Team Fortress 2 is over 12 years old, but it’s still very much alive now than it ever was. It’s a free-to-play cartoony first-person shooter with an emphasis on team play and character customization. Even though the game has changed to some extent since its original release, it kept all of those features that made it popular in the first place.
Over the years, the game became smoother, the effects are far more detailed, and the community outgrew all expectations. The game still gets regular updates, and it still counts millions of active members. Let’s take a closer look at everything that makes this game so popular.
The Class System Matters
Team-based FPS shooters where every character has different abilities have become popular with the release of Overwatch. However, TF2 also includes classes designed for specific roles. Players can choose between Offense, Defense, and Support classes that have to work together to outplay the enemy team.
While newer games such as Overwatch and Valorant offer more heroes, they also come with roughly the same classes. The class system plays a significant role in in-game dynamics. Players can choose character classes based on their play style or the current objective. In order to win, players often have to switch between classes according to the current situation, but the idea is to make sure that their objectives are always properly defended.
Teamplay is Crucial
Team Fortress 2 has the word “team” in its name because, well, it’s a team-based FPS. Even though it might seem like an ordinary multiplayer shooter, teamplay is key if you want to win. The game offers many different types of matches where players are divided into two teams of 12 players.
The players have to choose the correct classes and make sure that someone is always protecting the base. If everyone selects the same class, the enemy team will probably win due to team imbalance. Competitive game modes have smaller team sizes, and teamwork is critical. As players develop their own playing styles, they usually excel in one class and select the others only when needed.
All of the players on the same team have to communicate to stay on top of the game and win. That’s why most serious TF2 players stick to dedicated servers where they can play with friends, as public servers are often too crowded and lack teamwork.
Unconventional Graphics for an FPS Game
The graphics in TF2 is one of the features that made the game stand out when it was first released. Instead of realistic graphics and lightning effects, the game is designed to feel more like a cartoon than anything else. The maps, characters, and weapons are not very detailed according to current standards, but the game’s overall feeling is very unique and stands the test of time.
As the years went by, the game saw many updates and new maps with better graphics and more details. The maps are indestructible, and they simply don’t have so many details as most newer games. The characters also feel a little monotonous, but you can literally use thousands of accessories to make your character unique. It’s safe to say that TF2 created certain baselines used to create newer titles such as Fortnite, Overwatch, and Valor.
Lots of Cosmetic Items
The in-game marketplace allows you to buy or trade cosmetic items you can then use to customize your characters and weapons. You can unlock some cosmetics by playing the game or completing achievements, but you can also get them through contracts of your choice.
The item shop has hundreds of skins for weapons, characters, map stamps, and taunts (some of which are very funny). You can make many different types of cosmetic changes, and you can buy and sell tf2 items in online marketplaces for real cash. Even though the game allows microtransactions, the items you can buy are only cosmetic, so there’s no effect on the gameplay itself. Lastly, players can also craft items and trade resources with other players.
Game’s Humor Makes it More Fun
TF2 may not look like much according to today’s standards, but it has timeless humor that will make you laugh in the worst situations. Everything in the game is funny. From the way characters move to outfits you can dress them up in, it’s clear right away that the game promotes humor.
As you play, you unlock or buy taunts that are sometimes so funny; you’ll get shot because you can’t stop laughing. All characters have their own unique style, comebacks, and facial animation. When you mix that with the cartoony graphics and wild on-screen effects, you will feel like you’re in a funny cartoon more than a fast-paced FPS.
One of the Best Balanced Multiplayer Games
TF2 has 32 maps, 7 different types of matches, but most of them depend on teamwork. Many online FPS titles struggle to provide a good team balance, but TF2 does it by default. The entire game is designed to force players to switch characters according to the situation at hand, so players can quickly balance out the odds in between respawns.
If the enemy team is dominating the map with heavies or scouts, you simply have to counter their characters with the support class and force them into changing their strategy. This dynamic gameplay is one of the reasons why TF2 is still so popular today.
Dynamic Gameplay
TF2 has a lot to offer. Whenever a game mode gets boring, you can switch to another with different objectives and game dynamics. While most game modes are standard to FPS games, such as capture the flag, control point, and team deathmatch, the game also has a few unique modes, the most popular being Payload.
The gameplay itself is fast-paced, and some characters have really cool abilities that can help your team win if used correctly. There are a lot of different things you can do to win, as long as you think fast and act even faster.
Conclusion
It’s been a long time since Team Fortress 2 was released, but it’s still a game that has plenty to offer today. TF2 definitely introduced a few changes that became the norm in future games, and it presents a good starting point for online multiplayer FPSs. So, if you’re looking for a funny FPS with cartoony graphics and an emphasis on teamwork, this game is an excellent choice. Oh, yeah, one more thing, IT’S FREE!
