Revisiting Old Friends

I've been putting some time into Borderlands:  The Pre-Sequel, but I also had a fun experience last week that I wanted to write about.  You know how you play a game, you like the game, and then you finish it and don't play it for a long time?  Long enough that you forget how fun it was?  That happens to me quite frequently, but I got to revisit an old game that breaks the mold for what I usually play (see RPG's in abundance).

Last weekend I played Team Fortress 2 for the first time in at least 2 years.  Now, Team Fortress 2's whole concepts completely goes against my "no multiplayer" mantra (I wrote about this sometime back--had some bad experiences, tend to think multiplayer is a breeding ground for the worst people on Earth, yup).  Reality is that I had so much fun playing.  I forgot how much fun it is it zip around as a cartoony character and help your team defend a point or push a cart forward.  TF2 is really one of the great games out there.

I started playing TF2 several years ago (5?).  My brother played it and I received a copy as part of the Orange Box (yay Half-Life 2!  And Portal, which I haven't written about yet).  I tried it out and enjoyed it.  My favorite class is the medic--I don't know if I have a natural pre-disposition to play healers, but I just like being helpful rather than blasting people.  Maybe that's why I hate most multiplayer games--very few have an option where you are mostly helping and not just running around killing people.  I am ridiculously bad at the classes that I'm sure most people consider to require the most skill--sniper and spy.  I enjoy the Heavy on the maps where you push the cart (I'm sure they have a cool technical name) and will also play some demoman in a pinch.  That's what I love about TF2--there are so many options to test out and enjoy.  You aren't limited to one playstyle, but can find one you really enjoy.

The modding community looks to have added many very stylish hats and costumes since the last time I played.  It's really amazing how people create these unique objects in the game.  I'm always greatly impressed by everything that is out there.  One aspect I didn't get a chance to check out is the co-op mode, Mann vs. Machine.  It looks pretty cool, I just have to track down 5 people to play with.

The next time you're feeling bored and looking for something to play, revisit TF2.  It seems to be like a fine wine that only gets better with age.  Best part--it's totally free-to-play!  Check it out on Steam.