Counter-Strike

First, for those who have never heard of counterstrike, this was a user-created modification of the classic HalfLife game. Counterstrike pit counterterrorists against terrorists in a team vs team situation, moving through a variety of city, town and other landscapes.

As you might imagine, the graphics have been updated to take advantage of the great XBox engine. You get great rain and fog effects, as well as reasonably nice terrains. This isn't Splinter Cell, but it is far better than the original PC version.

The sounds are reasonably good too, with foodsteps, ambient noises, radio chatter and so on.

Players of counterstrike on the PC will immediately fall into play. The XBox controller is actually a benefit here.

Single player is great, with AI working quite well both with your teammates and your opponents. Where the game shines, of course, is in online multiplayer. XBox Live lets you take your skills and talents online against players around the world.

A great benefit is that you can easily play on the couch with your friends and family hanging out with you, instead of huddled around your computer monitor. This is a great thing for those all-night-long gaming sessions!

Sure, we play Counter Strike on the PC. But the servers are often laggy and full of cheaters. With the enhanced graphics and more stable servers of XBox Live, there's little reason to go back.


Counter-Strike is a Must Have   November 23, 2003
TheMemoriesBoard (St. Louis, Missouri)
13 out of 18 found this review helpful

Any first person shooter gamer will tell you that Counter Strike (Or CS more commonly known) is one of if not the BEST first person shooter games of its time before Battlefield 1942 or the new Medal of Honor games came to be. Now days people claim the game is old due to lack of graphics and eye candy. Or people are hacking in the game. Well ladies and gentlemen start your engines because thanks to Xbox Live, Valve, Ritual Studios and Turtle Rock Studios Counterstrike is BACK and better than ever.

Here is how I rate Counter-Strike for Xbox

Graphics - 9 out of 10

Using the brand new Half-life 2 Engine the Graphics remain true to the original but a lot more smooth and more this generation not to mention if you play it on a HDTV you will get 480p Mode which is super awesome. There is a few texturing glitches I found but you really have to look hard to notice.

Controls - 9.0 out of 10

Using a Controller over a Mouse and keyboard is a hard transition for PC Gamers who have never used a controller like the Xbox will be a challenge but with a little practice you will get used to it. The Controls all in all are very tight just like on the PC nothing has changed. The buying of weapons system is really a lot easier to navigate that's an added bonus.

Levels and Online play 9.0 out of 10

All of the Classic Levels you've come to know and love on the PC Are still here! You name it Dust, Dust 2, Italy and more!

Online play is seamless NO LAG and NO HACKING and that equals one heck of a game online using Xbox live you'll be making and joining clans and groups in no time. Using the 2 Tutorials will help you get in the game faster if you are new to the game.

The only drawback is that it is for people who have Broadband connections only (DSL Cable) and you will need to subscribe to Xbox Live. (The service charges range from $5.95 monthly to $50 yearly)

But it's well worth the price because this game also supports content download with new levels skins settings and more the best service to date by any company. And it's by Microsoft so you know you can expect the best.

The game is a lot more fast paced than rainbow six 3 and is also little more arcadeish than Rainbow Six 3 though it uses a lot of tactics it comes no where near as close as Rainbow Six 3's game play style which can be a good thing to a lot of players.

Overall this is currently #1 on a lot of gamer's lists to buy or get for Christmas and this game does not disappoint.

A Great port to a Great system using the best online service out there

Overall I give this Game a 9.0 out of 10


CounterStrike Worth the Buy? Sure, but only....   December 21, 2003
Jordin M Ward
11 out of 11 found this review helpful

Counterstrike has to be one of the most famous online first person shooters, if not, the most famous online game. Most computer junkies have played it and become addicted the moment they get thier first "frag." With all that said, Valve, the developer of Counterstrike, has just been released for the XBox with all the same aspects and you can play online using XBox LIVE. But does it live up to it's PC version?

The graphics virtually have no improvement from the PC version. Which is a bad thing because the graphics are not impressive at all, but to the contrary, the level designs are. Some are vast, some are small, but all of them are very well designed. Each level you play matches in has many areas to hide and get cover from enemy fire.

The sounds of gunfire, explosions, footsteps, and the voices are all very well done. Counterstrike also supports the custom soundtrack, which is very cool. Imagine fragging all your friends online while jamming to your favorite rock or rap group. If you have the music CD, you can listen to it while playing Counterstrike.

The gameplay is where Counterstrike shines. It's pure pulse pounding action playing it online. When I first played it using XBox LIVE, the bullets were flying, the bodies were piling up, the people were yelling, and I was in heaven.

The only problem I have with Counterstrike is that there is no multiplayer. For the love of God, why is there no split-screen multiplayer mode? Did Valve feel like making us video game junkies angry? Or is Valve trying to make us subscribe to XBox LIVE to have some multiplayer fun? Whatever the case, this game doesn't feel complete without split-screen multiplayer mode.

So if you dont have XBox LIVE and don't plan on subscribing anytime soon, don't bother with Counterstrike. Counterstrike for XBox lives up to the PC version, and it's arguably better than the PC version. So if you have XBox LIVE and you wan't some ballistic action, then I suggest you run to your nearest game retailer and buy Counterstrike.

Hit
+ Great gameplay
+ Great online fun
+ Great sound
+ Supports custom soundtrack
+ Great selection of weapons

Miss
_ No split-screen multiplayer mode
_ Not much of a reason to own it without XBox LIVE


Incredible Game, highly addictive, wonderful port   February 9, 2004
Chris Peters (Austin, Texas)
9 out of 10 found this review helpful

I was blown away that Counter-Strike for the Xbox is just as fun and playable as it's PC cousin. There are some cons that will keep PC snobs away, but there are some serious benefits, lots of them. Newcomers should definitely check this game out, CS is the most popular online action game for 3 years straight because it is superbly balanced and highly addictive fun, faster than Rainbow Six but not out-of-control like Unreal Championship, CS actually rewards teamwork in lots of subtle ways. However, I will warn you - don't expect to see the magic until you've been playing on Live for a day or two. You NEED Live to get anything out of this game.

The most important thing- Microsoft nailed the controls exactly right. It feels totally natural and fits perfectly with the needs of this game. I never once felt frustrated with the controls or felt like I was "losing" something from the console port, if you know what I mean. Sometimes the control limitations of console ports total change the way you play the game, but not in this case. Bravo. Other "cons" of not playing on a PC actually serve to equal the playing field for everyone. The low resolution might give many PC players a headache, but it gives scopes an actual purpose now. On the PC I had my resolution cranked so high I never used a scope. The controls mean that no one can whip 180 degrees and get a head shot on you in 1/10th of a second, something I've seen many many times before. Protecting your flanks is more important. The only thing I really miss is being able to play any map I want, especially some of the older favorites like Assault. The game does comes with 20 maps, though, 2 unlockable with Live, including the awesome "Office".

Second, the bots are amazing, probably the best bots I've ever seen in any game. Most of the time I can't even tell it's not a human being playing. They work as a team, use effective strategy for each map, and react realistically to the changes that swing thru each round. They really capture all the strange quirks you see human players do (you spend a lot of time watching other ppl play CS, but don't worry, it's fun) They are awesome for practice, but not much else. They are still bots, they tend to be very single-minded. You aren't going to formulate some crazy strategy with them or laugh about a wild kill.

Single player options are so sparse the developers seem kinda lazy. They made incredible bots but no kind of story or even a ladder to motivate new players, just endless practice matches. These are fun but rather limiting. Customization is lacking too- you can't do simple things like change bot names or have teams with different numbers of bots, like 4 against 6. Big letdown here. System Link forces you to have a separate disk/Xbox/TV per player. There is no spilt-screen of any kind, another huge disappointment. This game is beginning for Halo-like multiplay, but Live is the only practical option. Live rocks though. You won't find the rampant cheating that you see in the PC community, and almost everyone has headsets, very helpful in a game that requires so much teamwork. The community is still pretty big and seems very dedicated. I don't think it will drop off anytime soon. So in the end, CS is a very focused game that does a few things very well, and I recommend hardcore gamers give it a go.


Let the shooting begin!   December 15, 2003
coopertex (CA United States)
8 out of 10 found this review helpful

This is a great first-person-shooter, but there a few things that prevent it from getting a perfect score.
You think that with all the cons that this game will
suck, but you are wrong. The pros will make you
overlook its flaws.
Pros:
+pistols, machine guns, sniper rifles, riot shield
+blood splashes when you're hit
+realistic recoil on weapons
+great map designs/layouts
+you can spectate the match after you die
+you can spectate from either third person or first person
+easy to learn controls and tutorial
+fun to rescue hostages or disarm bombs
+amazing A.I.
+bullets pierce doors, walls, boxes

Cons:
-graphics are dull and drab looking
-animation is cheap and unrealistic
-sound effects of gunfire sound crappy
-grenade explosions lack kill power
-bulletproof vests don't protect you well
-you die really fast when shot
-no split screen gameplay!

Thankfully you do not need XBOX live to fully enjoy
Counter-Strike. The most impressive element in this
game are the BOTS! The A.I. in this game act almost human.
You'll see bots doing numerous things that human players do in real life such as; camping, searching for targets, jumping like fools, switching to knife to run faster, watching each other's backs, strafe-shoot-hide, trying to flank you, sniping, tossing grenades, escorting hostages to safety, attack you in groups, disobey orders and more! If you like first-person-shooters, you'll love this game!