The Orange Box (PC/PS3/360)

[Concept]

Realistically though it needs them on the same day as the 360 and they need to be of higher quality if it wants to differentiate itself as the Premium current gen machine...

I agree, but it doesn't help if you're a PS3 owner who doesn't own a 360 with regards to the Orange Box. Along with Oblivion, the system may be getting delayed versions of its best games showcased on other platforms first, but that doesn't detract from their quality. The more parity in multi-format releases, the better we all are.

[rmoxon]

I agree, but it doesn't help if you're a PS3 owner who doesn't own a 360 with regards to the Orange Box. Along with Oblivion, the system may be getting delayed versions of its best games showcased on other platforms first, but that doesn't detract from their quality. The more parity in multi-format releases, the better we all are.

It does if you take into acount that the PS3 controller is pretty bad for first person games with its dodgy trigger button thingies and twangy anlogue sticks.

It needs exclusive games more than anything, not games that are on the 360 but just control worse and come out a month after people who have a 360 could have already completed them. Thats never gonna sell a machine that is already lacking in the customer popularity stakes.

[Soi]

OK, well it's just how it looks. I dunno if the Pioneer XDE scaler is terrible, but either way, this game and GOW look better at 1080i.

Your TV will have an excellent scaler, as that is a lot of what the Pioneer price premium goes towards.

For 720p content, your TV needs to scale up and the 360 needs to scale up. For 720p, your TV needs not just to fit the 1360x768 panel, but also because of the overscan. For 1080i, your TV needs to scale down and your xbox needs to scale up. Whatever the resolution you choose doesn't matter -choose what works best for you.

I'd give VGA a try too. Makes the image better on my Pio, as it removes overscan. Mine accepts 1280x720 via VGA too, which is good for those games that tear when set above "720p" resolution.

Anyway, back to the orange box. Is there any way of skipping to near the end of HL2?

I want to play the end of HL2, then EP1 etc. I really can't face the thought of playing the first 3/4 of HL2 again. I've done that twice and never want to play that again. Even on easy it would take a while to do and I'd find it boring to do it all again. As has been said, strip away the setting and the actual game of the first half at least of HL2 isn't up to much.

[Concept]

It does if you take into acount that the PS3 controller is pretty bad for first person games with its dodgy trigger button thingies and twangy anlogue sticks.

It needs exclusive games more than anything, not games that are on the 360 but just control worse and come out a month after people who have a 360 could have already completed them. Thats never gonna sell a machine that is already lacking in the customer popularity stakes.

We'll have to agree to disagree. In the immediate term, it needs multi-platform parity. The PlayStation's success was always built on it's third-party support, and missing out on potential game of the year material by a few weeks or months can play a role in influencing what system to buy this winter. The exclusive games aren't delivering at the moment compared to the third-party content which keeps getting delayed.

Of course an improvement in both situations would help, but it's more immediate to try and get developers/publishers working on near finished properties to place more effort in simultaneous launches, than it is to pull out a multitude of AAA internally developed games in the near future.

[rmoxon]

We'll have to agree to disagree. In the immediate term, it needs multi-platform parity. The PlayStation's success was always built on it's third-party support, and missing out on potential game of the year material by a few weeks or months can play a role in influencing what system to buy this winter. The exclusive games aren't delivering at the moment compared to the third-party content which keeps getting delayed.

Of course an improvement in both situations would help, but it's more immediate to try and get developers/publishers working on near finished properties to place more effort in simultaneous launches, than it is to pull out a ,multitude of AAA internally developed games in the near future.

Think you'll find its success was based on a number of things actualy, a big one was exclusive titles, good marketing and image also helped. The PS2 had inferior versions of cross platform games compared to the Xbox, but the console had already sold well on its name and exclusive software.

No one is gonna buy a PS3 just becuase it has all the same third party games that the Xbox 360 has.

[Wools]

Half Life 2 would've been astonishing if it was half as long, as it is, it's a great game, but it is very much just a great game. "Merely excellent" as I once described it and had an entire sidebar in gamesTM dedicated to saying what an arse I was - time has proved me correct.

I don?t think you could describe any section as filler in Half Life 2.

Whereas other games have weak areas or filler, Half Life 2 has none. I was constantly in fire fights with enemies or exploring beautifully realised locations. The ingenuity that has gone into making these worlds is absolutely stunning and I can confidently say that this is the best game I have ever played in years. Not only that but the art design, lighting, audio, location design and animation is probably the best and most consistent ever put to digital media.

Every single section of Half Life 2 is spell binding, I absolutely love it.

[Concept]

Think you'll find its success was based on a number of things actualy, a big one was exclusive titles, good marketing and image also helped. The PS2 had inferior versions of cross platform games compared to the Xbox, but the console had already sold well on its name and exclusive software.

No one is gonna buy a PS3 just becuase it has all the same third party games that the Xbox 360 has.

It's not exactly going to harm it either. I fail to see how improving third-party developer releases can be anything other than a priority right now for Sony.

Surely this is a complete non-issue to debate? Of course exclusive titles are going to help distinguish the PS3 in the long-term, but the point was the Orange Box and the games being released this winter. You can only deal the cards you're dealt, and if Ratchet and Clank and Uncharted aren't system sellers, then Sony's best move is to try and coax better third-party support in releases as quickly as possible and focus on the PS3's pricecut/bluray support as points to compete with against the Wii and 360 right now.

The PS2 may have had inferior cross-platform games compared to the Xbox, but those games were established franchises on the PS2 - they became synonymous with the brand. It's in Sony's best interests to make sure that doesn't happen with the 360 before it becomes too entrenched. Another reason to encourage focus on big games from third-parties.

[Wools]

In terms of pace, Episode 1 is great. It's basically a more refined extention of the last three hours of Half-Life 2, but with greater emphasis on the action and better set-piece chereography in a few places (you'll know the ones).

Indeed, after completing Episode one over the weekend, I found it a brilliant and slight departure for the main game.

It was far more claustrophobic, dramatically it was far more horrific and felt more tighter. I loved the Underground car park setting and the ending was a great set piece, as always.

If Episode 1 was all about the fear and action I can't wait to sample Episode 2's more scenic and open nature.

[ItsThere]

Concept - I agree with your stance.

I do not envy Sony at the moment, they are in a poor position for first and third platform titles and that does not look like improving. If it wasn't for MGS4 - surely THE reason to keep the machine I think I would be forced to sell it.

They need a success soon from the in house games and they need to pull their socks up with the cross platform releases. If for example GTIV is inferior than the 360 version then I really don't see how they can hope to emerge victorious from this war.

[Concept]

Concept - I agree with your stance.

I do not envy Sony at the moment, they are in a poor position for first and third platform titles and that does not look like improving. If it wasn't for MGS4 - surely THE reason to keep the machine I think I would be forced to sell it.

They need a success soon from the in house games and they need to pull their socks up with the cross platform releases. If for example GTIV is inferior than the 360 version then I really don't see how they can hope to emerge victorious from this war.

Ironically enough, despite my insistence that multi-platform third party does matter in the larger picture of the overall audience this winter to the PS3 (and it does), personally speaking, I would have bought a PS3 for a demo of MGS4. :P

Konami have handled the situation bizarrely if they really have produced an English demo fit for consumption at E for All and have chosen not to release it publically. I can understand them not wanting to release a demo in case people get over exposure/fatigue to the game (a la MGS2), but if that was their stance, then it's baffling why they've allowed high definition content of the demo to be placed up on the usual trailer sites. That's a great way to allow people to sample MGS4 early - burn them out with an over abundance of videos of the beginning of the game instead of allowing them to sample it themselves. :P

If Episode 1 was all about the fear and action I can't wait to sample Episode 2's more scenic and open nature.

It's still got plenty of action, but yeah, it's certainly a chapter you can take at your own pace compared to Episode 1. It took me a good seven and a half hours to complete, but that's because I explored every nook and cranny.

The environments might not be as open as you'd expect though. They're certainly not free-roaming, but they are roomy enough to create the illusion that you're finally venturing into the countryside away from City 17. If you think back to the open area in Half-Life 2 after the chopper then you'll have a rough approximation as to how big some of the environments can get. The environments use a mixture of on-foot exploration and that leave-it-or-explore-it design which characterised Highway 17 to help balance and avoid travel fatigue. As a result, it's atmospherically very rich.

I know Spatial warned of possibly experiencing burnout in playing all three Half-Life 2 games back to back, but it felt like one huge adventure to me. The end of Episode 2 emphasises it very well when you think to where you started in the train station all the way back in City 17. It's a feeling which is vaguely reminicent of the 'I started here, and I'm now all the way here' vibe you get from playing Shenmue I and II back to back.

[ascender]

Just wondering if anyone has completed Sandtraps without walking on the sand yet? I thought I'd managed it, but was a bit confused as to how to engage and beat the final thing on that level without walking on the sand. Any ideas?

I'm not usually an achievement whore, but as I've played the game before on the PC, things like this are quite appealing.

[rmoxon]

I thought the achievement was to get that far, not do that part without steping on the sand that would surley be impossible.

The person who wanted to skip to the end of half life 2.....

aparently you just have to put this code in during any part of the game...

Left, Left, Left, Left, LB, Right, Right, Right, Right, RB

And you can then select any chapter, though im not sure why you need to see the end again? surley if youve completed it twice before on the pc you can just play episode 1 without having to touch half life 2 cant you? not sure why youd want to unlock the levels.

[SuperBeatBoy]

Just wondering if anyone has completed Sandtraps without walking on the sand yet? I thought I'd managed it, but was a bit confused as to how to engage and beat the final thing on that level without walking on the sand. Any ideas?

I'm not usually an achievement whore, but as I've played the game before on the PC, things like this are quite appealing.

I thought i did it too, not one antlion showed itself as i went through it all. I think it would be quite impossible to not stand on the sand to beat the queen antlion. Just have to wait and see a good guide for the achievements me thinks, like you i finished hl2 and episode 1 on the pc and i find obtaining the achievements makes me play the game a whole different way. Especially the one bullet achievement i got on episode 1.

[Concept]

It must be to not walk on the sand as I've completed Half-Life 2 and that achievement is still locked. It's not altogether impossible - you just need to use the tin and wooden planks in turn to cover each step.

A lot of the achievements are cleverly thought out, and thankfully due to the chapter system in each game it doesn't feel impossible to go back and get them. Well, I'm assuming you don't have to restart.

[Concept]

I thought i did it too, not one antlion showed itself as i went through it all. I think it would be quite impossible to not stand on the sand to beat the queen antlion. Just have to wait and see a good guide for the achievements me thinks, like you i finished hl2 and episode 1 on the pc and i find obtaining the achievements makes me play the game a whole different way. Especially the one bullet achievement i got on episode 1.

You can kill the ant lion queen quickly by using full rockets and/or your machine gun's secondary fire.