QUICK JUMP
Fortress of Fun
by Shawn Sines
Some of you may be looking forward to the continuation of the 2005 Game of the Year, Half-Life 2, but those who purchase it in Valve's Orange Box collection and have an interest in online competitive play should absolutely not miss Team Fortress 2.
The Orange Box includes copies of Half-Life 2 as well as its two episodic sequels and an interesting puzzle game called Portal, but Team Fortress 2 is the standout reason to purchase this collection.
Team Fortress began life as a free modification for Quake and evolved into Team Fortress Classic with Valve's classic Half-Life. The sequel, Team Fortress 2, announced after the successful launch of Half-Life in 1994, has been in development for nine years now. Few games have had as much impact on the multiplayer online game community as the little mod that could.
Team Fortress 2 continues the same sort of play gamers expect from online shooters. Team-based action revolving around conquest of a command point or capture of delicate top secret information is still the name of the game. However, the creators at Valve software took a left turn somewhere on the long development path and found a way to make a stale and standard game fun and funny to play and watch.
TF2's visual style is cartoon-y and exaggerated, and the cast is made up of a number of very interesting characters. Players assume many of the same roles on their respective teams-bazooka-wielding Soldier, slow and staunch Heavy Weapons Expert or sneaky Spy-but also the attitude exuded by the characters. The excellently balanced abilities of each team member make the game a blast to play; among the nine character roles, players are sure to find a perfect fit for their play style.
But don't let the "cartoon-y" description of its style give you the impression that this is rudimentary stuff. TF2 uses to great effect the Source engine, the same technology behind the often hyper-real-looking Half-Life 2. Characters are colorful, the environments are tuned to perfection, and every arena or map offers players opportunities to experiment and discover new strategies of assault and defense.
Players familiar with the multiplayer shooters will find the game a bit different, but the graphics upgrade and new focus on fun will quickly win you over.