One of the best Multiplayer games I've ever played. Team Fortress 2 is a game I played religiously growing up and it's one I still come back to at least a few times a month. The gunplay and class dynamics in this game have a death grip on my brain and no other multiplayer shooter has even come close to giving me the same highs that TF2 does. Not to mention the great characters and environment design that bring this game to life and set it apart from the rest.
That being said, it also still feels like a game from 2007 if you play it un-modified (like most new players will.) So while I think TF2 is one of the best shooters of all time I also could never recommend it to anyone else because that recommendation comes with a laundry list of tasks one needs to do in order to enjoy it the same way I and many others do. [For reference the default network settings are objectively setting you at a disadvantage, and in order to fix them you have to use the developer console, which is the opposite of user friendly, to fix them.] This is just one example of the many issues that players rightfully have with TF2's default settings. There are so many more that I won't go into detail about, because it would take all day.
If Valve did one final quality of life update that:
1.) Balanced the classes and weapons based on feedback from the competitive community.
2.) Optimized official maps and cosmetics to make the game run more smoothly.
3.) Update the default settings to give new players the best base experience.
Then I think this would truly be the timeless classic that I believe it has the potential of being. If an update like this were to ever come out this would be a 5/5 stars guaranteed, but for the time being 3.5/5 feels more fair even if a little generous.
That being said, it also still feels like a game from 2007 if you play it un-modified (like most new players will.) So while I think TF2 is one of the best shooters of all time I also could never recommend it to anyone else because that recommendation comes with a laundry list of tasks one needs to do in order to enjoy it the same way I and many others do. [For reference the default network settings are objectively setting you at a disadvantage, and in order to fix them you have to use the developer console, which is the opposite of user friendly, to fix them.] This is just one example of the many issues that players rightfully have with TF2's default settings. There are so many more that I won't go into detail about, because it would take all day.
If Valve did one final quality of life update that:
1.) Balanced the classes and weapons based on feedback from the competitive community.
2.) Optimized official maps and cosmetics to make the game run more smoothly.
3.) Update the default settings to give new players the best base experience.
Then I think this would truly be the timeless classic that I believe it has the potential of being. If an update like this were to ever come out this would be a 5/5 stars guaranteed, but for the time being 3.5/5 feels more fair even if a little generous.