Wednesday, February 12, 2025

Games like Team Fortress 2 – Best Alternatives in 2018

What is Team Fortress 2?

Team Fortress 2 is a first-person shooter video game that was developed and published by Valve Corporation and released on their online retailer Steam. The original Team Fortress started out as a mod for the online first-person shooter Quake. After nine years of being in development, Team Fortress 2 was finally released in 2007. Originally the game was featured in the video game compilation The Orange Box but in 2011 it was released as a free to play game supported primarily by microtransactions. Players are able to purchase in-game items for cosmetic purposes for a price as well as some other items.

The game features nine playable characters and when you join a game you will be automatically assigned to one of the two available teams.

Classes:

Offense
– The Soldier
– The Scout
– The Pyro

Defense
– The Heavy
– The Engineer
– The Demoman

Support
– The Medic
– The Spy
– The Sniper

Each of these classes has their own unique personality, weapons, strengths and weaknesses. In order to survive you must work with your team that will be comprised of one or multiple of the above classes. Gameplay will revolve around what game mode you’re participating in, with options ranging from Capture the Flag to Team Deathmatch.

Team Fortress 2 has gone on to become one of the most popular free to play games in gaming history. Since its release it has continually received updates and patches that offer bonus weapons and tweaks to the core gameplay. Other than being able to download Team Fortress 2 via Steam you can also purchase the game for Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3. It was also the first game announced to be compatible for the Oculus Rift, so that you can play the game in virtual reality if you download the appropriate patch.

Top Five Games like Team Fortress 2 – 2018 Update

#5 – PlanetSide 2 (PC, PlayStation 4)

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Planetside 2 is a free-to-play first-person shooter that incorporates fast-paced action in open-world maps that include a wide variety of terrain. Where most first-person shooters only allow a handful of players in an arena at once, PlanetSide 2 differs as it has been coded in a way that allows hundreds of players to enter the arena and fight at the same time. To date, the largest game ever played featured an incredible 1,158 players at once in a single epic battle.

Players choose one of the six available classes and go through the game killing members of the opposite team.

Classes:

Heavy Assault – You’ll see many Heavy Assault classes in the battlefield as it is the most popular class in the game. It’s essentially a tank as its arsenal consists of many heavy weapons, including rocket launchers and machine guns.

Light Assault – A more subtle version of the Heavy Assault class. Light Assault members revolve around using weapons like shotguns and submachine guns. They’re a lot more versatile with their jet packs that allow the player to fly into the air to cross obstacles obstructing the player’s vision.

MAX – The Mechanized Assault eXosuit, or “MAX” for short is a mecha vehicle unit that the player is able to travel around in. These classes are slow but allow a wide array of firepower to be attached to the suits arms.

Engineer – Engineers are a support class primarily for the MAX classes. Using their skills they can repair MAX units as well as place items like ground mines and turrets for defense purposes.

Infiltrator – Infiltrator’s have mastered the art of stealth and attack enemies from a distance. Using their trusted sniper rifle they can scope out enemies from considerable distances and take them out. They also get access to a cloaking device for some up-close combat.

Medic – Medics are the heart and soul of Team Fortress 2 as they use their specialties in the medical field to both heal and revive fallen comrades.

After choosing the desired class the player can go through the game that is set in one of the five available continents. Over time the player is able to gain experience and throughout the game they can unlock new skills, items and abilities. There is also a day / night system that can greatly affect gameplay. During the daytime hours you are able to see enemies from a distance, while nighttime hours are better for stealth gameplay and hiding and attacking at the precise moment.

#4 – Gotham City Impostors (PC, Xbox 360)

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If you’re a fan of the DC Comics universe then you will definitely want to check out Gotham City Impostors. The game released in 2012 for Microsoft Windows and Xbox 360 users who purchase Xbox Live. It was also released for the PlayStation 3; however the servers have since been shut down due to lack of interest. But don’t let that turn you off as Gotham City Impostors is still quite popular and praised for its unique FPS concept.

Gotham City Impostors is a first-person shooter that is strictly multiplayer. There are two teams available: The Bats and The Jokerz. In the comics, Batman and The Joker are arch rivals and have been for several decades. Within the canon of the DC Universe, both characters are out to “get each other” but neither of them is willing to kill one another. That is different in Gotham City Impostors as you’re not really those characters, but lookalikes. The goal of the game is to kill the other team members in a 6v6 match and focuses on using weapons that are based off each class. Some of the weapons include jack-in-the-box grenades, grappling hooks, explosives, knives and glider wings.

Since the games release, DC Comics has created a comic based on Gotham City Impostors that gives the game its own backstory. The general premise is that during Batman’s first encounter with Joker, there was a man named Winslow Heath that also became affected by the toxin that altered Joker’s personality to what he is now. After finding out his beloved wife was affected (and killed) by the toxin, Winslow goes crazy and starts mass producing a drug that turns people into imposter versions of Joker. Meanwhile, a gang of Batman imposters start to show up to take care of this new Joker problem.

#3 – Loadout (PC, PlayStation 4)

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Loadout is another free-to-play multiplayer-only shooter that was developed and published by game company Edge of Reality. The game features cartoony graphics over a third-person perspective and is cram packed filled with gore and other messy graphics. The game originally was intended for PC players only; however there was a strong demand for the game to be ported over to consoles so Edge of Reality spent a year porting the game over to the PlayStation 4. The game is very over-the-top so you can expect lots of fun action for you and your friends. There’s also a strong customization aspect to the game as players are able to purchase items with real currency although it’s completely optional.

There are currently six game modes available in the game.

Game Modes:

Blitz – Blitz Mode is all about keeping a balance between offensive and defensive combat. The map becomes littered with control points and teams are required to take control of these points before the opposing team does. If you or a team member stands near a control point, it slowly raises a flag that’s in the shape of a pair of boxers. By raising your boxers, you’ll in-turn be lowering the opposing teams chance of scoring a point. Once the pair of boxers reaches the top of the flag pole, you score a point for your team.

Death Snatch – Teams are divided up into two and the goal is to both survive and take down the opposing team. Once you kill a player, said player will drop a type of currency known as Blutonium. The team with the most Blutonium at the end wins.

Jackhammer – Jackhammer is your standard Capture the Flag mode but with a slight twist. Each team is assigned their own hammer and you’re required to find the opposing teams hammer and bring it back to your base. Each time you bring it back to your base, your team scores a point. In most version of Capture the Flag, the person carrying the flag is only allowed to run. In Jackhammer that’s different as the hammer carrier is allowed to use the hammer to smash the opposing team. Although you can’t spam the smash button as each hammer only has five charges per capture.

Domination – Domination Mode is all about capturing points. Each team begins with zero points and you’re required to scour the map in an attempt to find more points. Once you find a point, stand near it and you’ll be able to ‘capture’ the point and add it to your team.

Annihilation – Annihilation is a combination of every other mode.  The goal of this mode is to be the first team to reach 10,000 points. Earning points is done in several ways, like capturing a Jackhammer, killing other players for Blutonium and even capturing boxers.

#2 – Star Wars: Battlefront II (PC, Xbox, PlayStation 2)

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Have you ever watched a Star Wars movie and wonder what life would be like for a Storm Trooper? With Star Wars: Battlefront II those wondering days will soon be gone. The game was released in October 2005 for Microsoft Windows computers, PlayStation 2 and the original Xbox console. After the huge success of the first Star Wars: Battlefront game, the studio quickly started working on a sequel but felt there needed to be more added to the franchise if it were to be successful. More missions, vehicles, characters and maps are just a few of those things but the most exciting feature is for PC players who can easily download tools to create their very own Star Wars mod.

The story revolves around a lone Storm Trooper who has spent his entire life fighting in many battles. His origin begins around the time of The Clone Wars and features characters like Obi-Wan Kenobi and Anakin Skywalker. There’s also a second time period that connects the first arc to the second and is set around the time of The Battle for Hoth. Characters in the second arc include Chancellor Palpatine and Darth Vader himself.

There are four factions within the game that you are able to play as. Each faction has the same standard four characters: Infantry, Heavy Weapon, Engineer and Sniper, and two other classes that are unique to the faction you are currently playing as. You essentially go through the game fighting on several different planets that you can access via a starship. Depending on what class you’re playing as, you have access to a variety of weapons that you use to kill a number of opponents and complete missions, all the while following the general storyline from the movies.

Reception for Star Wars: Battlefront II was exceptionally high with most people praising its intricate gameplay, the storyline, the different campaign modes and especially the vocal talent that was on board for this game. If you’re interested in buying the game, your best bet is to purchase it on Steam. While the game originally launched with multiplayer modes, that part of the game is long gone and you’ll rarely find people interested in playing multiplayer, so you’re better off sticking to the single-player storyline which is still great on its own.

#1 – Overwatch (PC, Xbox One, PlayStation 4)

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Finishing off the top five list is none other than Blizzard’s newest game – Overwatch, a first-person shooter developed by one of the most popular video game companies of all time. Before writing this piece I will note that the game technically has not been released yet. It’s currently in its beta stage which is available to those that pre-order the game and will be officially released on May 24th.

Overwatch is being developed by the same company that developed the popular Warcraft, Diablo and Starcraft game series. Their newest IP, Overwatch is set in the near-future Earth where artificial intelligence has become more prominent. It features a set of new characters introduced into the Blizzard Universe, each being unique in their own diverse way. Blizzard felt that video games are now played by every type of person, and they wanted a cast of characters that felt represented every type of player – including monkeys!

Because of Blizzard’s history with video games, they wanted Overwatch to have incorporated elements of their current role-playing games. There are four modes of characters, each barring resemblance to the standard Tank, Healer and Damage per Second classes that Blizzard has already perfected.

Offense – Classes who specialize in Offense are the main damage dealers. You can expect these classes to do a high amount of damage but at the same time they require a lot of healing to keep them alive.

Defense – Similar to Offense in that they do damage but they’re more interested in attacking because they are attempting to defend their position. Because there are multiple game modes, you’re going to need a wide range of defense set up across the maps.

Tank – Tanks don’t deal the most damage in the game but they sure can take a hit. Tank classes have the most amount of health in the game and they tend to draw enemy fire towards them. On the flip side, if you see a tank you’re going to want to defeat them quickly.

Support – The buffs / debuffs class. Supporting characters are the backbone of every team and while they don’t have the most amount of life points and they don’t deal the most amount of damage, they’re still a worthy part of every team. You’ll need support to help keep you alive and simultaneously place debuffs on the opposing team.

Gameplay features a squad of 6v6 players on a team who are on a mission to both defeat the opposing team and complete their mission. There are a few game modes in the game and depending on what game mode you’re participating in, your overall mission will change. The important thing to understand is that you’ll need to take down the opposing team with any weapon in your arsenal. Whereas most games have the player sticking to one character at a time, Blizzard feels the opposite and in fact both encourages and offers the player to shift between characters upon death. Overwatch really is the first-person shooter of the future and will raise the standards of shooters and video games alike. While it comes attached with a hefty price tag it combats that with great action and a promise to all future content, free of charge.

That about wraps it up for the top five games like Team Fortress 2. You have more than enough options in this list alone to keep you satisfied if you’re looking for a new first-person shooter or just any game in general that offers what Team Fortress 2 does.

What is your favorite game like Team Fortress 2? Have you checked out Overwatch yet? Let me know in the comments below!

David Stewart
David Stewart
I really enjoy learning anything I can about a wide variety of subjects. Other hobbies include playing League of Legends, World of Warcraft, and just generally staying current in the going-ons of todays world, from politics to gaming news.
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