🔫🔫 HANDS UP!
// that's me coming in dual-akimbo gunz blazing on some terrorist scum
I've never done this type of article before, where we cover an entire franchise in one piece, but I think Counter-Strike fits that bill.
One of the most influential FPS (and especially multiplayer FPS) to ever hit the market. Its signature gameplay has remained the same over two decades, and much like DOTA its influence is staggering. 😮
Thus❗️ In this edition of Through the Lens 🎞, we'll be taking a look at Valve's revolutionary mod turned FPS juggernaut from 2000 to 2012, and still going hella strong: Counter-Strike, Roll it! 📽
🔶 UP TOP 🔶
We usually link the game's music at the beginning of each article. So that my dear readers 🤗 have a chance to experience the vibe of the game as they read. This time around, however... Let's just say Counter-Strike is not especially known for its music. 😁
Nevertheless, we gotta put something. So let's go with the main menu theme from CS:GO and be glad with what we have!
I think I've been playing Counter-Strike since I knew how to hold a mouse. It is, in my mind, one of those rights of passage games. At least where I was from. Everyone played it. Whether they wanted to or not. 😁
Looking back at it now I get it. This series was made for the internet cafes at the time, and now the eSports scene. It is pure FPS like only a handful of others. It is a trendsetter and a genre definer.
And that type of game deserves to be a part of every so-called gamer's catalog. Let's explore why. 😎
🔶 THE ROOTS 🔶
As with literally all of Valve's games, Counter-Strike started off as a mod. A mod for their first game, and one of the most legendary games of all time (and I don't use the GOAT term often, or nearly ever) - Half-Life. 😱
Now, I dunno why Valve's business model is to just get mods of their games (or other games in DOTA's case), polish them up into a neat and tidy package, and make franchises out of them (CS, DOTA, Portal, TF) but if it isn't broke don't fix it I guess. Regardless, Counter-Strike is no exception. It's actually the base model. The first hugely successful Valve mod that made every head turn.
Counter-Strike made a name for itself for its precise and no-nonsense gameplay. If DOOM and Quake were about high-paced, heart-pounding action, Counter-Strike was more methodical and calculating. I have to mention that all of the aforementioned shooters are titans in the genre for one reason - they are all skill-based to the very core of their design. 💯
Counter-Strike has been the same game more or less since 1.1 (except for Source but we don't talk about Source) with its most groundbreaking and memorable version being 1.6.
Speaking of which... ✈️ // that's us flying to the next section
🔶 GOLDEN AGE 🔶
Version 1.6 of Counter-Strike is considered the Golden Age of the franchise for many. 👈 This was when you couldn't go to an internet cafe without seeing 5-10-20 people getting headshots and being head shotted. 😅 // I was the latter in this scenario
Classic maps that would dominate the Counter-Strike scene were formed here. As to not bog down this article with map names that most people won't know, let's just say most are being played in competitive CS:GO to this very day. 💯
Counter-Strike has never been a 'fast' shooter, but that's a very weird statement considering that you can die with one bullet to the head. But when I say fast what I mean is the way the player transitions between areas, the way you can crouch to make your steps silent. 🗣️ Once you get a clear shot, yes, the enemy is dead. But getting to that clear shot is the hard part.
The core gameplay was established with this version (except for Source but we don't talk about Source) and would go on to the current and active version - Global Offensive.
🔶 ESPORTS 🔶
Well, well, well, we've finally arrived at the current day. 🥂
A note on Valve's corporate structure: Because developers in Valve work on whatever they want to work, and there is little to no oversight on their actions, each team is left to its own devices. I say this to say that CS:GO's esports team really hit it out of the park.
They've made the viewing experience so enjoyable to watch that at one point CS:GO was the most-watched eSport in general. Not just in FPS, but in general. Yes, those times have passed, but that should still give you a measure of its popularity. 🤯
It also helps that CS:GO sticks to that original formula that all Counter-Strike games have had (except for Source but we don't talk about Source). True - it's different, but the DNA is undeniable. Same as the new DOOM games are different than the old but still keep that same "feel".
🔶 LEGACY 🔶
No, but seriously, Source sucked. And Valve was quick on the uptake with that one and didn't stick with it long. But it still existed, and its badness still tarnishes Couner-Strike's legacy. // perhaps tarnished is a bit harsh, but that words meaning has slightly shifted since the release of Elden Ring
Regardless, Valorant would not exist if not for Counter-Strike. And Valorant is the new kid on the block ready to cause havoc - but its DNA is rooted in CS, which is pretty dope to see honestly.
Counter-Strike will be remembered among the greats of multiplayer shooting, right up there with Quake, Call of Duty, Battlefield, etc, etc. Achieving this with no single-player campaign to speak of is something special to behold, and for that, Counter-Strike's legacy is cemented on that prestigious gaming Mt. Rushmore.
Thank you for reading, you rock! (and maybe roll) 👏👏👏
Shout-out to the 🍕PIZZA🍕 gang, 🤙 gang. 🤙
I wish I could be better at this game so I can offer up my usual insights on mechanics and such, but unfortunately I such at all FPS games. 😁 It is what it is. My childhood is still filled with loving memories of playing 1.6 with friends. Spending our being the target dummy. 😂
Good times. Even for the designated target dummy. Well, most times. What do they say? It's not the game that matters, but the friends we make along the way. Or something like that. 😄
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Hope that everyone has an amazing rest of their week! 🙌