Counter-Strike 2; with a few minor tweaks, a name change, and gameplay changes here and there, it’s still the same game.
Well-known for games such as Dota 2, Left 4 Dead, Portal, and Half-Life, among many others, Valve is also known for having created the Counter-Strike franchise and has brought you Counter-Strike 2, or rather, among the fandom, CS2 – a first-person shooter that has captured the eyes of many all around the world and has been really well received by players and fans of the franchise.
Counter-Strike 2 is a first-person cooperative and competitive shooter set in a military setting where good teamwork or great planning is needed the most as Counter-Strike 2 will have you facing other players in a battle of bullets and bombs along with the occasional knife jab when desperate, but before you can jump into it, you will have to experience the tutorial—twelve not-so-explanatory levels of bomb scenario with bots.
Twelve unskippable bot matches of a bomb scenario while switching teams halfway through. This part of the game is sort of a nightmare if you grasp the game fast, but the task can be done in a matter of 2 minutes per match. In the tutorial, you will learn the basics of how the game works, but not in the traditional way explained to you. So, if you’re a newcomer, make sure to ask a friend who plays for all the small tips and tricks.
Within these 12 matches, the game assumes you have already at least played other titles before, so not much is explained. You’ll mostly get quick tooltips on how to get to the store and how to switch weapons. The rest is left up to the players to really figure out while going into the bot matches. You will have to be creative with how you can take down the enemies, and most of the time, the enemies are easy to hit, but other times, it requires focus to make sure you can keep many of your bots alive.
After having mastered the tutorial, you will be given the other options Counter-Strike 2 has to offer. You will have access to the minor game modes to build up the experience needed to unlock other game modes. Aside from Practice, the game will offer you Casual and Deathmatch modes. In one of these two modes, you will have to play and push up the percentage bars, holding the other modes from being accessible, basically making you play casuals until they are open to you.
Casual players will be able to play four kinds of scenarios: Hostage Group, Dust 2, Defusal Group Delta, and Default Group Sigma. By playing these matches and building experience, you will unlock other game modes, such as Ranked and Competitive games; gaining access to these other modes will allow you to rank up and face other players of the same caliber and skills. However, there are some sad notes with games like these, such as the occasional cheaters who, instead of learning to play, will use aimbots instead of skills.
Each game mode in Counter-Strike 2 will have you doing different tasks, such as Bomb Scenarios, which will consist of either planting and guarding a bomb for 40 seconds or fighting to keep the bomb from being planted to win the main objectives, which will take part in different places of the world such as Italy, Egypt, Ancient Mayan themed places alongside a few more places. You could even end up fighting around a nuclear power station.
Be careful where you shoot, as friendly fire is a thing and will most probably get you into trouble with your teammates. This also brings a realistic feel to firing off weapons that can hurt your allies in real life. It raises the stakes of each match and keeps you on your toes while forcing you to pay attention to the strategy and make sure to stay in contact with your team, their movements, and their plans of attack.
Sound design and environments play a key role in victory since you’ll have to listen out for incoming hostiles. However, the environment can obscure enemies while providing cover as well as opportunities for creative takedowns. The overall theme of the music puts players in a state of adrenaline and focus while setting a serious tone in the mood for the gameplay.
The maps in Counter-Strike 2 aren’t huge but offer a more maze-like feel in terms of getting to the objective, which can be confusing for both players and opponents. Even though the maps take part in different parts of the world, the overall level designs feel like the same old military-style game that doesn’t really set itself apart from other games.
This makes it feel more like the basics of military combat, with the whole game consisting of terrorists and counter-terrorists. There’s not much in terms of story or background, or even as to why you are fighting or what the fight’s about, why they are terrorists, and what they oppose.
With all games, there are some bugs that you might experience; not to worry though, as Counter-Strike 2 does receive regular updates, with their most recent one focusing on gameplay, animation, map fixes, and tweaks to Maps such as Overpass, Vertigo, Inferno, and Mirage, alongside bug fixes too.
With tons of firepower on one side, there are quite a few options for skins, stickers, and music kits. The only downside is that you will have to use actual currency. However, you can make some cash by buying or selling loot boxes on the Steam marketplace, giving you some extra cash and options to work with when buying new skins and customizing your overall look in the game.
The gameplay in Counter-Strike 2 is solid with no boosts, bonuses, or special weapons, which requires the players to hone their focus and master their aims, taking down other players to earn rank and rewards that can be used on the marketplace to make some extra cash on Steam or in-game purchases but the game will mostly require skill and patience to get the rank or rewards you want.
Overall, Counter-Strike 2 is the same game as Counter-Strike: Global Offensive, but with a new skin and some performance updates. There’s not much new about the game, with it basically getting an Overwatch spa day treatment. Hopefully, with the regular updates and patches, new content and gameplay will be added, allowing the game to reach new heights and opportunities and maybe some backstory instead of the basics of military first-person shooters. Run and gun is fun, but that’s all it is.
