Counter-Strike is a series of multiplayer first-person shooter games where you try to prevent or commit acts of terror from happening. It consists of four main games and several spin-offs that have collectively sold over 35 million copies worldwide. What’s fuelled the series’s success has been its gameplay, which has gone down very well with both players and critics alike.
The nature of the games is quite intense: you can be playing as the terrorists trying to plant a bomb or playing as the counter-terrorists trying to stop the bomb going off, for example. In this article, we’ll be looking at what aspects of the game are the best. If you like the sound of it, go ahead and purchase a copy; it’s available on several platforms, including
- Microsoft Windows
- macOS
- PlayStation 3
- Xbox 360
If you prefer something tamer, you can try plenty of other games, such as world-builders, puzzlers, or even offline slot games. Now let’s see what’s so great about the Counter-Strike games.
Competitiveness
For many players, it’s the competitiveness of the Counter-Strike series that makes it so appealing and so much fun to play. The series’s most recent instalment is Counter-Strike: Global Offensive, which has become the biggest eSport in the world right now in terms of both professional players and the total amount of prize money awarded to competition winners. The term ‘eSports’ refers to video game competitions. They’re basically like large tournaments, but instead of the competitors practising some kind of sport, they’re playing online multiplayer video games.
What makes Counter-Strike games, especially the most recent one, so brilliant for competitive play is what the game asks of you. For you and your team to win, you have to work together and use both skill and strategy to make the right decisions at the right time. Everything about the game, from the maps to the weapons, is designed to challenge players and get them thinking. When you play, you have to have your head screwed on if you’re going to stand a chance of winning. A learning curve is quite steep and encourages players, even the most experienced ones, to always bring their A-game.
Simplicity and Depth
Part of Counter-Strike: Global Offensive’s appeal is that the premise of the game is very simple. It’s all about terrorist acts either going ahead or not. The simplicity invites players in, but what encourages them to stick around and keep playing is just how much there is to the gameplay. The game has a lot of depth, and it can take even the most dedicated of players significant amounts of time to become proficient at taking on others and winning. Even though the game has a lot going for it, and even though there’s a lot to take in, the gameplay isn’t so complex that it’s off-putting.
Skins
Counter-Strike: Global Offensive is one of many games to utilize skins, i.e. customizable cosmetic content for characters and weapons. You can receive skins for free, though there’s a much greater opportunity for personalization if you purchase them yourself. The game generates a decent amount of money through selling skins.
The game started doing this in 2013, and even eight years later, skins are still popular. They don’t affect gameplay in any way; they’re entirely non-functional and impractical. What’s appealing about them is that you can use them to make your character stand out, showcase your personality and impress others.
Replayability
Counter-Strike: Global Offensive came out in 2012 and has remained hugely popular nearly a decade later. How is this possible? Because the game has such a large replayability factor. Part of what encourages people to keep playing, again and again, is the variety the game offers, specifically with regard to the many maps you can choose and the many modes you can play in.
Every new location you play in offers new challenges and requires you to come up with new strategies and tactics. Counter-Strike: Global Offensive offers no fewer than seven modes, each one with its own rules and gameplay. Thanks to these, there are loads of different ways to play, and it’s very hard to be bored when playing.
Updates
Part of the reason why Counter-Strike: Global Offensive remains so big many years after its initial release is that it’s had lots of updates. Over the years, updates have improved the game’s technical and visual aspects while introducing new content to keep players engaged. Thanks to updates, the game has a wealth of things to do and has just as much going for it as brand-new games. New players have lots to explore, while those who played when the game was released still enjoy playing due to the huge amount of material that’s been added.
Community
Like other online multiplayer games, Counter-Strike: Global Offensive has a broad and lively community of players from around the world. The player base is welcoming yet competitive at the same time. It’s made up of players of all experience levels, from complete beginners eager to play the game and see why it’s so popular to seasoned players who have stuck with it for years and are keen to challenge others. Whatever your level of experience or skill, you won’t struggle to find people to play with.
Summary
Counter-Strike: Global Offensive remains one of the biggest video games in the world because it ticks so many boxes. Since its release, there’s also the fact that it’s continued to grow and adapt while cultivating a very dedicated fan base and encouraging highly competitive play. The game is engaging, compelling and rewarding, especially when you manage to take on another team and win thanks to teamwork and quick thinking. What’s particularly appealing is that the game has been free to download since 2018. If you’re keen to play it and see what it’s like for yourself, download it and enjoy playing one of the greatest video games around today.