An absolute blast, if you have friends willing to play.

To those of you who played this before TF2: I don't think I need to change anyone's minds on this. You already know you like it.

To those of you curious onlookers from TF2: Like any "old" shooter that still actually has a fanbase, this one takes dedication.

If you can accept the fact that you'll spend quite a bit of time getting wasted like a scrub, the competitive scene for TFC is divine, boasting a fast pace that completely leaves TF2's playerbase wondering what happened. Completely lacking in superfluous headgear and imbalanced weapon combinations, this will be a welcome change for FPS purists looking for a challenge.

For those looking only to pub, I would hesitate to recommend it. This is very much a game where you have to be willing to learn every nuance in order to best enjoy it.

If you can stomach the awkward difficulty curve and get past the game's lackluster production values, this one's a solid arena shooter. Tripwire has improved it far beyond its origins as a UT mod.

Just be ready to accept that unless you have friends, you're gunning solo 90% of the time, and this game simply does not care about how unfair the odds will be sometimes. Add into that some horribly iffy hit detection along with the game's learning curve, and it's not for everyone.