Team Fortress 2

                Team Fortress 2 (TF2) is a game released in 2007 by Valve. It was released on the Xbox 360, Windows, PlayStation 3, and Mac OS X as both a standalone product as well as a part of the Orange Box which was a collection of five Valve created games in one package. TF2 is a team-based first-person-shooter that incorporates many different classes of characters that have wildly different play-styles. It is the sequel to the widely successful game Team Fortress Classic which was a mod of the game, Half-Life. Half-Life was Valve’s first game and is considered to be one of the most influential games ever developed.

                 

At the game’s core is the idea of team-based combat. In some modern games such as Call of Duty there is more importance placed on self rather than team. In TF2 there are nine different classes broken up into three different combat types: Offensive which is made up of the Scout, Soldier, and Pyro; Defensive which is made up of the Demoman, Heavy, and Engineer; and Support which is made up of the Medic, Sniper, and Spy. Most matches of TF2 require a combination of all three combat types in order to be successful. The classes are all different and each have their own strengths and weaknesses.

Also since most classes depend on one another to cancel out their weaknesses (for instance a medic may not be able to get past a sentry gun and needs the assistance of a demoman) the communication between teammates is important and is a definitive aspect of the game. To play this game to its full potential a player should use a microphone and headphones in order to communicate with their team. There is even the built-in voice commands and text chat that can be used instead of a microphone, but these take a bit of time to select whereas talking can be heard instantaneous if you are on fire or something similar.

                There are two teams in each game that are each trying to accomplish a goal. Sometimes the goal is the same such as holding a particular point for a given period of time. Other times there is a team that must attack a series of control points while the other team tries to defend them. The gameplay is similar to most first-person-shooters and has many different types of ranged and melee weapons. There is less emphasis on “kill everything that moves” and more of a direction to play intelligently since the goal of the game is not to have the most kills, but to accomplish the give objective. This leads to teamwork because each team is directed towards a specific goal.

                The game has no single-player mode and instead consists entirely of human players that are online. This leads to a variety of gameplay and strategies that change each time you play. Because there is not an artificial intelligence in charge of your opponents or teammates actions you can face a group that could vary from someone’s first time with the game to a seasoned professional. The game also has frequent updates that add new maps and weapons to the game. These allow the same classes to have a completely different loadout and can give the player access to different strategies. For instance there is an unlockable gun for the heavy that is slower and does less damage than the standard gun, but it slows down an enemy player on a hit. This tradeoff is more of a lateral shift rather than a clear upgrade or downgrade.

Two other important aspects of TF2 are the achievements and hats. The game has over 300 different achievements. Some can be earned only by certain classes and others can be earned by all classes. Each achievement requires the player to do a set task that may be simple or incredibly challenging. Some achievements can only be unlocked after an incredibly long time of play. There are random “drops” in the game that occur sporadically while playing. These drops could be a new weapon, a weapon you already have, paint (to color hats), or the most elusive and prized drop which is a hat. Hats are seen as a status symbol in the game because of how long they take to acquire since it is unlikely to randomly get one unless you play for several hundred hours. Some hats are so rare that they can be sold for upwards of $600 to other players.

TF2 gained a lot of attention for its interesting art style that is reminiscent of the advertisements made in the early 20^th century. Norman Rockwell has been cited as a strong inspiration to the motif. The characters are artistically exaggerated and funny. A large focus of the game is the humor and personality that each class has. Rather than just having static skinned characters, each character feels unique such as the black Scottish demoman, the Australian sniper, the New Jersey scout, etc. Throughout the game after a death, kill, or random event, the characters will spout one of their lines of dialogue. Valve released machinima trailers that give an in-depth look at each character’s personality. 

Team Fortress 2 is considered by many to be the most balanced first-person-shooter of all time and I completely agree. Every class is unique and beneficial with their own specific tasks and uses. Each match is exciting and intense in a way that few others can compare. As you play you can develop a sense of camaraderie amongst your teammates and this leads to an enjoyable gaming experience.