Gaming

Top 20 Most Anticipated Upcoming Games of 2012 – PC, Xbox 360 and PS3

by Phoenix on January 4, 2012 · 3 comments

2012 has begun and it looks to be an awesome year for gamers! The entire year is dotted with high profile launches and the return of some of the biggest franchises in gaming. Apart from the big names, there are many more new games which have caught our fancy and could very much turn out to be surprise hits. Sure there’s a lot of sequels, but who doesn’t want to see their favorite character or series back in action? So without further ado, here are some of the most awaited games of 2012:

Street Fighter X Tekken

Fighting game fans rejoice! Two of the biggest franchises in the genre cross paths in this promising new brawler from Capcom. Featuring a roster of fighters from both the franchises, you can now pit your favorite characters from these universes against each other. Street Fighter X Tekken (read “Street Fighter cross Tekken”) will use the 2D style gameplay of the original Street Fighter series with super combos, EX attacks and everything that is signature Street Fighter. Tekken characters will have their movesets mapped to the Street Fighter control scheme and will retain their special attacks. Interestingly, Namco, developer of the Tekken series is also working on their version of the crossover called Tekken X Street Fighter and will feature the 3D gameplay of the original Tekken series. Street Fighter X Tekken will be available on Windows, Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 and PlayStation Vita on March 6 while Tekken X Street Fighter is set to be released sometime in 2013.

Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon: Future Soldier

The newest entry in the Ghost Recon franchise has been in development for quite a while and it will finally see the light of day in March 2012. Known for its trademark gritty realism, the Ghost Recon series now moves into the near future with this newest iteration. It will be released on Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3. Unfortunately the long awaited Windows version was cancelled in December 2011. Future Soldier will be compatible with Microsoft Kinect and boasts of an unprecedented amount of immersion and customization. Players can control their character by actually replicating battle movements and will be able to control the interface in a simulated environment a la Minority Report.

Mass Effect 3

One of the biggest releases of the year, Mass Effect 3 is the final chapter in the epic action RPG from the stalwarts at BioWare. Commander Shepard’s saga comes to an end and decisions made in the previous two games will influence the storyline in this chapter as well. Mass Effect 3 also introduces multiplayer to the franchise along with fine tuning of the amazing graphics engine and gameplay. It will be available on Windows, Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 on March 6. Check out the amazing trailer, it’s understandable how this could be one of the biggest games of the year!

Ninja Gaiden 3

The Ninja Gaiden series is one of the longest running action-adventure series in gaming. The reboot and its sequel received critical and commercial success and now the third game in the series is almost upon us. Tomonobu Itagaki, the developer of the past games does not direct this game, but it still looks promising. The protagonist, Ryu Hayabusa returns in a fantastic new story that seems to be quite different from the previous games, as the trailer shows us. Expect Ninja Gaiden 3 to slice through stores March 30.

Resident Evil: Operation Raccoon City

Another long running series gets a new installment on March 30, the Operation Raccoon City is set during the events of Resident Evil 2 and Resident Evil 3: Nemesis. Instead of playing as the usual series protagonists, players will play as Umbrella Security Service officers with goals completely opposite to exposing the Umbrella Corporations heinous workings. Featuring 6 playable characters with different special abilities, Operation Raccoon City seems like a departure from the previous series outings and looks promising. It will be available on Windows, Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3.

Prototype 2

Prototype 2 is a free-roaming third person action game like its prequel Prototype. It features a new protagonist called Sergeant James Heller who is out for revenge after the death of his family caused by the rampage by Alex Mercer, protagonist of the previous game. Like the previous game, James Heller will be able to shapeshift and transform due to the Blacklight virus. Prototype 2 lands on Windows, Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 on April 24.

Borderlands 2

Sequel to one of 2009′s surprise hits, Borderlands 2 is set 5 years after the events of Borderlands. Gearbox Software’s innovation first person “shooter RPG” was critically well received but not so much commercially. Like the original, there are 4 playable characters with different abilities, but this time around they’re actually new characters. A large amount of customization lets players make a character they’re comfortable playing with. Here’s to hoping Borderlands 2 is as good as, if not better than its predecessor and catches the public’s eye as well! Borderlands 2 hits stores around July 2012.

BioShock Infinite

2007′s BioShock was one of the most critically and commercially successful games of the decade. The blend of  immersive environments, great graphics, morality based gameplay, customizable offenses and objectivist philosophy was a breath of fresh air in the crowded first person shooter genre. After BioShock 2,  also a well received game, Irrational Games is developing a new entry in the series, BioShock Infinite. Unlike the underwater utopia gone wrong setting of the previous two games, BioShock Infinite is set on a city in the clouds on the brink of collapse called Columbia. It features similar gameplay elements from its predecessors and we’re not complaining, it’s a tried and tested formula that doesn’t get old. BioShock Infinite is set to be released June 1.

Counter-Strike: Global Offensive

Counter-Strike needs no introduction. To the millions of CS players all over the world, the new entry into the series, Global Offensive promises to go back to the roots of the original that made it so popular. Valve aims to satisfy veterans of the series with old school gameplay and welcome new entrants with a more forgiving multiplayer casual mode. Featuring updated graphics, maps and weapons, Global Offensive seems like a winner already!

DotA 2

DotA 2 is an update of the hugely popular multiplayer map DotA on Warcraft III. It is being developed by Valve Corporation as a stand alone product and has the main developer of the original map, Icefrog, on board. Needless to say, we can expect it to be true to its roots and is shaping up to be as fun as its predecessor. DotA 2 features most of the heroes, items and skills from DotA along with new maps, modes and a completely new art style and graphics engine. Currently under closed beta phase, DotA 2 is expected to release in the first half of 2012.

Diablo III

The long awaited and often delayed sequel to the amazing Diablo series is set to be released sometime around 2012. The Diablo series is well known for extremely fun hack ‘n slash gameplay and this new iteration allows players to choose among 5 character classes. It is set 20 years after Diablo II and takes place on Sanctuary, the world in which all Diablo games have taken place. Diablo III will use similar gameplay elements and the interface from Diablo II although on Blizzard’s new proprietary graphics and physics engine.

DmC: Devil May Cry

The well known action series is all set for a reboot in 2012. Usual developers Capcom have handed over the reins to English developer Ninja Theory and initial trailers show a completely new game with a completely changed, younger Dante. It is set in a parallel universe to the original games in the series.

Prey 2

Prey, released in 2006 was one of the most delayed games in the history of well, gaming. Going through numerous overhauls and changes, it was doubtful if it would ever see the light of day. Finally it released in 2006 and surprisingly was a great shooter with innovative elements like gravity changes, living and customizable weapons and spirit walking. 6 years later and Prey 2 is set to be released in 2012. It features a new protagonist who was knocked unconscious after a short fight with aliens during the beginning of the first game who wakes up on an alien world. He becomes a bounty hunter and presumes he is the last human on the alien world called Exodus. Furthermore, he doesn’t remember anything from the years between his abduction and arrival at Exodus. Then he meets the protagonist of the first game and sets out to recollect his memories. Sure seems like a cracker of a storyline!

Tomb Raider

Lara Croft stars in yet another reboot of the classic series that focuses more on survival and realism than the previous games. Players take control of a 21 year old Lara stranded on an island after an unforeseen storm wrecks the ship she was on. Tomb Raider features a completely new Lara and is a complete reinvention of the character and games. A greater emphasis on puzzles and survival, a new graphics engine and an origin story sounds interesting and will be worth waiting for. Tomb Raider is scheduled to be released in Q3 2012.

StarCraft II: Heart of the Swarm

Both a sequel and a standalone expansion pack to StarCraft II: Wings of Liberty, Heart of the Swarm is set 2 years after the events of Wings of Liberty and focuses on the story of Sarah Kerrigan and will be played from the Zerg perspective. It will be priced as an expansion pack and is set to be released sometime in 2012. Heart of the Swarm is the second of the StarCraft II trilogy with the third and last being Legacy of the Void.

Max Payne 3

Max Payne returns in the sequel to Max Payne 2: The Fall of Max Payne! Set 8 years after the previous game, Max Payne 3 is set in Sao Paulo, Brazil where world weary Max has been double crossed and is looking out for a way to clear his name. Originally set to release in 2009, Max Payne 3 is scheduled to be released in March. All the signature traits that made the previous two games famous like the visceral action, gritty story and dark setting are set to make a return. Max Payne’s trademark bullet time makes a return as well.

Hitman: Absolution

The Hitman series was one of the first that effectively blended stealth and action and thus gained acclaim. Over the past few years, Agent 47 has had some lackluster outings. Fans of the series demanded a game that was as good as the first two and now IO Interactive and Square Enix have promised the newest installment will be everything they have asked for. They claim it will be “familiar yet completely different”. The trailer looks pretty awesome, lets hope Agent 47 finds his lost form as well! The tentative release date is set as 2012.

Halo 4

The Halo series is one of gaming’s biggest and most loved franchises. Halo 3 was said to be the last outing of the series protagonist, Master Chief, John-117, but come holiday 2012 (Q4 2012), players can step into the big shoes of the Chief again! Halo 4 will be the beginning of a new trilogy starring the Master Chief called the “Reclaimer Trilogy”. Unlike the previous games, the series will now be developed by 343 Industries, a new studio exclusively devoted to the Halo universe. Some employees of the previous developer Bungie are now working with 343 Industries after Bungie split from Microsoft. Developers promised this new trilogy will be more epic than the previous installments and will have a much darker storyline.

Guild Wars 2

The sequel to the popular MMORPG Guild Wars has promised a lot of unique features. Unlike most MMOG’s, it doesn’t have a subscription fee, just pay for the game and you’re all set! Set in the world of Tyria, the main plot deals with fighting Elder Dragons, ancient species bent on destruction. A unique feature in Guild Wars 2 is that it is a persistent world, that means the players actions actually determine the progress of the storyline. A revamped combat system and better graphics could very well make this game a big player in the MMOG market.

World of Warcraft: Mists of Pandaria

The new expansion pack for the largest and most popular MMORPG was announced on October 21, 2011. Mists of Pandaria will have a host of new features and content, including a brand new playable race called the Pandaren and class, Monk. What’s unique about the Pandaren is that they can join any one of the two factions, they aren’t faction bound like other races. Set on an island lost in time until now, Mists of Pandaria extensively features Asian themed environments and instances. It raises the level cap from 85 to 90, introduces a completely remade talent system, a pet battle system, challenge mode dungeons along with brand new raids, dungeons and battlegrounds. The return of world PvP combat is also one of the most anticipated features. It’s a departure from the usual doom and gloom and a main antagonist for every expansion, and instead focuses on the conflict between the two factions, Alliance and Horde.

So these are some of the most awaited games of 2012, there are still more set to release and some big names that haven’t yet set a release date but very well could release in 2012; This year could be one of the best years for gamers, lets wait and watch, and of course play!

Related Post : Top 15 Latest Upcoming Games Of 2011/12 For PC, PS3 and Xbox 360

The Elder Scrolls: Skyrim – PC Game Review by Coolpctips Gamers

by Pranay on December 19, 2011 · 8 comments

The one and only word that comes to my mind when I think of The Elder Scrolls: Skyrim.-”EPIC”. Then I also think of Massive, Awesome, Stunning, Breathtaking and many other adjectives but I won’t use all of them because I’ll run out of them to put in the rest of this review. It seems like the verdict is clear. The Elder Scrolls: Skyrim is undoubtedly the game of the year and is probably the best role playing game ever made.The story of Skyrim takes place 200 years after the events of Oblivion. Like in every other game of the series, you enter the city as an unnamed prisoner. Moments into the game, a mighty dragon attacks the convoy carrying you. You then escape to find out that the city is in cataclysm.  a sign of apocalypse, as prophesied in the Elder Scrolls. Alduin, the dragon lord is set to rise and send the world into rapture. So you set out on a quest to fulfill your destiny of being a Dragon born Warrior and saving the world from Alduin’s Armageddon.

The Elder Scrolls: Skyrim review

There’s so much to explore and so much to see that you can easily add another hour or 2 to your total game time because every now and then you’ll stop and stare in wonder at the landscape and scenic pulchritude. If you’ve played the previous installment of the series or did some quick research, you’ll find that back when Oblivion was released,  the game’s graphics made some big news. Five years later, Bethesda studios has only raised the bar higher by so much that it’s hard to imagine what would come next. The world is vast with so many diverse landscapes. Snow storm in the mountains, the branches and trunks of trees in the forests, the lighting and background effects of more than 140 catacombs or the grass and flowers on the paths of the city are so intricately designed. The fact that you can actually pluck these flowers is mind boggling.

The Elder Scrolls: Skyrim reviewThe games graphic engine is all new and delivers some great spectacles. Everything that you see in the horizon, be it the huge mountains in the distance, the overshadowing trees or the magnificent waterfalls are not just hanging scenes but can be reached if you keep walking towards them. The level of detail that was put into each weapon and piece of armor deserves a gold star. Your machine will undoubtedly be working up a sweat trying to run this game. Another aspect of this huge game is its dynamics. As you ascend up a mountain, you’ll be amazed by the change in the weather. The AI engine used for this game is called Radiant Story and lives up to its name. It’s difficult to predict how your surroundings will interact with you. Don’t be surprised if a dragon drops in at random, while you are in an intense battle though the character behavior might seem redundant as you play on and on. At times dragons can come at you in packs,  and it just doesn’t get any better.The Elder Scrolls: Skyrim review

You get to choose the race of your character and can build on a variety of skills. The dual hand combat has now been improved as you get to wield a weapon in each hand or you could choose to supplement your primary weapon with a shield or a spell. The spells in the game are so much fun to use. The game gives you the ability to cast 2 different spells simultaneously using each hand. You can shoot blasts of fire at your enemy while healing yourself but casting a spell with both hands will give you a bigger incentive. As you encounter different dragons and defeat them, you get to absorb their soul and learn dragon words which can be found at specific locations throughout the landscape. Once you’ve done so, they can be used to perform dragon shouts. Activate a shout and it’ll send your enemy swirling into the air. The soundtrack of the game will leave you craving for more. The tunes blend into the game perfectly and its enamoring effect is felt throughout the game.

 The Elder Scrolls: SkyrimThe upgrade and leveling up system has been improved as well. No special trick in there.  The more you do a task, the better you get at it. The conversations between characters in the game are more natural and free flowing compared to Oblivion. The variation in the profiling of character behavior is very vast. You will encounter Nords, Orcs, Angorians, Bretons and the High Elves to name a few races in the game.  Traveling across such a gargantuan landscape might seem a pain but you have to play the game to really decide on that. As a player, you always have a choice to teleport across various locations of Skyrim, which will save a lot of time . During your time in Skyrim, you’re gonna find a lot of treasure, unlock lots of secrets (yes!! you can become a vampire or a were wolf), find some hot females and marry them (not to forget Lidya), settle down in a “Home Sweet Home” and fill it with books to read, talk to villagers and get to know their history, walk beside giant trolls and wooly mammoths and  kick some bad ass bosses.

The reason this game is massive is because of the choice you have. From the race of the character you choose, the weaponry you can wield, the armor you wear, the spells you can cast, the missions you do, the map of skyrim which is as large as the continent of Asia or the size of the dragons you encounter, it’ll feel way too overwhelming. You can rush through the story mode which, even a seasoned Elder Scrolls gamer, will need more than 100 hours to get through. But every now and then you’ll run into village folk and will end up adding side missions to your ever growing quest log.

A game of such pronounced magnitude is bound to have issues. The first person combat might seem a little sloppy and feel like random hacking with no effect of blood while your blade slices through the flesh of your enemy. But once you shift to third person view, the effect is so much better. All the characters in Skyrim seem to share an isomorphic body frame. The variations in their BMI will seem zilch. There is a matter of contention with the faces of people you interact which makes conversation seem very artificial. You are bound to find graphics bugs like swimming across land forms, horses running a straight and smooth path on a rocky slope or random elements disappearing or landing from the sky. Overlapping dialogs can also be a little disturbing but there is so much to enjoy and admire about this game that you’ll be forgiving in those matters.

Skyrim is going to make you feel great because you played it. If you manage to play this game more than twice, the idea of which may sound crazy, you’ll be astounded by the difference in how you can choose to play and strategize a quest. We’re talking full replay value so you have to play this game, even if it means ” taking an arrow to the knee” to do it.

Need for Speed: The Run – A must read review by a passionate NFS gamer

by Pranay on December 1, 2011 · 2 comments

Ever felt like driving from end of the country to the other? One of the longest running racing game franchises brings this experience to you in their latest Need for Speed game, THE RUN. Developed by EA Blackbox, The game has received all the hype that it needed but sadly, YES sadly it doesn’t deliver as expected.

Detailed Review on NFS The Run PC Game 2011 :

NFS The Run

NFS The Run : Career Mode (Story Line)

In the game you play Jack. Lord knows why, he finds himself entangled with the mob, and has to pay them off. He almost gets himself killed in a car crusher in the beginning of the game, but is given a last chance for redemption. A winner takes all, $25 million cross country race across the Unites States, from San Francisco to New York. If you’ve been following the trailers, what you’ll notice is that EA have tried to make the story intense and adventurous but the plot is the killer of the fun. You’ll be twiddling your thumb to skip the scenes and thankfully, the cut scenes are small.

The entire race course across the United States in divided into 10 stages. Each needs you to complete several races.  Apart from the long coast to coast rally to get to the top 100 racers, you will need to complete checkpoint races, time trials and battle races where you have to keep the lead for a fixed amount of time before you can move on to the next opponent.

NFS The Run

NFS The Run : Environment and Gameplay

I’m a big fan of the Most Wanted pursuits and since then I felt pursuits have went downhill in NFS games. The cop chases are a little disappointing compared to previous installments.  They never intensify to the level of spike strips and EMP blasts but you encounter some high voltage chase sequences with the mob where you are constantly evading gunfire from helicopters and SUV’s.

The entire race time boils down to around 2hours 30 minutes which doesn’t include the mob chase sequences or the cut scenes. The game delivers over 120 cars, most of them variants of the same car as you don’t get to customize your ride. You still don’t find the Ferrari here and certain cars are specific to platforms like the Veyron, which is available only for the Playstation. But PC Gamers still get to ride the Lambi Aventador.

Autolog lets you keep track of your time and your position with respect to your opponents via the Speedwall for multiplayer mode. Every race, be it in the single player or multiplayer contains certain objectives. You get to earn XP in every race by passing opponents, getting airtime and completing objectives, which you could complete for rewards like rare cars, emblems and other stuff.

NFS The Run

NFS The Run : Graphics & Audio

The graphics of the game are its savior. Thanks to the Frostbite II engine, you drive through some amazing landscapes. Be it the country side farm lands, snowy mountain passes, the Chicago skyscrapers or the Nevada highways. The experience is stunningly amazing. Up close though, grainy details of character modeling cannot be ignored.

NFS games usually leave you humming their soundtracks long after you’re done playing the game. There’s a lot of rock and roll unlike the usual hip hop and electronica in this edition. But nothing beats the sound of the Gallardo roaring down the Las Vegas strip.

NFS The Run : Drawbacks

This game can get very annoying. Several pauses during game play for the weak storyline, retries if your car crashes can test your nerves. Some races need you to start all over again if you drift off the road even by a little bit. Not to forget the times when you get totaled. Initially it’s nice to see your car parachute into the air with a symphony of metal and sparks blazing but I thought the game overdid it. The game has a weird way of letting you change your ride. Every time you want to do so, you need to drive through a gas station where you can select a different vehicle but at the cost of valuable race time. If you want to improve your time you have to repeat an entire stage as you can’t redo a specific event and furthermore you can’t skip the cut scenes. Not even the one in which Jack stares at the girls’ booties at a gas station.

NFS The Run

The story has nothing creative and new.  You don’t feel for the character you play. A good beginning makes a good ending. But the beginning is so vague and you won’t even know that you’re done with the game until you notice the credits start rolling. . If you’re looking to just fill your NFS game collection, you’ll need to pick this up otherwise this one has no replay value. If I had to rate this game on a scale of 10, I give it not more than 7.

Hope you have liked our  NFS The Run Review. Please share your views here in form of comments. We would love to respond on it.

Call of Duty : Modern Warfare 3 (MW3) – A Review Without The Media Hype

by Satish on November 13, 2011 · 2 comments

Modern Warfare 3 is the most awaited game of the year and this modern warfare 3 review will make you go through a detailed info about the game. Let me give you a little bit about me. I’m not your average gamer. I don’t own tens of games, nor do I have lots of time to play on them. I’m twenty five, always had a console and each year I pick up two titles – Battlefield and Call of Duty (CoD). I’m pretty much an exclusively online “gamer,” and do so to let off steam after the end of a hard working day for half an hour or so.

If you’re considering purchasing Modern Warfare 3  you’re probably aware of all of the media hype surrounding the game, and after all, you probably owned Modern Warfare 2, World at War and Black Ops. I personally feel that many magazines and reviewers have jumped on the media hype wagon.

Modern Warfare 3 Review On Single Player Mode (MW3)

In summary, the single player on Modern Warfare 3 is, well, excellent. The graphics and scenery, and cut scenes are in a completely different league to its rival Battlefield 3. However, the story line on Battlefield 3 is far more convincing – if you’re a history buff you’ll be able to spot influences from historic battles involving Russia.

modern warfare 3 review

Whereas Battlefield 3 tends to tread old lines but does it well, Modern Warfare 3 seems to push the boundaries as users experience underwater fighting and fighting on London’s underground. Modern Warfare 3 does make use of some sick ironic humor, for example, there is a cut scene outside of Big Ben where you play the role of a camera man filming what you’d presume to be your wife and child playing with the pigeons outside – then, all of a sudden all hell breaks loose.

In some respects, I guess that the story line writers were trying to give us some slowed down, humanized perspective to this fictions plot , demonstrating the implications would be if the story line were true. CoD players tend to be notoriously, run- run, die-die trigger happy.

Modern Warfare 3 Review On Multiplayer Mode (MW3)

Now, like a sinner in a confession box – I’m going to have to make a confession here. I am disappointed by Modern Warfare 3′s multiplayer. Not because it’s not good, but because it doesn’t add anything new.

I’ve played on CoD online since my housemate “Ed” at University introduced me at to the frantic Xbox live experience. Each call of duty since then has seemingly really added something to the experience – Call Of Duty 3 gave us a much improved multiplayer experience with improved graphics and maps, Call Of Duty 4 (MW1) introduced a new engine and a host of new modes as well as perks. World at war – zombies, MW2 really polished off MW2.

modern warfare 3 review

Now, I feel a little bit like Modern Warfare 3 really doesn’t add much in the way of multiplayer experience. If feels a little bit like Modern Warfare 2.5. The fact that many key programmers and designers left, I feel shows.

To be unkind, Modern Warfare 3 does feel like a Modern Warfare 2 map pack with a few new modes. Now on the subject of maps, I feel like there are a lack of them in comparison to previous versions of CoD – distinctly designed to milk us, the consumer for every cent for new map packs.

The graphics and feel, I think is largely the same as MW2. That said, the attention to detail, must be noted and appreciated. I particularly liked the naming of the London Underground station “Middleton” named after the maiden name Kate, the wife of William Winsor – third in line to the British throne at the time of writing. Moreover, the fine touches of London underground map and uniquely designed cars rather than the same car design over and over again makes for a much more real experience.

To conclude, Modern Warfare 3 continues the same formulaic arcade style shoot ‘em up that follows have come to know and love. Does it add anything new? Not really. Is it better than Modern Warfare 2, definitely.

Watch out Activision, EA’s Battlefield 3 is clearly catching up.

By DJ Offer. Offer is the architect of Chit Chat for Facebook the Facebook message app.  Despite being a small firm, the Facebook windows software Chit Chat attracts thousands of downloads per day.

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Most Awaited New Counter Strike : Global Offensive Preview

by Phoenix on September 30, 2011 · 5 comments

Counter Strike Global Offensive is one of the most awaited games of 2012. Counter-Strike, the name itself evokes images of gamers huddled over their PC’s with headsets, barking orders to each other and frantically clicking, their eyes never leaving the monitor screen. It essentially defines multiplayer games. Go to a gaming cafe and you’re sure to find Counter-Strike, if not any other multiplayer games. Counter-Srike started off as a mod for Half-Life back in June 1999. It was developed by Minh Le and Jess Cliffe. The gaming community reacted extremely positively to it and it caught Valve Corporation’s eye, the developer of the Half-Life series. Pretty soon, Valve and the developers of the Counter-Strike mod teamed up and Counter-Strike was released as a stand alone game in a multiplayer games pack in November 2000. Again it proved hugely popular and the vast Counter-Strike multiplayer community expanded exponentially. Valve kept releasing updates and the game began to be included in tournaments and in a year or so became a mainstay of the multiplayer gaming community. Prizes for these tournament were in tens of thousands of dollars and Counter-Strike became a brand.

Evolution of Counter-Strike:

The basic premise is quite simple. Two teams battle against each other in maps to complete an objective depending on the game type. A time limit is usually imposed as well. The teams are Terrorist and Counter Terrorist. In the classic deathmatch mode, the first team to eliminate all of the opposing team members wins. Another mode is when the Terrorist team aims to plant a bomb at a certain point of the map and let it explode to win the game, whereas Counter Terrorists win by defusing the bomb or killing all opposing team members if the bomb is not planted. Though Counter-Strike started off as a mod, the standalone game also has a large community that develops new maps, skins etc.

In March 2004, Counter-Strike: Condition Zero was released. It was the first Counter-Strike game with a single player campaign. It also included new maps, bots and updated graphics, but it was essentially the same game. November 2004 marked the release of Counter-Strike: Source. It was a major technological update and a refresh of game mechanics. It used the Source engine, which powered game of the year 2004, Half-Life 2. Counter-Strike: Source was basically a remake of the original game. But it wasn’t met with good reviews and most players weren’t happy with all the changes to the core gameplay. Even now, the original Counter-Strike is played more than Source and is used in major tournaments.

global offensive counter strike

Counter-Strike: Global Offensive finally announced :

After a gap of over 7 years, a sequel to this hugely popular series has been announced and slated for an early 2012 release. Titled Counter-Strike: Global Offensive, it promises to deliver a long overdue proper addition to the Counter-Strike series which the large community will love. Also, it is the first cross-platform Counter-Strike game. It will be available on PC/Mac, PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360. Players using PC/Mac and PlayStation 3 can play against or with each other online. Global Offensive aims to be an evolution of the much loved original game, rather than a revolution like Counter-Strike: Source was.

Counter-Strike: Global Offensive features new game modes, weapons, maps, and characters. Along with new maps, classic maps like de_dust will be updated. A brand new mode is going to be added, called casual mode. In it, players can buy weapons each round for free, voice chat is available cross team and everyone can spectate everyone else. It’s mainly focused on newer and casual players, as the name suggests. Competitive mode is the mode most Counter-Strike players have been playing all these years, it includes round time limit, no spectating, no cross team chat and of course, limited money to buy and upgrade weapons.

Counter Strike: Global Offensive Graphics & Weapons :

The game graphics have been completely revamped and look much more realistic now. Small touches like bullet shells, gun smoke and recoil, visual variations between same model team members and characters dressing appropriately according to the environment make the game all the more immersive. New weapons will be introduced, including molotov cocktails, taser guns and grenades. The taser gun will be a single use, expensive weapon to instantly eradicate a player. Another interesting addition is a decoy, which is basically a bundle of firecrackers, that adds a marker to the map and gives of sounds of gunfire to confuse opposing team members. The molotov cocktail will be a large scale disable, it will spread fire and smoke to slow down enemy players.

More new features are yet to be revealed and already it’s looking like it’s going to live up to all the hype. No doubt Counter-Strike: Global Offensive will be one of the must buy games when it releases in 2012. Expectations from the multiplayer gaming community are sky-high, now all we can do is wait and watch what Global Offensive has to offer!

How to Play Counter Strike on Windows 7/Vista – Module Failed To Initialize

by Pranay Kotapi on September 21, 2011 · 2 comments

Do you know that you can play cs in windows 7 /vista with out any compatibility issues with simple tricks ? Its been 5 years since the release of Windows Vista and still I hear people complaining about how bad the Windows Vista is. Well actually to be specific, its not the OS, its the security features that are built in the OS that seem to misguide the users making them think that most of the programs/games don’t run on Vista. Personally, I think Windows Vista/ 7 are amazing operating systems. Almost all the programs run on the new operating systems just like the old ones, except those of the few programs that run on DOS.

play cs in windows 7

Simple Trick To Play CS in Windows 7/Vista Online :

Certainly most of them can be fixed. But today, I’m gonna tell you how to fix or make Counter Strike run on Windows Vista/7. Firstly, you need to know about the New Compatibility Mode in Windows Vista. Its a toggle mode that allows you to run programs that initially used to run on older Operating Systems without any problems. Most of the programs/games can be fixed and run on Vista/7 in this way. We will solve this issue now to play cs in windows 7 and windows vista in a easy way.

Here’s what happened when I tried to install Counter Strike on my computer with Vista. You will see a error as Platform Error : module failed to initialize.

Fix Module Failed To Initialize Error To Play Cs in Windows 7 / Vista

To Fix this error, follow the steps and you’ll be able to run the game in Windows Vista/7.

1) Firstly Install the game.

2) Right-click on the game icon and click properties.

3) Click on the compatibility tab.

4) Choose “Run this program in compatibility mode for” and select Windows XP Service Pack 2 (or any other).

5) Click OK and start the game, you game should be opening and you must be ready to play.

This is the simple way to play counter strike 1.6 online in windows vista/7. Most of us will have this problem of  not seeing the servers of players online. Some of us even cant see the menu when we try to connect to the server. Its just the interface of windows vista/7 which is not compatible to play counter strike 1.6 online. If you come across with games like these, which have issues in windows vista/ 7 then just use the above compatibility mode option to solve it. Please post your queries and comments below. I hope you all have fixed this problem soon and play cs in windows 7 online.

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