Counter-Strike: Global Offensive

Counter-Strike: Global Offensive, the fourth installment in the Counter-Strike series, is an online-only first-person shooter developed by Valve Corporation. Boasting a tough game-play style that has placed the series on its on platform, away from the comparisons of other military shooter games, CS: GO aims to bring fans the challenging atmosphere that has kept the series going strong for over a decade.

Counter-Strike is often thought of as the thinking man's shooter, one that never sacrifices form for function. While this may have hurt its sales and broad appeal in a market inundated with games of its style, this iteration of the franchise manages to walk the line and have it all.

New maps and modes welcome newcomers to the series by providing something more familiar in other titles. This goes along with broadened maps and level design that opens up options to players as to how they will navigate their arenas and seek out their enemies. A changed user interface streamlines the process of changing load-outs in the middle of a match rather than the cumbersome windows of the past. This is helpful with new weapons that can be applied to matches, introducing area effects in a way not seen before in the series.

Unfortunately for console players, Counter-Strike: GO was designed with the PC in mind. Players on a computer will not only have a smoother experience in matches and find players with more availability, they'll also have a cleaner-looking and smoother-running game. The inclusion of mods and customization also makes the PC a better option for players if they have a machine that stands up to the specs.

One of the features in Counter-Strike that draws in hardcore gamers is the inability to respawn in a match after dying. This, combined with the flowing game play and punishing load-outs makes for a life-or-death scenario waiting around every corner of every map. This forces player to be calculating and cunning; decisions need to be thought over before committing to them. This makes for a tense and gratifying experience that relies almost solely on skill. Many new players may not appreciate this.

Counter-Strike: Global Offensive is a gamer's dream. This is not a run-of-the-mill shooter that provides outs for poor decisions and chances to correct mistakes. This title is for serious gamers who want to dedicate the time and patience to learning a skill dedicated to the rules of the game as they exist. It is punishing and unforgiving, but anyone looking for a title to challenge their skills will eventually find themselves playing this title.

Pros:

-Stays true to the franchise

-New game modes

-Updated UI

-Inclusion of new weapons

-Improved maps and designs

-Improved graphics

-Dedicated community that almost ensures a constant flow of matches

Cons:

-Does not fully support console controls

-Lack of tutorials for new players