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Counter-Strike
by Jolex Del Pilar
Sunday, November 16 2003
Once a simple game mod, now an online gaming phenomenon.
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Title:
Counter-Strike
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Platform:
Xbox
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Publisher:
Microsoft Game Studios |
Developer:
Valve |
#
of Players: 1 - 16 (Xbox Live) |
Genre:
Action
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Origin:
United States
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Expected
Release:
November 2003 |
Grapevine:
Counter-Strike remains one of the best reasons to finally ante up and purchase Xbox Live. |
In 1999, the first beta version of Counter-Strike was released on the internet for the PC version of Half-Life. At the time, it was a nice distraction for players who wanted something besides Team Fortress. Through 2000, multiple beta versions were released, with each successive upgrade improving upon the last. College dormitories, frat houses, and teenager's rooms were filled with the sounds of automatic fire, grenade explosions, and calls of "Follow me!" This new found popularity caught the attention of Valve, the creators of Half-Life, who then felt compelled to hire the people responsible for Counter-Strike. With a retail version of the game released in 2001, the rest is history.
Now in 2003, with Microsoft's Xbox Live online gaming service in full swing, the perfect opportunity for Counter-Strike to make the jump from PCs to consoles is at hand, and for the most part it is without flaw. While the game remains very much the same game that PC players are playing now, the Xbox version comes with a practice bot mode when a player can practice in single player against fairly tough bots who try to simulate the difficulty of playing against a real human. Obviously, the bots aren't nearly as good as the Counter-Strike fanatics that most PC gamers will meet on any given server, but they do give the player a chance to get used to the often chaotic nature of the Counter-Strike multiplayer environment.
Once you get your feet wet, it's time to connect to Xbox Live. I've said it before, and I'll say it again, Xbox Live is the best online gaming service on the net now. It's so amazingly easy, you have one login, you connect, and you're ready to play. No hassles, no configuring ports, and no infuriating software conflicts to deal with. Xbox Live is hassle free. The Xbox Live Counter-Strike community has rapidly grown too. As of early December 2003, the Counter-Strike game servers were teeming with players ready to engage in bomb defusal, hostage rescue, or just pure team death match. Though the game modes are fairly limited, it doesn't detract from the fact that what's there is really fun.
Counter-Strike shines as an action game. While it's not quite on the realism level that Rainbow Six is, the game isn't as free and loose as say Quake III. Headshots will definitely kill in one shot, as they should, but leg shots won't cripple you either like they do in Rainbow Six. This is a good medium for the average player who is looking for forgiving gameplay that remains realistic as far as games go. Controlling the action is done with the duel analogs of the Xbox controller. While the left stick will control movement, the right stick controls your weapons aim. Personally I found it a bit unresponsive at times, but you can configure the sensitivity of the sticks in the options menu. Still, and this is admittedly personal preference, nothing seems to feel quite as natural as a keyboard and mouse combo, which is unfortunately not available in tandem right now for the Xbox.
Counter-Strike at its core is a team-based game. It's counter-terrorism, it's terrorism, it's both. You pick one side, and attempt to either prevent the otherside from taking your hostages back, or you join the team with the uneviable task of bringing everyone back alive. The action really comes alive during an online game, especially if you have a headset. Communicating with team members, asking for backup, communicating hostage locations, it all gives the player the illusion that they are actually part of a major operation. In terms of the overall impact of Counter-Strike on the Xbox, this is the Xbox's answer to the PS2's popular SOCOM: Navy Seals series of gaming.
Make no mistake though, Counter-Strike is meant to be played as a multiplayer game, anti-socials need not apply. While the game does offer the thin veil of a single player experience, it is shallow, and uninspiring when played solo. There is no split screen multiplayer mode, so you must have Xbox Live to play with friends, no exceptions. If that sounds like a bit too much of an investment, keep in the mind that Xbox Live is available now for the affordable price of $50, and that includes 1 full year of play, that's less than $5 a month (Most MMO-type games charge over $10/month). With over 50 supported titles, you're bound to find more than one that fits your fancy, and when you take into mind that Xbox Live is non-hands-on, meaning no software or hardware to configure, the value of Microsoft's gaming service starts to become clearer in perspective. The question remains though, is Counter-Strike the killer-app that will push gamers to make the Xbox Live plunge. For most action gamers, granting they have friends who are also action buffs, and have Xbox systems, the answer will be yes. For those who don't have friends or dislike action games, and yes, sadly they do exist, then the shallow solo experience will probably not be enough to warrent a purchase of this title. For everyone else though, thank Valve for bringing this rich multiplayer experience to the consoles, it's about time.
--- Jolex Del Pilar
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