Arguably more than any other genre, the first-person shooter has perhaps seen more evolution and change throughout the history of the industry than any other. Some of that is down to technological improvements, some is a result of innovative game design, while some is even the fickle cause of ever-changing trends. But what’s particularly interesting for those that have paid attention is how the humble FPS hasn’t gradually changed via subtle improvements and steady progression, but in periodic leaps and bounds as one major release drops and suddenly changes everything. Counter-Strike is one such game, which put the nail in the coffin for the classic arena-style deathmatches of Quake and its ilk, championing a new way of playing online shooters.
Even on an aesthetic level, was a pioneer in, which skewed closer towards realistic gun mechanics and whose engine was built upon, still chose to pit players against an invading force of aliens. That’s not to say that it was the first to shun the typical sci-fi schlock, it was after all inspired in varying degrees by , and . But it’s clear that gamers were ready for a bit more realism in their gunplay, as seen with the popularity of the likes of and .
