Half-Life: Counter Strike Review

Overall Rating

The best online game ever made in my opinion. Many cash/computer equipment competitions for this game, Countless people play this game worldwide so its great for online multiplayer.

The cheating online.

Counter-Strike must be the best online game ever made, brought out for many consoles as well as the PC. Its been so successful on the PC that many more beta (extra) versions have been made due to its popularity. It was originally created as an add-on for the equally successful game of Half-Life. But due to Counter-Strike propelling worldwide with so much respect and interest from gamers it has lasted over seven years to my knowledge.

The game can be bought from many of your nearest gaming shops for around £5-£10 which is quite cheap for a game you can redeem so much enjoyment from. When you do buy the game though be sure that the packaging hasn't be messed with as the CD-key may have been used, the CD-key is needed as your own Personal account code.

I mean were do I start, the graphics aren't the best for the PC by far, but they are perfect for what online gamers look for these days. You don't need the top specification computer to run this game and as of most games can be played comfortably from your own room. Counter-Strike is a action packed game with a real 'feel as though you're there' appeal. Its a team-based game (counter terrorists and terrorists), which is great as you and your mates can play with each other online on many different maps.

The dozens of maps and players are on numerous different servers worldwide, the servers from the country you're from will obviously benefit your gaming experience, as the connections differ around the world, so say you're from the UK and you play on a Swedish server your gameplay will feel a little slower and less enjoyable, but again if you play on UK server and you're from the UK your gaming experience will be great.

Well now for the in-game play. It is very addictive, when you join a public server you will play amongst many playing from all over the country. It is packed with many obstacles, guns, bomb planting areas and hostage situations. The guns and equipment vary, such as, knife, handguns/dual handguns, sub machine-guns, machine-guns and sniper rifles, and the equipment menu consists of Kevlar, helmet, flash/high explosive/smoke grenades, defuse kit, night vision and shield. Although some of these you can only purchase depending on which team you are currently playing on. On most played maps there are 2 bomb-sites labelled A and B, which are both protected by the counter terrorists, and the objective of the game suggests the terrorists win the round by blowing up one of these sites. The terrorists will start off the round with one of their lucky team-mates spawning (starting) with the bomb backpack, and its up to his/her team-mates to protect him/her to get to the bomb spot and plant the bomb and wait around 35 seconds for the bomb to blow up the site area and hence win the round. The Counter terrorists will try and guard these bomb-sites and try and prevent the terrorists from planting the bomb, if the bomb is planted the counter-terrorist can defuse the bomb in the 35 seconds, they defuse it without a defuse kit but it takes more time or they can defuse it in half the time by purchasing a defuse kit for $650 which is money well spent in my opinion. The round can also end when everyone from one of the two teams is out of action (dead). The next round will start with all the players on the server spawning at the spawn point.

I have been playing the game for around five years to date, the thing that interests me to the game as of now, apart from the brilliance and addictiveness, is that many worldwide and national competitions have been introduced, which gives all the online players something to play for, rather than just the fun factor. For the people who dedicate their lives/spare time to online games there are numerous competitions and online leagues to participate in, if you are one of the lucky people who will establish an online 5-on-5 team. Some of the good players at the game, who are now labelled as professional gamers, which in my eyes is a bit over the top but then again fair enough as the best teams in the world play in all the big competitions and if they win make a living off doing something they love. One of the main competitions for the game these days is the Electronic Sports World Cup, which usually consists of many teams from each country battling it out to represent their own country in the worldwide finals, playing for prize money of around £50,000 between the team, top spec computers, sponsors such as (Intel, AMD, Razer, Everglide... and more). I mean if you can manage to get as good as that then I guess the game was a good purchase, no?

The only bad thing I can say about the game is that cheats and hacks have been made for it, but each day the providers (Valve) find ways of blocking the cheats out, but like a vicious circle new ways are found to cheat.

My final say on this game is that if you love your action based online games this is definitely the game for you and should not be passed without being given a good few days trial, as I and Thousands of online gamers around the world and computer magazines will agree this must be one of the greatest online games that has ever been made for the PC.

Buy it! Money will be well spent!

Members' Comments onashmoz's Review

• happydan on 2nd May 2007

  Good review, but have you tried any of the many other team-based games out there? Battlefield 2 is excellent, especially with the Project Reality mod, which makes everything so gritty. I'm also playing Armed Assault which is VERY realistic.

• ashmoz on 2nd May 2007

  Yes mate I love my online games played BF1942, C&C Generals, Unreal Tournament, Halo, CoD, Warcraft, I just like the speed of Counterstrike and the game play basically, I'm not saying other games aren't good its just the game speed, play and the numerous competitions really.

• consolecharlie on 25th May 2007

  Great review, Counter Strike: Source has sorted the cheating thing though.