It's safe to say that Team Fortress 2 has a very colourful history. Since its inception the best part of ten years ago, this multiplayer centric first-person shooter has gone through some serious changes. History tells us that Valve isn't a development company to mess around. If they aren't happy with a game they're working on then it's not going anywhere until they are. This is quite unfortunate for fans of the original Team Fortress games, as they have had to wait a staggering length of time for this, the latest instalment. So here it is, providing the vital multiplayer component of Valve's incredible value compilation, The Orange Box. So - was it worth the wait?

Having seen the humorous class introduction video teasers prior to release, I had a good idea of what I was letting myself in for. Thanks to the Steam platform, installation was simply a case of waiting for a reasonably sized download. Once that was out the way, I picked one of the many available servers and was into the fray in a matter of seconds. Over the course of the next hour, all my long established expectations were met or surpassed, as I delved into the eccentric and action packed world of TF2. Suddenly, nine years didn't seem like such a long time.

At first glance, it's quite hard not to notice the unique and striking visuals on display. Soft edges, smooth animations and clean yet detailed rendering really add up to something quite special - no screenshot can do this game justice. Valve have adopted a retro-spy theme for TF2 and they've pulled out all the stops to ensure that everything from the music on the menu screen to the deepest corner of each map follows suit. When playing a map for the first time you're treated to a short and to the point video, summarising the game mode on offer (either capture the flag or control point.) The humour from the aforementioned class introduction videos remains intact, as does the quasi-spy theme. Following this you are faced with choosing your team, either RED or BLU, and your class, each of which are as immediately recognisable and beautifully rendered as the next.

The game makes use of a graphics technique known as 'Phong Shading.' Technicalities aside, this means that character models don't boast the usual highly detailed and realistic textures, instead opting for a more cartoon-like appearance. This could be interpreted as a bad thing, but it is in fact where the title stands out from the crowd. When this technique is coupled with some of the fancy lighting technologies available with the Source engine, you are left with clean looking characters that possess an incredible amount of depth. This highly stylised 'cartoon' look and feel also plays off the Sixties spy theme to perfection - a masterstroke if ever there was one.

The meat of the game is based on the classes themselves. All nine of the original's classes have returned, but not in a form that veterans of the series may remember. It's clear early on that a staggering amount of effort has been put into making each class as useful as the next. They can be split into three main categories: offence, defence and support. As always, the major pull from class-based games is that you get to play in a way that suits you and TF2 certainly ticks all the boxes in that respect.

For those who like to play in the centre of the action, soak up damage and give plenty back, the Heavy Weapons Guy will go down a treat. This mini-gun-wielding Slovak-inspired madman is as large in form as he is in character and can be best described as the tank of the game. He has the largest health pool of the classes, with alternate weapon options including a shotgun - or simply his fists should you feel the need to pummel someone into submission the old-fashioned way! The big drawback is his movement speed, which means he can fall prey to the ultra-fast Scout in close quarters or the Sniper class at range.

If a more passive but no less deadly role sounds appealing then the Spy is one of TF2's more advanced classes. You trade upfront firepower for the ability to turn invisible for short periods of time. On top of that, you can also take the form of an enemy class of your choice - team colours and all - even taking on the name of a player on the opposite team! This class alone will likely be the source of many great gaming moments; the scope for creativity and hilarity here is limitless. Armed with a six-shot revolver and a butterfly knife, in the hands of a skilled a player the Spy can be a devastating member of the team. A backstab is a one hit kill, so it's not uncommon for the more stationary classes like Snipers and Engineers to get an unpleasant surprise. Spies also tend to create an atmosphere of paranoia, requiring you to keep a close eye on your team members and question exactly who that soldier that just stumbled into the room with a grin on his face really is. Describing every class-specific feature and nuance goes beyond the scope of this review, and possibly a good sized novel, so I'll leave further exploration of these to you; suffice to say that each is as varied and beautifully conceived as the next, making for incredible depth and wonderful balance.

Considering the interplay between the classes is where the game's depth is, it is worth noting that this is an online game and one that is subject to various updates and changes after its initial release. In its current state, the game seems particularly well balanced in gameplay terms, largely thanks to the considerable play testing conducted during its lengthy development. Nothing seems too overpowering and no single class tends to dominate matches - which is crucial in a game of this nature. This is however only based on early impressions and more serious competitive play could well surface some ugly truths. I have every faith that Valve will address any major issues to keep things rolling though, remembering that they are the force behind the continuing success of the Counter-Strike franchise.

After playing each class, I actually began to worry about how I was going to choose just a couple of them to focus my efforts on. I don't often gravitate toward healing classes, but playing as a Medic is so intuitive and empowering that I felt very much compelled to continue doing so. One major factor behind this (and a significant improvement over the original) is the new scoring system. As I bounced between cover with my healing stream fixated on an allied Heavy Weapons Guy, we gradually forced our way through an enemy position. When an enemy hit the dirt due to his fire, we both got a point. This simple but effective mechanic not only reinforces your role when playing as a support class but also encourages team play. As was once said about its predecessors, "there is no I in Team Fortress!" The I does come in, however, with a neat personal stats-tracking scoreboard that displays during the loading times. Should you break one of your current records such as total healing, kill streak, player assists - or possibly all three - you will get a notification when the round (or you) come to an end. For those inclined, these do become a whole new reason to up your game.

One thing that is common in multiplayer centric shooters is a distinct lack of accessibility (Quake anyone?) Yes, when faced with a group of experienced players, you will still find yourself eating dirt on a regular basis. TF2 does however have some pretty clever ways of easing new players into the game. Beyond the well-documented game modes and introductory videos, the most subtle yet effective method of this is the Freeze-cam. If you have played other online shooters, you'll know that there is always some guy sitting in an unknown location, poised and ready to end your days with a single bullet. As a new player this can start to feel frustrating and unforgiving, and isn't much help when it comes to learning the ins and outs of the game. When you die in TF2, your view pans to a comic book-style freeze frame of the perpetrator the very split second the deed is done. This serves the purpose of showing you exactly who killed you, where from and what with - and also lends itself perfectly to the lighthearted tone of the game.

The voice system from Valve's other titles has carried through here too. Pressing Z, X and C buttons brings up menus giving you the choice of several voice commands. Each of the classes has a particular persona and whether it's the German Medic's sniggering or the Aussie Sniper's spluttered threats, the sharp voice acting really helps tie things together. There's also a clever system whereby your character will exclaim context sensitive dialogue, such as when you kill a certain amount of enemies in a certain time frame or land an all-important headshot.

Keeping with the apparent 'against the grain' mantra, Valve have chosen to go with a particularly small pool of maps at launch. Not only that, but some of the maps are remakes (albeit extremely good remakes) of the original's, such as the legendary 2fort. Again this seems like a very bad idea, limiting the replayability and lifespan of the game, but quite the opposite seems to be the case, as we are left with six very deep, perfectly balanced maps with tried and tested formulae. It seems that Valve picked up on the fact that in online games, players tend to stick to just a handful of popular maps, so focusing their efforts on just a few has its benefits. Savvy development decisions like this reinforce the notion that Valve don't just know how to make a great multiplayer shooter, but also have a strong understanding of the scene that surrounds them.

The marriage of highly stylised retro-spy presentation, fresh, high octane action, deep and varied classes and the underlying twinkle of humour in its metaphorical eye make Team Fortress 2 far more than just your average fragfest. Long after the novelty of the graphics wears thin, we are left with a refined and accessible multiplayer game that simultaneously cultivates new players whilst retaining enough depth to accommodate even the hardiest of veterans - as such, this is going to be a firm favourite with shooter fans everywhere for months if not years to come.

Reviewed by Martin Oddy for AceGamez (All Rights Reserved).