stands, I say I have a decent little Sega Dreamcast collection and for less money than a Nintendo Wii.

I'll start the list.

Console -$25

Comes with the console, composite cables, 1 controller.

Used VMU - $4

Batteries dead.

Batteries cr2032 -$2

For the VMU.

Extra Controller (NEW) - $10

European model with blue swirls. Works just fine.

This leaves me at $41 before games. Not bad for less than the cost of a Dual Shock 3.

Now for the Games.

In alphabetical order. Full case and book unless specified.

Blue Stinger - $5

Crack on case.

Chu Chu Rocket - $6

Dead or Alive 2 - $6

Dino Crisis - $8

Case hinge broken.

Resident Evil: Code: Veronica - $ 6

Soul Caliber - $8

Space Channel 5 - $6

Missing book.

Virtua Fighter 3tb - $5

So now I'm at $91 for my nice little Dreamcast set. I still have quite a ways to go on it but so far I'm loving the purchase.

Future Plans

2010-06-19T21:01:00.001-04:00

I just wanted to start and open discussion about what to do next.

Right now we have plans to do an all out podcast style review on all the video game consoles we can get our hands on. I expect these sessions to be over an hour each so it should be some good fun. Also I'm just about done with my much delayed review for Muscle March however I am not going to be able to finish it until the 23rd of June. My next plans are for a rundown of my favorite scary games as well as my favorite gaming moments in general from scary to funny.
-Contreramanjaro.

John, Nick, sound off.

Sega Dreamcast is a Go!

2010-06-17T01:57:00.000-04:00

I just got a Sega Dreamcast and have now ot capture set up on it. What to review first?

- Blue Stinger
- ChuChu Rocket
- Dead or Alive 2
- Dino Crisis
- Resident Evil: Code Veronica
- Soul Caliber
- Space Channel 5
- Virtua Fighter 3tb

We Try to Make a Podcast

2010-06-11T16:13:00.000-04:00

This is what happen.

Pretty funny, if you can follow it.

Review for AVerTV HD DVR

2010-05-26T20:04:00.002-04:00

I made a video!

Loving The Capture Card

2010-05-22T18:18:00.009-04:00

This card has been satisfying my expectations with ease and even giving me many options beyond that. The record quality is wonderful and there is very little input lag when playing games like shooters.

Buy Halo 3 (Xbox360™) at Play-Asia.com
Buy Halo 3: ODST (Xbox360™) at Play-Asia.com
Buy Grand Theft Auto IV (Platinum Hits) (Xbox360™) at Play-Asia.com
Buy Grand Theft Auto: Episodes from Liberty City (Xbox360™) at Play-Asia.com

Like always, Newegg was amazing about shipping it in two day with the cheapest shipping option.

Capture Card On Its Way

2010-05-20T17:25:00.000-04:00

We have ordered a capture card and it will arrive here tomorrow, May 21. I will try to get an unboxing/review for it going and post it here soon. Thanks, Contreramanjaro ~Sam

Yeah, this one.

2010-04-20T14:13:00.000-04:00

I just bought Robot Alchemic Drive.
First Impression:
It's amazing.
This is the review that inspired me to buy this game. I can't wait until I have a chance to do my own.

Valve On My Mac?

2010-04-07T18:08:00.001-04:00

YES PLEASE!

In one of my biggest nerdgasms ever, I went off with my camera. If you want to observe, feel Free...man.

No, your eyes don't deceive you. This is a trademark evolution from Trademark, Registered Trademark, all the way to Lambda.

If you don't own this game then shame on you.

Buy it, here are links, it's only like twenty dollars.

I can't suggest it enough.

You Should Buy This Game vol. 2

2010-03-30T20:16:00.001-04:00

This is Final Fight 2 for Super Famicom (SNES.) It is factory sealed and only 19.90. Please reply if you get it.

Scan this with your Android, Blackberry, or iPhone to buy it all high tech like.

Or click it.

Buy Final Fight 2 (Super Famicom) at Play-Asia.com

It's the Japanese version but the mod to play it on a US console is extremely easy.

You Should Buy This Game vol. 1

2010-03-30T20:06:00.005-04:00

Pilotwings 64, Brand new in box. Only 9.90.

Scan it with your Android, Blackberry, or iPhone to buy it all high tech like.

Or click it.
Buy Pilotwings 64 (Nintendo64) at Play-Asia.com

This is the Japanese version but the mod to play Japanese games on a US console is extremely easy. I'll try to make a video about it soon, but I'm sure there are already some instructions out there.

Win or Fail?

2010-03-22T18:27:00.000-04:00

Rock Band 2, Unlock All Songs.

2010-03-03T12:34:00.000-05:00

Red, Yellow,Blue, Red, Red, Blue, Blue, Red,Yellow, Blue

Browser Benchmarking Windows 7

2010-02-23T14:07:00.001-05:00

Browser Benchmarking in Windows 7
Using Furturemark's Peacekeeper.
System Specifications
CPU: Intel Q6600 @ 2.4Ghz
RAM: 4GB DDR2 @ 1066 Mhz
GPU: ATI Radeon 4850 512MB (2 in Crossfire)
HDD: 500GB Seagate 7200.11
Motherboard: Asus P5E
OS: Windows 7 Ultimate X64

Firefox 3.6

Firefox 3.7 (Minefield)

Chrome

Safari

Adventures on Play-Asia (pictures)

2010-02-23T13:34:00.001-05:00

Donkey Kong Country 3, Death Note Figure (Ryuk)

Game Texts: Volume 1.

2010-02-18T14:06:00.001-05:00

Friend: Did you play Hitman?

Me: Which one?

F: Blood Money.

M: Yes

F: Remember the golden masked devil? Well there is a kid that looks like him in my class.

M: Haha really? Awesome... Fiber wire his ass!

F: Lmao. I can't! I need to get the janitor's suit first!

M: No, fuck that, the security guard suit can get you more places.

F: Fuck my rating!, I'm just gonna kill everyone!

F: Yeah I died. Waiting on that long ass dying scene to restart.

Review of Play-Asia

2010-02-17T17:24:00.006-05:00

Review of Service: Play-Asia

by Samuel Contreras
Contreramanjaro

Like a new Japanese RPG, ordering online is exactly what you'd expect but not necessarily what you want. I had heard about this site some time ago, but was always weary about ordering from them just because of how it's not an American business. I'm not saying there's anything thing wrong with not being American, but to me, that's a long way to sent personal information. Especially to a region like Asia which is so full of computer hackers and one of the main sources of malware.

After sufficient research, these fears were alleviated when I saw just how many people reported a good experience with this company. There were a few bad reviews, but people are much more moved to report a bad experience rather than an OK to good experience. These are the items I ordered.

Figure
Game
Both are no longer available. I'll put a Play-Asia banner at the bottom of the page in case you want to shop around.

The order was Sunday, January 31, 2010. The package was shipped on February 1, 2010 according to an email from Play-Asia. I received the package 10-11 business days later on February 16, 2010. I selected the cheapest 5-10 day Airmail shipping option. They pretty much hit their mark on the shipping time, especially considering the time of year for China and that my county received a foot of snow.

The condition of the box was OK at best. The game was wrapped in bubble paper and the figure box was only surrounded by foam peanuts on four sides. The box had one corner that was smashed down about 1/2 inch. This caused a bit of damage on the figure box but the game box was fine. The figure within was also fine, the only issue being the box was no longer "collector quality;" however, if you are a hardcore collector, you should choose FedEx instead of airmail.

In the end, I give Play-Asia.com a B+
+ Good stock
+ Quick service and shipping
+ Great prices
+ Good support
- Packing could be better

Buy Video Games for Consoles and PC - From Japan, Korea and other Regions at Play-Asia.com

Awesome Good Things

2010-02-15T19:23:00.004-05:00

Windows Phone 7 Series looks amazing and I can't wait.

The Orange Box Review for Xbox 360

2010-02-09T17:25:00.001-05:00

Review for The Orange Box for Xbox 360

Contreramanjaro

Samuel Contreras

Part 1: Half-life 2

Contents:

1. Up front presentation - out of the box, what do I think.

2. Menus - Navigations, both in and out of game

3. Save system - Save points, section based, auto, free

4. Control - Options, ease, learning, success of default

5. Artistic presentation (graphics) - A game doesn't need the sharpest textures and most detailed environments to visually carry a message. This is for the graphics presentation not based on comparison.

6. Story -Was it interesting, can I hear it again?

7. Emotional effect - Goose bumps, tears, laughter (appropriate or not)

8. Summary and recommendations - wrap up

Up Front Presentation:

The box for this game can’t have been done worse. It is ugly, unappealing and looks like it was designed with the bargain bin in mind. The fact is, the Orange Box contains some of the highest quality games with some of the greatest production values on the market. If you know this, then the buy is a no brainer for you, but if I knew nothing of Valve and their great development, I’m sure I’d let this one pass me by.

The way the manual and game disc are set up is nice though. With a little extra work, Valve managed to port the original Half-life 2 to the Half-life 2: Episode 2 engine and was able to fit the entire thing on a single dual layer DVD. More will be said about the graphics triumphs and faults later on.

Menus:

When you start up the game, a selection screen for the five games included in the box greets you. As you highlight each game selection tile, the static picture plays a trailer for the game and the overall background changes accordingly. One thing to note is that the Half-life 2 trailer that plays immediately is very loud and somewhat annoying.

After selecting Half-life 2, you are brought to another menu that gives you options to start a new game, load a saved game, adjust options, or see your achievement progress. The options are fairly standard offering controls for the controller, audio volume and some button reassignment. The most notable addition is the achievement tracker, which after playing this game, I believe, should be mandatory in every game.

Save System:

The save system for this game is perfect, not only can you save anytime you want, but it also has a competent autosave that can save you when you forget to save. Saving the game can be accessed simply through the start menu, and when you die, you are given the option to start from the last autosave or any one of your personal saves. The game can also be resumed from any of these points.

Control:

The control scheme for this game is pretty typical for an FPS. If you played the Xbox version of Half-Life 2, this is very different from that. The buttons have been changed and refined and work very well. You can adjust the vertical and horizontal turn speeds as well as reassigning some buttons. The controls work very well and are an excellent port of the PC game.

Artistic Presentation:

This is the only place where the game starts to show it's age. Even though this game looks better than its PC or Xbox counterpart, it is a bit bland. The game was rebuilt on the Half-Life 2: Episode 2 engine, the same engine as the other games on the disc. This allows for much better lighting including HDR. While being rebuilt on the new engine makes the game look good, it does not maintain as high of a frame rate as it would seem a game from 2004 should.

Despite this, it looks excellent even by today's standards. The textures are very detailed and the geometries, while sometimes quite simple, are very well done. One of the things that still really impresses me about this is the way the character's animate. It looks very realistic and facial expressions help build relationships with characters. This is really shown off on the character Alyx Vance who joins you for a portion of the game. I often found myself just watching her expressions during events.

The game is in first person and remains that way... forever. This game is also a physics showcase. It was one of the first games to utilize Havok physics as a part of game play. Havok adds a lot to the game, however it has severely varying accuracy. Sometime an object may decide that it is suddenly traveling 200 miles per hour out of the map. Havok though is adjusted by the developers on accuracy to only take up a portion of CPU and GPU horsepower. The original Xbox version of this game had much more simple physics with less interaction and less animations per second. The PC version is the most accurate and the Xbox 360 version is a bit more simplified for the sake of preserving a solid frame rate.

That being said, Valve has used their resources very well for some truly awe inspiring scenes including giant enemies and huge moving walls. Things being blown apart and excellent balance between water quality and its physical animation.

This game looks excellent on the Xbox 360, possible the best it ever has, and runs in 1080p. If you aren't impressed by the visuals, just remember, the game is six years old at this point. It looks really good to me.

Story:

The story is continued from Half-Life as you are woken up years after the Black Mesa incident. You are woken by a mysterious man and you are told to "wake up and smell the ashes." While the story isn't entirely clear, there is a clear enemy. The Combine. The Combine are taking over Earth and wasting the resources. They convert remaining humans into stalkers which are mindless slaves.

You are tasked with fighting your way through a wrecked world and through miles of countryside filled with Combine patrols and roadblocks. You meet several characters including Alyx Vance, Eli Vance, Dr. Judith Mossman, Barney Calhoun, and of course, Dr. Breen. Dr. Breen quickly becomes one of your hated enemies that has become the Combine's human spokesperson.

Somehow, you manage to feel very connected to Gordon Freeman even though he never speaks, however, this may actually increase the connection. It feels as if every character is speaking directly to you. The story is very driven by the dialogue of other characters and their implied emotions. I've played through this game multiple times and I am still learning things about the game world from it. This is one of the best told stories in games ever told.

Emotional Effect:

This is the greatest part of this game. You seem to be affected by the game's story and characters in ways you wouldn't expect. You think about the characters as real people at times rather than fictional. With so many game, when it comes to secondary characters, I could not care less if they lived or died, but in this game, I found myself caring about them and their wellbeing.

I found myself being scared and worried during scenes. Gritting my teeth and gripping my controller tight enough to have numb hands. The best way to describe the feeling is actual. The realism makes it feel like you could be in Gordon's position.

Summary and Recommendations:

At the end of it all, Half-Life 2 is one of my favorite games of all times and its inclusion in the Orange Box was a great choice. For a game that can be found in most bargain bins for under 20 dollars, it has tons of extremely high quality. Buying the Orange Box for Half-Life 2 alone would be worth it.

If you are still not sure of this purchase, wait for my part 2 review, which will include the Half-Life 2 episodes. At this point though, I really encourage anyone to buy this game. It can be enjoyed by both male and female at any age over about twelve years. The game is rated mature but compared to many modern M games it seems pretty Teen.

--------------------------

Out of 100:

Presentation: 94

Menus: 95

Save System: 98

Control: 90

Artistic Presentation: 96

Story: 88

Emotional Effect: 96

Total: 94/100