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Team Fortress 2: Did 8 years in Development Pay Off?
This title has been almost a joke to many for the past 8 years. Not quite to the scale of Duke Nukem: Forever, but pretty close. Back in E3 1999, the sequel to the popular class-based multiplayer name was showcased for the very first time. Since then it has undergone countless changes, revisions, and alterations in an attempt to deliver the finished product that we can play today. So, the question is... was it worth it? I'll examine the various aspects of the game as we try to figure this out.
The Graphics ( 10 / 10 )
Team Fortress 2 absolutely shines in this department. Originally, Valve had thought about taking an extremely realistic approach for the appearance of this game. As the game developed into the exaggerated style that we see today, the team was seeing more and more that the realism just didn't quite fit. They ended up deciding to go with a revolutionary shader rendering that produces stunning cartoon-esque environments/models. Valve also gets 3 thumbs up for the efficiency in which they manage to deliver these ground-breaking graphics. You do NOT need a super-computer to run this game... not in the least. My current computer cannot even run BioShock, but I can play Team Fortress 2 with the graphics cranked in a 1680x1050 window while running a dozen other programs in a dual-screen. Thats noteworthy.
One of the dangers of a game with 9 separate classes and 2 teams could easily be distinguishing between teammates/enemies AND determining what type of threat a given enemy was. When you notice a shady figure in the distance, it is important to know whether they are a sniper (major threat), or a pyro (virtually no threat long-distance), and if they are on your team. The two teams in this game have very distinct colors (red and blue), which allow you to see at an instant what team a character is on. Also, Valve went to great lengths to make the silhouettes of the separate characters extremely unique and distinct. Such a small detail could easily go overlooked, so this attention to detail is greatly appreciated.
The Valve team that was developing Half Life 2: Episode 2 pioneered some excellent work on a new facial expression system. This was implemented in Team Fortress 2, giving the various models extremely varied expressions that are showcased throughout the game. If you are mowing people down with a Heavy, he may start laughing or he may have a menacing teeth-clenched glare... but the enemies can clearly see these expressions. Never before have I played a game with such versatile and dynamic facial expressions.
The Sound ( 9.5 / 10 )
Usually, the sound is only worth mentioning in a game when it is painfully awful or utterly incredible. Team Fortress 2 is the latter. It starts with the select screen that greets you when you boot up the game. Even here, you will experience four separate renditions of the brilliant theme music crafted for this work. When you are playing the game itself, it is all about the voice-acting. Don't get me wrong, the weapon sounds and various sound-effects you experience while running around are excellent, but the voice-acting is absolutely top-notch. Each character has dozens of things that they can say, in their own personality-driven accents. Valve built in a custom event system that causes the players to comment on the situation they are experiencing, whether it be success, defeat, a great shot, a capture/defense, or just being lit on fire.
The personality behind each of the voices is just over-the-top, too. You will not be able to help but laugh out loud when some of these characters insert their own little quips/jeers.
The Gameplay ( 9.5 / 10 )
Fun. Crazy fun, yet balanced. The balance that is maintained in this game may just be its most impressive feature. Sure, the graphics are drool-worthy, the environment is incredible, and the overall presentation is superb... but the balance of power is admirably refined. Each class has its own benefits, drawbacks and things that make it special/unique/important:
- The Soldier can shoot deadly rockets and launch himself to high places, but he is relatively slow, his rocket-jumps hurt, and the rockets themselves are slow.
- The Scout is blazing fast and is able to use his double-jump to quickly get in-and-out of hairy situations. He's very fragile, though, and his weapons are on the weaker side.
- The Sniper can pop off a 1-hit kill, but it takes time to charge up. Also, when he is charging he is extremely vulnerable. The Sniper's close-range combat isn't the greatest, either.
- The Heavy is a total powerhouse, yet very slow (and nearly immobile when firing).
- The Pyro is the deadliest in close quarters, but lacks the punch long range.
- The Demoman is excellent for defense and taking out buildings, but he struggles with close-range combat and has no pistol/shotgun to fall back on.
- The Spy can sneak behind enemy lines, take out buildings, and backstab the enemy, but when detected he has little chance of survival due to his fragile frame and weak weapons.
- The Medic heals himself over time and can rapidly heal his teammates, but he is not very good at dishing out damage. He can also unleash an Ubercharge that makes him and his target temporarily invincible. He cannot attack while using this charge, though.
- The Engineer can build sentry guns for defense, dispensers for supplies/health, and teleporters for convenience/speed/strategy. He is very useful, but hardly offensive. Other than his shotty, the engineer has little to defend himself with when caught alone.
So this conglomeration of cohorts provides nearly every style of player with a vast array of options, and the ability to switch between characters when you die! Playing the game is fast-paced and action-packed... if you want it to be. If your gameplay style typically keeps you out of the heat of battle, you can play that way, too.
Skill is less important than strategy in this game, too. This will be a relief to those people who got frustrated with counter strike type games because their reactions were just not as refined. There truly is something for everyone in here. You may not have the fastest headshot-reflex, but maybe you are great at finding a great corner to patrol with a flamethrower. If you use teamwork and strategy, there is always a way to get beyond even the most skilled of players.
Closing Thoughts
This game comes as part of an unbelievable deal, yet I would certainly have paid the $50 price tag for just Team Fortress 2. This is just ONE of the packaged games that you receive when you purchase The Orange Box. The other titles include Half Life 2, HL2: Episode 1, HL2: Episode 2, and a new single-player game called Portal. This game breaks ground in more ways than I can describe and while doing it, the humor will make you grin from ear-to-ear. I could have spent a whole portion of this review talking about the many ways that Valve intertwined comedy throughout the game, but you will just have to experience them for yourself. So if you haven't already... please... get this game.