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Written by tF Audyo
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Sunday, 16 November 2008 20:53 |
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Valve has been redefining games and setting new benchmarks for years now. Some may argue when exactly it happened. I believe it began with the Source engine and Half-Life 2. The introduction of a seemingly realistic physics matches with stunning graphics and an amazing story. And of course, no one can forget a weapon like the gravity gun.
With this new engine, Valve applied it to a few of their other classic titles. Counterstrike: Source still remains one of the top competitive shooters for PC. Period. Team Fortress Classic got an upgrade as well. However, it wasn't released on its own. Team Fortress 2 came packaged with Half-Life 2, Half-Life 2: Episode 1, Half-Life 2: Episode 2, and Portal in the Orange Box. Five games for roughly the price of one. Also, Valve decided to release this one on the Xbox 360 and the Playstation 3 as well to expose more gamers to the Source engine and the amazing adventure that launched it all.
But of course, we can't forget Portal. This little gem was by far the best thing in the Orange Box and the best puzzle game since the original Tetris. A first-person shooter formed into a puzzle, testing mind in reflex and wit. Perceptions of possibilities became seemingly infinite and new perspectives were opened. The actual puzzle itself blended with an intriguing story and unforgettable characters like GLaDoS, the weighted Companion Cube, and the vocal Sentry Turrets made Portal an instant hit.
Now Valve is venturing into new territory, again. Left 4 Dead, the cooperative zombie / horror survival game, is very promising and seems to be another big hit for Valve. The demo alone provides loads of fun for groups of four. The versus mode and the anticipation of playing as the various boss zombies only raises my curiousity.
Valve hasn't stopped redefining the gaming industry with just its games either. Enter Steam. Steam is Valve's all-in-one program. It integrates an on-line store, game launcher and updater, and an internal social networking site. Valve also introduced an achivement system similar to the Xbox 360's gamerscore system.
Invest in the future of Valve because they are producing new and innovative ideas to all genres and taking steps forward to push the industry into new territory.
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Last Updated on Thursday, 20 November 2008 20:02 |
