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Headshot! Bet that’s what many of you can achieve, or at least heard of this term before. Sounds familar, welcome to the world of Counter-Strike (CS). With this newest instalment, Counter-Strike: Source brings the world of CS to a whole new realm, with enhanced graphics as well as perhaps more realistic equipment as compared to its predessesor, Condition Zero.

Valve created a much better version of CS and personally I feel that it’s much closer to reality. An example would be the HE Grenade. (For those who don’t know what HE means, neither do I. All I know that it’s a grenade that can blast anyone sky high.) Previously, in Condition Zero, the HE grenade is awfully weak, more than often dealing less than 30% of the target’s health on a direct hit from in-between his legs. However, it has been revamped in Counter-Strike: Source. The damage from it could kill anyone with full health from a direct hit. (Trust me, I’ve experienced it before and you wouldn’t know what hit you until you look up to the top left corner of the screen and see that you’ve been killed by a grenade.)

I almost forgot. For those who still have no idea what CS is about, it is actually a First-Person Shooting (FPS) game. The game allows players to choose from a wide variety of arms, from the Semi-Automatic Machines Guns (SMGs) to rifles and even the shotguns. Common weapons found in the real world could also be found in the game, such as the M4A1 Carbine and the favourites of terrorists, the infamous AK47.

The game’s split into two teams, one being the terrorists and the other, the counter-terrorists. There are several game modes out there. One being the standard “Bomb” maps, where the terrorists have to go to one of the 2 bomb sites out there, set up a C4 charge, and prevent the good guys from defusing it. The second map type is the less-often played “Save the Hostage” maps. This time, it will be the terrorists that are camping at the sites where the hostages are held at. The counter-terrorists would have to move in and rescue the hostages, bring them to the save zone. But, there’s a catch. The hostages are not invulnerable, hence the extensive use of HE grenades to soften the hostage-held sites is not going to work. You’ll most probably end up killing all the hostages. The last map type is the “Eradicate the Other Team” type of maps. As the map type says so, the main objective of teams is not to plant bombs, nor rescue hostages, but shoot the other team to smitereens.

For those who have access to steam, you should be aware that some game modes are modified. For example, in a standard map, deathmatch is enabled. Meaning that you don’t have to wait for the round to end to restart if you’re already dead. Instead, you spawn almost right after you die, and could spawn at points spread across the entire map, making it impossible for someone to camp safely without being backstabbed.

Counter-Strike Source is a game that is actually featured in major competitive gaming events, such as the World Cyber Games (WCG) and the Championship Gaming Series (CGS). It is definite worth buying if you have been playing CS for quite a while. With a well-established online network already, one could play against players from many places at home, as longer as there’s access to steam.

All in all, it is a game that shifts the already massive population of Counter-Strike gamers to a new height, with the improved effects and all. Try not to get addicted though, this game is seriously addictive.

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