Counter-Strike Source More of the same or an all-new game? Who cares when there's a team of dastardly terrorists to maim. It's a global phenomenon. It's Counter-Strike. If that sounds like a pile of marketing euphemisms for a violent game that panders to western clichés about terrorism, then suck on this. Upwards of 70,000 people in over 50 nations are now playing Counter-Strike. So, chuck a pair of gaming-savvy sprogs from Dubai and Detroit together on a LAN and watch those cultural and religious barriers dissolve. Probably. Just as remarkable is Counter-Strike's longevity. For a five-year-old title to maintain leadership in any genre of PC gaming is unprecedented. Time, however, waits for no game. CS has finally been given the pixel-shaded, rag doll-animated makeover the world and his M4-toting dog has been gagging for since Valve announced the world's favourite online shooter would be making the move to the Source engine. Seasoned CS addicts can rest assured everything that made the original so compelling survives in this Half-Life 2-powered rejig. So, that's a no-frills interface that eschews fancy menus for a bullshit-free experience. More importantly, it's still the ruthless, lightning-fast yet claustrophobically-paced, fun that CS has always been. What it doesn't represent is progress. For sure, the graphics are a major step forward. Specular highlighted surfaces abound and the pixel-perfect water is truly a definitive example of the Fresnel refractor's art. But overall the look is less than the sum of its parts. The dumbed-down lighting engine can't hold a candle to Doom 3's alternative. But, since CS has never been about graphics, we'll concede enough has been done to keep up with the DX9-rendered Joneses. We're less willing to be apologetic about the gameplay. The longer you play, the more apparent it becomes that this game is an opportunity missed. At first, the ability to give a barrel a quick shove to clear a corridor is liberating. And occasionally you get a glimpse of the future of gaming. With time, though, you realise that objects can't be manipulated in a useful way. As used in CS:Source, that ground breaking physics engine is just gimmickry. Likewise, no attempt has been made to make the robotic hostages lifelike. So much for HL2's ground-breaking AI. But we have a confession: we just can't stop playing it. Will CS: Source be the number one online shooter another five years from now? We wouldn't bet against it. Jeremy Laird This article first appeared in PC Format Issue 168 - December 2004 Click Here to Shop Format page for printing Email article to a friend ...
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As Valve upgrades their library to the Source engine players are quick to question if the transition will ruin or keep their support to their games. We'll take a look at Counter-Strike: Source and see how much the game has evolved. ...
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Counter-Strike: Source blends Counter-Strike's award-winning teamplay action with the advanced technology of Source technology. Featuring state of the art graphics, all new sounds, and introducing physics, Counter-Strike: Source is a must-have for every action gamer.
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