Terrorism Is Serious Business

Gameplay - 9/10

Storyline - 6/10

Graphics - 10/10

Game Score : 25/30

Yes! Yes! Yes! Yes! Yes! Yes! Yes! Yes! Yes! Yes! Yes! Yes! Yes! Yes! Ok let me compose myself; got a little carried away with that Daniel Bryan chant, you wrestling fans know whats up. Anywhore welcome to another Friday video game blog review; we finally got our copy of the Counterstrike: Global Offensive Beta. Oh happy day indeed; I have been waiting on this since day one that I saw the trailer for it. Anyone who knows anything about true competitive multi-player first person shooters knows that this is the true franchise of champions. Sorry COD fan-boys but this game is just too many for you, take a seat and be schooled in the ways of the awesomeness that is Counterstrike.

Now I know in this day and age when someone says first person shooter the usual response is to think of the Call of Duty series but i'm here to drop some knowledge on y'all today. Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (CS: GO) is an online first-person shooter based game currently in development by Valve Corporation and Hidden Path Entertainment, who also co-developed Counter-Strike: Source. It is the fourth game in the Counter-Strike franchise, excluding Counter-Strike: Neo and Counter-Strike: Online. Global Offensive is targeted for release in summer 2012. It will be available for Microsoft Windows, Mac OS X, Xbox 360 via the Xbox Live Arcade and PlayStation 3 via PlayStation Network. It will feature classic content, such as old maps, as well as brand new maps, characters and game modes. Also, it will support matchmaking and leader-boards. Cross-platform multiplayer was planned between Microsoft Windows, Mac OS X and PlayStation 3 players, but was ultimately limited to PC and Mac due to the differences in update frequency between the systems. The PlayStation 3 version will offer three control methods, which include using either the DualShock 3 controller, PlayStation Move or USB keyboard/mouse.

Let me explain what sets Counterstrike apart from Call of Duty. Say you have a game like Gran Turismo, known world round as one of if not the greatest simulation racing games out there; then you have a fellow game series like Need for Speed which is also racing but instead of simulation is focused more on arcade type racing. For those not so versed in gaming, a simulation based game deals heavily in realism and reproducing the real world actions and effects as such while an arcade based game focuses more on the overall fun aspect and defying the law and rules of reality so as to increase the fun factor. With that being said, the Call of Duty franchise is just like the Need for Speed series in that explanation and Counterstrike would be like Gran Turismo. Granted both games are fun and all but credit and recognition are to be given accordingly where necessary to Counterstrike which effectively help make Call of Duty into the game it is now. Before the public beta Valve invited professional Counter-Strike and Counter-Strike: Source players to playtest the game and give feedback so as to ensure the highest level of research and development could be done on the game.

At its core fans of the game will revel in all its glory as they dive into familiar territory as the game maintains much of its classic feel and game mechanics. Valve has gone to great lengths however to not only reproduce the greatness of the original Counterstrike series but to also add deeper elements and maximize its visual potential by making use of modern day gaming design. Granted this is only a beta version and much can be added or taken out I think Valve is well on their way to undoubtedly delivering a superb final product when the release date rolls around. As far as the game overall goes; the bots are just as difficult to take on as ever, the wide variety of guns we all know and love have returned, certain anti-bot tactics still apply and the stages are all so beautifully designed that you may find yourself getting killed from looking at the landscape. Feel free to check out our usual introductory playthrough on our YouTube channel for a hands on preview of what Counterstrike: Global Offensive has to offer...