Team Fortress 2

Out of 5 Nukes

Team Fortress 2 has earned a much deserved, cult-like following. Team Fortress 2 was developed and published by the Valve Corporation. Originally released as part of the Orange Box on November 22, 2007, it has since become available as a standalone title that can be acquired through both download from Steam or retail through Electronic Arts and is available for PC, Xbox 360, and PlayStation 3. This First Person Shooter received much fanfare during the nine year development and gamers were not disappointed upon release.

Basic game play controls of Team Fortress 2 are very similar to most any FPS game and carry the standardized controls found in most Valve games. Being experienced in FPS and Valve games, there was no learning curve on the control interface, which was a nice change…why fix what’s not broke? Beyond the basic controls, everything seems to be laid out pretty simply for a beginner to casual gamer to be able to hop on, understand the purpose of the classes, and figure out the objectives in the game. At the very start of most maps is a little mini-movie explaining the objectives for both teams to accomplish. Being a stubborn, no manual needed, gamer, I skipped these the first few times and did okay, but found that I did better after watching the movie for new maps/modes as they really do explain what you’re supposed to do very well.

The objective changes depending on the game mode that is chosen. Intelligence is your basic capture the flag mode only it adds to the concept by making it a briefcase full of blueprints and design specs that you are stealing from the competing construction team while trying to protect your team’s intelligence at the same time. There are a few different types of Control Point modes in which you fight over specific points on the map. Some of them are standard, control any point on the map, type and others have more directive such as only being able to capture control points that your control points already touch. My personal favorite mode is Payload, in which you escort a cart carrying supplies and a bomb into the opposing team site. You have to stay near the cart for it to advance and the other team can push it backwards as well.

There are nine different character classes divided evenly into three categories being Offense, Defense, and Support. All classes have a unique primary weapon, shotgun or pistol, and a unique melee weapon.

The three Offensive classes are Scout, Soldier, and Pyro. The Scout is a quick, agile character from Boston that is able to get across the map fastest, but carries the lightest weapons. The Soldier has heavier compliment of weaponry, but moves a little slower. The Pyro is the slowest, but can inflict lasting fire damage to concentrated groups on enemies.

The three Defensive classes are The Demoman, Heavy, and Engineer. The Demoman is great for launching mini bombs over a distance and setting traps with his little sticky bombs. The Heavy carries a very large Gattling Gun and can sweep the field with this weapon while sustaining large amounts of damage to him. Finally, the Engineer can built defensive sentry guns, teleporters and supply stations to support the team.

The three Support classes are the Doctor, Spy, and Sniper. As a Doctor, you can, of course, heal other players, but you can also, temporarily, boost their max health and even get them to an invincible state called uber! The Spy is great for sneaking around as he can disguise himself as enemy characters, move invisibly, and sap energy from enemy structures. The Sniper is a traditional Sniper with the ability to camp and kill.

The concept for Team Fortress 2 is, again, pretty basic. You’re either on Reliable Excavation and Demolition (RED) or Builders League United (BLU) both of which are competing construction companies. These two construction companies fight over job sites, blueprints, and many other things that are given flesh by the game modes covered earlier. This is, in essence, a team based FPS. Both teams have all nine classes, divided evenly into offense, defense, and support, available on an equal standing. It is a difficult game to play if not playing as a team. I like the simplicity of the game, but I can’t give a full five point rating without back story on the teams and characters and why they are fighting.

Being a person that primarily appreciates realism in graphical design, I was, at first, turned off by the simplistic, cartoon graphics that were presented by Team Fortress 2. With that being said, these graphics really did grow on me in a short amount of time. Because of the cartoon style, each character was able to have a fleshed out and exaggerated look to them that made the game comical and entertaining. The Heavy is a large Russian/Austrian man with a huge beer belly, bald, unshaven, and carries around a freaking gattling gun! The Doctor is a skinny, tall man that wears a lab coat and shoots syringes at his enemies! The other seven characters are just as exaggerated and entertaining to both play and watch on the screen.

Team Fortress 2 is a game that can be played for many hours without losing its appeal. Because of the variety of game modes and drastically different play style of all nine classes, there are plenty of ways to change it up. I find myself mainly playing on Payload maps as more often than not I am a Heavy, but not always. Sometimes I like the swiftness and agility of a Scout, and being able to kill with a baseball bat, or maybe being able to build strategic defensive structures as an Engineer, or something else that just suits my current mood.

All in all, Team Fortress 2 game to play that will keep you entertained for a long time to come. Whether you’re looking for a serious, strategic, team based shooter or just a fun game to pop into and start fragging in, this game will reach out to most audiences. So pick it up or download it and I will probably see you on the servers and in my scopes.

05OCT08
KevinKMJr.eXe