How do you define ‘big’? Maybe it’s The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion with its seemingly limitless gaming horizons? Or perhaps megabucks blockbusters such as Halo 3? No, this is how you define ‘big’ – Half Life 2: The Orange Box. This package of unalloyed brilliance comprises five fullgames on one disc. Now that is huge!

Half Life 2 is a proper videogames legend, and the long hours you’ll spend sending the Combine invaders home to mama will give you plenty to tell your grandchildren. However the Orange Box extends the thrilling adventure with the Episode One and Two sequels – be sure to keep an eye out for the ferocious ‘Zombines’.

Also included is the hilarious puzzler, Portal, which has players negotiating a series of tricky environments by creating trans-dimensional pathways using a special gun. Can’t get across that yawning chasm? Simply zap a portal on your side then one on the other, walk through it and presto! Ah, if only it were that simple.

The last drop of juice in this succulent fruit is surely the sweetest – Team Fortress 2. Xbox LIVE was made for this ace online shooter. Pick a madcap character, appreciate the distinctive visuals for a moment then dive into some of the most manic multiplayer blasting action ever created. Meet the Soldier and Engineer and get a taste of the explosive comedy in store by checking the trailers on Xbox LIVE Marketplace. Just remember to bring a sense of humour. Oh, and plenty of bandages…

If all that wasn’t enough, the ‘Fighter’s Stronghold’ content pack for Oblivion let’s you live the large life of a noble warlord and adds hours of play to this already unfeasibly massive quest. It’s free on Xbox LIVE Marketplace from October 15^th. On Xbox 360, there’s almost too much to play!

By Mark Eveleigh, Xbox.com Editor, Gamertag: Making Sparks