9. Team Fortress 2
Released: 2007
Developer: Valve
Publisher: Electronic Arts / Valve
In a sea of samey-looking, war-is-serious-business multiplayer shooters awash in brown-and-gray, grim-and-gritty scenery, Team Fortress 2 embraces goofy, exaggerated caricatures and bright, colorful environments, and runs hog wild with them. The ultimate in accessible first-person multiplayer shooters, TF2 offers something to everyone with its intuitive, class-based dynamics. Want to blow stuff up and rocket-jump your way across complex environments like a true twitch gamer? Saddle up with the Soldier or Demoman. Do you embrace the "one shot, one kill" camper ideology? The Sniper's made for you (and manages to be fun while deterring the cheap-ass tactics you picked him for). Do you suck at FPS games, and prefer to play a crucial support role? Well, that's what the Medic and Engineer are for. Team Fortress 2 empowers even the greenest FPS players, dropping them into a team environment where they don't have to be hardcore to have fun.
Not to mention, it's the most effective content-delivery platform that Valve's ever created. Over three years after its release, Team Fortress 2 continues to receive heaps of new maps, class-based weapons, achievement packs, and other updates. The fact that its dedicated fan-made servers still consistently number in he thousands (and that its dedicated players have developed numerous professional leagues) is a testament to the game's unwavering popularity. And it also serves as a reminder that grimy, realistic art styles aren't the only available paths to FPS success.