Team Fortress 2

Play it on: Windows (Steam Deck YMMV)
Current goal: Finally experience the seminal hero shooter

Apparently they fixed Team Fortress 2? They fixed Team Fortress 2! Or are fixing it, whatever. The point is, the game is finally a playable state after being plagued by bots for years. It was what Twitter is becoming under Elon Musk’s stewardship. And I’ve never actually played the game, which shouldn’t come as much of a surprise considering I was a wee ten years old when it came out, and could barely play flash games on my brother’s laptop, let alone install a full game.

Over the past two console generations, hero shooters like it have exploded in popularity. I’ve played many of them and though I’ve liked ‘em, I’ve often fallen off because the same thing always happens. What begins as a fun romp gets patched to hell (RIP Overwatch) to meet the demands of a ravenous community (RIP Rainbow Six Siege) or gets gouged by corporate greed (RIP Apex Legends). Nothing ever just is…except for Team Fortress 2, though neglect eventually claimed it in a completely different way. Now it’s back though, and while I’m not expecting it to become a new mainstay in my gaming routines, I am incredibly excited to see one of the brightest and most original games of its time back on its feet. — Moises Taveras