Though the latest iteration of the widely acclaimed Counter-Strike franchise is trying to give the series a kick in the backside with tweaks, new additions and a general breathe of fresh air, not all of CS:GO is pleasant. Granted the following gripes may seem particularly nitpicky, but that said, any Counter-Strike player will tell you that the slightest change can make all the difference in the world.

First off, a big one for me - intrusive reload animations. You may not think it’s a particularly big game changer, but honestly, I've died so many times due to not being able to see someone so many times I can’t even begin to count. Perhaps it’s because they tried to make some of the weapon animations exciting? I'm not sure, but I’d like to think that many of the animations are subject to change; and my main reason for thinking this is that all of the single pistol reloads are exactly the same.

I can't see a damn thing. Busting out a P2000 mid-firefight is not recommended.

The reload animation scenario became even more frustrating for me when I looked into it more, both around the community and when speaking to my friends who had just gotten into playing CS:GO. Many say that the problem doesn't exist and that if it somehow is bothering people, they should either change their view model field of view setting to re-position the weapons on the screen, or that Valve should add an option to hide view models entirely. This is absurd, as they aren't solutions, they are merely workarounds. Granted some people like their screen to be clear, so an option to hide view models may be welcome to those people, but otherwise it is not a fix. In addition, changing the field of view for view models does not help - I tried it. 

On a related note, and this is definitely a nitpicky one (as it has no bearing on the gameplay); the reload animations, in most cases, are downright bad. They’re lazy, uninteresting, and they don’t have any of the uniqueness that, say, the original Counter-Strike weapon animations had. This is only something a fan of Counter-Strike could agree with, but the reloads in that game all had such specific timing alongside audio queues that they became integral to the game. In past Counter-Strike games, you knew when your gun was loaded - and you didn’t have to look at the ammo counter to be sure.

Secondly, and a big one for everybody, useless weapons. It sure is nice that Valve and Hidden Path have put together a brand new arsenal for CS:GO. However, the additions and tweaks they have made so far have generally brought the game down a notch compared to 1.6 or Source. Yes yes it is still in Beta, but with a projected summer release on the horizon, this issue is something that I’d wish I didn’t see so late on in the games development. Sure, there is certainly nothing stopping them changing things once the game is available to the public but we at least need to see some changes now.

So many SMGs...but when will I ever use them?

For example, I used to heavily rely on submachine guns if I was low on cash as opposed to relying on pistols like I currently do in Global Offensive. By submachine guns I mean the MP5, because come on, it really was the only submachine gun worth anybody’s time. The situation seems even more dire in CS:GO’s case, because the MP7 (successor to the MP5) appears to be complete garbage. While the MAC-10 and MP9 are a little better now, it isn’t enough especially when coupled with the addition of a new submachine gun, the Bizon. The Bizon is supposed to offer a large magazine size much like the P90, but with less damage and greater accuracy...I think. Instead, like all of the SMGs, they do nothing more than make a lot of noise and generate a bit of blood splatter.

What’s worse is that instead of making shotguns a viable option with the two options that were available - a cheaper pump-action shotgun, and a more expensive semi-automatic shotgun - they’ve introduced two more shotguns. The two new additions are team-specific, too, further adding to my confusion relating to their inclusion. This is all probably sounding like quite the rant right now, but it is purely honest confusion. In my previous article, I made it clear that I was pleased that the game is changing. Indeed I am, but the weapon issue is a sort of ‘one step forward, two steps back scenario.

Oh, yay, a new pump-action shotgun. Probably the last time you'll see it in my hands, Arms Race not included

Though my next article is going to be focused on the matter, I feel that the Arms Race mode needs addressing. Previously, Gun Game used to take place on existing Counter-Strike maps (most commonly Dust 2, of course) with random spawns as opposed to the static spawn areas the maps were designed with. This worked. However, Valve and Hidden Path have gone and created specific maps for Arms Race that are cramped, symmetrical, and completely static much like many custom maps 'designed' for Gun Game that I've seen in CSS. This may have looked good on pen and paper, but it leads to a lot of problems including...well, you'll just have to check back with Darkly soon for more on that.

If you’re reading this and you’re not a fan of Counter-Strike, then know that these problems are reasonably minor considering the game is still in beta. Everything could change and more, and this article isn’t designed to make you think twice about playing Global Offensive - it is to simply state my issues with the game thus far, despite how insignificant some may think they are. The truth is, I’ve had nothing but hours of fun with Global Offensive so far and I will no doubt continue to do so as I previously have with both the original Counter-Strike and Source.

Do you have any gripes with the Global Offensive beta? Let us know in the comments!

Sponsored links