T
o many PC gamers, Counter-Strike is
like a dear old friend who’s beginning
to grow long in the tooth. Forgive us
for getting nostalgic and weepy-eyed, but
the game always reminded us of playing
army as a kid, but without having to yell
“bang! bang!” or “I shot you, you’re dead!
Quit cheating!” Actually people still do that
in CS. Still, what began life as a free counter-
terrorism themed modification for Half-Life
remains one of our favorite games of all time.
Counter-Strike’s near-perfect game design,
solid net-play code, and evolving play
mechanics strike a perfect balance between
team play and fast action, and have hooked
millions of gamers. So what then to make
of Condition Zero, the long, long-awaited
single-player expansion that was supposed
to freshen and revitalize Counter-Strike? Not
much. Like a 40-year-old punch-drunk boxer,
Condition Zero lacks focus and clarity. It sure
doesn’t feel like it was worth the wait.
Condition Zero is essentially two games
packed into one. The first is simply the latest
iteration of an already great game, but with
newer, cleaner textures, brushed up maps,
an improved spectator system, a few new
items (like the tactical shield), and some
new, cheaper assault rifles. Better than this is
a well-made single-player mode that allows
you to play through a series of maps in a
tournament ladder of sorts, with specific map
achievements required to move on. Moving
on wins you points, which you then spend to
recruit new teammates with better skills. The
bot AI is actually quite amazing and reflects
behaviors seen in real-world CS players. For
example, bots will camp bombsites, work in
tandem, and even do silly things like break
into knife fights when they’re the last two
players in a round.
The second half of the game is a more tra-
ditional story-driven FPS, based on the same
terrorist-counter-terrorist subject matter, but
using all new models and linear maps that
reflect a completely different visual style.
Entitled Condition Zero: Deleted Scenes, this is a
mostly solitary trek through terrorist-infested
areas full of scripted events and traditional
objectives, instead of the usual round-based
action. Unfortunately, it’s no Half-Life, but
rather a mediocre total conversion mod with
a big-money budget behind it.
Condition Zero is not an entire waste of
time, but it’s not exactly worth the three-year
wait. Long-time Counter-Strike fans should
balk at paying money for what’s essentially
a free download with a weak first-person
shooter mod tacked on, and new fans to the
series should just stick to the downloadable
version, which offers much more exhila-
rating gameplay.
Here’s hoping that someday we see a
Counter-Strike 2 that really shines. It’s the least
gamers deserve for all their loyalty.
—TOM PRICENice tune-up of a classic game.HALF-LIFE 2 IN JUNEHALF-LIFE 2 IN NOVEMBER
Totally unnecessary—and un-fun—addition of the Deleted
Scenes campaign.
$50, http://www.counter-strike.netMAXIMUMPC VERDICT 6
Counter-Strike: Condition Zero
How can our favorite 3D shooter go out like this?
New to the long-awaited single-player
version of Counter-Strike : a more
traditional story-driven FPS.