Gamernode: Previews - Hands-on: Team Fortress 2

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Once the gate opened and the round began, all hell broke loose. Guns and grenades were blazing from the red team while the blue team ran forward into battle. Enemies and allies were going down, explosions rocketing past my face, bodies flying, people yelling; this is the experience that TF2 successfully captures.

Next round I switched to the defensive side. This time in the beginning of Dustbowl, we were set to build up defenses till the blue team came swarming in. Engineers laid down turrets, demomen were firing off grenades and pyros and heavies were manning the front line. Much like on the offensive side, once the round began it was insanity.

Of course, I can't talk about TF2 without mentioning the gags. In TF2 we get some rather beautiful looking gibs, which Valve plays-off by showcasing your remains (if any) during the respawn page in a hilarious fashion. Things like this really highlight the playful and humorous nature Valve is taking with TF2.

All the classes have their own funny mannerisms and emotes, too. Hearing the heavy laugh uproariously as he mows down enemies with his mini-gun in-game is beyond hilarious. His face and facial features are a bit too real, though -- yikes.

I really like the addition of specialized kills, such as the nemesis and revenge kills. Say someone is hassling you and killed you several times in a row -- their character will be labeled as a nemesis. They'll be tagged and you'll get a bonus if you kill them. This works in the same way as revenge kills because in the end, getting revenge is pretty sweet. All these different kills, and much more, are detailed in your TF2 profile. Trust me, if you ever want to see a screen full of stats, here you go. The stats are viewable in-game or from your Steam Community profile so try not to boast too much if you can't back it up.

All of this is just the tip of the iceberg that TF2 offers. I think Valve hit a homerun with the game, and the wait was certainly worth it. The presentation and witty aspect of the game is really great, and I can't wait until more people come back to Team Fortress.

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