Reviews / previews
With good reason, Counter-Strike still remains the reigning champ for online in-your-face military action. Sierra says that the sequel will be just as engrossing with plenty of new features to make shooter fans smile. You can expect some slick new weaponry, like several types of M60 guns, a rocket launcher, and Molotov cocktails. Condition Zero will also feature three types of intensive single-player games, which will include a story-driven mode consisting of 25 missions. In addition, Sierra promises that Counter-Strike veterans will be able to easily upgrade to Condition Zero at the games release.
-- 0 / GamePro
Once again its your turn to make sure the terrorists dont win. The sequel to one of the most popular PC games ever created, Counter-Strike: Condition Zero brings you more of what youve come to crave, but this time with an updated Half Life engine and new levels, weapons, and player skins..
CZs most significant change is the new single-player campaign20 missions worthwhich pits you against terrorists in areas like arctic tundra, desert wastelands, and urban sprawl. The game also features new equipment, like a bulletproof riot shield and upgraded weapons, and the new engine pumps out special effects like snow, rain, and gunfire with the best of em.
Since GamePros last preview, Condition Zero has changed developers, and is now being co-developed by Valve and Ritual, two serious FPS veterans. Time will tell how everything turns out, but it looks like CS:CZs new team is pushing things in the right direction.-- 0 / GamePro
After a long two-year wait, countless map additions, and hours of potty-mouth orations, the second coming of Counter-Strike finally arrives. Dont re-cock that gun too fast, thoughCondition Zero doesnt necessarily make your shot any better than it was before.
Zero Degrees of Separation
The phrase if it aint broke, dont fix it is precisely how Condition Zero will feel to Counter-Strike fans. And thats a bad thing when youre paying full price for a game that doesnt have anything really new. The gameplay is literally the exact same thing. And thats just itafter two years, Counter-Strikers expected that a sequel would offer new weaponry and equipment, and above all, an engaging single-player game. But what has been packaged is simply a rehash of the old, including the same objectives, the same guns, and some new maps thrown in for good measure. Sure, now counterterrorists can also use the new shield as a defensive weapon, plus the interface is much more streamlined, but youre still playing the original Half-Life mod.
The single-player game is a joke, too. Instead of following a story, youre made to complete a number of asinine challenges, like eliminating a certain amount of enemies with a specific weapon before you can move to the next mapthe same map that you can just play online. Your computer-controlled team bots arent very intuitive either. Theyll wait for you to defuse a bomb even though theyre sitting right next to it and youre on the other side of the level, or wont effectively help cover the hostages as you escort them back to safety. Simply put, playing alone is just a way to hone your skills for online play.
Bite the Bullet
The most striking feature in Condition Zero is its sharp visual presentation. To its credit, the game does look pretty, and the new maps are well designed for nicely balanced battles. There are new skins that both terrorists and counterrorists can choose, too. But a boost in graphics isnt a good enough reason to rejoice.
What was supposed to be a revelation, a next generation of sorts, has become instead a disappointing follow-up to a beloved game. Condition Zero is much more an expansion pack than a full-on sequel. Its too bad Valve made us wait so long for something that couldve easily been released a long time ago.-- 0 / GamePro
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