Steam / Counter-Strike 1.6

Overview

Is there anyone who hasn’t played a Counter-Strike game or even heard about it? All the elements of true competition and sweat-soaked-shirt anxiety are blended into an incredibly entertaining multiplayer game. Counter-Strike started as just another modification for Half-Life but then it quickly transformed into a full-blown retail game and one of the core games of Valve, the popular company behind popular titles such as Half-Life 2, Portal and Team Fortress.

An outstanding multiplayer game, Counter-Strike has revolutionized the way in which first person shooters are played online. Let’s review this superb game in our quick article, as you will easily see the reasons why you should get this game now!

Installation

So you want to download and install Counter-Strike? The first thing you should know about this game is that it comes with Valve’s distribution system, the popular Steam platform. A broadband platform for the delivery and management of digital content, Steam also works whilst you’re in the game and its main purpose it to deliver all of your desired games as soon as possible to your PC. As a result, the setup kit of Counter-Strike measures around 370MB in size, and you will also be getting the Steam platform on your system. In addition, Steam has a ton of features and advantages, such as automatic updates, Steam-Only special offers that are a lot cheaper that the retail counterparts, chatting with friends and much, much more. In order to be able to run the game, you will need at least a system equipped with a 500 MHz processor, 96MB Ram and a 16MB video card. In this day and age, these system requirements are ridiculously low so you should be fine.

Interface

From a visual point of view, the game certainly doesn’t disappoint as it boasts some of the most realistic gun models of any available shooter out there. What is more, a smooth look and feel is created by the game’s graphics which sport good environmental textures that look realistic and visually appealing maps. The Half-Life graphics engine is utilized to its fullest potential and it certainly shows. The lightning is good; there are a lot of skins you can download and that look great. Overall, Counter-Strike is a beautiful multiplayer game that you shouldn’t miss. Let’s move on the fantastic and addicting game play of Counter-Strike!

Pros

Although a single-player component is implemented into CS, this game is all about visceral, online action. A game of cat and mouse is basically being played between a squad of counter-terrorists and a terrorist group. The planting of a bomb at a specific location or holding a group of hostages are your goal as a terrorist; the duty of a counter-terrorist is to defuse the above mentioned bomb or save the unlucky hostages. In order for victory to be achieved, as an alternative to the previous mentioned goals, all of the players on the opposing side must be taken out of action. An action lover's dream, the multiplayer matches in CS are fast and brutal as one single, well-placed shot to the head means instant death. Many have called it the perfect mix between realistic damage and fast-action. It is very important for the team to actually work as a team because most often, taking the lone wolf approach will get you killed.

The main aspects that make CS so fun are the team-based tactics and selection of weapons. A wide variety of accurately modeled shotguns, pistols, assault rifles, submachine guns and sniper rifles are provided to the player, besides the usual knife and assorted grenades. It is a terrific mix and the best thing about it is that every weapon has its own stats and unique characteristics. Thus, replay value is guaranteed as you try your best to master all of the available weapons. In the sound department, CS doesn’t disappoint and offers realistic gun and environmental sounds.

Cons

At first, there are a couple of features and game play mechanics that are frustrating, such as buying your weapons at the start of every round but, in time, you will quickly realize that they become enhancements to the online multiplayer gaming. You can also bind keys to a specific buying action in order to speed up the purchase process.

Alternatives

Alternatives to Counter-Strike include the following games: Unreal, Battlefield, Call of Duty and more.

Conclusion

In a nutshell, CS is a satisfying, intense and fast paced game that is very addictive! With such a huge user base to date, you should certainly try it for yourself if you haven’t been to the world of Counter-Strike!

Note:

This is the Steam installer. After you finish downloading and installing it, you can purchase games through it including Counter-Strike.