Today is June 16th, 2024. I don't know when it happened, but I've more than doubled my playtime from Global Offensive compared to 2. I've played CS:GO on and off during my time in Middle and High School, and it wasn't until I graduated HS that I finally started putting more time and hours into the game. All that said, what's changed? Is this game any better? We're ~4 months away from the 1-year period marking this game's “release.”

To the surprise of nobody, not much has changed. An operation was leaked, a new case was dropped, numerous maps all received changes that absolutely decimated and spun their style of gameplay on their heads. One major has taken place with nothing substantial following in its suit, where did the game go?

It's hard to believe that the game has been in this state of limbo for quite some time. Weapon buffs and nerfs still take place, but the game is certainly downgraded from what it once was during its time as Global Offensive. Sure, the game looks gorgeous, but Jesus fucking Christ, all the competitive modes suck, the game is littered with cheaters, and it's nowhere near as consistently enjoyable as it once was.

CS2 fiddles with some interesting competitive ideas, but ultimately isn't able to follow through with any of them in a way that compliments their mechanical function. The current highest map competitive rank is fucking LEGENDARY EAGLE on Dust 2, Mirage, and a couple other maps. WHAT? How did they fuck up the ranking system this bad? High silver and low gold get littered with comparatively far better players than they should with individual ranks, and premier games are too long and boring for me to even care about giving a shit towards them.

Well, what about the non-competitive modes?

Counter-Strike 2 is missing: Demolition, Flying Scoutsman, Retakes, and Danger-Zone, in addition to FAR too many maps that have been dropped from the playing pool due to a lack in “next-gen” versions existing.

Some of my favorite missing maps include: Cobblestone, Assault, Canals, Train (which seemingly exists and is ready for playing?), and Cache.

Personally, a lot of these issues I hold with the game wouldn't matter if the CSGO branch of the game was still up while waiting for CS2 to reach a better state. However, the lovely individuals at Valve decided to shut down that branch at the beginning of this year.

Despite all of my bitching and moaning in this hate boner fueled rant, I still play Counter-Strike 2. I love Counter-Strike, but my god does it often feel like the devs are just some of the most incompetent and inconsiderate people ever. Here's to a better year for Counter-Strike, I guess.

We were in bed together and she asked what I'm frightened of.
I said I'm scared of plane crashes.
I said I'm scared of seeing things I shouldn't.
I'm scared of her laughing about me with her friends.
I'm scared of our bodies.
I'm scared of my brother.
And she said "I think you're stupid,"
"I think you're far more frightening than any of those things."

Over the past year, I've become very aware and acquainted with the field of computer programs pertaining to personal experiences and anecdotes. Those which become transmogrified into these ethereal "games" that expose a lifetime of trauma, self-development, and other personal revelations, that are then magnificently fed to the player over the span of a couple of hours that I absolutely love. It takes a great deal of courage to even muster the creation of such a work, far more to put that work out there for a wealth of people to engage with and form their own connections and drawn meanings to. There's not much I feel that I can speak on when it comes to this game in fear of disrespecting its author, however, I have come out of it a bit more aware of myself in the short amount of time that the experience offered. Thank you for sharing this beautiful work of art with us all. A work so personal I fear I may never come to stand up to.

As I do with any other game of substantial personal meaning and intimacy with its creator, I yield to append a rating to it as I feel that's a weeee bit insulting to the creator. Rest assured, I loved my time with it, I love the developer for sharing this piece of work with the world, and I love you all. Stay well.

We were in bed together and she asked what I'm frightened of.
I said I'm scared of plane crashes.
I said I'm scared of seeing things I shouldn't.
I'm scared of her laughing about me with her friends.
I'm scared of our bodies.
I'm scared of my brother.
And she said "I think you're stupid,"
"I think you're far more frightening than any of those things."

Over the past year, I've become very aware and acquainted with the field of computer programs pertaining to personal experiences and anecdotes. Those which become transmogrified into these ethereal "games" that expose a lifetime of trauma, self-development, and other personal revelations, that are then magnificently fed to the player over the span of a couple of hours that I absolutely love. It takes a great deal of courage to even muster the creation of such a work, far more to put that work out there for a wealth of people to engage with and form their own connections and drawn meanings to. There's not much I feel that I can speak on when it comes to this game in fear of disrespecting its author, however, I have come out of it a bit more aware of myself in the short amount of time that the experience offered. Thank you for sharing this beautiful work of art with us all. A work so personal I fear I may never come to stand up to.

As I do with any other game of substantial personal meaning and intimacy with its creator, I yield to append a rating to it as I feel that's a weeee bit insulting to the creator. Rest assured, I loved my time with it, I love the developer for sharing this piece of work with the world, and I love you all. Stay well.