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CS Links |
Half-Life: Counter Strike |
Half-Life
Links |
Contrary to popular belief the world's current obsession with defeating terrorism doesn't date back to Fall 2001, but rather two years earlier, with the release of Counter-Strike. Originally just a mod(ification) for Valve's superb Half-Life, Counter-Strike would shortly earn its own retail release and go on to become one of (if not The) most popular online games ever. This is a true classic. Counter-Strike is team based, giving you the chance to become a member of either a trained terrorist, or counter-terrorist, unit. Deviating from the traditional deathmatch and CTF game types, Counter-Strike offers more real life scenarios such as Hostage Rescue, Defuse the Bomb and (my personal favorite) Assassination. In the latter one member of the counter-terrorist team is designated the VIP character, given minimal weaponry and must be escorted to a safe point by his teammates. This would be easy enough, of course, where it not for the team of highly trained international terrorists all gunning for the VIP's head. These game types are played out over a variety of maps, ranging from Aztec ruins to airport hangars to oilrigs. Weapons and equipment are available to 'buy' at the start of each five minute round, a wide variety of pistols, shotguns, rifles, semi-automatics, grenades, armour, etc. is available to choose from. The money to buy these weapons is earned by your in-game performance. Killing a member of the opposite team will earn enough to buy a small handgun, but accidentally shooting a hostage you were supposed to rescue will lose you a decent semi-automatic. Getting killed in Counter-Strike means you have to sit it out and wait for the next round to begin before you’re back in the action. This may sound shocking to the Quake diehards with their quick and dirty re-spawns, but it actually goes some way to improving the overall Counter-Strike experience. Knowing there may be a few minutes on the sidelines in store if you get popped forces the player to think more strategically about their play. Charging around blasting everything in sight is not the Counter-Strike way. Hiding in shadows, crouching behind crates, peeping round corners and sniping from high vantage points most definitely IS the Counter-Strike way. Graphically Counter-Strike is everything you could really expect from a four-year old release. It may be missing many of the lighting and rendering trickery that we’re spoiled with in 2003, but the good news is even a low-end machine (by today’s standards) will be able to run this comfortably. The programmers did include some useful sound effects (nearby footsteps, etc) but its mostly the standard gunshot, grenade explosion type affair here. Players with a headset will also be able to direct teammates/mutter expletives with the rest of the squad through the power of voice. Most Counter-Strike vets will be able to pinpoint the moment when they knew this game was the real deal. I know I can. It was when I felt the Pressure of being the last man standing for the counter-terrorist team, knowing full well my more experienced teammates would all be watching me through their observe-cams. The Tension of knowing somewhere on the map was a trained terrorist, probably camped up somewhere with his rifle lens scanning the courtyard, waiting for my head to appear in his range. And finally the Rush I got when I discovered said terrorist (rifle in hand) and emptied a Desert Eagle clip into his back should, frankly, be illegal. These emotions are familiar to all Counter-Strike gamers, and it's this more than any graphical/bloodshed appeal that keeps them coming back for more, year in year out. If you don't own a copy of this game, go out and snap it up on budget today. Apart from the hours you'’re going to lose in helpless addiction, you won’t regret a single penny. |
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