Having played over 7,000 hours in CS:GO, I can confidently say that CS2 is a completely new game. Why is CS2 not a continuation of CS:GO, but a full-fledged new game?
Very recently, all players in Counter-Strike Global Offensive, who had a rank in Match Making or in the "Teammates" mode, received an invite to the beta test in CS2. And I was no exception.
Having played calibration games in Prime mode, I have already received my rank, namely 17,890 points, and can confidently say that CS2 is very different from the previous version of the game.
In this article, I will talk about the main differences between these two absolutely different games, what I liked and what I did not like.
I can consider myself more or less competent in this matter, as I have already spent over 7000 hours in CS:GO, and also have more than three thousand elo on Faceit.
Gameplay
Of course, the essence of the game has not changed, and CS2 is still a competitive discipline where terrorists need to plant a bomb, and counter-terrorists need to prevent such an opportunity.
CS:GO was a very dynamic and fast game - this is exactly what CS2 was able to take on. However, there was a feeling that the game has become even faster than it was.
In fact, this is hardly the case, and the models moved at a speed of 250 units with a knife and still move, but the sensations say otherwise.
Innovations
And now we have come to the most important part, namely the new mechanics of smoke grenades and the new tickrate.
I really liked the new mechanics of smoke grenades, which can now be exploded. In my opinion, this feature greatly simplifies the game for the defending side.
For example, I have already thrown smoke on the edges of Inferno several times, then exploded the smoke and killed mid, after which I left almost unnoticed. But, of course, it is now easy to kill through smoke, as few are used to it and expect it. No need to go far, and I often forgot that the CTs can explode the smoke and kill me, for which I received a bullet in the forehead.
But when I entered the smoke, and my screen became darker, I literally got lost in it, as they became much more voluminous and larger. After all, everyone has a habit that you took 4 steps and already came out of the smoke, when here in different situations it will take from 5 to 7 steps! But, you can get used to it.
It is worth noting that smoke grenades now fly with 100% probability and now there is much less chance of catching a hole in the smoke, for example, when you enter B, and your teammate threw smoke in the CT.
Now let's talk a little about the new tickrate. It's worse. Yes, you read everything correctly. The new tickrate in beta testing is worse than the same 64 in CS:GO, not to mention 128 on Faceit.
You are constantly being killed when you enter behind a wall or even kill your opponent, although you no longer see him on the screen (He went behind the wall), and the game still counts the kill as a hit. As if the bullets started to wrap around the walls. But, I think that in future updates - all this will pass and we will have the same 64, but only it will be called differently.
Sound
The sounds in the new game are certainly something. Many regular players and even pros do not always understand where they are being shot from, not to mention what they are being shot with. And this is not even because we are not yet used to the new sound of gunfire from different rifles. The most important thing is that mixed with other sounds of the game, it is simply not discernible.
And all the sounds on the map are heard as if from a can. The only thing I can say is that the sound in CS:GO was cleaner and more pleasant.
Shooting
In CS2, in my opinion, there are big problems with shooting. Single shots or several rounds - it's still okay. But when you try to clamp - that's it. The spray feels maximally random.
Personally, I always play as a rifler and the only thing I could do in CS:GO was shoot with rifles, but in CS2, I feel that if I start clamping - my skill does not matter, only luck.
It is also worth paying attention to the tracers, they behave too strangely. For players who, like me, relied on their tracers during clamping, it will be very difficult now.
Is it a bug or a feature?
There are many controversial moments, but I think most of them will be corrected in the coming updates. But I can't help but talk about them.
While the round is just starting, it often happens that you touch your teammate with your shoulder or directly, which teleports you and always in a random direction.
Your opponents' legs move like jelly. And this is not a joke, if you enter the game at least once - you will understand what I am talking about. Personally, I had the feeling that the opponents just run against me and do not release the W button, but still somehow hit. But it may be that everything looks like this because of lag compensation.
And I also very often noticed that there is a certain delay between the landing of a smoke grenade in a Molotov cocktail. It feels like now you can't just run, throw smoke, and run further. Now you will have to wait for the smoke to unfold and extinguish the molotov.
Lighting
Yes, for the lighting Valve deserves credit. The game now looks really good, fresh and bright, which was not in the previous version. All these rays of the sun and shadows from objects make it clear that I am playing a shooter of 2023, not the early 2000s.
Now there is no need to twist the contrast of the video card, because the game is not gray now.
Conclusion
The developers still have a lot to fix and correct. But the first impression of the game was good, until I figured out all these moments. I think the beta version of the game will be drastically different from the official release.
So at the moment for myself I choose - to continue playing CS:GO and maybe occasionally go to CS2 with friends just to relax.
Because now it does not feel like we will all soon be playing CS2. In my head now, as it was then with Valorant, I will just test this game, try it, and then return to my native CS:GO!
In my time, I switched from CS 1.6 to CS:GO, and at that distant time, the transition from one game to another was quite difficult and time-consuming. But now, when moving from CS:GO to CS2, you will need much less time.
And in the end, CS2 is not CS:GO on Source 2, but a completely new game with its own advantages and disadvantages. But the era of CS:GO is leaving before our eyes, and we can just thank it for all the good moments associated with this game, as well as shed a tear.
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