CS Condition Zero

CS gets a facelift

While at GDC we got a great look at the upcoming Counter-Strike Condition Zero, a standalone product from Gearbox Software, makers of Half-Life Opposing Force, among others. Condition Zero includes new graphical enhancements to the rapidly aging, but still wildly popular Counter-Strike mod for Half-Life. It also features new weapons, and a single player mode.

You're standing too close!

Storm the embassy!

Randy Pitchford, head of Gearbox, showed off some of the game’s new visual enhancements by taking us through a few of the new levels. One of them was an urban scene in an unknown Asian locale, complete with the crowded feel of narrow streets and alleyways, and multiple level buildings with balconies and fire escapes overlooking the small walkways. It was raining in this level – weather is something new to CS. The scene also included alpha blended trees and bushes, and more realistic backdrops with high rise buildings that appeared to be far out into the distance, unlike many of the fake looking skyboxes you see in current CS maps. They’re subtle changes but help add to the atmosphere.

Perhaps more impressive is the special effects and materials system that’s been added to the game. Shooting into stone walls will generate squibs and particles flying off the impact point. A full on fire fight may resemble something like the lobby scene in the Matrix where you see chunks of the wall flying off everywhere. This system changes behavior depending on what sort of material it is – three types of glass are modeled in the game, and bullets will also act differently when impacting metal or wooden surfaces. Sound is also part of this materials system so you can bet the sound of bullets ricocheting and hitting metal will be different than plunking into a wood wall. They can even model different sounds of footpads, so you can tell if someone is sneaking up on you, crunching their feet in the snow or tapping their boots on a concrete floor. Or you can even check the snow for their footprints!

They're exceptional at shooting the wall

Molotov hitting the floor

The single player game

The single player campaign of CSCZ pits the player as a squad leader of a new multinational counter-terrorist organization. You can originate from one of five different elite squads, including the Navy Seals, the GSG-9, and the Spetsnaz. The game is non-linear, allowing the player to choose the order he undertakes missions in any of six different continents, with three to four different missions in each continent.

Since you’re in charge of your funding, you’ll have to allocate funds to hire new recruits, invest points in different aspects of their skills training (marksmanship, and demolitions, among others), and buy weapons for your squad. Your first missions will be undertaken alone, but as you gain money and hire troops, you’ll be leading a squad of troops into battle. Controlling these troops can be done via radio commands, or if you’re lazy, they’re smart enough to take their cues from you. If you advance, they will advance behind you, covering each other from the side and back. If you stop in an area, they will stop and fortify the area. It won’t get as complicated as asking them to lay down some covering fire while you advance, or tossing a grenade into a specific room. But as teammates, they will know the task at hand and how to get it done with you.