We know, we know, these comparison videos are sort of old hat nowadays, but with numerous reviews citing problems with the PS3 version of The Orange Box, this particular 360 vs. PS3 video is pretty interesting. The two videos posted by GameVideos compare Portal and Half-Life 2. For the most part, the games look virtually identical, as we've come to expect from more recent titles. Where the games differ is in the frame rates and loading times. In both instances, the PS3 version loads more slowly, though it takes much longer in Portal. Like, long enough to hike to the kitchen and grab a snack. Also, the PS3 version of Half-Life 2 seems to have some frame rate hitches, especially during autosaves. But enough blather, watch both videos after the break and judge for yourself.
Posts with tag hl2
Orange Box PS3 vs. 360 video
We know, we know, these comparison videos are sort of old hat nowadays, but with numerous reviews citing problems with the PS3 version of The Orange Box, this particular 360 vs. PS3 video is pretty interesting. The two videos posted by GameVideos compare Portal and Half-Life 2. For the most part, the games look virtually identical, as we've come to expect from more recent titles. Where the games differ is in the frame rates and loading times. In both instances, the PS3 version loads more slowly, though it takes much longer in Portal. Like, long enough to hike to the kitchen and grab a snack. Also, the PS3 version of Half-Life 2 seems to have some frame rate hitches, especially during autosaves. But enough blather, watch both videos after the break and judge for yourself.
Half-Life 2 Ep 2 demo makes the XBLM colorful
Wowzaz! We've just been blindsided by a new game demo on the XBLM this morning, we didn't even see it coming, but oddly enough we're loving it.Available for download off the Marketplace to nearly all Xbox Live members around the globe is a brand new, Thanksgiving surprise The Orange Box: Half-Life 2 Episode 2 demo from team Valve. The demo, which we expect to feature only HL2 EP2 fun and not any other Orange Box goods, will take up 732MB of hard drive space and will probably leave you wanting more Orange Box fun ... especially Portal. Speaking of which, we're overjoyed about today's surprise HL2, but where's the Portal demo? We
TF2 devs play cross-platform, but you won't

So, Shacknews posted a lengthy preview of Team Fortress 2. At first, everything was normal, no different than what we expected. Multiple classes, fun gametypes, cool maps, protestations that the Medic is fun to play: everything was copacetic. According to the review, Team Fortress 2 will not feature cross-platform play. That's all well and good, except Valve -- developer of the PC and Xbox 360 versions (EA UK is handling the PS3 version) -- "regularly play cross-platform multiplayer games." Why then, are we denied such pleasure? According to Valve's Doug Lombardi, it "introduces more problems than it is worth." He further notes that Valve would only implement cross-platform play in a title that was designed for it from the start.
Ah well, looks like we'll have to be satisfied with fragging fellow 360 fanboys.
[Via Joystiq]
Team Fortress 2 has a lot of class(es)

Game Informer recently got some hands on time with the upcoming Team Fortress 2, a new twist on a classic game, set to be included in the Half-Life 2 Orange Box along with Portal. Team Fortress 2 will include multiple player classes, ranging from the sneaky spy to the more-bullets-than-brains heavy weapons guy, and it looks like each class will actually play very differently. For instance, the Pryo, with his short range flame thrower, is perfect for tight quarters. The super speedy Scout, on the other hand, is the best choice for lightning fast recon and flag captures. Team Fortress 2 features several game types involving territorial control and, of course, capture the flag.
On a slightly disappointing note, the game is set to ship with only 6 different maps. Also worth noting, only one map is set up for capture the flag at this point. Of course, this could change with the release of downloadable content, but it's still disappointing.
All in all, the game looks like a great deal of fun. What's more, with so many character classes from which to choose, anyone should be able to find a niche that's actually fun to play (yes, even the Medic). Hit the "read" link to check out the full preview, including a breakdown of every character class and their respective loadouts.
Valve interview from GameTrailers
GameTrailers has posted an interview with Valve's Doug Lombardi discussing the upcoming Orange Box for Xbox 360. The Orange Box, for those who don't know, contains Half-life 2, HL2 episode 1 and 2, Team Fortress 2, and Portal. Lombardi talks about the revisions to the source engine since Half-Life 2 first launched and what is possible with multiple core processors. He discusses some of Gabe Newell's comments about the PS3 and Valve's current opinion of the Wii as well. Also, sprinkled throughout the video are some very pretty snippets of the games included in the Orange Box. For fans of Half-Life, it's definitely worth a look. Give it a watch and tell us what you think.
Portal only open four hours

Kim Swift, Valve's level designer stated that Portal clocks in at around four hours to complete. As a standalone retail game, that would be quite disturbing, but given that it's accompanied by four other titles in the Half Life 2: Orange, we're a little more forgiving. Still, the game promises to be a bit of a mind-frack, though Swift promises that the difficulty curve isn't going to be overwhelming as the game teaches you to "think in portals". So, are you going to put into the better part of an afternoon into this when you pick up Orange later this year, or are you going to stick with Half Life 2 and its episodes with a side of Team Fortress 2?
Gears of War 360 case mod pwns
Do you remember that Half Life 2 case mod we featured a little while back? Yeah, just forget about that, because there's a new case mod on the block and is much sexier. The Gears of War case mod to the right is not only stylish, sleek, dark, edgy, and friggin' gory (I ran out of adjectives), but makes me want to curb stomp someone. The white ring of light really works, the etching on the side of the case is superb, and overall the craftsmanship rivals that of the HL2 mod. Check out more pictures after the break.[Via Digg]



