It may have taken nine years of development, but Team Fortress 2 (TF2) is finally ready to hit the scene with its warp speed multiplayer action and highly stylized gameplay. Valve recently opened the game to public beta testing for all those who pre-ordered the Orange Box, so of course we couldn't resist getting our hands dirty fighting it out online.

TF2 plays remarkably well for a beta. Although we experienced a couple of hiccups in which we teleported and the server finder was sometimes unreliable, the majority of the game works wonderfully. The highly stylized, cartoonish characters give the game a strong sense of identity by distinguishing it from Valve's other shooters like Counter-Strike: Source. It also gives the developers license to cut loose with some over-the-top bloodshed. When a player gets killed, a camera zooms in on the assailant and gives a chance to take a picture before respawn, allowing the opportunity for revenge. TF2 also goads players into a fighting frenzy by taunting them. For example, getting blown up will pop up little text balloons to point out where all your various body parts landed. Alternatively, dying could bring up a score box telling the player to look on the bright side, they did more damage this time around than the last. Characters also have the built in taunts and responses that activate according to situation, separating out the ones near death from the ones running a rampage. Revenge kills earn bigger points, so players should load up their guns and get into the fight.

Aside from a guided tour showing off the different player classes and the design nuances, TF2 doesn't offer any sort of practice mode or tutorial. Players will need to memorize the maps by playing them and go through each class until they find one that fits. Some maps and game modes lend themselves to certain classes better than others. Loads of engineers emerge to set up sentry guns on maps featuring lots of narrow corridors or when a team is trying to defend an area. Demolition Men can bounce grenades around corners, making them invaluable when dealing with players who like to pop back and forth through doorways. The medic offers a constant flow of healing, and can also build up a charge to activate a ten second invulnerability mode for both the medic and patient to break through heavily fortified areas. Another great thing about the healing system is that players can call out for help, causing a flag to pop up on the medic's screen, directing him to his injured teammate. However, players should keep an eye out for Spies, since there doesn't seem to be any kind of detection system, and they can disable an engineer's turrets. The only way to expose a spy is to stay vigilant of people acting funny or running the wrong way, which totally beats waiting for the Spy to launch a surprise strike.

Competitors should prepare for the game's extremely fast pace. If it weren't for the opportunity to take a quick picture of your killer, there would be almost no way to tell whether you were mowed down by a heavy gunner or head shot by a sniper. Even though there will no doubt be hardcore players, the insane speed and outrageous style makes the game difficult to take seriously. It's an extremely liberating feeling to jump into a competitive multiplayer game that isn't completely weighed down with all the seriousness of Counter-Strike and playing for the sheer joy of getting back at others. Expect the Internet to burn up with non-stop Team Fortress 2 competition when Orange Box releases October 10. Check back to GameDaily for more coverage then.