Last Flag feels like a love letter to Team Fortress 2

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As a passionate gamer, I’ve found that many team objective shooters tend to guide you and your team along specific routes, clash with the enemy, and repeat this process until one side breaks through the other’s defenses. While an individual player might occasionally break free for a standout performance, it’s not typically the intended core experience. However, Last Flag, reminiscent of the iconic Team Fortress 2, revolutionizes the combat dynamics by offering a vast, open map. Unlike traditional games where you’re channeled down predetermined paths, enemies here can emerge from seemingly every direction, adding an extra layer of unpredictability and excitement to the gameplay.

Absolutely, Last Flag is a unique take on the capture-the-flag genre in shooting games. Instead of the typical format, in this game, each team must secretly stash their flag somewhere within their own map section, which is divided by a massive drape. This means that the map can’t be a simple, straight pathway; it needs to be spacious enough to accommodate hidden areas like caves or side passages. Once the flag has been concealed, teams can try to guard it, but doing so reveals its position to the opposing team.

At the start of the game, the stage is set, allowing you to explore freely. Scattered across the map’s equator are three towers. Capturing these towers helps speed up the process of determining the flag’s location. However, you also have the option to venture into the wilderness and search for the flag yourself. This implies that conflicts occur primarily along the equator, but they can break out in various locations as well. The towers serve as hotspots, but engaging in enemy territory or vice versa leads to skirmishes happening unpredictably. It’s wise to seek high ground to get a better view and spot enemies before they approach you, as otherwise, it can be challenging to detect them.

During gameplay, the outcome significantly relies on the character you’ve chosen. Similar to Team Fortress 2 and Overwatch, this is a team-based shooter where each selectable character possesses unique weaponry and abilities that can be enhanced throughout the match by accumulating in-game currency. These enhancements persist even if you decide to switch characters during the game. Characters have individual names and backgrounds, but also use easy-to-recognize nicknames like Soldier or Scout, a nod to TF2 players.

Admittedly, when playing Last Flag, I had to swiftly accept my shortcomings in stealth or locating the flag. Perhaps it’s due to needing more practice with the map layout. However, one thing that really got me excited was firing at opponents. If my experiences with TF2 have taught me anything, it’s that a few well-aimed shots and plenty of jumping can lead to success, and this strategy definitely paid off for me in this game, as long as I had a weapon with decent spread.

Although I’m not completely convinced that Last Flag will dominate the shooter genre, I believe there is a group of gamers who are excited about a game resembling Team Fortress 2 in essence. With numerous hero shooters emerging since then, only a handful have managed to recreate the timeless charm that continues to draw tens of thousands of players back to TF2, even without significant content updates for years. I suspect Last Flag is quite close to achieving this, but I’m unsure if it will be enough to entice gamers to give it a try.

As an ardent follower, let me share an interesting tidbit: The visionaries behind Last Flag’s creation are none other than Dan and Mac Reynolds, who gained fame as the musical powerhouse Imagine Dragons. You know them well, the band that graced us with the Arcane opening theme and those catchy tunes that seem to be everywhere these days. It’s fascinating to learn that this successful duo has channeled their success into a gaming endeavor, Night Street Games, which undeniably appears to be a labor of love and passion for the world of video games.

Experiencing a multiplayer game with unfamiliar faces can sometimes feel uncomfortable. Such games are usually more enjoyable among friends, rather than random media types and developers. However, even when I was venturing solo or unexpectedly joining forces to rescue teammates in Last Flag, I found myself genuinely enjoying the experience. To my surprise, I was looking forward to returning as soon as I had to sign off. Admittedly, it’s uncertain how this experience will translate into real-life situations, but for now, I’m hoping that Last Flag gets a chance. If it does, it might just become a niche classic – and that’s saying something, considering its superiority over FBC: Firebreak in terms of first impressions.

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2025-06-07 01:46