Incredibly surprised and impressed with the final "Fit and finish" of the latest rendition in this hardcore FPS-series.
Indeed, Valve faces rather a delicate dilemma when developing anything new that starts with "Counter Strike". They are to please those more seasoned fans of us who on one hand do not mind a bit of eye-porn, and on the other also hold more or less olden CS-memories very dear. Heck, myself I was merely around 15 when I started playing CS, and alot of it, so it's safe to say this shaped part of how I play FPS games to this day. I think we will always remember and cherish the early joys we had in CS 1.6 and/or before.
This slightly sentimental elitist part of the review is not for nothing, because "Counter Strike" is and will for us always be permanently attached to this period in time. We must keep in mind that CS was and always will be that Half Life mod that made it big. Yes, Half Life. Not one ending with the number "2". If we could mention only one multiplayer game that revolutionized gaming industry, this would be one worthy of that entitlement.
So, back to where I started: The other part of the dilemma of CS:GO. Valve must keep us "Hardcorists" somewhat satisfied, while at the same time strategically reinventing the game in areas where it is due, not only to keep us hardcore fans interested, but also crucial: To invite new players into the crowd.
And I'm going to be completely honest and straight-forward here. The direction they went with this game is so carefully thought-out, structured and designed, that I almost felt caught red-handed by how much this game blew any of my expectations away, even to the degree that I wanted to throw money right at the screen even though this is not a pay-to-win format.
To keep things simple, here are a couple features about this game, and some thoughts pertaining to these things:
All the menus have been completely overhauled and optimized. Quite impressed there. Weapons have been updated to a more modern arsenal where it is relevant. We have additions such as the FN SCAR 17s, there are molotov cocktails, there is a new machine gun. I'm heavily facepalmed by my hand, with things like the extensive use of the term "clips" when referring to "magazines" in the tutorial. Or the still existing inconsistencies of weapon animations and manipulation. Please Gearbox, you're much better that. That aside, last but NOT least, our beloved 9mm Glock pistol has been blessed with the oh-so-stunning "OD / Flat dark earth" frame. Really, it's rather quite fabulous.
The purchase menu has itself been reduced to a minimalistic comma-rose type deal, which of course may feel unusual to begin with, but is much more logical and a well-needed change, where each category has visual previews. You can also go back in the menu by right-clicking. Neat.
Another excellent change that has been made is the different set 'factions', and the choice to make variances occurring each team to be within reason, set to pertain to given faction and map. In CS: Source and before, you could have Middle-Eastern guerillas fighting alongside Swedish terrorists in full ski-gear, against both Navy SEALs, British SAS, and any of the remaining two, all this on a map taking place in South-America "...U wot m8?"
None of that no more. Because now, you may instead find yourself as one of several Anarcho-punk hipsters with hostage, audaciously raided by FBI-operators in full gear. This is comical, pop-culturally aware, yet made believable and artful. Gearbox is written all over it. And how about each 'faction' coming with their own custom voices with your C, X and Z command-comms? Or what about modern-day African pirates? And American soldiers in the official US military multicam field uniform, complete with full gear? These are just a couple to mention. Very, very nice. Five stars of five in this department.
It's bells and whistles like these that makes me warm and fuzzy while playing this game. The graphics are generally rather decent, especially when paired with the refurnishing of the whole theme of certain maps, where Dust 2 is a stellar example. Better and beautiful interiors, more props, and a whole new kind of cultural setting altogether. The new matchmaking system also works great. I could go on, but I need not say more. Overall, this is a perfect nine point zero. They have kept the core game, the recipe we have all come to love, while adding needed refreshments, things that revolutionizes this classic game, putting everything in their needed right place. All this at a very competitive price-point.