Half-life:Counter Strike
Finality Of Death Is The Game's Key

Half-life: Counter Strike is unlike other multiplayer action games where death is just a momentary inconvenience. First released in 1999, this game is a mod. A mod refers to a game that has been developed out of any existing one. It went on to become so popular that the owners of sierra's Half-life had to make way for a stand alone version.

The game is all about a scientist battling an alien invasion. Counter strike adds zing into it by having terrorists and counter terrorists fighting through a variety of scenarios. Besides, it has other mods that turn it into an appealing package.

The one thing that keeps the game different from the rest is the finality of death in the game. In other multi player games, death is just a way of temporary elimination where at the end of the game the dead are resurrected. Here the game offers you a mission that lasts five minutes and if you die in between you are out of the game. All you can then do is to hover above akin ghosts and be a passive spectator.

It is largely a team game where staying alive and defeating the enemy can be done only with help from team mates. The game offers three separate missions: counter terrorists trying to rescue a hostage, counter terrorists trying to keep a VIP out of a danger zone, and terrorists trying to reek havoc. They can be played in various locations. It is wholly a learning experience where teamwork alone works and strategies are developed by tackling enemy tactics.

The key thrust is on strategy and players are commended for their intelligence and prudence rather than speed and firepower. The idea of ghosts repenting over their mistakes and planning for a better life seem to have philosophical echoes. It sure seems to provide the thrill of living and fighting in the shadow of death.

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