.
Read the full article on GamingOnLinux.
.
Read the full article on GamingOnLinux.
.
Read the full article on GamingOnLinux.
.
Read the full article on GamingOnLinux.
With 2025 rapidly drawing to a close, it’s fair to say this has hardly been a year in which we’ve been starved of exceptional gaming experiences. From the lightning-in-a-bottle success of the magnificent Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, to the long-awaited resurgence of the Battlefield franchise courtesy of October’s excellent Battlefield 6, the superb Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2, and the unexpected domination of the extraction shooter genre by Embark Studios’ ARC Raiders, we’ve been well and truly spoiled for choice. Happily, we’re delighted to report that 2026 is shaping up to be even better. With that in mind, let’s take a look at the most anticipated games of 2026.
With it being nearly 14 years since the last James Bond tie-in hit our gaming machines (2012’s utterly risible 007 Legends), it’s safe to say that ol’ 007 has some serious work to do to restore his reputation among players. Thankfully, Hitman developer IO Interactive has stepped up to the plate – and judging by what we’ve seen so far, they look poised to do the franchise some long-overdue justice.
A third-person action-adventure that puts players in control of a younger, less experienced James Bond, 007 First Light sees 007 tracking down the treacherous agent 009. Drawing heavily from IO Interactive’s Hitman design DNA, the game leans into stealth, player freedom, and sandbox-style environments, while significantly expanding the formula with punchy cover-based gunplay and a stronger, mission-to-mission narrative throughline—something the Hitman series has traditionally lacked. Simply put, James Bond has never looked quite so essential, and March can’t arrive soon enough.
The sequel to one of 2019’s standout releases, Control Resonant is a direct continuation of the events of Control. This time, players step into the shoes of Dylan Faden, who awakens in the aftermath of the chaos set in motion by his sister Jesse and must stop the Hiss from completely annihilating downtown Manhattan.
While Control Resonant retains the third-person exploration and eerie atmosphere that defined the original, it meaningfully expands the formula with a stronger emphasis on visceral melee combat and the introduction of a host of new Hiss-possessed enemies. If you loved Control, then Control Resonant is about as close to a no-brainer purchase as you’ll find in 2026.
From the studio behind Black Desert comes Crimson Desert, a markedly different proposition from its sprawling MMORPG sibling. This time, the action moves offline without sacrificing any of the spectacle or ambition.
An open-world action RPG of frankly breath-taking scope, Crimson Desert allows players to explore a gorgeously realised dark fantasy world where they can fly dragons, pilot mechs, unleash Devil May Cry-style melee combos, and ultimately shape the fate of a nation. Powered by the studio’s bespoke BlackSpace Engine, the game also boasts some of the most impressive visuals seen in years. Are we excited for Crimson Desert? You bet your bottom gold coin we are.
Although little has been shown of the Unreal Engine 5-powered Gears of War: E-Day beyond its initial cinematic reveal, that hasn’t stopped excitement from reaching fever pitch. This marks the franchise’s second foray into prequel territory, following the underrated Gears of War: Judgment.
Likely launching toward the tail end of 2026, Gears of War: E-Day places players back into the well-worn size 16 boots of Marcus Fenix and Dom Santiago as they face the Locust menace on the very first day of the invasion. While gameplay specifics remain under wraps, it would be genuinely shocking if the game didn’t feature generous helpings of cover shooting, roadie runs, and chainsaw executions. Regardless, Gears of War: E-Day already looks like manna from heaven for fans of the series and horror shooters alike.
Like a vast cosmic black hole, the gravitational pull of Grand Theft Auto 6 on the games industry cannot be overstated. No publisher is brave – or foolish – enough to launch a game in the same week, let alone the same month, as Rockstar’s genre-defining juggernaut. Each delay sparks a curious mix of frustration and celebration, as developers scramble to fill the vacuum left in its wake. That’s before factoring in the impact on booked annual leave and mysteriously timed sick days.
As for the game itself, Grand Theft Auto 6 looks set to fundamentally reshape the open-world genre yet again, much as GTA V and Red Dead Redemption 2 did before it. Players can expect a meticulously handcrafted version of the fictional state of Leonida, packed with extraordinary micro and macro detail, vastly improved NPC AI, cutting-edge next-gen visuals, and Rockstar’s trademark sharp, satirical storytelling. Add in a dual-protagonist system starring ex-con Lucia and her partner Jason (embarking on a Bonnie and Clyde-style crime spree across a sunshine state that definitely isn’t Florida) and you have something truly special.
Grand Theft Auto has always been a trailblazer in open-world design and cinematic storytelling, and all signs suggest GTA 6 won’t just be the most anticipated game of 2026 – it has a very real shot at being the game of the decade. Hyperbole? Not in this dojo, my friend.
Marking a clear tonal departure from Insomniac Games’ Spider-Man series, Marvel’s Wolverine looks ready to fully embrace the ultraviolence of its comic book roots. And yes, that means an unapologetically brutal video game to match.
Voiced by Liam McIntyre of Spartacus fame, this gruffer, more feral Logan carves his way through mutant hunters, Sentinels, and even the notoriously vicious Omega Red. Visceral, furious, and visually striking, Marvel’s Wolverine is already shaping up to be the next essential superhero game.
A wuxia fever dream brought to life, Phantom Blade Zero has impressed at every turn since its announcement in May 2023. This lavish, third-person, combat-focused experience infuses each frame with rapid, acrobatic swordplay reminiscent of Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon and House of Flying Daggers.
The result is a balletic showcase of Chinese martial arts, brutal violence, and haunting mythology that stands apart from almost everything else on the horizon. Phantom Blade Zero is simply unmissable.
Essentially Resident Evil 9 in all but name, Resident Evil Requiem takes players to the very end of the series timeline as we know it, delivering an experience that truly feels like a game of two halves.
As FBI analyst Grace Ashcroft, players are thrust into classic survival horror territory, where jump scares are frequent, and evasion is key due to Grace’s limited combat abilities. The other half of the game places players in the blood-soaked boots of returning fan-favourite Leon S. Kennedy, who dispatches enemies with explosive kicks, bone-crunching suplexes, and chainsaw carnage that would make Leatherface proud.
Beyond its dual-protagonist structure, Resident Evil Requiem also allows players to switch between first- and third-person perspectives, adding a level of customisation not seen before in the series. With a February 2026 release date, this looks set to be an essential experience for both longtime fans and newcomers to survival horror.
The sequel to one of the finest indie games of the 2010s – and one of the best deck-building roguelikes ever made – Slay the Spire 2 wisely avoids reinventing the wheel. Instead, it builds upon its already rock-solid foundations with meaningful new twists.
Alongside returning characters like Ironclad and Silent, two new playable heroes join the roster: The Regent and The Necrobinder, each with distinct mechanics and playstyles. There are more cards, relics, items, and consumables than ever before, as well as new quests and a stronger narrative focus that expands the game’s lore in ways the original only hinted at. Deck-building fans are going to eat very well when Slay the Spire 2 enters PC early access in March 2026.
A full-fat, full-sugar remake of the original Tomb Raider, arriving thirty years after its debut – and nearly two decades after 2007’s Tomb Raider: Anniversary – Tomb Raider: Legacy of Atlantis is already one of 2026’s most anticipated releases.
Built in Unreal Engine 5, the game completely reimagines Lara Croft’s first adventure, modernising its puzzles, refining its platforming, and overhauling combat to meet contemporary expectations. Crucially, it aims to strike that elusive balance between honouring the spirit of the original while presenting it in a bold, refreshed form. If successful, Tomb Raider: Legacy of Atlantis could be something truly special.
The post The Most Anticipated Upcoming Video Games of 2026 appeared first on Green Man Gaming Blog.
Steam is without a doubt one of the best places to discover new open-world survival-crafting titles, with games like Palworld, RuneScape: Dragonwilds, Enshrouded, Sons of the Forest, and Once Human being some of the platform's more recent hits. The genre has seen a steady flow of new entries over the last couple of years, and when a genre grows because players keep showing up for it, adding more games to the lineup is rarely cause for an eye roll. On that note, Revelation Games' As One We Survive is coming to Steam Early Access very soon, and its combination of elements from games like Valheim, State of Decay, and Project Zomboid makes it look like it could be the next best thing for fans of those titles and the open-world survival-crafting genre in general.
When Sega’s Yakuza series first punched, kicked, and swaggered its way onto the scene in 2005 with enough testosterone to destroy a small planet, it’s fair to say the games industry hadn’t quite seen anything like it before. Sure, you could argue that Yakuza is ultimately a fusion of well-worn genres and mechanics, but Sega’s brashly violent new franchise was — and still is — defined by a much broader range of qualities than that alone. With that in mind, here’s how the Yakuza franchise has gone from strength to strength as it celebrates its 20th anniversary.
I get it. At first glance, it’s easy to see why those unfamiliar with the Yakuza (or Like a Dragon, as the series is now also known) games might assume they share a close kinship with Rockstar’s Grand Theft Auto. Crime-opera storytelling, colourful characters, sprawling urban environments, open exploration, and freewheeling violence all make the comparison understandable — especially for players yet to be fully initiated into the franchise’s charms.
What we actually got with Yakuza, however, was something entirely different. Where Grand Theft Auto is built around rapid vehicular traversal across vast open worlds and the freedom to do almost anything, Yakuza deliberately keeps its world smaller and more intimate. Players are encouraged to walk — or run — through its streets, soaking in every handcrafted inch of an evocative recreation of Tokyo’s real-world Kabukicho district. With an emphasis on bone-crunching, face-to-face combat over firearms, a wealth of eccentric side activities, and a flawlessly executed tonal balancing act that shifts effortlessly between the profound and the absurd, Yakuza stands worlds apart from Rockstar’s marquee series.
Indeed, one of the most surprising things for newcomers to the Yakuza franchise, and certainly an enduring quality for those who would consider themselves long-time fans, is the manner in which the series walks the tonal tightrope. Deftly oscillating between super-serious, double-hard tattooed dudes gruffly talking stoically about honour, mafia politics and Yakuza tradition, through to the glorious nuttiness of its many, many scenarios that has our hero doing everything from stopping a peeping tom to beating up a bunch of thugs dressed up as babies in a creche(!) It’s fair to say that no series quite manages (or even attempts) this sort of tonal double act.
And somehow – it all works, and a big part of this is down to the fact that the series knows to keep the more serious stuff in the domain of its main story quests, while the much-less serious, grin-inducing stuff is found almost exclusively in the veritable wealth of side quests and incidental activities.
One of the more compelling aspects of Yakuza’s design has been how its long-running saga spans across time periods that can quite literally stretch across the centuries. From the early Tokugawa period, which Ryū ga Gotoku Kenzan embraces as its own, through to the Bakumatsu era of Like A Dragon: Ishin, the heady 1980s of Yakuza 0 and the shining modernity of Like A Dragon: Infinite Wealth’s 2023 setting, the Yakuza franchise doesn’t just take place in different eras; it fully acknowledges the passage of time, too.
From long-time protagonist Kazuma Kiryu to fan-favourite anti-hero Goro Majima and everyone in between, Yakuza hardly lacks compelling characters. Yet, without sounding too clichéd, the city of Kamurocho arguably stands as a character in its own right — one that has played a central role for nearly the entire lifespan of the franchise.
A neon-lit labyrinth of bars, storefronts, hostess clubs, winding alleyways, and towering skyscrapers, Kamurocho is more than a convincing recreation of a real-world location. It’s a near-permanent fixture, appearing in almost every entry across a timeline that spans close to four decades. Like any character followed over time, Kamurocho ages too — not through wrinkles or scars, but through architectural and structural change.
Shops and street stalls that exist in the 1980s-set Yakuza 0 may later be boarded up or removed entirely, while the relentless march of progress sees dormant retail units transformed into sprawling shopping centres in Yakuza 6. Returning to Kamurocho across successive games often feels like reconnecting with an old friend — familiar, yet subtly changed.
More than almost any other aspect of its design, Yakuza’s brutally satisfying, fully three-dimensional real-time combat acts as a powerful hook for first-time viewers. If you were being particularly reductive, you might describe it as a 3D evolution of the scrolling brawler combat Sega popularised with Streets of Rage and Golden Axe — or perhaps even SpikeOut, for the half-dozen people who still remember it.
In practice, Yakuza delivers immediate, visceral savagery. Every encounter sees players punching, kicking, grappling, throwing, and unleashing devastating combos. Weapons abound (both carried and improvised), and the series’ iconic Heat Action system elevates combat into something unforgettable. With a full Heat gauge, players can trigger cinematic finishing moves: smashing faces into pavement, slamming enemies spine-first into lampposts, crushing skulls with car doors, or far worse. Violence, it’s fair to say, was never in short supply.
While later entries pivoted toward turn-based JRPG combat and reimagined fist-to-face brutality in new ways, the series’ freewheeling violent spirit has never truly left.
With a typical Yakuza game clocking in at 20–30 hours for main story content alone, it’s understandable that players might want to break things up, and that’s where the franchise’s staggering range of mini-games comes in. Far more than throwaway distractions, many offer tangible character progression and are robust enough to stand as fully-fledged experiences in their own right.
From darts, baseball, pool, karaoke, fishing, mahjong, poker, and golf, to miniature car racing, drone racing, skateboarding, cabaret management, real-estate empires, cage fighting, arcade gaming, and countless part-time jobs, the sheer breadth of activities can easily push playtime beyond the 100-hour mark for completionists. And speaking of arcade machines…
True to its love of history, Yakuza is also renowned for its pitch-perfect recreations of classic Sega arcade games. From retro gems like Space Harrier, Super Hang-On, and Out Run, to more modern titles such as Taiko no Tatsujin and Virtua Fighter 5: Final Showdown, these arcade-perfect inclusions serve as a loving celebration of Sega’s coin-op heritage.
As much as it is an enduring action RPG saga, Yakuza also stands as a quietly impressive act of gaming preservation – one that, 20 years on, shows no signs of slowing down anytime soon.
As Yakuza celebrates two decades of grit, heart, and sheer unpredictability, its journey stands as one of gaming’s most remarkable evolutions — from cult favourite to a genre-defining franchise with a global fanbase. Whether you’re drawn to its brutal combat, sprawling side activities, or unforgettable characters and cityscapes, there’s no denying the series’ lasting impact. For a deeper look at every entry and how they stack up, be sure to check out this comprehensive ranking of the Like a Dragon series from best to least best. Whatever the future holds, Yakuza looks poised to keep surprising, delighting, and punching its way into the hearts of players for many years to come.
The post Yakuza Turns 20: The Rise of Sega’s Most Uncompromising RPG Franchise appeared first on Green Man Gaming Blog.
.
Read the full article on GamingOnLinux.
.
Read the full article on GamingOnLinux.
Bungie's upcoming extraction shooter, Marathon, feels like an enigma.
I was not all that impressed with the game's beta test earlier this year in April, and I was not alone. After a tepid reception and a lot of negative feedback, Bungie was forced to delay it from its initial September release date so it could run more tests and iterate on numerous changes.
But since then, a new juggernaut has entered the space: ARC Raiders launched last month and became an instant hit in the extraction shooter genre, bringing in a whole new swath of players who hadn't really experienced the game type before. It's consistently been a top-played game on Steam since its release, and it's even gotten a hold on console players, too. And I can't help but wonder what kind of effect it may have on Marathon's potential success, or failure.
With players like myself now enjoying the thrill of deploying, looting, surviving, and extracting, Marathon could bring us into the fold if it can nail the gameplay loop similarly to how ARC Raiders has. Similarly, the success of ARC Raiders could keep potential Marathon buyers from taking the plunge if they're still enjoying the new Embark Studios hit.
I do think there's room for both, as one is in third-person and one is a first-person shooter from a company that has excelled in the gameplay feel of that perspective. They are both stylistically quite different, too, with Marathon sporting a futuristic and colorful aesthetic versus ARC Raiders' grimy, post-apocalyptic setting.
Will ARC Raiders' friendliness factor carry over into Marathon? That depends. Leaks from recent tests claim that Bungie is adding proximity chat to Marathon after all, which is a big reason why ARC Raiders has been so fun for so many who normally don't enjoy the competitive nature of the genre.
I would not be surprised to see some ARC Raiders players now willing to try out Marathon if they weren't before. I'm certainly more excited for it after now truly grasping the extraction concept, thanks in large part to how good ARC Raiders is. The rest is up to Bungie to deliver a product that engages players and hits on multiple cylinders as ARC Raiders has, so the hope is that these past few months of extra testing on the game will have made a tremendously positive impact.
It certainly feels like extraction games are quickly becoming the next "big thing" in gaming, and I wouldn't be surprised to see some established IPs continue to explore it. Before Marathon launches, we have PUBG: Black Budget running a playtest next month, which is the battle royale game's spin on extraction.
Escape From Tarkov paved the way, but we've since had titles like Delta Force, Hunt: Showdown, and Dark and Darker twisting their own iterations, and I expect more companies to follow the trend, with rumors circulating that Call of Duty will bring back its extraction mode DMZ in next year's game.
There may come a point when extraction games become saturated, but for now, I think the industry is rife with potential, and Marathon could end up benefiting from the influx of new genre enjoyers after all.
What do you think about Marathon's potential? Will ARC Raiders help or hurt it? Let us know your own thoughts in the comments.
The post ARC Raiders is such a big success that it could end up helping Marathon—or hurt it just the same appeared first on Destructoid.
Destiny 2: Renegades launches next week, and I'm still relatively unsure how to feel about the "Star Wars-inspired" expansion.
Renegades still feels to me like Bungie just said "hey, Star Wars is cool, let's do this partnership" just because it could, regardless of how it may fit into the Destiny 2 story. Having blaster weapons and light sabers in Destiny is possible, sure, but it still feels kind of off. But now, I'm not so sure I care anymore.
After today's live stream and ViDoc, I feel more excited about the game than I have in a very long time. I'm still not fully sold on it, but the John Williams-esque soundtrack, good vs. evil sword battles, and being an outlaw in wild space entice me after all.
Renegades has its "Jedi" in Aunor, and its "Sith" in Dredgen Bael (who sounds like he's trying to emulate Adam Driver as Kylo Ren a bit too much for my liking), and it looks like they will come to blows with their "lightsabers" (Praxic Blade, a new Exotic sword). And for the first time, I felt moved.
I have some Star Wars burnout like seemingly everyone else, but lightsabers are always going to be cool. Destiny has had swords for many years now (about 10, actually), but the ability to swing and sway the blade to deflect incoming fire is just so naturally Star Wars and out of place in Destiny, but it's so cool that I don't mind how out of place it may be.
The Lawless Frontier activity is one of the big new additions in Renegades, where you as a Guardian are taking on "shady jobs" in the lawlessness that has become Mars. This includes being a Bounty Hunter like Boba Fett, hunting down high-value targets, and getting loot. This feels more Destiny-ish to me, so sign me up.
I have no idea if, or for how long, Renegades will hook me back into Destiny. This summer's expansion, The Edge of Fate, was fine, I guess. But according to Steam, I haven't opened the game since August. And judging by SteamCharts, I am not alone.
I'm still relatively sure my days of Destiny 2 being a habitual game that I play multiple days a week are over. I'm just hoping for a good story to move things forward after The Edge of Fate's revelations, and I don't know if this Star Wars-themed stuff is going to do it.
For now, I'm cautiously optimistic that Renegades will be cool enough and Star Wars enough (but not too much) to bring me back in the fold, so I'll be there on launch day Dec. 2 to try it all out.
The post Destiny 2’s Star Wars-flavored Renegades DLC still doesn’t make sense to me, but I can’t deny how badass it looks appeared first on Destructoid.
Magic: The Gathering is entering a new era, as its Avatar: The Last Airbender set officially came out just a few days ago, and several formats are now changing, both due to the new cards and the bans on November 10. The November 10 bans for Magic: The Gathering hit Standard the most, completely killing the infamous Izzet Cauldron deck that was dominating all tournaments. Now that the Avatar set is out, the meta for each format is inevitably being reshaped, and some cards are already proving to be extremely powerful — maybe even a tad too much. The most notable example is Badgermole Cub right now, but another can be made for a different Mythic rare, such as Wan Shi Tong, Librarian.
Back in the decidedly murky days of May 2018, a game called Moonlighter arrived and delivered something no other title was attempting at the time. Blending shop management with classic fantasy roguelike dungeon-crawling, Moonlighter had players plundering dangerous dungeons for loot and glory before hauling those spoils home to stock and sell in their very own shop.
It was a genuinely fresh concept, and it’s easy to see how Moonlighter won over players around the world. Now, more than seven years later, Moonlighter 2 (or, to use its full name, Moonlighter 2: The Endless Vault) has finally arrived, and it fully realises the promise of the original in ways that already make it feel essential for PC gamers.
A quick glance at the screenshots and footage from Moonlighter 2’s early access build reveals just how dramatically the game has changed visually. Abandoning the top-down, 2D sprite style of its predecessor, the sequel embraces an isometric 3D presentation complete with fully modelled characters and richly built environments.
This isn’t a simple graphical upgrade, though. The 3D perspective gives each biome a stronger sense of place, adds much more detail, and creates smoother, more responsive combat. Combined with a cleaner, more intuitive interface, Moonlighter 2 feels like a significant leap forward in both looks and usability.
While the roguelike systems in the original Moonlighter were enjoyable, they weren’t especially deep. Dungeons were fairly straightforward, and the shop loop became easy to exploit once you learned the right prices to charge.
Moonlighter 2 tackles this head-on. The sequel leans much more heavily into run-based structure, adopting a broader roguelike framework that fans of Hades will recognise. Procedurally generated biomes now feature far more variety, and runs grant unique perks that influence both dungeon exploration and shopkeeping. As a result, choices during each run matter significantly more, replacing the slow, number-grinding progression that defined the first game.
Shopkeeping has evolved into a full strategic system rather than the light management loop of the original game. As before, you’re not just slashing monsters – you’re slashing prices too – but developer Digital Sun has dramatically expanded the retail mechanics.
Instead of simply reading customer reactions to determine optimal prices, players now engage with tactical layers involving special events, stackable perks, boosts, charms, and decorations to improve profit margins. The depth of Moonlighter 2’s shopkeeping now stands firmly alongside its dungeon exploration as one of the game’s core pillars. Speaking of which…
Where the original Moonlighter relied on fairly straightforward combat, Moonlighter 2 commits fully to expanding its action systems. The hero now has access to a wide set of upgradeable weapons: spears, maces, clubs, and more. This complements a redesigned perk, upgrade, and gadget system that ensures each room plays differently.
The sequel delivers a deeper ARPG-style experience by introducing a wider range of enemies, hazards, and room types. This forces players to adopt a more tactical approach rather than relying on the simple roll-and-strike rhythm of the first game. The result is twofold: dungeon runs feel like a fully fledged ARPG experience rather than just a means to collect stock, and the lure of diving deeper for greater rewards becomes far more tempting, often challenging players to resist their own greed.
Delving into dungeons in Moonlighter 2 still helps you stock your shop, fill your purse, and upgrade abilities, but the sequel also introduces a broader meta-progression system. Instead of funding a handful of individual vendors, players now invest their hard-earned resources into rebuilding an entire community known as Tresna.
Your profits still unlock new establishments, as in the first game, but the sequel expands this into a larger, interconnected NPC ecosystem. Helping one character can open new opportunities with others, creating a network of upgrades and bonuses. Whether you’re defeating monsters, adjusting prices, or revitalising your community, Moonlighter 2: The Endless Vault offers an experience that stands apart from everything else.
The post How Moonlighter 2 Is Emerging as a Top Roguelike and Shopkeeping Hybrid appeared first on Green Man Gaming Blog.
If DOOM can be globally recognised as the godfather of the FPS genre at large, then surely Valve’s Counter-Strike must be thought of in similar statuesque terms when we come to terms with its impact on the online multiplayer FPS sphere. Nothing less than a games industry juggernaut with the global recognition to match, this is how, on its 25th anniversary, Valve’s Counter-Strike utterly redefined the online multiplayer FPS landscape and revolutionised a genre in the process.
Rather than being created in a vacuum, Counter-Strike was instead birthed from the design DNA of another legendary Valve shooter, Half-Life. Originally developed as a mod for Half-Life by developers Minh Le and Jess Cliffe and then published by Sierra Studios, Counter-Strike saw immediate success before being acquired by Valve in 2000.
Released as a standalone game by the House That Half-Life built from this point forward, Counter-Strike became much more than the sum of its parts as it trailblazed the formulation of communities both locally and online. From LAN parties that would spring up across the world to the empowerment of the community to manage its own competitive online platforms, Counter-Strike has arguably been at the vanguard of every major push that the FPS genre has made into the PC gaming community since the 21st century dawned.
Indeed, you can certainly make the case that had Counter-Strike not existed, the quality of the competitive multiplayer gameplay in titles such as Call of Duty and others would be nowhere near what it was in the late 2000s, when similar efforts had their own industry-defining successes.
Utterly detached and set apart from the likes of Call of Duty, Fortnite and Apex Legends with their innumerable perks, special abilities, funky weapons and unique skillsets that serve to artificially separate players from one another even before they peer down the barrel of their chosen boomstick, Counter-Strike instead was and continues to be all about player skill. If you’re downed, it’s not because the other person got you with an air strike or some devastating AoE ultimate attack; it’s because you were outplayed, plain and simple.
Everything is precisely calibrated in Counter-Strike towards mastery. Whether it’s getting to grips with the different degrees of weapon sway and recoil that are unique to each firearm, the physics which govern the throw of a grenade, or even just the feeling of kinetic movement as you sprint across a courtyard and leap over some obstacles, everything that you can get good at in Counter-Strike feels appropriately well-earned and satisfying when you do.
To that end, Counter-Strike has stripped everything right back. There are no perks, no gimmicks, no imbalanced hero characters and no exotic loadouts. Everybody begins with the same standard loadout, and only by the sweat of their brow and their gun-toting acumen can they earn sufficient money to purchase new armaments at the beginning of each consecutive round. Arguably, this approach has contributed to Counter-Strike’s ongoing contemporary success too, with Valve resisting the temptation of such industry dog-walking baubles and instead sticking to the core essence which garnered Counter-Strike all of its well-deserved critical and commercial popularity in the first place.
There’s also another, rather sizable upside to Counter-Strike’s streamlined gameplay, too. Not only is it supremely easy to grasp – you kill the folks on the other team and either plant or defuse the bomb depending on which side your find yourself on – making it catnip for newcomers, but so too does the fact that its core gameplay loop has seen so little change in 25 years that even lapsed Counter-Strike players can hop straight back in with little stress.
Counter-Strike was very much emblematic of the streamlined, eSports shooter archetype that we would later see proliferate across the PC space in the 2010s and in the last few years. Valve’s trend-creating online shooter remains a game that just about anybody can play regardless of their rig, and one which absolutely levels out the skill playground so that anybody, given enough time, could become a master in their own right. If you had to quantify all of the best aspects of the eSports concept as a single game, it would be Counter-Strike, make no mistake.
As much as Counter-Strike emphasises a purely skill-based approach to its straightforward gameplay loop, this is just one side of the figurative coin. The other, of course, is teamwork. No matter how good you are, success in Counter-Strike is all about teamwork and macro coordination. Not only should you and your teammates share enemy positions, but so too should there be ongoing strategising in every game where the team is constantly re-evaluating the threat and prioritising defending and attacking the objective accordingly. For the first time, comms in a competitive multiplayer game felt utterly essential, and this would be something that countless other tactical shooters that would follow in the wake of Counter-Strike would also take to heart.
Naturally, this focus on a dual team and skill-based approach that was devoid of such gimmicks and which made player competence utterly transparent, all came together to make Counter-Strike overwhelmingly fertile ground for the then-nascent eSports scene. Fast forward more than two decades, and that very same eSports scene has gone from strength to strength, not only opening the door for other titles to step into the competitive arena, but also reinforcing Valve’s seminal online multiplayer shooter as an eSports mainstay thanks to its easy-to-follow action and timeless, streamlined mechanics.
From the release of Counter-Strike 1.6 in the early 2000s to the cutting-edge Counter-Strike 2 of today, Valve’s legendary shooter has demonstrated a level of longevity and cultural impact that few games can rival. Twenty-five years on, the Counter-Strike 25th anniversary stands as a celebration of enduring design, precision gameplay, and a fiercely loyal global community. With the Counter-Strike Major Championships continuing to grow each year — offering ever-increasing prize pools and drawing millions of viewers worldwide — Valve’s flagship FPS shows no signs of slowing down. If anything, a quarter of a century later, Counter-Strike remains the definitive benchmark for competitive shooters and the enduring heart of the esports scene.
The post Counter-Strike at 25: How Valve’s Iconic Shooter Redefined Competitive FPS Gaming appeared first on Green Man Gaming Blog.
