Perfect Example of how an FPS game should be made
There is no real plot to the game as it is a multiplayer only; however there are several game modes, CTF, Capture Points (2varieties) and Payload. CTF is just a basic capture the flag however the flag is replaced with the intelligence. Capture Points has 2 varieties, 1. Each team starts with 2 points each and there is 1 neutral points in the centre of the map the winner is the team with the most points after the time is up, 2. There are 2 nodes controlled by Blue team, red team will try and capture both points, Blue win if they have 1 node left after the time limit, Red wins if they manage to capture both nodes before the time limit. Payload there is a bomb on a train track which starts at the Red base and 2 or 3 capture points along the track, the aim is for Red to push the bomb to the final capture point.
Gameplay
This is arguably one of the best games I have ever played, the fun factor in my opinion is higher than any other game out there. The balance between all 9 classes (Soldier, Pyro, Scout, Demoman, Heavy, Engineer, Medic, Spy and Sniper) is 100% fair, Valve have done a great job in ensuring no class is very overpowered and any class can defeat any other class in a 1 v 1 situation. The most played of all the classes is the Soldier which at times can be very annoying especially when they start to rocket spam. This game is very "n00b" friendly and is very easy to master, pros from games such as Counter Strike or Call of Duty will feel alien at the start when playing this game as accuracy is not always the key. Critical hits have a big influence on the game, these occur randomly when a character has inflicted quite a lot of damage on someone else and a critical hit with classes such as Soldier or Demoman will almost guarantee a 1-hit-kill however a Scout or Pyro may have to shoot 3 or 4 times to get a kill. Despite the game been called Team Fortress very little teamwork is actually involves, everyone goes off and does their own thing, however despite this medics and heavys seem to stick together however this is only if you have a decent medic who know how to play the class well. The game is designed to be as fun as possible with things such as Sprays, Taunts, Freezcam etc. It really adds a sense that this game is not to be taken seriously and is something you can come on just for a laugh with you mates.
Graphics:
You have got remember this game is not supposed to be realistic the cell shaded graphics give the game its cartoon style graphics which have been rendered excellently, the game combines some amazing particle effects with the textures to create another a great looking source game. When you die your body explodes into small pieces which are still recognisable such as the head and legs, the game also points this out to you in freezcam with labels such as "Your Head". The game does not really add needless blood however when you shoot someone blood does emit from their body and again it adds to the cartoon style graphics.
System and Performance:
Like many source games you do not need a brilliant system to run this game, an 8600GT and an Athlon X2 64 4200+ can max this game with 8X AA whilst still keeping a good 60 FPS, so I wouldn't say an integrated card would run it however a cheap PCI-E card probably could
Overall:
Team Fortress 2 is a great game and is a hell of a lot of fun to play, it shows almost no resemblance to the original Team Fortress Classic so gamers looking for a new type of gaming experience should look towards this game. Also this game is very easy to get into and can be very addictive, it is very "n00b" friendly so even people who have only just got into PC gaming should not have such a hard time bearing in mind you know how to shoot. This game is very worthy of a 9.5/10.