The Game (Context)
Team Fortress 2 (or TF2) is a multiplayer, first-person shooter that was released by Valve in the year 2007. It is based on a class based system, specifically groups of Offense, Defense, and Support characters to which totals up to 9 classes to choose from. The classes in question are: Scout, Soldier, Pyro, Heavy, Demoman, Engineer, Medic, Sniper, and Spy (First 3 are Offense, and etc.) . Each of the classes have their own skillset as well different weapons that are made available the more the player plays. There are also a number of different game modes such as Payload, King of the Hill, Capture the Flag, and etc.
The Good
A good starting point is of the characters themselves, specifically Valve introduced each character through a series of Youtube videos known as “Meet the Team” that give an in-depth look at each mercenary, in a very hilarious and gory manner (the number of memes also help). The context being that there is really no “good” or “bad” in case of morality, every single player controls a mercenary and that is it. Having a feel for each character can lead to the freedom of different playstyles with a multitude of weapons and items gives way to different “subclasses” for each mercenary pick. Moreover, unlike Overwatch, teamwork is optional (though very, very effective). The maps, weapons, mercenaries, and the bloody, cartoonish violence is what often makes TF2 standout while more modern games exist.
The Bad + Ugly
TF2 has come a long way from its release date, but it has recently been plagued by scourges of bots, specifically bots that are scripted to ruin other players day, whether it be just for “fun”, just hating the game, or in general taking advantage of Valve’s lack of effort to fix these issues. The lack of developers for TF2 has been a thorn in the community, and though while the game is still playable, there will be at times servers that are 90% filled with bots that make the game unplayable. It is still uncertain when Valve will return their attention to TF2 current plague, this is no effort to dissuade you from playing the game, as the community is still strong as ever, though it does have its own set of issues just like every other gaming community (or any fan-based community in general).
Improvements?
Besides the whole bot issue, class balance still a bit stale at this point, though with certain classes such as spy having been nerfed to oblivion with his items. TF2 hasn’t been relatively “fresh” and I think the introduction of fan-made workshop weapons, items, and even maps could be the breath of fresh air needed to get Valve focusing on TF2 once more (despite TF2 still be a prosperous game for Valve).
Now?
Its still a good game, and nowhere near dead. The characters, cartoonish feel, and gameplay are still there despite the issues. So what are you waiting for? Move out maggots!
Kyunghoon Han 