Greg Recommends Team Fortress 2

Price: Free!

Website: http://www.teamfortress.com/

Team Fortress 2 is STEAM's Free to Play FPS (first person shooter). The game has been out since 2007 and as of the writing of this post it has undergone over 500 updates. The gameplay is tried, tested, and finely tuned with 9 diverse classes, a brilliant and unobtrusive focus on teamwork, and innovative strategic options. The graphics are stylized to never get old. The STEAM community has thoroughly gone to town making mods and maps and the developers have constantly been adding and tweaking things according to player feedback. With hundreds of hours logged on this gem I highly recommend it as my FPS of choice. It never gets old, and I always have fun.

There are lots of FPS games out there these days. What sets this one apart from the pack is their stylized (cartoony) approach mixed with excellent shooter mechanics that reward skill and teamwork. They also have the greatest free to play model on the internet where all classes are available free and all weapons / items are unlocked by simply playing the game or trading with other players (more on this later).

Some fun stylized graphics. Looked great in 2007, still looks great in 2015.

Team Fortress Stylized Graphics

The graphic style of TF2 gives it an enormous advantage over realistic shooters on several fronts. First of all the colors are bright and both the characters and levels are vibrant and beautiful instead of the drab collage of brown and grey that realistic shooters tend to turn into. Second the cartoony characters make them distinctive and actual characters instead of just a player class. Third it allows for gameplay that is not restricted by realism which leads to lots of fun, strategic options, and some downright hilarious moments. (characters running around on fire, being blown to literal bits, awesome facial expressions, rag-doll mechanics) Third the stylization of TF2 requires very little update once it has been set; it looked great in 2007, it still looks great in 2015, and it will continue to look great no matter what the jump in video card technology. Finally the graphical requirements are fairly low which means most non-gaming computers can run it on modest settings without a problem.

A Blu Soldier just blew a Red Pyro to bits with his rocket launcher at close range... Imagine what the two red players are thinking as they witness this from their perspective...

Team Fortress Gameplay

The gameplay mechanics are as solid as you will find anywhere and specifically focus on diverse class play / counter play, teamwork, and skill based tactics. There are 9 classes to choose from, each of which offers a completely different experience to play as and to play against. Like the graphics each class is itself highly stylized and given specific personality through official TF2 videos and in-game reactions to varying situations. Check them out below.

Heavy

The heavy weapons guy is a large slow moving Russian merc with a giant mini-gun that rapid fire sprays bullets at an alarming rate. He is able to mow down every other class that gets too close and send them scurrying for cover even at a moderate distance. He is particularly well paired with the Medic who can constantly heal the bullet spitting behemoth and uber-charge him to invisibility to wreck well fortified defenses. Heavy is particularly useful against classes that need to get in close to deal damage (Pyros in particular). Heavy's large size and slower movement speed make him a favorite target for snipers and spies.

Scout

The Scout is a quick little bruiser from the streets of Boston. His speed, double jump ability, and shotgun make him an 'in your face' opponent that can deal tons of damage by making some good skill shots. Knowing the map is essential for good scout play as making the wrong move will see you quickly dead. Scout's agility allow him to get into places where other classes cannot and allows him to dodge, jump, and weave around enemies while shooting them to pieces.

Demoman

The DemoMan is a demolitions expert from Scotland. His grenade launcher is ideal for taking out enemy turrets at a distance and bouncing explosives into enemy hiding places. He requires skill at judging distances and the physics of how your launcher will lob explosives. The Demoman also has sticky grenade launcher which is ideal for setting deadly traps. Alternatively once you unlock a few medieval style melee weapons the Demoman can be played as a front-line melee fighter who gains speed and health from enemy kills.

Soldier

The Soldier is a not too bright shooting star who can launch himself into the air by shooting rockets at his feet. His rocket launcher does area of effect damage and will blow enemies to bloody bits on direct hits. The soldier keeps a shotgun in reserve as well as a trusty shovel which I have put away in favor if a sword that will restore all HP upon killing an enemy with the trade off being that I cannot but the sword away again unless an enemy has been killed by it. Being able to utilize Soldier's rocket jump and as well as being able to lead targets with your rockets are essential gameplay skills.

Engineer

The Engineer is a well educated country loving Texan with a penchant for building really big guns to shoot things for him. His main weapon is a shotgun but his ability to construct and upgrade turrets makes him ideal for fortifying an area of the map. A well placed turret will stop a team rush in its tracks and shoot those annoying scouts clean out of the air. The Engineer can also construct and upgrade dispensers which provide health and ammo to your team as well as teleporters which can greatly strengthen a position when the entrance is placed at the respawn point. Watch out for Demomen who attempt to bounce explosives into your nest as well as spies which will attempt to destroy your constructions with electrical sabotage devices.

Spy

The Spy is a skill based melee (double?) agent from France / England. He is able go invisible, take on the appearance of an enemy team member, and instantly kill any character with a lethal backstab as well as finish off wounded characters from a distance with his pistol. The spy also has the ability to place sappers on engineer constructs rendering them inoperable and dealing damage over time unless removed. Playing the spy means playing mind games with the enemy; appearing where they least expect it, being able to 'act' like the character you are impersonating, and eliminating key targets without being seen. If you notice that one of your team members is acting suspicious then fire a few rounds into him to make sure he's not an enemy spy...

Sniper

The sniper is an assassin from Australia who specializes in eliminating high value targets at a distance. The sniper rifle is one of the few weapons that gets bonuses for head shots and a fully charged headshot will instantly kill any character except the heavy at full health. The sniper keeps a sub machine gun and a huge knife as backup weapons with the option of a refillable jar of 'jarate' which covers enemies in bright yellow stink fumes offering mini-crits to anyone who hits them and revealing invisible spies. Quick reflexes are essential for playing sniper because headshots kill characters (and enemy snipers will also be aiming for your head).

Medic

The medic is a brilliant German medical prodigy who is quite possibly insane. His ability to heal allies with friendly radiation streams is complimented by his ability to make them invincible once his medi-gun is fully powered up. While not really a damage dealing class a good medic will frequently top the score boards as kills from the player being healed are also attributed to the player doing the healing. The medic carries a rapid fire syringe gun that, once properly understood, can do lots of damage at moderate / close range and act as effective spy repellent.

Pyro

The origins of the Pyro are a mystery as are much of his / her mannerisms. The Pyro lives in a flame retardant hazard suit and carries a flamethrower, shotgun, and a fireman's ax. Pyro's mask muffles everything said and a lot of the unlockable cosmetic items seem to indicate that the Pyro is insane (plunger hat, a rake as a melee weapon, etc) The Pyro is a close range damage fiend inflicting a substantial damage over time burning effect on characters who were not killed by direct damage and managed to escape. Knowing the map will allow you to set up ambushes for enemy characters and take them down quickly. Pyro also has a back blast function on the flamethrower that will deflect incoming projectiles (like rockets) back to sender as well as send enemy players into the air (and possibly down a cliff).

Emphasis on Team Work

Team Fortress 2 was created around the idea of team work. Each of the 9 classes compliments each other, each bringing a series of strengths and gameplay options that are designed to work together within a group. TF2's game options are all team oriented from straight forward team deathmatches and capture the flag to the more complicated base capture maps. In Some maps one team has to push a bomb cart into the other team's base and in others both teams are racing each other with explosives. In the still recent Man vs Machine update players also have the option to play verses waves of mechanical AI opponents who will try to destroy your base. Whatever the map or gamemode you will be working together with your team in some fast paced and explosively hectic matches. There is no 'free for all'.

The maps were also crafted with team work in mind. Bases are defensible but often have several entrances for cunning enemies to flank engaged defenders. Every map features a variety of battleground conditions ranging from large open areas to confining tunnels or chasms and varying amounts of cover. Every map has multiple paths to reach your goal and makes elevation a factor as well with multiple paths at different elevation levels. The result is that no one class is best suited for every situation but each relies upon the others.

This emphasis on teamwork is an absolute joy to play when you have a good team but also a total drag if you have a dysfunctional team. Thankfully TF2 servers will detect gross imbalances and scramble the teams to balance things out a bit better.

Free to Play

Team Fortress 2 is Free to Play in the best sense of the phrase. All of the classes, all of the unlockable weapons / items, and even all of the cosmetic items (hats) are free. You can access absolutely everything in Team Fortress 2 without ever having to pay anything at all. As you play you will 'find' random items at the end of a match. You are also able to 'craft' every item in the game by either combining specific items together or melting down extras into 'scrap metal' and using it to build something new. This takes time however and so you also have the option to purchase items in game via micro-transactions if you so desire. Where TF2 makes the most money however are in selling ridiculous hats for your characters which are cosmetic use only.

Summary

If you enjoy first person shooter action or if you are in the mood for something new then you would be stupid not to give Team Fortress 2 a try. It's free, it's fun, it has been finely tuned and balanced for the last eight years, it will run on most any computer, and it's a riot to play with your friends. Seriously, go and install Team Fortress 2 right now.