After 1UP’s downer of a preview for the PS3 version of The Orange Box – Valve’s five-game compilation, expectations for the title have been low. Additional impressions from IGN and Gamespy have now rolled in, and is the verdict any better? Not really. Both outlets were indeed less harsh on the title, but didn’t exactly paint a glowing picture. Read their impressions after the jump.

IGN’s Hilary Goldstein writes:

Before you freak, know that in my time playing The Orange Box on PS3, I only encountered a few truly troubling framerate issues. For the bulk of my playtime, the pieces of The Orange Box run fine. Sure, there’s more hitching than on 360, but I was still drawn in to the dense world Valve created. The technical issues aren’t going to be enough to deter anyone who wants to enjoy Orange Box on PS3. Unless you require your games to never dip below 30fps, you should not strike The Orange Box off your PS3 holiday wish list.

While Gamespy’s Sterling McGarvey says:

Unlike the prior episodes, from the time Gordon Freeman wakes up in his new locale, we noticed some drops in framerate. Perhaps they don’t rival a slideshow, but they’re noticeable. In addition, the motion blurring is uglier amongst Episode Two’s stunning visual environments than it is in the other Half-Life 2 titles. On the other hand, we’re not sure if it’s something that’s going to matter to gamers who aren’t fairly hardcore.

Again, certainly not as depressing as 1UP’s preview, which labeled certain scenes “downright unplayable,” but still not uplifting. Frame rate dips below 30 on Half Life 2, a game that is around 3 years old now? Ugh.

The Orange Box PS3 Hands-On [IGN]
The Orange Box Preview [Gamespy]

Follow this author on Twitter.