Counter-Strike: Condition Zero

Counter-Strike returns, but will it satiate the masses waiting for Half-Life 2?

After a long two-year wait, countless map additions, and hours of potty-mouth orations, the second coming of Counter-Strike finally arrives. Don?t re-cock that gun too fast, though?Condition Zero doesn?t necessarily make your shot any better than it was before.

Zero Degrees of Separation
The phrase ?if it ain?t broke, don?t fix it? is precisely how Condition Zero will feel to Counter-Strike fans. And that?s a bad thing when you?re paying full price for a game that doesn?t have anything really new. The gameplay is literally the exact same thing. And that?s just it?after 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 you?re still playing the original Half-Life mod.

The single-player game is a joke, too. Instead of following a story, you?re 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 map?the same map that you can just play online. Your computer-controlled team bots aren?t very intuitive either. They?ll wait for you to defuse a bomb even though they?re sitting right next to it and you?re on the other side of the level, or won?t 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 isn?t 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. It?s too bad Valve made us wait so long for something that could?ve easily been released a long time ago.

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