Team Factor Demo

Team Factor is a first-person shooter that aimed to be a better version of the popular Counter-Strike mode for Half-Life, by including a variety of new items, maps, and even a new faction, thus raising the total number to three. Unfortunately, the gameplay did not manage to rise to the expectations, which is basically the main reason why Counter-Strike was and still is so popular among gamers.

The game starts off by allowing you to choose the desired team, of which there are three, rather than the two available in Counter-Strike. These factions are the Russian Spetznaz, the terrorists and the U.S. Special Forces. Naturally, each team has different weapons that can be used during the confrontations, as well as different equipment and a distinct look when it comes to their uniform.

Before jumping into multiplayer, you might find it useful to play a few training matches against the bots, in order to get a grip on the mechanics and familiarize yourself with the gameplay. However, this might also turn you off for good before you even get a chance to play it with other people, since the major gameplay flaws are visible from the first few minutes and there it certainly doesn't make any sense to keep playing.

One of the better ideas introduced by the game is the character customization and development, since you can increase your effectiveness with certain weapons and gradually get better the more you play. This progress is saved online, which means that you get to make use of your abilities at all times, regardless of what server you are on and whether it is online or a local game.

However, that is practically the one and only positive thing about the game, since the rest fails to make a case for itself and it certainly tries so hard to make you hate it. Hence, the graphics are not exactly bad, but the level design is very poor and you can frequently get stuck in the terrain, unable to move unless you perform a few wild mouse movements. The actual shooting is pretty disappointing as well, which kind of ruins the entire game experience.

In the end, Team Factor should have paid more attention when it came to providing the players with a smooth gameplay and sturdy mechanics, rather than try to dazzle them with more weapons and pretty character skins. Thus, it all amounts to nothing if you are not able to enjoy the game, due to bugs, control issues and many other such flaws.