"Waah! Waaaah! Ahahahaha! CRY SOME MORE!!" - Heavy
Team Fortress 2 is the greatest video game ever made.
Serious weapon balancing problems. A community with a mix of the best and worst people the world has to offer. Casual servers being plagued with hacker-bots, headshotting people from lightyears away with perfect accuracy. A lack of major updates, meaning a lack of fresh content, and what little has been added over the more recent years only serve to ruin the performance. Complete and total neglect from Valve, eroding all hope left in the community and discouraging newcomers. All this and more, and TF2 is still the king of multiplayer video games, no contest.
And with it being the greatest game of all time, it's no surprise that it started out as a fan mod of Quake; a strong runner-up for the best game ever, no doubt. Hectic and satisfying single-fire gunplay combined with bouncy, fluid and energetic movement features found in it's predecessor provided the framework for what would've been some of the most satisfying and in-depth gameplay and mechanics in a shooter.
And while some, including myself, may be upset by the lack of new weapons, what we've been given over the course of the game's first 9 years more than makes up for it. Each class has a healthy variety of different weapons and potential loadouts to experiment with, catering to whatever playstyle might suit you. Each and every weapon is functionally unique, even with as little as a slight stat change being an absolute gamechanger in the right situations, such as the Tomislav, Conniver's Kunai and Black Box.
Of course, all this talk of multiple playstyles to experiment with wouldn't mean much without the surrounding map design and aforementioned movement to support it. Every part of a solid TF2 map's geometry is tightly woven together to allow for some intense movement tech. Rocket Jumping, Bunny Hopping, Trimping, using Scout's multiple jumps, etc. allow for crazy routing to and from the frontlines, like Upward, Process, Sunshine, Badwater, and to a degree, Gravelpit. And even in spite of the browny-beigey colour palette and practically every map taking place in some sort of industrial facility, the layout and aesthetics of each and every one is iconic, feeling distinct and tailor-made to provide a different gameplay experience to the one preceding it.
Speaking of iconic, each class was perfectly designed to be easily recognisable, not only in general, but in the heat of battle. After all, a wise man once said a sign of a great character design is the ability to be identified by it's silhouette, and it's just as true here. All of them have a unique style and charming personality that can appeal to every kind of player, accompanied by the utterly gargantuan selection of cosmetics and goofy hats to add another layer to the experience, allowing for sub-par cosplays of your favourite characters, or perhaps just committing to a gag.
The Spy is a personal favourite. There's something uniquely satisfying about dominating the other team as the weakest class in the game, all while dishing out snarky one-liners and being more sharply dressed than the knife you just cleared through those unsuspecting free-to-plays with. By choosing to play him, you are actively telling the other team (and sometimes even your own, as much as you need their help) that you think you're better than them, and Spy has the tools that allow you to do that. The only real drawback is meeting the skill floor to play him effectively. That, and having to be french.
On that note, what better way to compliment some kick-ass character design than some equally kick-ass lore? Not only the official trailers for the game from Valve, but the Meet The Team videos, Expiration Date, the comic series (fuck Valve for not finishing it), all of it serve to create a world and cast of lovable lunatics with licences to kill truly unlike any other in all of fiction. Meet The Medic is some of the most bad-ass shit ever put on a screen.
And what would those incredible animations be without some equally amazing music to accompany it? Another case of Valve not recognising a good thing when they see it, TF2 has one of the most iconic soundtracks ever composed, and it's still utterly criminal that all of these bangers only play once at the main menu when you boot up the game, and never outside of that. I guarantee you, even if you've never heard of the game, you'll at least have heard one of the tracks before somewhere. Right Behind You, Drunken Pipe Bomb, and Medic!, just to name a few. And of course, who could forget the all-time classic, Rocket Jump Waltz. Rest in peace, Rick May.
As I alluded to briefly at the start of this review, however, the community is truly the greatest driving force behind the long life of this game. Workshop submissions, goofy animations in SFM and GMod, even feature-length movies, like the utterly mortifying Emesis Blue. The TF2 community is one that flexes its creative muscles more than any other out there, and while it has it's bad eggs, it still remains the mother of all omelettes.
The game itself, of course, is the greatest collaborative effort to this cause. Countless community servers, all with custom addons, maps, gamemodes, weapons and rebalances, all contributing towards a unique and thriving culture not found in any other game. Of course, community servers are largely cringe, unplayable shitholes, due to shitty moderation, insufferable chat filters, and being generally populated by the worst the game has to offer, as opposed to Valve official casual servers' generally mixed bag, but at least it's not plagued by those insufferable bots.
Warts and all, however, I still have to commend the game for it's ability to connect people. Perhaps this is a biased point, but I've made dozens of friends and had countless unforgettable moments through made possible only by this game. For every gibus-donning spanish kid with 3 hours who keeps getting stabbed by the same spy and not learning, there was a cracked Demo on my team with a cute kitty pfp who always had my back, whom I bonded with over some pubstomping. For every 400lb+ scorch-shot-phlog pyro main with furry porn games and neo-pronouns in their steam profile, there was a scout who missed all their shots on me while I stood still, proceeding to killbind out of embarrassment. You'll never meet the kind of people you see in TF2 while playing any other game, for better or worse, and that's a promise.
All in all, playing Team Fortress 2 has been a crucial part of my upbringing, and I couldn't be more thankful for it. The complete and utter rollercoaster of emotions this game has put me through, only exacerbated by maining Spy, and the history I've built with the people in my life through this game could have a book series written about it. I've yet to find a game that's as mechanically deep, rich in content (in spite of Valve's neglect), or that allows for nearly as many ways to play and interact with other people as this game, and while the fact that we may never receive a worthy successor to this game is somewhat depressing, it only serves to highlight how important this game is to people, what it represents, and the opportunities it has given countless people over the past 16 years and counting.
Team Fortress 2 is the greatest video game ever made.
Team Fortress 2 is the greatest video game ever made.
Serious weapon balancing problems. A community with a mix of the best and worst people the world has to offer. Casual servers being plagued with hacker-bots, headshotting people from lightyears away with perfect accuracy. A lack of major updates, meaning a lack of fresh content, and what little has been added over the more recent years only serve to ruin the performance. Complete and total neglect from Valve, eroding all hope left in the community and discouraging newcomers. All this and more, and TF2 is still the king of multiplayer video games, no contest.
And with it being the greatest game of all time, it's no surprise that it started out as a fan mod of Quake; a strong runner-up for the best game ever, no doubt. Hectic and satisfying single-fire gunplay combined with bouncy, fluid and energetic movement features found in it's predecessor provided the framework for what would've been some of the most satisfying and in-depth gameplay and mechanics in a shooter.
And while some, including myself, may be upset by the lack of new weapons, what we've been given over the course of the game's first 9 years more than makes up for it. Each class has a healthy variety of different weapons and potential loadouts to experiment with, catering to whatever playstyle might suit you. Each and every weapon is functionally unique, even with as little as a slight stat change being an absolute gamechanger in the right situations, such as the Tomislav, Conniver's Kunai and Black Box.
Of course, all this talk of multiple playstyles to experiment with wouldn't mean much without the surrounding map design and aforementioned movement to support it. Every part of a solid TF2 map's geometry is tightly woven together to allow for some intense movement tech. Rocket Jumping, Bunny Hopping, Trimping, using Scout's multiple jumps, etc. allow for crazy routing to and from the frontlines, like Upward, Process, Sunshine, Badwater, and to a degree, Gravelpit. And even in spite of the browny-beigey colour palette and practically every map taking place in some sort of industrial facility, the layout and aesthetics of each and every one is iconic, feeling distinct and tailor-made to provide a different gameplay experience to the one preceding it.
Speaking of iconic, each class was perfectly designed to be easily recognisable, not only in general, but in the heat of battle. After all, a wise man once said a sign of a great character design is the ability to be identified by it's silhouette, and it's just as true here. All of them have a unique style and charming personality that can appeal to every kind of player, accompanied by the utterly gargantuan selection of cosmetics and goofy hats to add another layer to the experience, allowing for sub-par cosplays of your favourite characters, or perhaps just committing to a gag.
The Spy is a personal favourite. There's something uniquely satisfying about dominating the other team as the weakest class in the game, all while dishing out snarky one-liners and being more sharply dressed than the knife you just cleared through those unsuspecting free-to-plays with. By choosing to play him, you are actively telling the other team (and sometimes even your own, as much as you need their help) that you think you're better than them, and Spy has the tools that allow you to do that. The only real drawback is meeting the skill floor to play him effectively. That, and having to be french.
On that note, what better way to compliment some kick-ass character design than some equally kick-ass lore? Not only the official trailers for the game from Valve, but the Meet The Team videos, Expiration Date, the comic series (fuck Valve for not finishing it), all of it serve to create a world and cast of lovable lunatics with licences to kill truly unlike any other in all of fiction. Meet The Medic is some of the most bad-ass shit ever put on a screen.
And what would those incredible animations be without some equally amazing music to accompany it? Another case of Valve not recognising a good thing when they see it, TF2 has one of the most iconic soundtracks ever composed, and it's still utterly criminal that all of these bangers only play once at the main menu when you boot up the game, and never outside of that. I guarantee you, even if you've never heard of the game, you'll at least have heard one of the tracks before somewhere. Right Behind You, Drunken Pipe Bomb, and Medic!, just to name a few. And of course, who could forget the all-time classic, Rocket Jump Waltz. Rest in peace, Rick May.
As I alluded to briefly at the start of this review, however, the community is truly the greatest driving force behind the long life of this game. Workshop submissions, goofy animations in SFM and GMod, even feature-length movies, like the utterly mortifying Emesis Blue. The TF2 community is one that flexes its creative muscles more than any other out there, and while it has it's bad eggs, it still remains the mother of all omelettes.
The game itself, of course, is the greatest collaborative effort to this cause. Countless community servers, all with custom addons, maps, gamemodes, weapons and rebalances, all contributing towards a unique and thriving culture not found in any other game. Of course, community servers are largely cringe, unplayable shitholes, due to shitty moderation, insufferable chat filters, and being generally populated by the worst the game has to offer, as opposed to Valve official casual servers' generally mixed bag, but at least it's not plagued by those insufferable bots.
Warts and all, however, I still have to commend the game for it's ability to connect people. Perhaps this is a biased point, but I've made dozens of friends and had countless unforgettable moments through made possible only by this game. For every gibus-donning spanish kid with 3 hours who keeps getting stabbed by the same spy and not learning, there was a cracked Demo on my team with a cute kitty pfp who always had my back, whom I bonded with over some pubstomping. For every 400lb+ scorch-shot-phlog pyro main with furry porn games and neo-pronouns in their steam profile, there was a scout who missed all their shots on me while I stood still, proceeding to killbind out of embarrassment. You'll never meet the kind of people you see in TF2 while playing any other game, for better or worse, and that's a promise.
All in all, playing Team Fortress 2 has been a crucial part of my upbringing, and I couldn't be more thankful for it. The complete and utter rollercoaster of emotions this game has put me through, only exacerbated by maining Spy, and the history I've built with the people in my life through this game could have a book series written about it. I've yet to find a game that's as mechanically deep, rich in content (in spite of Valve's neglect), or that allows for nearly as many ways to play and interact with other people as this game, and while the fact that we may never receive a worthy successor to this game is somewhat depressing, it only serves to highlight how important this game is to people, what it represents, and the opportunities it has given countless people over the past 16 years and counting.
Team Fortress 2 is the greatest video game ever made.