| What's New?  IF YOU'RE AN AVID Counter-Strike player, you won't find much that is new in this retail package, which includes version 1.0 - the same version released to the Internet roughly two weeks ago. While both the retail and free versions include the same new weapons and model updates (the versions are fully compatible), the only piece of Counter-Strike content truly unique to the retail package is a "training" mode, which explains the game and how to play in easy-to-understand terms. In theory, this could have been great, but I kept experiencing bugs that kept me from progressing from one area to the next. All in all, it was pretty disappointing to see that at least a few bonus models or other extras weren't included with the retail version. junkie and want to know what the heck you get for $30. What Else? Counter-Strike is a completely stand-alone package, so you don't need to own Half-Life or download anything to play (barring future updates, of course). In addition, an assortment of other Half-Life add-ons is included, featuring Team Fortress Classic, Opposing Force DM/CTF, Firearms (v2.4), Wanted, RedemptionRicochet, a new mod from Valve (support for standard Half-Life deathmatch is also included). With the exception of Redemption -- a single-player episode -- and Wanted, which comes with bots for single-player fun, all the other add-ons are multiplayer-only. and Of these games, the two standouts are Team Fortress Classic ("TFC") and Firearms. TFC is Valve's version of the popular Quake teamplay modification that has been an Internet favorite for over a year, while Firearms is another military-themed "realism" teamplay game that has been steadily been gaining popularity over the last few months. Both are solid games and a nice bonus to the package. From the other mods, there isn't much of note. Opposing Force multiplayer has always been solid, but it's hard to find populated servers for it. The same goes for Ricochet, a new "Discs of Tron"-looking game unique to this retail package that -- as of this writing -- does not have a single public server to play on. I find it amazing that Valve would take the trouble to build what looks like an interesting multiplayer game, and yet neither they nor Sierra have servers available for people to play upon the game's release. What's Wrong? |
| THE MOST GLARING FLAW in the Counter-Strike retail package rests with the documentation. Since people who already own Half-Life can download much of this package for free, it's safe to assume that a large number of buyers have never played Half-Life or Counter-Strike before. Unfortunately, while some Counter-Strike Worse, the six other mods are completely ignored in the manual -- if you don't know how to work the Half-Life mod browser, you may never figure out how to load up Team Fortress Classic or Firearms, let alone learn how to play. One of the games is labeled solely as "Opposing Force CTF," even though Opposing Force deathmatch is also supported. | Add in the bugs from the Counter-Strike training mission, and it's obvious that Sierra didn't do much testing on its end. Outside of that, the only real difficulty at the moment lies with finding servers -- thankfully, the 1.0 version of GameSpy Arcade has just been released, freeing players from the confines of the game's built-in server browser. GameSpy Arcade fully supports both the downloaded Counter-Strike mod and the retail version. (Ed note: Yes, we know that sounds hugely biased, but we believe it. Sue us. ;) ) The Parting Shot IN THE END, Counter-Strike is a fantastic multiplayer game. If you have a fast net connection and love action games, you NEED to have a copy of this in one form or another -- the question is whether to plunk down the cash or not. If you already have Half-Life, the answer is probably no -- it's nice to have everything on one CD, but if you have a net connection fast enough to play online, downloading Counter-Strike, Team Fortress Classic and Firearms shouldn't present much of a problem. If you don't own Half-Life, this package is an excellent value for $30 -- but there are other options to consider. You can probably pick up Half-Life for cheaper and download most of the mods for free, or alternatively buy the just-released Half-Lifeeverything from Half-Life, Opposing Force, and Counter-Strike. So -- if you love online action games, don't own Half-Life, and have absolutely no interest in single-player games, Counter-Strike is a fantastic bargain. If you're an avid Half-Life and Counter-Strike player, however, there really isn't anything here that truly deserves your cash -- wait until next week and pick a new game up instead. information is presented in the manual, much is left out. Platinum Pack for around $65, which contains |
