Review: Team Fortress 2

This is a review that’s going to be very difficult for me to write. I say this because I really just don’t like this game, Period. I don’t like it. But, I do recognize that a lot of people do. And, even though I don’t care for the game, I’m not blind to the things that it has contributed to the gaming community. The game I’m talking about is Team Fortress 2.

As the name suggests, Team Fortress 2 is a sequel of sorts to the original Team Fortress Classic – one of the “spin off” games included in the original Half-Life bundle. Team Fortress Classic itself was actually based on the Team Fortress mod for Quake II. For this reason, myself and many others never really considered TFC to be a standalone title. For this reason, I never gave it its own review. Instead, I merely mentioned it in my post for the original Half-Life. This time around, however, there’s no denying the fact that TF2 stands completely on its own. So, with that said, let’s get into it.

Team Fortress 2 is a team-based online multiplayer shooter. Progress in the game is tracked on a per-player basis. This means that a profile is created for you (the player) and progress is tracked for you rather than the character you control. This is because the game offers a number of rewards and cosmetics that you can use regardless of the character you are playing at any given time.

When starting a new game in Team Fortress 2, you will be asked to pick a team (red or blue), then a character class. There are a total of nine character classes to choose from. Since TF2 is a team-based game, each class has its own unique mechanics, weapon, and role to play. Having a team made up the combination of classes can really turn the tide. For this reason, players are able to switch classes on the fly. The classes are as follows (listed by name, role, and unique weapon):

Pyro – Damage Dealer – Flame thrower and Fire Axe: Excellent character for close melee. Characters that are lit aflame take damage over time. This class can also blow air at targets, allowing them to extinguish flame or knock back enemies.

Engineer – Support – Shotgun and Wrench: This class is a basic melee attacker. Where it really shines is in its ability to construct various items/weapons to help aid its team.

Sniper – Damage Dealer – Kukri and Sniper Rifle: As the name suggests, this class excels at long-range sniper attacks.

Spy – Rogue – Revolver and Gadgets: This is an interesting class. While fairly weak in the damage dealing department, this class has the ability turn invisible or even mimic the look of a player on an enemy team, allowing them to sneak behind enemy lines easily and do serious damage.

Heavy – Tank – Machine Gun and fists: This class is designed to take a beating while also dishing out pain in close range.

Demoman – Damage Dealer – Rocket Launcher and Bomb: Explosions are the name of the game for this class. While not the best in close quarters combat. This class makes up for it with ranged/explosive attacks.

Medic – Support – Medi Gun: As the name suggests, this class is all about healing. Equipped with a healing ray, this character can restore the health of other players. This makes Medic a must have.

Scout – Support – Coach Gun and Baseball Bat: Speed is what this character is all about. This class can outrun every other character and also interact with objects must faster. This makes the scout imperative to have on certain modes of play.

Soldier – Damage Dealer – Rocket Launcher and Shovel: Finally, we have the general melee class. This character is your standard jack-of-all-trades damage dealer.

Team Fortress 2 offers a number of competitive game modes for players to choose from. Most of the classic FPS arena options can be found here: Attack/Defend, King of the Hill, Capture the Flag, Control Points – all of these modes should immediately be recognizable to anyone who’s played an online FPS in the past. For this reason, I won’t rehash them here. However, there is one mode that is somewhat unique to TF2: Payload

In Payload, one team has to escort a mine cart along a railway until it reaches the final destination. The mine cart is rigged to explode after a certain amount of time. However, this time can be extended as the cart reaches certain checkpoints along the way. The opposing team’s job is to prevent the cart from reaching its destination. It sounds basic, but in practice it’s actually pretty fun. This is my favorite mode of play in TF2.

Alongside these modes of play are a slew of alternative and seasonal versions. There’s way too many for me to list in a single review. But, for the most part, each of these alternatives are modifications of one of the options listed above. It’s this variety that helps the game feel fresh event after almost twenty years.

If you’re wondering why Payload features an explosive mine cart, the answer lies in the lore and setting for the game itself. Unlike most arena FPS titles, TF2 is not a military or space marine-themed game. Instead, the background focuses on the Mann Company, a mining group in a rural pioneer environment. The Mann Company is split into two factions, each run by a brother; Redmond Mann (red team) and Blutarch Mann (blue team). These two brothers are in constant competition to take control of the Mann Company by sabotaging the other’s efforts. To help aid in this conflict, the brothers employ a number of mercenaries (the players). This background is the reason for the comical/pioneer art direction of the game and its characters.

With all of these options there’s certainly no shortage of things for players to do. But that’s not the only thing that keeps players coming back. As players rack up wins and participate in various challenges, they earn virtual currency that can used to purchase both cosmetic and functional items. When TF2 first launched, it was a purchasable title. However, in 2011, the game was converted to a free-to-play model. This is when the in-game store really took off. These days, the game is funded exclusively by micro transactions and a loot box mechanic. In fact, some argue that TF2 may have been the first western game to feature blind loot boxes. As you might expect, this gambling mechanic has drawn quite a bit of ire by a number of players in the online community. This in-game economy is managed via the Steam community market. However, several rogue websites do exist that sell TF2 items on the black market.

I remember playing TF2 in the early days of its release and enjoying it despite its quirkiness. Still, the art direction and the extremely competitive nature of the game was mostly a turn off to me. Once the game switched to its free-to-play model, I found playing it to be almost unbearable. When I picked it up again for this review, I found the situation to only have grown worse over time.

Cheating is a serious issue in the game these days, It’s even rampant on Valve’s official VAC-secured servers. I blame this on the monetary draw the micro-transactions bring. Items found in loot boxes can be sold for real money on the Steam marketplace. This monetary incentive is what drives the desire for other players to cheat. Of course, anyone caught cheating will have their accounts banned. But that doesn’t really scare off the foreign groups armed with armies of bots.

This situation, combined with the silly looking art direction is a big part of the reason I don’t find this game appealing. Still, I cannot deny that the game is exceptionally well put together with lots of compelling gameplay modes and slew of maps to enjoy. For some, TF2 is the end-all-be-all for competitive online games. For me, it just doesn’t capture what I’m looking for.

All that said, this is one of those games that I urge you to try for yourself. Go in without any expectations. Take time to go through the tutorials but expect a big learning curve. If you’re willing to invest the time in learning the game, it certainly can be a rewarding experience.

Version Reviewed: PC

Difficulty: Variable – There is no single player campaign or story mode in Team Fortress 2. The difficulty of the game is strictly dependent on the skill of the other players. Some servers do offer play with AI bots and the skill of these bots can be tweaked. However, this is not the intended experience of the game.

Multiplayer: Yes.

Story: TF2 is designed as an online competition. As such, the storyline is minimal. The concept of a sibling rivalry set during the great “gravel wars” is a novel and amusing addition. But at the end of the day it doesn’t really have an impact on the game.

Originality: A lot of what’s seen in this game are things that have been recycled from other online FPS titles. What makes them unique is the way they are presented and the introduction of a cash-based loot box economy. Having all of these things packed into a single title does help TF2 stand out from other similar games.

Soundtrack: There’s not a lot in terms of score or composition here. Many of the sounds are borrowed from Half-Life but there’s also plenty of original material here as well. The music is silly, but this matches the art direction of the entire game. It’s not particularly bad, but there’s nothing in the score that really stands out.

Fun: For me, this game doesn’t scratch my particular competitive itch. But, there’s no doubt that it does for others. For many, TF2 is THE online multiplayer game. I think it’s a combination of factors that prevents me from really feeling the vibe that this game is trying to project. It’s not the game, it’s me.

Graphics: For a game that’s almost twenty years old, the visual hold up very well. Of course, being a Source Engine title, the graphics have received a number of updates over the years to help keep it current, Even though the visuals look good from a technological standpoint, I personally don’t care for the cartoonish art style. This is a personal preference, of course.

Playcontrol: This game uses the standard WSAD control scheme on the PC. It’s responsive and makes sense. Regardless, the controls are still customizable, so whatever you prefer, there is no real issue.

Downloadable Content:  Frequent free updates, in-game micro-transactions.

Mature Content: Violence, gambling-style microtransactions.

Value: Since 2011, Team Fortress 2 has been free to play. If you can resist the urge to dump money on micro-transactions, you can enjoy this game without paying a dime.

Overall score (1-100): 80 – Despite my own issues with the game, I certainly understand the draw and I have a great respect for everything this game has accomplished. Still, I have to complain about the state of the gambling style micro-transaction combined with the fact that rampant cheating is still an issue.

Original System: PC

Available today on:  PC  – (Updated as of Spring 2026)

Best Modern Experience: PC   –  (Updated as of Spring 2026)