Collegiate Times

“Counter-Strike: Global Offensive," a sequel to the popular PC franchise, is clearly aimed at the console market. With the new game modes expressly targeted at the casual gamer, “Counter-Strike” is even more accessible than ever. The series has always been a tough nut to crack, and “Global Offensive” is doing everything to transform that perception.

At the end of the day, this game is almost pound-for-pound the same as its predecessors. With the same basic gameplay mechanics and an incredibly similar selection of weapons and maps, “Global Offensive” is far from a radical departure.

That being said, the game has changed in a few ways. Most notably, the game features a new matchmaking system that presents a total of four different game modes. The new game types, “Arms Race” and “Demolition," make an effort to appeal to new “Counter-Strike” players.

In both of these modes, players are awarded weapons for kills, while in the “Classic Casual” and “Classic Competitive” modes, players purchase weapons and equipment for use in objective-based matches sectioned into rounds.

The maps available in the game vary depending on the game mode selected. A whole slew of new maps have been added expressly for the new modes. The new maps, such as “Bank” and “Baggage,” are smaller, making the gameplay comparable to “Call of Duty.”

With smaller areas, and less actual paths to take, players will find themselves constantly fighting to remain on top. Fortunately, most of the classic maps from the series have returned. Legendary maps like “Dust2,” “Office” and “Italy” return in “Global Offensive” with minor tweaks. Aside from looking a bit flashier, some of the maps have actually been altered in significant ways; bomb sites have been moved and new pathways have been added in certain areas.

The weapon selection has only seen minor changes in this incarnation of "Counter-Strike." Most of the weapons have remained the same, such as the workhouse weapons M4A1, AK-47, Deagle and AWP, which still serve as the weapons of choice in competitive play. Interestingly, some of the other weapons have been substituted for similar, yet new firearms. The MP5 has been replaced by the MP7, and new guns like the Negev, Sawed-Off Shotgun and MAG-7 have joined the fray.

This is still the same game thousands of players know and love. Old-school “Counter-Strike” players will not be disappointed by the weapon choice, gameplay and maps, while new players will likely find themselves right at home in the “Arms Race” mode. With brand new weapons, maps and modes, “Global Offensive” is a worthy addition to the fabled “Counter-Strike” franchise at a price point that is hard to beat.

A version of this article appeared in the Aug 30 issue of the Collegiate Times.