Team Fortress 2 - 9/10

~by Ryno296~

The Story...
So many people fell in love with Half Life, when it was first released by VALVE in 1998. This created a new generation of FPS, whilst at the same time, setting the standard at a dizzying height. Shortly after, Counter Strike and Team Fortress were released, both being highly successful titles. Valve then became self-sufficient by creating STEAM, a massive software distributor which became greatly popular. All of a sudden VALVE introduced the new Counter Strike Source along with Half Life 2 [both using the new "source" engine] - but Team Fortress 2 was nowhere to be seen.

Finally, in 2007 it was released, revisiting the classic Red vs. Blue, team based warfare in a totally new arena, with incredibly unique graphics.
This is my opinion of that very game...


The most enjoyable part of this game [and rightly so] is the gameplay. When you first pick up the game and join a server, you are confronted with a user-friendly interface that helps you choose your team [Red or Blu] or watch the game on a small telly. After you’ve chosen your team, it displays all the classes with a briefing of their Roles, Strengths, and Special Characteristics.


The Team and Class select screens…

As a new player, you will quickly find your strengths and learn new tricks, but experienced players will always be there to slow you down. If your having trouble, most players will usually be quite helpful [especially if you’re on their team] and the Team Fortress community is indeed a solid one. This game is solely based on teamwork, and communication plays a big part in winning or losing. Most of the time you won’t expect what’s going to happen next, whether it be an enemy around the corner, or the well hidden sniper that just blew your head off.
Moral of the story: Always expect the unexpected.

I think the game modes are great, and most are enjoyable. Also, most of the maps do them justice. My personal favourite at the moment is Goldrush, a Payload map, where you either have to push a bomb to the other team’s base and blow it up, or defend yours in the same manner.
[Just get the hell out of there when it explodes]



One of the most superior elements that make this game so unique is its visuals.
The graphics are simple yet very effective, and I guess you could describe them [like many have] as looking a bit like Looney Tunes. All characters have their own unique appearance, and are instantly recognisable because of their distinct features. Also, every class has a different way of moving about and amusing characteristics. Such as the Scout, when he pretends to score a home run[you being the ball] and continuously taunt you with his speed, or when the demo gets drunk and always talks about blowing up his enemies. The official maps are well polished and look pretty smooth, but I feel are lacking in numbers, compared to some similar titles. The recent additions have been loved and criticised, but I still think the more the merrier. The brightness is perfect, and I say this because most maps make you feel like you are in a sunny place. I loved the way the shading tool was used because it just suits the style of the graphics so well, and surprisingly, the source engine is holding up well, and still stands strong, so no real complaints there.


The Demo man salutes those who give him points...

The audio in Team Fortress is pretty standard, and kind of repetitive. The ambiance is......well, there is none. The female announcer can get annoying, and the cheers and/or boos at the end of each match can make you feel even worse. The weapons sound quite good, and the characters will blurt out the occasional humorous taunt, but that’s pretty much it. I think VALVE relied on the core gameplay to make this game so popular, and I think even with amazing audio, it wouldn’t matter that much, in the sense that this game is so unique and unlike any other.

VALVE’s awesome representation of an Aussie sniper...

Summary...
Not many games out there are quite like Team Fortress 2. Whilst having rough and humorous characters, VALVE have gone with a smooth and refined look, and have pulled it off with great success. They have an excellent and informative blog, and are always looking to update the game even more. Any FPS fan should definitely pick this up because it’s so easy to get into. Team Fortress 2 rates high in my books [not that my books are that big] and keeps me coming back for more every time. This game is pretty damn good, and will not disappoint.


Gameplay: 9/10
The learning curve is smooth and far from steep, and VALVE has done an excellent job of making sure you know what’s going on. Most FPS fans should be able to just ‘pick up and play’, even though this aint’ no generic FPS title

Graphics: 9/10
The incredibly different style just adds to the uniqueness, and everything is nice and smooth.

Audio: 6.5/10
Nothing special here folks, but it’s good to here your character taunt every now and then.

Replayability: 8/10
The impressive 170 achievements [to date], makes the game a touch more competitive, but will sometimes have you frustrated. The game is constantly updated, so there’s always something new to do, and you should'nt get bored too quickly.

Overall: 9/10

Thanks for reading folks...

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