TF2‘s Scout Becomes A “Force-A-Nature”

Want to shoot things, watch them fly backwards and then reload very slowly? The Scout’s new gun, the Force-A-Nature, coming in this week’s update, might just be for you.

For such an obnoxious dude, Team Fortress 2‘s Scout sure gets treated pretty well. Who’s giving this loudmouthed Bostonian new reasons to bray off even more than he already does? Oh yeah, Valve is, with their class update this week. First was the Sandman bat that gives him a ranged stun attack, then it was the Bonk Energy Drink item, that’ll make him even faster than he already is for a limited time. Now it’s the Force-A-Nature, a double-barreled shotgun that packs a huge punch and an even huger reload time.

“Any outdoorsman will tell you the most frustrating part of hunting is when a deer simply falls down when shot, and doesn’t fly backward into the forest,” Valve’s faux-ad for the weapon reads. “Those days are over. Anything this baby hits better pack a lunch, ’cause it is going for a ride!’

The Force-A-Nature isn’t just good for killing things, though. If you fire it in the air, it’ll give you a little boost further skyward, potentially giving the Scout, who can already magically jump twice in the air, a third mid-air leap. This could be dangerous, Medics.

Scout haters can take some solace, though, in the fact that the Force-A-Nature is a bit limited in its use: Scouts only get two shots and have to suffer through a long reload when using it. Still, considering an able Scout could already do enough damage with the default Scattergun, I can see the Force-A-Nature more than living up to its name in the hands of skilled players.

If you’re dreading being killed by this thing relentlessly, you might want to head over here and vote at the poll at the bottom of the page, which will determine which unlockable item – The Sandman, Bonk Drink or Force-A-Nature – gets released first. I’m thinking The Force-A-Nature’s going to take first place, but I already placed my vote (you need to log in to Steam to do it) anyway. Sigh. Going to be hearing a lot of “Need a dispenser here!!” in TF2 this week.