Counter-Strike: Condition Zero

Sergey Paramonov
	07.06.2004

Game Name: Counter-Strike: Condition Zero Platform: PC Genre: FPS Developer: Turtle Rock Studios Publisher: Sierra Release Date: 03.23.04 NA; 03.26.04 EU The official system requirements: Pentium III 800 MHz, 128 MB RAM, 3D-graphics card with 32 MB RAM, HDD 1.8 Gb Official website: www.cs-conditionzero.com There is safety in numbers Now it is difficult to imagine a PC-gamer, and never once who saw the power modes of the legendary Half-Life, proudly referred to as the Counter-Stike. Who would have thought that in just a few years, this amateur modification like an avalanche engulf all computer clubs in the world, and gamers chose a side of terrorists or special forces, just sink in the game, leading the fighting in virtual locations. CS has become the main benchmark for online battles for several years, but in cyber-competition tournaments in the game of CS causes the greatest activity among the participants. During the period of its existence, the modes grow had several versions, each of which brings into play new elements. With each new release games improved physics, realism, character models, and most importantly - replenished assortment of real existing weapons and other lotions, made the game so popular. The success of this supplement is in the selection of a strategy of fighting for one side or another, as well as in its endless change. Kibersportsmeny around the world, playing in professional tournaments, develop at least a professional plan of action for any of the submitted maps. It will lead either team battles, or be a lone assassin. Alternatively, you can buy anti-tank gun and run with it right through, imagining themselves invincible Rambo, but is not excluded that such a hero, "prishyut" in the first round, then there will be a little sorry for money spent on not without expensive equipment. So wildly popular Counter-Strike has forced publishers of the original Half-Life to think about moving the game into "single-player". This meant that apart from already bored of multiplayer players will be available to single player. After a certain period of time was announced the project, called Counter-Strike: Condition Zero (on CS: CZ), for the establishment come from the developers of the most Valve, and later on in this business has been involved over the well-known studio Gearbox Software. Release dates game postponed several times, thus demonstrating the level of development of an unstable process. Maybe all the fuss was due to the use of outdated graphics engine of the original Half-Life, which was developed CS: CZ. A little later development of the project was transferred into the hands of skilled craftsmen from Ritual Entertainment, known for Heavy Metal FAKK 2, Sin and other PC-hits. The new masters of the game release delayed indefinitely, and the game development process was started from scratch. The promised three-year wait One of the main designers of levels of the game became a big fan of women's breasts and just a connoisseur of all that is beautiful - Richard Gray, better known as the game world Levelord (Levelord). The development was in full swing, and then entrusted the game, other developers of a little-known firm Turtle Rock Studios. Precise statement concerning the release date, after many changes of developers and was not, instead, were bold promises of publishers that artificial intelligence bots delight us with their innovations in the field of "shooting - to hide," and in the same way that we play in a single have only a side counter-terrorists. Terror, they say, and so the game will be more than enough. Even rumors that the project frozen, but these were only rumors, but recent long-awaited release of the game still was able to dispel. Well, yes, the rumors, it is scattered, but is unable to meet the expectations of gamers, so eager to get hold of an old candy in shiny new wrapper? So, first things first. After installing the game the gamer is to choose between two modes of play. After selecting the first, bearing the same name, takes us into the very "counterrevolution" in which everything is so long and hard to play, but it is only a first impression. On further acquaintance with the version of the game, even with the naked eye can notice the difference from the old network versions. Main menus "Play Condition-Zero" entails the following: create your profile and selecting one of four levels of difficulty, we collect the SWAT team (something similar was in Rainbow Six) for further fighting with the aggressor to beloved maps have undergone cosmetic changes and made from it is much more beautiful and attractive. To win at the selected location to perform multiple tasks. For example, killing five opponents (two of them will shoot a gun), and win the round for 75 seconds, but do not relax, will continue to be more. Each of the heroes has provided certain features and weapons, as buying new rifles bots can not, and will run with what we have from the outset. Also attending the distribution of groups of characters, more than a group, the more experienced fighters are present in it, and accordingly one such fighter can take place in the team as for the three less experienced colleagues, but having a player in the team you can be sure that he justify the choice made. The remaining modes are offered directly through the network supporting corporate service Steam, as well as run around with bots on random maps. Speaking of AI enemies. He is close to perfection. Sometimes you wonder how the bots behave quite reasonably at all given the maps, try to only shoot in the head, bombs pose each time on different bases, ably led team battles and cover each other in a shootout, in fact, it all looks pretty interesting and informative . Forget about the old versions of bots, which discharge the same every time stuck in the door, ran only with pistols and with one shot in the head killing all whom he could, even yourself. Playing a certain period of time in this version of the game you can easily become a sophisticated cyber, check! The second mode is called "Deleted Scenes". Deleted scenes - this is exactly the notorious single-player. In the play it will visit in the skin of the valiant police officer and carry out dozens of the most dangerous jobs, otherwise the terrorists will be in power. Fate will throw the player in the U.S., Russia, Japan, Iraq, Argentina, Brazil. At each of these continents have to perform several tasks at the end of which is sure to be spectacular and thrilling shoot.Whether it is a hostage rescue, bomb disposal, or simply support for VIP-persons. The list itself in any case does not settle, the heroes have to survive the collapse of the "Black Hawk" in the midst of military events, not to let terrorists spread a deadly virus, to visit a Russian province in the nuclear power plant, again filled with additional malicious enemies. Aggressors, incidentally, tend to scream in their native language. English, Chinese, Russian, German, Latvian, Arabic, and so on. Please note that each of the languages ​​of the opponents have a perfect command and without any accent, it is, and Russian concerns. Especially pleased to hear them cussing each other. We now turn to the very sweet - the armament. Here, the spread is as follows: one pistol, one automatic knife, and armor by 100%, and even some accessories, but they are just below. Do not worry, this equipment is available only at the beginning of each mission, in the process of cleansing the territory there is much more interesting and familiar to the network version of the game. That stems, which we have to use: Shotgun (Benelli m3 super, Benelli XM1014 Automatic Shotgun), automatic weapons (H & K MP5 Navy, Ingram Mac10, P90, UMP 45, Kalashnikov AK-47 Rifle, Steyr Aug Rifle, Colt M4A1, Commando SIG sg-550 sg-552). Pistols available H & K USP 45, Glock 18, Sig Sauer p-228. In a game with bots per side SWAT added to shield French and Fa-Mas, which, in turn, terrorists have an improved version of the Kalashnikov and the famous Uzi. Grenades are not forgotten, they are still three types: discontinuous, and the blinding smoke. There is now something else, like a C4. An old friend - is better than two new ones The most notable innovation in the game lies in the fact that now in some missions will have to use spy gadgets. This camera, which will take pictures of secret documents and objects, something like a welder (c it, we burn the locks on the doors) and indispensable mini-camera, with which you can peek in the door, mines and crates. If you remember this little thing was Sam Fisher from the renowned Splinter Cell. In CS: CZ placed considerable emphasis on realism. In the explosion of smoke grenade, the enemies begin to shoot in different directions to scream and run from corner to corner, trying to get out of the clouds of smoke. But in the smoke, unfortunately our character as an enemy, losing coordination, which is reflected in the targeting. Cheering every moment of the explosion towers, houses, crates, missiles and so forth, so to say, objects of the surrounding items. Particularly impressed by the episode, where a terrorist driving a military jeep at full speed, shouting flies into the wall of the building. Believe me, these moments in the game have more than enough, but how much adrenaline you experience during a shootout with the combat helicopter in a mission, words can not describe. In conclusion, a few words on the chart. Compared to the original CS, here it is more precise and polished, the character models are also not deprived of polygons, and the level of detail of weapons reached its peak. Of course, this maximum does not dare to compete with the latest hits in the genre of FPS, but definite imprint on the history of the PC-games will be able to leave, despite the old, already nipped into holes graphics engine. TOTAL As a result, we got good old "counter. Compulsive gamblers will be given a chance to try out all its forces to the maximum level of complexity, and novice fighters for justice will be very useful to practice with the local bot intelligence which is much more elaborated compared with all previous versions. What to the "fathers" CS, then the developers have prepared for them a lot of surprises that can cause them to break away from their present entertainment and once again sit down for the updated Counter-Strike.