So long, Counter-Strike: Global Offensive! Counter-Strike 2 is a huge leap forward for the series

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SHOULD I PLAY COUNTER-STRIKE 2?

Play it. I was eleven when Counter-Strike: Global Offensive released. It was the very first shooter I played on a computer, and it’s one of the biggest reasons I love multiplayer games today. It was hard to let it go, but after spending time with Counter-Strike 2, I can confidently say that it’s a better experience. It’s more visually and technically polished, it’s more challenging, and most importantly, it’s still fun. Nothing can take away the happiness CS:GO brought me, but Counter-Strike 2 has ushered in a new era of competitive first-person shooters.

TIME PLAYED

I played Counter-Strike 2 for five hours. I spent most of that time in competitive mode, where I managed to complete nearly a dozen matches. Matches lasted anywhere between twenty-five to forty minutes, and so far, I’ve won about half of the games I’ve played. Even though the game just launched, I didn’t run into any technical problems or any issues connecting to servers.

WHAT’S AWESOME ABOUT COUNTER-STRIKE 2?

• Getting headshot after headshot. Counter-Strike 2 feels incredibly satisfying. There are more strategies to explore, and that makes the game more challenging. Getting eliminations and securing bombsites is a lot harder than just throwing smoke and flash grenades and rushing in with Mac-10s. I had to carefully plan out defense and attacks, and that felt refreshing.

•  It still feels like Counter-Strike: Global Offensive. When I started playing Counter-Strike 2, my biggest worry was that it would be completely different from its predecessor. I didn’t want to have to learn how to do everything all over again. I was kind of relieved to discover that it still has the core gameplay of CS:GO; it’s just ten times better. So, for all the veteran players out there, don’t worry, you won’t have to figure out smoke lineups again.

• Smoke grenades. The new smoke interactions have taken the game to greater heights and given birth to new strategies and play styles. Smokes can now be temporarily cleared with high explosive grenades—or a few gunshots—and that’s given new meaning to blocked vision. I no longer need to wait for a smoke grenade to clear to push through or get a good angle on an enemy. I can just throw a grenade or shoot a few bullets to check out the distance and I’m good. This interaction is my favorite thing that Valve has added to Counter-Strike 2.

• Shop interface. Say goodbye to all the number clicking and wheel sliding, because the shop interface has gotten a whole new look. It’s a lot easier to find weapons or grenades using the boxed interface, and there are even descriptions on each gun to help players find what they need.

• Pinging stuff. Sometimes, I don’t want to talk in a match. With Counter-Strike 2’s new ping feature I can tell my teammates what’s happening with the click of a button. Pinging can’t convey a ton of information, but it’s a much easier way to communicate with my team.

• A new modern look. Counter-Strike 2’s visuals and interface look sublime. Everything from the environments, menus, weaponry, leaderboards, and general interface look extremely well-polished and modern. It’s definitely a huge upgrade from Counter-Strike: Global Offensive, but it still nails down the classic shooter experience without looking or feeling too different.

WHAT SUCKS ABOUT COUNTER-STRIKE 2?

•  The sound of a glock firing. Counter-Strike 2 hasn’t just switched up its visuals; it’s also changed some of the sounds for weapons and grenades. Most of the sounds are great, but I really, really hate the new sound for the glock pistol. It’s metallic, plastic, and it makes me feel like I’m shooting a toy gun. It’s so bad that I don’t even use the gun unless it’s a pistol round.

• Recording gameplay footage is tricky. This isn’t a huge issue, but it’s still something to be mindful of. I had a hard time capturing gameplay via third-party software, and I ultimately had to watch YouTube tutorials and jump through some technical hoops to make it work. If you plan on streaming or want to get your sick shots on camera, bear in mind that Counter-Strike 2 is a little finicky when it comes to this.

•  You can’t check damage inflicted or received in the console. Counter-Strike 2 has made it easier for everyone to see how they got killed or how much damage they did to an enemy, but this information is only shown at the end of a round. You can’t check  the console immediately after dying like you could in Counter-Strike: Global Offensive. I think the new layout is great for newer players, but I’d prefer if the old console feature was still in play so I could communicate with my teammates more clearly about the status of the round.

💬 Are you going to play Counter-Strike 2 or will you probably skip it? Tell me down in the comments!