Team Fortress 2

This game is like an abusive ex. You know the relationship you have with them is toxic but you keep coming back thinking that this time would be different.

Still the gold standard for class-based chaos. Matches fill quickly, the community servers keep things fresh, and the core gunplay remains timeless. Hopping in for 20 minutes often turns into an hour because it’s just that fun.

I never expected to end up writing a review for this game after clocking more than 10 000 hours, but here we are.
Before I even had a Steam account, Team Fortress 2 was already part of my life. I grew up watching gameplay clips, GMod videos, and all kinds of community content that left a lasting impression. By the time TF2 became free-to-play and I finally jumped in myself, it already felt familiar. Now, after playing for nearly a decade, I can confidently say that TF2 is my favorite game of all time. That’s not an easy conclusion to reach given how many incredible games exist, but the realization eventually became unavoidable. It’s like recognizing something that’s been there all along. TF2 was it, and it still is.
Over the years, this game has introduced me to countless people and unforgettable moments. Some sessions were calm and social, just chatting with strangers, while others descended into pure chaos. From friendly Sandvich gatherings to absolute madness on maps like 2Fort, every experience feels genuine and unique. The community is creative, hilarious, expressive, and full of personality.
TF2 also feels like a central hub for multiplayer gaming on Steam. It’s free, iconic, and often serves as an entry point for new players discovering online games. Some move on to other titles, while others always keep TF2 installed, returning again and again.
The core game itself deserves just as much praise. Each of the nine mercenary classes is bursting with personality, memorable voice lines, and distinct playstyles. Their character design is so strong that they feel almost real, supported further by comics, animations, and years of community-created content like SFM and GMod videos. Customization plays a huge role too. From expressive loadouts to completely ridiculous outfits, cosmetic freedom adds another layer of identity and humor. And of course, TF2’s economy became legendary. At its peak, trading was an entire ecosystem of its own, with massive value exchanges and complex bartering that still exists today in more subtle form.
The social rules that formed naturally within TF2 are just as fascinating. Friendly players, unspoken agreements, bizarre traditions, and strange behaviors all contribute to a culture that makes little sense from the outside but feels perfectly normal once you’re part of it. Few games have managed to develop such a unique identity, blending gameplay, lore, humor, and social norms into something that feels almost infinite.
In the end, TF2 stands as a testament to what a dedicated community can build around a well-designed foundation. Through custom modes, films, memes, friendships, and years of shared experiences, the game has grown far beyond its original scope. Its influence stretches across gaming culture and the internet as a whole. If longevity and pure fun matter, it’s hard to think of another game that offers so much to so many people.
Whether you’re diving into competitive matches, relaxing on community servers, or just messing around with friends, TF2 delivers. It’s strange, energetic, endlessly entertaining, and still very much alive. And considering it’s free to play, there’s no reason not to experience it!

This is the cycle of every Team Fortress 2 player ever:
> Download the game.
> Enter your first match.
> Realize you don't know what you're doing.
> Die repeatedly.
> Just before you rage, you find the Ghastly Gibus hat.
> Since all the pro players have cool-looking hats, you are inspired.
> Die repeatedly in different game modes.
> Discover that you are getting a lot of kills as Pyro.
> Be mentally violated by other players calling you a "f2p gibus pyro".
> Get slightly better at the game.
> Die repeatedly.
> Leave the game.
*6 months later.*
> Start to discover TF2 videos on YouTube.
> Realize that there are more classes than just Pyro and Sniper.
> End up wanting to be a pro non-Pyro like all the cool YouTubers.
> Return to Team Fortress 2.
> Die repeatedly.
> Claim that you 'main' Pyro.
> Walk at people and light them on fire mindlessly for a few weeks. Or months.
> Start getting a good K/D ratio on a different class.
> Succumb to peer-pressure and buy hats.
> Discover the Steam community market and buy more hats for less.
> Feel your skill strangely growing as you get more hats.
> More kills. Less deaths.
> You begin to discover the passive players of TF2. (Sandvich hoovies, spycrabs, box shpees, etc.)
> Develop a kindness and sense of friendship towards your fellow TF2 players.
> Start to top-score more often.
> You begin to care about the state of the game.
> Realize that Pyros are overpowered and pointless.
> Start to hate Pyros.
> Start to hate everyone.
> Start to hate the TF2 community.
> You hate everything and everyone, to the point where you start to kill passive players again.
> Ask yourself, "If I hate this game, why do I have ten unusuals and fifteen Australiums? What am I doing?"
> Look at your playtime and begin to hate yourself.
> You dislike yourself more than the game now.
> Contemplate suicide.
> Contemplate religion.
> Question the game.
> Binge-watch STAR_'s 2012-2013 TF2 videos to remind you of a simpler time.
> Sit down and think.
> Realize what you have become.
> Go into a mid-TF2 crisis.
> Except it's not mid-TF2 anymore. You have 1000 hours in-game.
> What is going on?
> WHAT IS TEAM FORTRESS 2?
> WHY DOES THE LIGHT LIE TO ME?
> Quit TF2 forever.
> Come back to it in a week and die to a gibus sniper who taunts after kill.
> Kill yourself.
Or maybe that was just my experience.
Oh well.
10/10
Edit: It's been more than eight years since I posted this review, and I wanted to amend the final point. That is not part of the Team Fortress 2 player's cycle. In truth, the cycle is still going, thanks to the dedication of the community.
I will not change my recommendation, because I believe this game will become better again. #SaveTF2

I played this game for about 10 hours around 2011 when the game originally went free.
Lately I decided to re-install it and dive deeper into it.
So, if you are some teenager new to Steam, or somebody that completely skipped this game for your entire life, let me tell you: It is, completely worth playing it today, even if you are used to it's clones that unsuccessfully tried to kill it.
This game is 17 years old. It's an ancient game. It was released during the BUSH administration, back when social media practically didn't exist, and the game STILL holds up to this day and looks great, thanks to it's amazing art style and silk smooth gameplay.
This is game is a masterpiece.

heard this game is a lot of fun & decided to try it, queue casual mode. immediately greeted with "sup n****r" by a random player.
10/10

this game is the "Schrödinger cat" of games, you cant be sure if its dead or not unless you install it (again) and check for yourself