Sierra's stand-alone release of the popular online mod Half-Life: Counterstrike is something of a paradox.

Sierra's stand-alone release of the popular online mod Half-Life: Counterstrike is something of a paradox. On the one hand, there's nothing in this box that you couldn't download for free off the Internet; folks have been playing Counterstrike for months before the release of this latest package. Presumably, then, the Counterstrike pack is intended for purchase by those who lack the high-speed Internet connection to download the 100 MB Counterstrike file. On the other hand, if a gamer doesn't have the online horses to get the file, they're not going to have the connection speed to really enjoy a game of Counterstrike online.

I can only assume that this pack is intended for a) 56K gamers interested in playing this mod on a LAN, or b) gamers with a sufficiently fast online connection who can't be bothered to download the file and install it themselves. I suppose Sierra's probably taking the position that this game is the most popular online mod on the planet today, and they'd better do everything they can to make this stellar game available to as many people as possible. Even given the public-domain nature of Counterstrike, $29.95 could be considered by some to be a small price to pay for so much fun. Half-Life: Counterstrike is great fun; if ever a mod deserved standalone release, this is the one.

The Counterstrike mod is a first-person shooter that places you on one of two teams: terrorist and counter-terrorist. The game has several different goal-oriented mission structures. The default is a hostage rescue mission, where counterterrorists must find four hostages in enemy territory and escort them to a predefined rescue point, while terrorists defend their territory and the counterterrorist incursion. Other games include a VIP escort (where one team member must safely navigate the map from Point A to B for victory), a bombing run (terrorists try to plant bomb, counterterrorists attempt to defuse it in time), and an escape mode (one side tries to cross the map while the other tries to take 'em down).

It's fitting, in a way, that many of these game styles saw their first widespread success as part of the original Team Fortress mod for Half-Life. This is perhaps the finest implementation of these game modes out on the web today. A well-played game of Counterstrike employs a sizable dose of strategy; good players will stay in close communication with their teammates, coordinating defensive patterns, attack formations, and the like. Of course, the game is also a lot of fun played as a straight-up team deathmatch, since the criteria for winning includes the elimination of all opponents. Levels available online are rich and varied, and most offer a mix of indoor and outdoor environments in a real-world setting: an Aztec temple, an abandoned train station, etc. The levels I played were uniformly excellent, offering an array of strategic avenues; the nonlinear layout greatly enhances replay value.

As with many online FPSs, knowledge of the map is essential to Counterstrike success. The initial foray into the online arena can be somewhat intimidating, as many players know the maps inside and out. Until you get a little experience, you can likely expect a speedy termination. Players used to charging into the fray spraying fire in every direction are virtually guaranteed to be quickly dead; stealth play is paramount on most levels. Unlike traditional deathmatch and CTF games, there is no respawn in Counterstrike. Instead, your character reverts to Spectator "ghost" mode, where you have complete freedom of movement in three dimensions and are able to cruise the level, observing the other combatants in battle until the round concludes (usually within 3-4 minutes). While not as fun as playing, this allows you to watch some great firefights, and lets you explore a level at a more leisurely pace. You can also pick up a lot of strategic tips by watching more experienced players in the field.

Weapon deployment is unique, and different from most online mods. In Counterstrike, your team spawns in a "buy zone", where you can select and purchase weapons from any number of categories. This allows for a great deal of variety in gameplay options. One round may find you perched on a fire escape with a high-caliber sniper rifle, while on the next round you may choose to bust in the front door with a double-barreled shotgun. I had a lot of fun playing with different weapon sets, especially when experimenting with the "non-gun" equipment. Amazing how a well-placed smoke grenade can make a frontal assault a lot easier.

Weapons modeling is excellent, from top to bottom -- they look sharp and authentic, and they handle realistically. However, the overall graphic presentation of Counterstrike doesn't really hold a candle to the most recent crop of FPSs, although improvements have clearly been made to the original Valve engine. No amount of tweaking can disguise the fact that this engine is based on a two-year-old core, and a facelift would really work wonders. The gameplay is so much fun, though, that you'll hardly notice.

The sound effects, however, are on a par or superior to many games currently on the market. Weapon reports are convincing and jarring, and the audio works to enhance the overall realism. When you're crouching behind a crate, debating various attack strategies, and you hear the muted boom of a detonating grenade, followed by the frantic chatter of machine-gun fire somewhere ahead of you… well, you are there, man, and it's something. This isn't the first time I've brought up how far audio in PC gaming has come. There is no better example of how it improves a gaming experience than in a heated bout of Counterstrike.

Counterstrike supports LAN and modem contests with equal ease, although I did have some difficulties using the in-game connection manager to look at a listing of current online matches. However, I've convinced that the problem was a mistake I was making and not a problem with the game itself, as I did some extensive research and didn't dig up much history on it. One big advantage of a game so firmly rooted in online, user-supported play: the forums are enormous and extensive, and the tech support forum in particular has advice and fixes for almost every issue you could conceive. At any rate, Counterstrike supports connections through Gamespy and the WON network, both of which are a snap to configure and easy to navigate.

In addition to Counterstrike, the package also offers the updated version of Team Fortress, a mod that adds multiplayer functionality to Half-Life: Opposing Force, and a couple of single-player mods. Both of the single-player mods suffer (as mentioned) from the relative age of the Half-Life engine, but offer some twists and are certainly competently designed and fun to play (though the otherwise satisfying documentation makes no mention of any of these add-ons). Wanted!, a single-player total conversion that takes place in the Wild West, is the better of the two, with some clever scripting and some nice work with new textures. Mix in the Firearms mod for multiplayer, a mod that is perhaps the best simulation of realistic weaponry and damage in the FPS world today, and you've got a solid value at under $30.

If you don't have the original Half-Life, but have a hankering for some juicy online gaming, you can't go wrong with Counterstrike. It's designed for folks who want to open the box, spend five minutes installing, and be neck-deep in battle a few minutes later. From this point of view, it certainly delivers on its promise. There may not be enough extras to coax a Counterstrike veteran into looking twice at this package, but if you're new to the game, you owe to yourself to give this infectious online phenomenon a whirl.

Reviewed by Dan Watson, PC Gameworld.