Overwatch Vs. Team Fortress
I’m sorry to say it but I think team fortress has had it’s day. Don’t get me wrong it was a really good game back when it first released. I was one of the early players I got it in the orange box:
- Half Life 2
- Half Life 2: Episode One
- Half Life 2: Episode Two
- Portal
- Team Fortress 2
It was quite a deal for £10 well worth it for Portal in itself, which is a brilliant game…But I digress, all my friends were playing this game together. That’s the main draw of this game when you and your mates are playing characters that compliment each other in one shape, way or form.
You are communicating with each other constantly, and picking characters that work well together and bounce off of one-another’s strengths and weaknesses. Valve have tried to keep the game going with the addition of Steam Workshop content, Source FilmMaker and the large Man VS Machine expansion. The addition of various different hats does not really bring a game back, however, in my opinion. There’s more of a requirement for expansions, DLC, and additional content rather than cosmetics to keep a game fresh…Another thing that hit Team Fortress 2 as opposed to Overwatch, however, is class stagnation and character tropes; let’s take the Scout for example. Look at his picture:
He’s simply a New York’er who plays baseball…But that all you can judge from his demeanour; Tracer from Overwatch, however (Who is often seen as the ‘Scout Counterpart of Overwatch’), is on the surface a fun loving, cheery, cockney who can’t take herself seriously. Compare the Scout’s image to the following image of Tracer:
The Scout has little-to-no backstory, however Tracer has a slightly extensive backstory – She was a flight test pilot who got into an accident. As such she wears a device created by her friend and fellow Overwatch member Winston.
Every cut of her figure speaks to her character, she is colourful and full of character, and every design choice only opens more questions: How does that device work? What happens if she takes it off? Why does she use dual-pistols? Why the arm-wings? Why is her suit spandex? Is she truely good-hearted, or is she just a clumsy goof of a Hero? It all adds character to this individual. The films “Meet the [Insert Character Name]” series are no doubt funny and laid the ground work for the shorts that blizzard produced, but unlike the Overwatch expanded lore comics and movie shorts, they don’t build on their respective characters’ pasts, or deep relationships with one-another.
Just make a comparison at these two:
I know that they were made with very different budgets and styles. What I want to draw attention to is the content. One is a fun little laugh about a character role Sniper, whereas the other is a look at the history and deep conflict between two warring brothers, seperated by their ideologies and internal battles, which still in-game you can hear references to, and affects how one communicates with the other.
Another point to see that TF2 may have met it’s match is within the stats of each game; if I’m honest, the playerbase speaks for it’s self:
- Last month Avg. TF 2 51,000q
- Registered Accounts Avg. Overwatch 20,000,000
This isn’t always a bad thing, however, since it often can become a platform of innovation and success, whilst bringing us fun and well-developed experiences – Overwatch may be dominating TF2 at this current moment, but the fact of the matter is that without TF2, there really would be no Overwatch to talk of…
See you online
Keljorn Ironfist