I’ll fess up – I was almost always the worst Counter-Strike player in my group of college friends. If my teammates would notice a man down, it would invariably be me, down after yet another misguided kamikaze attempt. It was the gaming equivalent of a hockey power play, a handicap match between counter-terrorists and terrorists. But I can’t deny that it was a whole lot of fun back then, even now, during the rare times I get to play.
Why all the nostalgia? That’s because Valve will be releasing the fourth and latest entry in the Counter-Strike Series, Global Offensive, on August 21. It will be, in many ways, a blast from the past, with a lot of those all-time favorite maps included, such as the ubiquitous de_dust. And the silver sign on the upper right hand corner of the official Counter-Strike blog says it all – worldwide release 8/21, pre-orders available on Steam for PC users starting today, August 7th.
A press release on the Steam store basically sums up Valve’s dedication to add another installment in the series, despite whispers of the title being “dated” in comparison to other FPS games. According to Valve’s Doug Lombardi, “Counter-Strike took the gaming industry by surprise when the unlikely (Half-Life mod) became the most played online PC action game in the world almost immediately after its release in August 1999.” Ironically, though, it appears as if the CS: GO blurb needs a little updating. “The title is targeted for release in early 2012 and will be playable at PAX Prime and Eurogamer Expo.” Uh, guys, this isn’t exactly early 2012 anymore.
But who am I to complain? Pre-orders should start later on in the day, and it will cost only $15 to get this refreshed version of the simple, yet fun first-person shooter. You’ll get several new modes, matchmaking features, new weapons and, on top of the classic maps, a few new ones to keep things fresh. And graphics will definitely be enhanced on CS:GO. This should be a fun, and again, nostalgic title that will hopefully do its part in keeping the Counter-Strike legacy alive.
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