A relatively interesting concept for a game at first, which was then executed horribly by a shitty developer. The gameplay is stale, the story doesn't have much going for it, and the game gets incredibly boring after a while. I truly think if YouTubers did not draw attention to the game, then it would have died off way quicker (not saying it's the fault of anyone for featuring this game, just an observation I've made.) Not to mention that this game has a literal mechanic to take pictures of schoolgirl's panties...yeah no. This game fucking sucks. Yandev is a perv, and I'm glad people are finally realizing how much of a shitshow this game is.

This game changed my life, but I have a lot of thoughts on its current state lately. I first played TF2 on the Orange Box in 2011, and I have around 3-4 thousand hours on it across two steam accounts. TF2 is a phenomenal FPS that was ahead of its time in terms of gameplay, art, and so much more, and the impact that TF2 had on both the FPS genre and internet culture is insane. Truly, little to no FPS games have come close to the success that TF2 has garnered over the last decade or so; and despite this, the current state of TF2 is nothing like the state it was in several years ago.

This game was (and still is) incredibly popular and somehow has both a bright future, as well as a stale end. Considering that Valve has not paid much attention to TF2 for several years at this point, my love for this game has begun to decline. The bot crisis is not as much of an issue as it used to be, but it's still an issue that players are forced to deal with, as these encounters are entirely unavoidable unless you are playing on community servers. I hate that the "solutions" to playing the game without cheaters have become centered around community servers, which don't give off the authentic feel and gameplay that Valve servers provide; not to say that I hate these servers at all, of course not. I just wish that bots were not an issue that we have to deal with anymore. We get updates occasionally, but these updates are always small, feel incredibly stale, and are low in quality; overall, the game does not feel the same for me anymore. The community claims to be welcoming, but is among some of the most toxic I've been in personally; I understand that this is the case for most online games, though I've had my fair share of unpleasant experiences on TF2 considering that I've been playing for years.

Despite the several negative factors surrounding this game, I have many positives to list as well. While TF2 has a massive learning curve that many new players find to be intimidating at first, the gameplay is fun, engaging, and hilarious. Every class is designed to perfection and offers unique gameplay that players can spend countless hours learning how to master. Cosmetics are an aspect of the game that makes it feel especially personal, as there are thousands of hats in the game that can result in countless loadouts. The tools that Valve provided to its players have offered countless opportunities to their players, such as the workshop, which gives players the chance to create cosmetics and maps for the game. The characters are loveable, funny, and feel genuine compared to other FPS games where their characters may feel stale, or even lifeless at times; along with the characters, the lore is a rabbit hole that anyone can fall into, as there is lore for pretty much every aspect of the game. The community has its good sides that should not be brushed aside, as many people choose to use their platform in the TF2 community for good causes. I find it incredibly endearing how servers full of people could turn friendly, and people could genuinely bond with each other despite being complete strangers; there are so many positive interactions that I have had with people that I will never see again, but that will stick with me for a long time. I could go on for hours, honestly, TF2 is a treat that everyone should experience at least once in their life.

TF2 bursts with personality, life, and fun; unfortunately, it also greatly suffers from the neglect its developers have put it through. If TF2 was still actively getting GENUINE support from Valve, I would rate it 5 stars. In its current state? 3 and a half. I rarely play it anymore because I know that I am guaranteed to come across bots, and because the lack of updates and empty promises from the developers have left me endlessly disappointed. I love this game and I truly wish I still enjoyed it the same way I used to, but I just don't. Despite this, I am still eternally thankful to TF2 for connecting me to so many lovely people over the years and for building a community that is generous and loving, even if it may be toxic at times. If this game ever gets some sort of major update, then I will definitely return to enjoy the experience; though as it currently stands, I will be enjoying other games, only to occasionally return.