HomeReviewsCounter-Strike 2
Counter-Strike 2 review: a big change to an unparalleled FPS, but it could be something specialIt might’ve released too early, but give it time
It might’ve released too early, but give it time
Image credit:Valve
Image credit:Valve
After 11 years,Counter-Strike: Global Offensivehas been, somewhat unceremoniously, shut down in favour of the newer, shinierCounter-Strike: 2. Whether you like it or not, Valve wants you playing CS2. For those who don’t take their CS all too seriously, CS2 won’t seem like much of a change from CS:GO, besides some grenade changes, more detailed maps, and a disappointing lack of fan favourite game modes. And for those who train their aim on the reg and line up their smoke grenades, CS2 might look the part but lacks the precision of CS:GO’s movement and gunplay.
Still, CS2 captures what makes Counter-Strike tick and even if the foundation seems a little sparse and a touch shaky right now, I’m confident Valve have anFPSthat’ll supersede CS:GO in time.
Counter-Strike 2 - Launch TrailerWatch on YouTube
Counter-Strike 2 - Launch Trailer
Transitioning from CS:GO to CS2 is easy peasy, as all of your settings and binds port over, alongside all your cosmetics. As a returning player, I had no problem hopping into CS2 and finding my feet quickly, which deserves a big thumbs up. Unfortunately for newcomers, the game’s still poor at guiding you towards useful things, like tweaking your aim sensitivity or adjusting your crosshair or even what any of the modes actually entail. Guides or an experienced mate are likely necessities if you’re feeling a bit overwhelmed, so CS still has some growing to do on the tutorial front.
I’d say your mileage may vary if you’re playing Casual matches, as they’re still a chaotic mass of bodies and grenades that offset the intricacies of bomb defusal, but hop into Deathmatch, Competitive or the new Premier mode and CS2 captures what makes Counter-Strike so damn crispy. As much as guns have personality and it’s satisfying when you land your shots, CS is about question and answer, both in response to your teammates' dots as they scurry about the map, as well as the sudden cracks of gunfire that break long periods of silence. Are you covering your allies' blind spot? Is it time to rush B no stop? Yes and absolutely 1000%, yes.
And if we examine the small changes more closely, they do play a more significant role in making match admin a bit easier. The flexibility of the new inventory means you’re able to curate your weapons pool with a drag and drop, so you can finally have both CT assault rifles available in the buy menu if you’d like (I am giddy). And the buy menu’s been updated, so as your teammates purchase guns in-between rounds, little dots underneath each weapon’s portrait help you see everyone’s loadout at a glance. There’s even a handy refund button to undo those slip-ups or ease last minute hits to the bank account.
It’s on the surface where the game’s most obvious change lies. Step into any map and it’ll appear brighter and more colourful, with dark corners abolished in favour of visibility. Step into Mirage’s palace and there’s a proper sheen to the marble floor, the monster graffiti inOverpassnow wraps around the tunnel with a mighty splash, and I’d spend my Steam Points on a long weekend at Inferno’s apartments because they’re gorgeous now (noise might be an issue, but we compromise). Gone are the days of walls with the texture of hummus and I’m here for it.
Overall match length has been reduced from a race to 16, to 13. Or in other terms, the maximum number of rounds has been reduced from 30 to 24 overall per match. I’ve not found it an issue, and if anything, makes each and every round feel a little more meaningful. |Image credit:Rock Paper Shotgun/Valve
Despite some of these positive strides in maps and grenades, there’s also a lot of goodness from CS:GO thathasn’t found its way into CS2’s launch. There’s no Mac support. No Arms Race or War Games. No way in the console to go left-handed. Fan favourite maps like Cache and Train are absent. All of these will undoubtedly come with time, but it’s frustrating that we can’t go back to CS:GO and enjoy them because Valve snapped it out of existence. I don’t blame players for thinking CS2 has “cut the game in half”, as it sort of seems that way.
There’s also an argument to be made about how some of the maps like Inferno and Italy have been “overhauled” and what overhauled means for most people. For folks like me, most of the changes are about as perceptible as spotting a lobster with pink eye. Most of these tweaks involve shifting a ledge a few inches to the right, which serves the side of the community for whom minutiae matter. Again an example of how CS2’s updates will seem more substantial to some and barely present for others.
Image credit:Rock Paper Shotgun/Valve
Having tuned into pro-players and their streams, it seems like there’s a lot of talk about CS2 feeling off compared to CS:GO. Movement isn’t quite as smooth and spraying with your weapon doesn’t feel as accurate. The new servers with their 64 tick/sub-tick thing just doesn’t cut it, apparently (I have zero idea what sub-tick means). For long-time fans and serious CS-heads, it seems like CS2 has some catching up to do. And as a sort of lapsed player who used to take it quite seriously but doesn’t anymore, I agree that the sensation of accuracy in holding down the trigger feels a bit… off in CS2? I’ve also been sniped around a corner a few times, which didn’t happen in CS:GO, andmightbe something to do with those server ticks? But hey, I’m finding my matches of CS2 just as thrilling as before! And I’m sure most players will, too.
Image credit:Rock Paper Shotgun/Valve
Valve’s still at it with loot crates you’ve got to pay to open and the dodgy marketplaces that orbit it. But I wouldn’t say it’s super in your face, as you can choose to not engage with it if you’d like. I basically do not care for any skins or crates or anything and the game doesn’t hit me with pop-ups or punish me for tuning out. I’m not saying I like the whole gambling thing and I wish it didn’t exist, but you’re at least free to disengage.
Even so, if I’m being perfectly honest, I think my CS days are behind me. It’s an FPS that requires a lot from you, and those after a shooter you can sort of switch your mind off to should look elsewhere. But if you’re a newcomer, lapsed player, or veteran, I think CS2 offers up thrilling matches that can twist and turn after a smart play or a remarkable shot. Many will find it’s rather close to CS:GO with neat upgrades to grenades and extra pop to maps, while another portion of the community might just want CS:GO back. Right now CS2 is a great iterative update to a tried and true formula… that’s missing an awful lot of fan favourite stuff. Give it time, though, and I think it’s onto something pretty special.
