Counter-Strike Online

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