When Valve Software's Half-Life burst onto the scene in 1998, the entire videogame industry took immediate notice. Gone were the cutscenes, traditional levels and often thin storylines of the first-person shooters that preceded it.

In their place, players found an instantly immersive story, scripted in-game events, episodic chapters, and a cohesive approach that still sets the tone for many first-person games today.

Wandering around the Black Mesa research facility, gamers felt like they were in a real place, complete with believable characters and dynamic enemies driven by cutting-edge artificial intelligence. Half-Life's influence on gaming can't be overstated, and countless modern shooters have emulated its narrative approach to game design.

By licensing its Half-Life game engine for free, Valve also empowered and inspired individual developers to create their own versions of the game, some of which (like Counter-Strike) became enormously popular in their own right. Valve didn't invent PC game modding, but as with their first single-player venture, they revolutionized the field.

Популярный журнал "TIME" Назвал десять лучших игр 2007 года.Orange Box с большим достоинством занял 2 место,первое-же место занял Halo3.

Gamasutra - сайт для гамеров и их сородичей,объявил лучшую "пятерку" разработчиков 2007 года.Orange Box тут-то и себя показала!первое место заняли они!Вот их фраза "гениальная юмористическая головоломка Portal, красивейшая и стильная сетевая Team Fortress 2 и идеально-сюжетная гуманистическая драма Half-Life 2: Episode Two".Вот ещё одна причина для того что-бы гордиться.

Вот ещё одно второе место заняла GLaDOS Из портальчика заняв приз в пятерке игровых персонажей 2007 года.

Сайт Next-Gen, назвал тридцать лучших игр уходящего 2007 года. Orange Box разместился на четвёртом месте.