Go Go Go! Talking bout Counter Strike

Lately, I've become re-addicted to Counter Strike Source. What can I say, the two minutes chaotic kamikaze violence where your aim is to complete the objective or at least take as many Terrorists or Counter Terrorists down with you is just one of those really addictive formula.

I have a soft spot for CSS. I got it free with my copy of HL2 in 2004 which also had HL2DM on it and I can never uninstall it from my PC.

But one of the aims of my recent re-addiction, was to master the Shotgun of the games. In my eyes, the Shotgun is one of the manliest weapons in gaming next to a Rocket Launcher, Bolt Action Rifle or Dagger. Sure you can cause chaos safely with your fancy pants sniper rifle or have a certain kill with that plastic sub-machinegun that fires more than one bullet a second but a real man gets up and close and bathes in the blood cloud of his decimated enemy. It after all, makes you stronger.

Besides, when guarding a hostage or bombsite which is inside or has a small alleyway or corridoor the Shotgun is indeed going to be the king of the killing field. You can't run away from my three clouds of buckshot, you Scout carrying pansey now. Wish you bought the Desert Eagle now, don't you!

It really is a pleasure for me to kill somebody in CSS with the more bulky, least reputible weapons. It is truly the pwn when somebody gets wasted with the UMP, the Dual Wielded Beretta or that embarassingly expensive Rambo Minime Machine Gun. Mac 10 and Schmidt Machine Pistol kills are also a must too for me. This little facination also helps me with my notorious cheapness. I rarely buy the more expensive guns, I'd rather stack up on a good pistol, armour and nades. It pays off when I can finally afford the Rambo gun with ease.

Another reason I have gotten re-addicted to the game is that I have decided to try more of the custom maps. Office, Dust and Italy are great in moderation but are so goddamn boring. Especially on those forty and fifty map severs. Instant OMG Rush mode right there and then. The current server I play on has some interesting new maps as well as expanded versions of the official ones (rooms, new inter connecting routes and new bomb sites) make for a more interesting and less cramped style of gameplay. Not to mention, shooting down doors and blasting brick walls open for some routes. Who doesn't like random map destruction? huh? huh? Nothing more kick ass that smashing a freaking door with your tiny Bowie Knife. Andy McNabb got nothing on me apparently.

What player model do you choose I also hear you ask? I being a minor Patriot always grab SAS on The CT side and Elite Crew for the CT side. Sometimes, I grab a Navy SEAL or Phoenix Connection to remind me of the early days of CSS too. I'm not much of a fan of the other two newer Terrorist skins. The Winter Camo dude looks odd in most maps and the Guerilla guy looks too portly and high to be a terrorist of El Cubadoroa. You see this guy in a local CSS server, make sure you give him the UMP.

I also must say, CSS Ghosting has some pretty amusing sights from time to time. Watching brave Terrorists or CT's blazing hopeless last stands or witnessing some gormless CT trying to blast some crazy sob Terrorist cutting into his kidney with a bowie knife always makes me laugh. Even the Ragdoll corpses sometimes get blown, shot or slid into some hilariously amusing positions. Despite the graphics and seriousness of a Terrorist Attack, CSS will always have a comical side to me. Either with witty or LOL banter of the dead semi-bored pundits in the chat channel, the (sometimes) funny sound bytes or hearing some chap being snarky on the mic. Wondering around the map, watching people getting wasted and looking and the cheap destruction or your fellow players sprays in most VALVe games is always an interesting experince though.

Another thing amuses me about the game. It is always the same four guys being taken hostage. What power does Old Guy, Middle Aged Guy, Young Guy and Asian Guy hold in the ultra-violent but constantly resetting world of Counter Strike SOURCE? Do they have horrible luck and taste when it comes to going on holiday? Is it a Sick Fetish and they are all members of some Hostage Volunteers Group on MySpace? Could they perhaps know where all the women went in this crazy world of endless death and lolcat sprays? Where they perhaps, NPC's that helped Gman in his crazy quest during Black Mesa and got exiled like Gordon in Half Life? Who knows. All we know is, they are funny to shoot in the foot. I have an intricate theory that Middle Aged Guy owns the floaty invisible shop where everyone buys their weapons at the start of the round and has some sort of deal with the CT. Since he always dies last. Keep an eye on him will you? he could try and sell you some repainted Mac-10 he looted from some newbie Terrorist corpse when you are saving his creepy ass.

Do I have any favourite moments of my own adventures in the game? Recently, I went nuts and got five kills with the Pump Shotgun in the game. Sadly, I could never stop the CT's from disarming the bomb on the same round. Life is cruel, but you respawn still with your gun and new ammo :D. I also recall recently just buying a whole lot of AK's with the team and throwing them on the coffee table in the expanded Office map. It was utterly pointless, but we all got a free Assault Rifle for it!

Now I simply wonder what is left in store for CSS now that The Orange Box is out of the way. VALVe have confirmed that Achivements for it and his grand old man, Counter Strike will be in the works but we want more content. More guns. Chickens in Italy. Spetznatz CT and Escaped Convict Models for both teams.

Right, I'm all out of STEAM. Get it? Anyways, before I go I must mention if you liked Red Versus Blue check out the Leet World Machinma, set in CSS. An excellent parody of all those crap Reality Television shows that is on TV these days with the crazy Ultra Violence of CSS thrown in for win.