mark_ufl's Full Review: Team Fortress 2 for Windows
While I never played the original Team Fortress before playing this, I found this to be a great online multiplayer FPS with excellent attention to detail in terms of graphics, gameplay, and entertainment.
Game modes
There are two main game modes, each offering a different style of gameplay.
Capture the flag (CTF)
In this game, each team has a flag (briefcase) in their base, which the other team must retrieve and bring back to their own base. This style requires a balanced offense/defense attack, where some team members (typically scout, soldier, demoman, pyro, medic) must go and try to retrieve the opposing team's briefcase, while other team members (typically sniper, engineer, heavy, pyro, spy) stay back to defend their own team's briefcase from being stolen.
If a player captures a briefcase but dies before bringing it back to their own base, the briefcase remains in that spot for one minute before returning to the opposing team's base. This allows other team members to try and pick it up and bring it back to their base. The opposing team cannot pick up the dropped briefcase, and must continue to defend it at the dropped location until the minute elapses. The timer resets every time the briefcase is picked up and dropped.
Whichever team captures the flag a defined number of times (typically 3) wins the round.
Control Point (CP)
Control point maps consist of several distinct circles or squares in a map which can be captured by team members staying on it until the capture meter fills completely. Captures in progress can be temporarily stopped by getting on the point at the same time as the opposing team.
There are two types of CP maps. In one type, each team owns several control points, with a neutral control point in the map center which is fought over until a team gains control. Once the center point is captured, the capturing team can try to advance and capture the opposing team's next control points, while the opposing team must try to recapture the center point in order to push towards their opponent's control points. The round ends when one team controls all (usually 5) points.
The second CP type is set in stages, where one team is on offense and the other on defense. The team on offense must try to capture a series of two control points two win and continue to the next stage. There are usually 3 stages that must be completed to win the round.
Character classes
There are nine character classes available, each offering their own strengths and weaknesses:
1) Scout: Low health, very fast. Can do two jumps in sequence to get to places quickly.
2) Soldier: Medium health, rocket can do a good amount of damage.
3) Pyro: Medium health, flamethrower does extended damage until person gets health, healed by medic or time period elapses.
4) Demoman: Medium health, has two types of bombs which do good damage, and good to destory sentry guns from far.
5) Heavy: High health, very slow. Heavy machine gun does high amount of damage. Pairs well with medic.
6) Engineer: Low-medium health, can build sentry guns to defend spots, dispensers for health/ammo, and teleporters.
7) Medic: Low health. Gradual self-healing. Heals others, can ubercharge to temporarily become invincible with another teammate.
8) Sniper: Deadly headshots, good for general defense.
9) Spy: Low health. Can become temporarily invisible. Can disguise as members of opposing team. Backstabs are instant kill.
Gameplay
Game play is very fast paced and requires paying attention to surroundings. Far away for a sniper, around the corner for a sentry gun, behind you for cloaked spies... all while trying to get to the control point or briefcase. Strategy changes from map to map, and also based on the composition of the opposing team. Since each class has it's strengths and weaknesses, countering teams overusing a few classes will be different than countering a team with a balanced variety of classes.
Each class has a different feel and this allows for a wide variety of experiences - it's hard to get bored, and you'll find one or two classes that you love to play. The taunts and actions that can be made are a lot of fun, the voiceovers for each character are very entertaining.
The charcters and maps are cartoonish in design and very well made. Character animations are good, and the slow motion closeups of the person who just killed you can be hilarious depending on what just happened to them in the split seconds after your death (maybe they got blown up to pieces!).
Overall, Team Fortress 2 is a great game with many character classes, fast pace style and a very balanced gameplay. Whether you're a casual or hardcore gamer, it's a game that's hard to put down once you start playing.
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