Valve recently launched the long-awaited upgrade of Counter-Strike: Global Offensive, the new Counter-Strike 2, which offers new things as well as improves the old game designs. This review will take a deep dive into understanding what’s new in Counter-Strike 2, as well as see what changes from the old. Let’s begin.
As someone who has played the Counter-Strike franchise ever since Counter Strike 1.6 days, I have to say, that I thoroughly enjoy my time when playing Counter-Strike 2. There is a striking difference compared to Counter-Strike: Global Offensive while retaining and improving upon what is already working. For example, Dust 2 receives many enhancements across the map, particularly on Tunnel and CT Spawn to increase visibility and many more.
However, the game does not necessarily arrive in perfect shape, as there are things I sincerely hope are available on launch, but turns out that is not the case, which I’ll explain further down the line.
Counter-Strike 2 is available on Steam for free, and you can upgrade to Prime Status for $14.99.
Story | Terrorists vs. Counter-Terrorists
If you’re expecting to see any type of story within Counter-Strike 2, then I’m afraid you won’t find them here. There is no obvious story within the game and the best it can offer is the map-based lore, such as Nuke which is set in a nuclear reactor, Dust 2 which plays in the Middle East area, and so on.
However, Valve may bring story content through Operations since they did that in Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (CS: GO), though there is no update yet regarding that type of content. Overall, Counter-Strike 2 is all about playing matches on different maps against other players, so the story was never the focus of this game or previous iterations of Counter-Strike for that matter.
Trying to Find the Enemies.
Gameplay | Exhilarating As Ever
Now, let’s talk about the bread and butter of Counter-Strike 2 and its gameplay. One of the prominent changes is the visibility of Ranks, which now have numbers to them, allowing players to actively keep track of their own Rank, as opposed to having to guess their Rank every time they complete a match like in CS: GO.
There is plenty to discuss here, but for this review, we will mainly touch on the topics of the new Loadout system, the gunplay, improved Smoke Grenade, and last but not least, the overhauled Maps.
Gunplay
In Counter-Strike 2, the number of weapons you can choose remains the same as CS: GO. However, there are plenty of weapons that receive small updates, particularly their texture and sound. AK-47, for example, receives a new texture that is more in line with its real-world counterpart.
Apart from that, however, I find that the recoil on all weapons remains the same without any glaring differences when compared to CS: GO‘s guns. This is completely understandable, as changing the recoil will mean that all players must re-learn the spray patterns before jumping into Counter-Strike 2 matches, which is not desirable, both for Valve and the players.
This means that both veterans and newcomers can enjoy Counter-Strike 2‘s gunplay almost immediately, since veterans are already familiar with how the guns work, while newcomers can learn the spray pattern relatively easily, apart from difficult guns such as AK-47.
Wooden Box, Inferno.
New Loadout System
Moving on to the next part of this review, I will discuss what I think is the biggest change in Counter-Strike 2, the Inventory system. Gone are the days of having to click many times just to open a sub-section Loadout wheel before even buying a weapon of your choice.
Now, everything is ready in one singular menu, visible from the start, allowing you to quickly select a weapon of your choice. The categories remain pretty much the same, with Pistols, which are now divided into Starting Pistol (P200 or USP-S for CTs, and Glock-18 for Ts), and Other Pistols, ranging from Dual Berettas to Desert Eagle.
However, things start to get interesting in the Mid-Tier section, as the selection now does not include both the M249 and the Negev, and the section only has Nova, XM1014, MP5-SD, P90, and MAC-10 (T Side) or MP9 (CT Side) as the base options. The game now allows you to have freedom of choice when it comes to what kinds of weapons you want in your Loadout before playing matches. So for example, if you prefer to have Negev over Nova, then you can replace it in your Loadout screen.
As for the final section, Rifles, there are not many changes apart from the omission of Auto Snipers (SCAR-20 and G3SG1). The one thing that I find interesting is that there are now short breakdowns of each weapon, giving you a quick rundown of what the weapon can do, how difficult it is, and when you should buy the weapon, which I think will be helpful for even veterans to choose during eco rounds, or force buy rounds.
Brand-New Inventory System.
Enhanced Smoke Grenade
Counter-Strike 2 promises many things, including the enhanced Smoke Grenade that allows the players to see the same Smoke without any side gaining an advantage through one-way Smokes. And they managed to deliver on this promise.
Smoke Grenades now have the same behavior for all players, meaning that there won’t be any ‘cheap’ kill from one-way Smokes, and bullets’ trajectories are now visible from the other side. Moreover, Frag Grenades will momentarily remove some parts of the Smoke Grenade, allowing those who decide to throw a Frag inside a Smoke a quick glimpse of the other side, gaining an advantage in a gunfight.
Battling For Bombsite Control.
Overhauled Maps
Before moving on to graphics and sound, I want to talk about the maps in Counter-Strike 2. If I have to describe them in one word, I’d say breathtaking. Yes, the layout of the maps remains the same, but the environment and structures are enhanced so much so that it’s unrecognizable at the start, although in a good way.
The maps that I feel truly refreshing are Inferno and Overpass, as they receive the most graphical overhaul apart from other maps. Inferno, especially, looks so different that I thought it was a brand-new map. The T-Side camp, the Middle section, and even Banana feel incredible and make me want to bask in and simply enjoy the map’s environment.
Hole of Death.
Graphics and Sound | Refreshing and Solid
Moving on to the last part of this Counter-Strike 2 review, we will talk about the game’s graphics and sound. Let’s start with the graphical side first. I have to say, the graphics blew my mind. Valve has outdone itself here with Source 2 Engine, as Counter-Strike 2 offers fresh and far more detailed than CS: GO. While some might find it a little bit too realistic, I enjoy the new graphics in the game. Moreover, the environment’s details are better and brighter, which makes every match more enjoyable, leaving less room for frustration.
Lastly, let’s talk about the sound design. Several gun sounds are updated to be more in line with their real-world counterparts, such as the AK-47, among other weapons. The main menu’s background music is also new, though I’m not certain I quite enjoy it like the CS: GO ones. However, they do their purpose quite well, and I have no major complaints regarding them.
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- Bombsite A, Inferno.
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- Banana, Inferno.
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- Middle, Anubis.
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- T Side Trying to Approach B Short.
