64 people found this review helpful
4 people found this review funny
Recommended
40.0 hrs last two weeks / 352.5 hrs on record (312.5 hrs at review time)
Posted: 19 Feb, 2021 @ 1:37pm
Updated: 30 Nov, 2024 @ 3:29am

CS:Source still worth playing?
Short Answer: YES :)

So, at this point the most useful thing to do is to answer if CS:Source worth getting after those years.
  • First, we need to look at the playerbase , because this is a multiplayer shooter, so we'll need people to play with. Compared to CS:GO, or even it's older brother CS:1.6, CS:S's player count looks pretty small. But, it is sitting around 6 k for a long time now, showing that the current community is very loyal to the game and won't die off any time soon (plus, from my own experience it's pretty friendly). You will find populated servers easily for whatever mode you wish to play (bomb defuse, hostage rescue, gun game, surf, zombie survival, death match etc.). *

  • Another positive, for a lot of people is that you can play it on any PC practically. This game dates back to 2004, based on the very good optimized Source Engine, so by 2021 standards a potato PC can handle CS:S with ease.

  • The best thing about this game is the modding aspect. You can literally change everything in this game to your liking (downloadable skins, game modes, HUDs, in-game menus etc.) for free , from third-party websites. The fact that you can play this game the way you want, is probably the one of the main reasons this game is still played to this day.
Any negatives?
  • No competitive aspect . The reason it probably never took of as a competitive shooter, like the other Counter-Strike games, was the controversial movement at that time, the big playermodel hit-boxes, and the poor net code. As a result, many professional players and a part of the CS community of that time, found this game a bit arcade-ish and casual player oriented. So, you should expect that there is no competitive scene in this game by now. If that's what you look for in a shooter, I don't think that you will find it here.

  • Controversial movement and gun-play . As I told you earlier, the game got criticized for these things. In this game, the movement is pretty speedy, due to the fact that tagging is nerfed here, so strafing is quite strong is CS: Source. Plus, you can't really spray your gun the way you can in CS:1.6 and CS:GO. The spray pattern is there, but the spread is increased. As a result, weapons that are capable to one-shot are the best choice (DEagle, AK-47, AWP). But by now, this play-style has aged well IMO and it's down to personal preference.

Conclusion
Coming back to the main question, I strongly believe CS:Source still has a flavour in it and a bit of a nostalgic aesthetic with good-looking graphic, to this day. So, you should still (in 2021) give it a shot, as it is fairly cheap to get this classic.


Note: I made this review, because I see a lot of discussions including if this game is still worth buying in 2021 and I wanted to give some info. for possible newcomers in order to decide. :P

* IMPORTANT: The numbers may defer on each region. The EU and Asian servers are in a good state, regarding the population. Sadly, the US community seems to struggle a bit, so you will need a good internet connection in order to play overseas.
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2 Comments
zia 17 Jul, 2021 @ 3:23am 
okay baby
Morshu 17 Jul, 2021 @ 3:17am 
ok