Ready to 
Tactical Intervention: it’s pretty much Counter-Strike 2
Bobby Miller
October 1, 2009 6:43 PM ET in Gaming
Let’s get this out of the way: I was once a Counter-Strike addict. I started playing CS with beta version 7.1. That’s old school. I have since moved on to other games (Half-Life 2 LOL) but I still get that itch to go back and play some good old competitive 1.6. It brings back wonderful memories of rescuing hostages on cs_italy until the wee hours of the morning.
Many people can probably share similar stories. Counter-Strike is the most popular shooter in the world. 1.6 is still played competitively at almost every major LAN event worldwide. Counter-Strike is old, however, having not seen an update in four years. Many fans are wanting to know what’s next. We are all waiting for Counter-Strike 2.
Counter-Strike: Source, which came as the multiplayer component to Half-Life 2, was a disappointment, and hardly a sequel to the legendary FPS. Source added physics and modern graphics to the classic gameplay, but many players complained about its play mechanics. Improper hitboxes, ‘bouncy’ physics, and balance issues are only some of the things that keep Source from surpassing the classic 1.6. Players want the true sequel to Counter-Strike. It seems that after all these years, we may finally be getting the sequel we’ve always wanted.
IGN recently sat down with Minh Le, the creator of Counter-Strike. Minh revealed to them his new project, titled Tactical Intervention. It’s powered by Source and looks a lot like Counter-Strike. Despite the familiar look, TI is hardly a revamped CS 1.6. Minh has been able to add many features that he had originally hoped to add to Counter-Strike.
One of the most exciting new features is the addition of civilians. Sure, CS had civilians that you had to rescue, but these are more than braindead hostages. These will be people inhabiting the map. Civilians that run scared at the sound of gunfire, or be taken hostage by players on the terrorist side. Players will have to stay focused to prevent collateral damage.
Another addition will be attack dogs. These are big dogs, with nasty, big, pointy teeth. The player can command these dogs to attack terrorists and hold them stationary. If a dog connects with a terrorist, it can latch onto their arm, giving the player an open chance to shoot to kill.
Just as interesting, the article explains where Minh has been these last few years. As you may remember, Minh was hired by Valve to work on Counter-Strike once they purchased it. Valve had Minh working on Counter-Strike 2, but the project was scrapped, and Minh eventually left Valve to pursue his own work. He ended up moving back home with his parents and working out of his basement, as he slowly pieced together Tactical Intervention. Allow me to stress this point–the man who helped make the most popular shooter of all time left one of the greatest companies in PC gaming, and moved back in with his parents. It’s a very interesting story of a man who experienced the industry at its biggest front, gave it away, and is rising up on his own.
I’m keeping my eyes on Tactical Intervention. This project already sounds like it has a strong future in front of it. Will it topple the worldwide grasp that Counter-Strike 1.6 currently has? Only time will tell. One thing is for sure, this old addict is ready to get a fix of the new stuff.
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