Freemium adaptation of a beloved first-person shooter with new characters, modes, and enhanced graphics for immersive play
Freemium adaptation of a beloved first-person shooter with new characters, modes, and enhanced graphics for immersive play
Vote (3,937 votes)
Program license Free
Developer Valve
Version 0.59
Works under Windows
Vote
(3,937 votes)
Developer
Valve
Works under
Windows
Program license
Free
Version
0.59
Pros
- Graphics compatible with many mid-range graphic cards
- Sharper graphics than the original Counter Strike version
- Some original maps available: Dust2, Aztec, Italy
- Still popular after 15 years
Cons
- Some players report lag and latency (game is hosted in Asia)
- Not for basic graphics cards
- Easy to hack with scripts and 'cheats'
Counter-Strike-Online is a fast-paced first-person shooter game designed by Nexon.
Made as a 3D MMOFPS first-person shooter, Counter-Strike-Online was targeted toward the Asian gaming market in contrast to the international market, which the original Counter-Strike had been made for. The game was created back in 1999 and first published for windows PC in 2000. Although it had been made and released to go along with the game Half Life, Counter-Strike-Online became an entire franchise spawning a series of shooter type games, which included a variation with zombies. Counter-Strike-Online was licensed to and developed by the Nexon Corporation of South Korea.
In the game Counter-Strike-Online, players get to become part of international Counter-Terrorism government organisations. There are several differences and add-on features for the online version. For example, female characters. In addition, there is a very wide range of new weapons and skins for the weapons (new and old). Gamers will find, however, that most of the weapons are inaccessible until bought with virtual cash or in-game points. Special items are also available for a price. Players earn game points by killing bad guys, completing objectives, and other in-game goals.
There are six ways of playing Counter-Strike-Online. These are: Zombie infection, classic, scenario, death match, and fun. Classic is set up as a game played with rounds; death matches offer immediate after-death respawn and there are three modes for play; in Zombie infection, players have to live through zombie attacks, four modes for players; for fun Counter-Strike-Online has modes such as hidden, soccer, item battle, bazooka battle, and challenge. Games can be played against player, against player plus environment, or against a computer player plus environment.
Playing Counter-Strike-Online can be easy or hard depending upon player preference. There is little lag or freezing, which keeps the pace going. Some weapons offer more power than others; however, game designers kept the AI to human component relatively well balanced. Players won't feel as though it is impossibly hard to earn points and beat the bad guys.
Rated 17+ or M for Mature, Counter-Strike-Online can hold up to 32 players per game. In-game techniques are numerous, offering the player the chance to learn something new while playing every game. Multi-player option lets players join teams and engage in cooperative or team play on missions and 'clearing out' bad-guy operations. Some basic scenarios include killing, bodyguard an official to a helicopter, defuse or set up bombs, stop hostage taking, and rescue hostages. It has been said by avid players that any match will end when everyone on one team is dead.
Once killed, players lose any weapons they have picked up along the way. Strategy is another key aspect of the game. Levels are designed in detail so that players find something different each time they play. Players do not advance in roles; however, weapons give players distinct options for abilities and skills. Weapons can be freely dropped, picked up, or exchanged during the game.
Team Talk, a method of chatting live with other players, allows teams to stay in touch with each other and communicate with non-team members. It is not a 'free' chat as dead players or those not playing the game cannot chat while within the interface. Damage can happen fast, and there is no way to change how to play for next round once a player dies. One-shot kills are common with any of the weapons. In the beginning, new players seem to experience being shot quite a bit as they become familiar with the Counter-Strike-Online world.
Pros
- Graphics compatible with many mid-range graphic cards
- Sharper graphics than the original Counter Strike version
- Some original maps available: Dust2, Aztec, Italy
- Still popular after 15 years
Cons
- Some players report lag and latency (game is hosted in Asia)
- Not for basic graphics cards
- Easy to hack with scripts and 'cheats'
Pros
- System Requirements are Low
- No Steep Learning Curve
- Plenty of Different Gaming Modes to Keep it Interesting
- New Maps Added and Popular Maps from the Original Counter-Strike were Kept
Cons
- The Graphics Look Outdated
- Some of the Weapons are Almost Useless
- No US Servers—US Gamers will Lag A lot
While Counter-Strike Online might be a far cry from a cutting-edge first-person shooter game, it still offers a lot of entertainment value. Valve originally developed the game for the Asian gaming community, but you can play Counter-Strike Online from anywhere. The game has survived for this long because it has all the essentials of entertainment that have made it an ongoing game. If you want sophistication, then you should look elsewhere, but the game offers a fast-paced and fun gaming environment.
Getting Started
After you have set up a free account, you can sign in and start shooting. This game will run smooth with most PCs because the requirements are extraordinarily low. Counter-Strike Online has a number of maps, and you can play on team-based multiplayer, which can be a lot of fun. You can either join the terrorist team, or you can become part of the counter-terrorist team. You have a variety of modes in Counter-Strike Online that include:
- Team Death Match
- Death Match
- Zombie Mode 2
- Zombie Mode 3
- Zombie United Mode
- Zombie Survival Mode
- VIP Mode
- Challenge Mode
For some of these game modes, you will have to pay to unlock them, but depending on how much you like the game, it might be worth it. Counter-Strike Online could be considered to be your classic FPS online multiplayer game. It deserves a place in history because of how it inspired many of the other FPS games that we have seen today.
A Game That Looks Its Age
If you want fancy graphics, then you may want to look elsewhere. The game looks its age, but Counter-Strike Online has a dynamic community of gamers, and you have a lot of fun add-ons that will make you feel more involved with this game. Counter-Strike Online first started as a remake from Valve's original Counter-Strike game. The game has some striking similarities to other games like Sudden Attack and Combat Arms. These are all free-to-play "MMOFPS" games, and the core mechanics of the gameplay could be considered similar to what you have in regular Counter-Strike. The biggest difference between Counter-Strike Online and regular Counter-Strike is how Counter-Strike Online has "MMO" elements, and there are different gaming modes and new weapons.
Why the Lag?
One of the biggest issues that you may encounter with Counter-Strike Online is the lag. Remember: This game was originally intended for gamers in the community of Asia, and as a result, the servers will often be hosted in Asia. Nexon has run the game in South Korea. Meanwhile, Gamania will operate the game from China, and IAHGames has chosen to run the game in Singapore and Malaysia for English. You do not have any IP restrictions, which means that you can play this game from anywhere in the world. However, because it is hosted in Asia, you may experience lag if you are in the United States or Europe.
Lag can sometimes become a deal breaker because FPS games require good speed if you will get the kills. The ping rate from US games can range from 200 to 300 pings per second, which can make the game almost impossible to play in the United States.
How Counter-Strike Online Differs from Regular Counter-Strike
Counter-Strike Online has a newer interface, and you have new gaming modes. Also, the weapons are new. In fact, you have eight new weapons in the game. Unfortunately, you will have to purchase weapons from outside the game if you want access to them, but you can use in-game currency. In Counter-Strike Online, you win more gaming currency when you win your matches, and you can use that to buy new accessories and weapons. The biggest difference here is how the teams are broken down into the terrorists against the counter terrorists for most of the gaming modes. If you want to win your matches, teamwork will be essential, and players can die from gunfire fast, so you want to work with your team. The graphics are very similar to the original Counter-Strike, but some of the weapons will look a little different, and the graphics look a little sharper. In addition, the "buy screen" does not look the same, and you can set up your own macro to make faster purchases of weapons.
A lot of the maps from the original Counter-Strike have been brought back to Counter-Strike Online. For example, you have Aztec, Dust2 and Italy, but this game also has some newer maps.
Why Counter-Strike Has Remained Popular: Balance
Even 10 years after its original release, the big reason that Counter-Strike has stayed popular is because of the balance in the game. All the weapons and maps have stayed very balanced, and you cannot find a weapon that will be overpowered. You can find weapons that are weak, which is why most gamers tend to stick with the conventional M4A1 or the AK-47. You have some weapons in the game that are too weak to even be valuable, but anyone familiar with the Counter-Strike series should not be surprised by that.
The Negatives
Counter-Strike Online has certainly become an iconic FPS game, but the continued aging has made it outdated compared to other newer MMOFPS games like Genesis A.D. or Alliance of Valiant Arms. These games all have superior graphics and a more functional user interface. However, if you want to play a well-balanced FPS game, then Counter-Strike Online will definitely give you that. If you like a game with better graphics, then you may want to look elsewhere.
Pros
- System Requirements are Low
- No Steep Learning Curve
- Plenty of Different Gaming Modes to Keep it Interesting
- New Maps Added and Popular Maps from the Original Counter-Strike were Kept
Cons
- The Graphics Look Outdated
- Some of the Weapons are Almost Useless
- No US Servers—US Gamers will Lag A lot
