Valve and Electronic Arts have released a brand new set of screenshots for the long-awaited Team Fortress 2, a title based on the original Quake mod. The game has been through a variety of concepts and designs since its initial inception, eventually appearing as something that closer resembles the distinctive cartoon-like style of the 1996 original.

The new screens show the game shaping up just great, with more than a hint of a Pixar or Dreamworks CGI animation look about them. A trailer shown at a press conference in July of this year pointed towards Team Fortress 2 offering a more light-hearted approach to the genre, but Valve insisted that didn't necessarily mean the gameplay would be lacking. Gabe Newell, the managing director of Valve, said the studio's goal is to create, "the best looking and best-playing class-based multiplayer game." Can't fault Valve's ambition.

The new stills show off just how far the franchise has come in over a decade. Every shot bursts forth with personality and a level of depth that, while not realistic, is tantalising GamerSquad's gaming taste buds already.

Yum!

Team Fortress 2 will will be available as part of the Half-Life 2: Episode 2 Orange Box, which is currently slated for a release on October 09 for the Microsoft Xbox 360, Sony PlayStation 3 and PC.