Counter-Strike - Nothing compares. (Counter-Strike: Source (PC))

Member Name: eelam_garek

Product:	Counter-Strike: Source (PC)
Date:	17/03/09 (100 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Unique game, realistic, definatly hours of fun if you're not careful, can play with friends online

Disadvantages: It can be detrimental to your social life.

Counter-Strike has a somewhat vibrant history. Originally designed as a simple mod for the already existing and ever popular Half Life, it quickly took off as one of the most played online games of our time. Even now, the predecessor to Counter-Strike: Source, Counter-Strike 1.6 - remains one of the most popular games on the internet. Counter-Strike in general still has a thriving community of die hard fans, who love the genre dearly. It's probably useful to reveal I'm one of those fans. so this review is likely to be bias from the outset. I will try and keep some objectivity though!

The basic formula for Counter-Strike: Source is simple. There are two teams. One team is composed of Counter-Terrorists (CT's), and the other of Terrorists (T's). You choose a side, and play as part of a team via the internet, with alot of other gamers who in turn choose their team. Counter-strike is a First Person Shooter (FPS). However, unlike a normal multiplayer FPS, when you die in Counter-Strike, you don't respawn instantly. Instead, the game is played in rounds, and a death means you watch out the rest of the round from another living player's eyes. Don't worry though, rounds only usually last a few minutes, then the round starts again, and you're back in the fray. When a round does end, both teams respawn at their designated areas, ready to set off again.

The winners are the team who win the most rounds after the current map being played ends. A map, for those of you who aren't sure, is basically the environment you play in. Think of it as a level, or a confined space in which to play. Counter-Strike has quite a few different maps, that all offer different types of playing fields and environments. The type of map being played will dictate exactly what type of scenario will be being played. The scenarios are as follows:

The first is the bomb defusal scenario. One member of the T team will spawn with the bomb and they (along with their team), must plant the bomb in a designated area and defend it until it explodes. The CT's job is to dispose of the T's, but ultimately defuse the bomb. This scenario requires the T's to be on the offensive, and the CT's to be fairly defensive. This scenario can also be won by elimitating the entire opposing team

The second scenario involves CT's having to rescue Hostages from a designated area, where the T's are holding them. This means the CT's have to be a bit more offensive in this scenario if they want to rescue the hostages safely. The CT's then need to take guide the hostages back to a safe area to win the round. Alternatively, eliminate the opposing team once again, and your team can win this way.

Team sizes on Counter-Strike can vary, from 1 v 1 all the way up to as many as 32 total players, making up 16 players on each team. Counter-Strike is based heavily on teamplay. If you decide to run off on your own, you're likely to end up with a bullet in your head, or outnumbered by a team that has decided to stick together. For this reason, it pays you to run around with your team and work together to achieve the best outcome. I feel it is the teamplay element that is largely to do with Counter-Strike's overall success, as players can work together to achieve something. Couple this with the realism players feel (for example there aren't any huge coats of armour, if you get shot in the head - you're dead, simple as that), makes Counter-Strike unique and a winning formula.

The weapons in Counter-Strike: Source are also true to the realism. There are no immense rocket launchers or BFG's (spot the classic game reference!) here. The order of play is military issue weapons. All your USP's, Glocks, AK-47's and a some sniper rifles - to name a few. All the weaponry composes of guns that exist in the real world - just like Counter Terrorists and Terrorists do!

At the start of each round you buy weapons for that given round. The money you use to buy these comes from your performance in the previous round. You will get money more for killing people, planting bombs/defusing bombs etc. but there is also a flat rate of cash awarded at the end of each round to both teams. The winning team will be awarded more cash however. At the start of a brand new game every player starts with a base amount of cash.

The major change from Counter-Strike 1.6 to Counter-Strike: Source was the change in engine used to develop the game. Source is built on the Half Life 2 engine, whereas 1.6 was based on the original Half Life engine. This opened up alot of possibilities for the developers. The obvious upgrade is the graphical element. Source looks very nice. Other reviewers of this game have claimed that it looks weak in comparison to more modern games, but I implore them to try the old 1.6 again, then play Source straight after. The difference is stark. 1.6 feels like playing one of the old Doom games, it looks that old. It also handles alot differently and you soon become alot more appreciative of the new Source engine!

Counter-Strike Source also emplys the use of "Rag-Doll" player modeling. This basically means more realistic death animations. If you kill an enemy player, instead of just falling to the ground in a pretty linear and repeating pattern - players who die in Source have a very unique and Rag-doll like quality to them, hence the term. In essence, no one dies the same way twice. The body can roll, fall, simply fall flat etc. It adds that little bit extra realism - which is what the developers always had in mind for this game.

Although this game operates on a new game engine than the original, it still feels like Counter-Strike. The game style is unmistakable. For new players, this will be lost on you and it will just feel like a normal game (but a very good game!). For the veterans amongst us, you'll know what I mean. Counter-Strike remains one of the most popular online games to date, and if you haven't already tried it, I implore you to. Be warned though, hours of your life will suddenly disappear if you're not careful!

Counter-Strike is a classic, that everyone should try at least once.

Summary: Counter-Strike is not to be missed, to be put quite simply - FPS at it's best.