Last year was the first year I participated in the Scream Fortress, Team Fortress Halloween event (I missed the first year. While I owned TF2, my computer had just died and my secondary machine wasn't up to the task). I was memorized looking for those packages, and I think the Horseless Headless Horseman was an incredible boss, mostly due to his spooky cartoony look and the deadly game of tag he played.

As I said, the thing that really mesmerized me was those packages. Seeking out the floating, spinning green presents was one of the most fun events I have experienced in video games, and that is already coming from an already great experience that is Team Fortress 2.

I had so much fun last year that I assumed it wouldn't be able to top last years event, but they have.

The greatest improvement over last year is the addition of 27 different costume pieces, once complete set for each class, and those pieces that are found in the underworld have the haunted, in a way doubling the number of pieces.

Also, this year there is a new boss, MONOCULUS, adds a new dimension to the game. First, instead of the Horsemann's insta kill strike, he throws rockets (well really eyeballs) at you, which vary in damage level depending on how directly they hit you, so it's not a guaranteed kill for him. The other thing when he disappears, he leaves a portal that will allow you to enter Underworld, which is an small island below the main map. If he his defeated, he will leave behind a portal leading to Loot Island, where you get a chance to view and receive the BOMBINOMICON, a nice tribute to the necronomicon, from the Evil Dead films.

While I have no complaints with this years event, there are a few short comings I would like to note. The map they used is just an cosmetic change to a pre-existing map, which is slightly small. Also the new boss, MONOCULUS, while in some ways better than his predecessor, is simpler from a design point of view, so less visually appealing.

Also there are a number of people scamming this system with admin powers, no clipping and stealing all the presents as well as the guys who shoot you in the back when you are almost on the present or shoot you off the present when you found it first. Even with those problems, it's still a great event and the high point of Halloween gaming.