Counter Strike: Condition Zero
Counter Strike: Condition Zero (CS:CZ) is an updated version of the timeless, tactical, team-based first-person shooter Counter Strike 1.6. Released in 2004 after much delay (and passing of development responsibilities from one studio to another), it featured pretty much the same multiplayer gameplay, with slightly updated character models, textures and maps.
While CZ doesn’t veer too much from the tried and tested formula of CS 1.6, it differs in one unique and vital feature: Condition Zero offers a single player mode.
Same Game
CZ is essentially the same game as the original, pitting a team of terrorists against counter-terrorists in a round-based series of matches. It features the same game types – bombing and hostage rescue – which can be won by either accomplishing the objective or killing everyone on the opposing team. Players earn money between rounds, depending on their performance, which they can use to buy new weapons at the start of the next round.
Not much changed in the gameplay – quite unfortunate considering the lengthy wait before CZ saw completion. The graphics are barely separable from the original game, as well, which makes it a tad disappointing considering game graphics in 2004 seemed miles ahead of the original Half-Life engine that powered Counter Strike. You get the same audio too – although it seems to hold up much better to later standards than the graphics does.
As a multiplayer title, CZ offers no change from the original, which means it’s still every bit as timeless and fun. That, however, makes it less a reason to buy it. In fact, the only reason to get CZ for multiplayer purposes is to play with other CZ owners. Otherwise, CS 1.6 is a better deal being free while Counter Strike: Source offer way better graphics and environments. Surprisingly, CZ still ranks as one of the most popular Half-Life mods, barely noticeable differences from CS 1.6 notwithstanding.
Like the rest of the CS titles, plenty of hacks are available for Condition Zero, including wallhacks, chams, various flavors of highly-customizable aimbots and other specialized features. There are speed hacks to aid you in moving fast from one area to another, perhaps to take advantage of vulnerable opponents. You can employ unique sniping abilities that allow you to take out opponents anywhere in the map, leaving opponents wondering where the hell you’ve been camping out. CZ will be breezy with one of our VAC-proof hacks in tow!
Single Player
Condition Zero’s sole saving grace and, perhaps, the only real reason to get it is the offline single player mode. Featuring competent AI characters and classic Counter Strike action, newbies finally have a practice area to ease themselves into the merciless world of competitive online play.
The single player campaign consists of six tours of duty, with each one played out across three maps. Many of the maps are the same as those in the original CS, although a few received considerable updates, along with a few new ones like Stadium and Fastline.
Each mission plays out with the usual objectives, pitting you against six or so terrorists. As with the online version, you can buy weapons at the start of a round. In addition, you can buy AI bots to bring as back-up during missions. Not all bots will be the same though – the cheaper the bot, the dumber they will play. Just like similarly inept real-life teammates, dumb bots can end up killing you with friendly fire. All bots have their own preferred weapons and are ranked based on combat skills, bravery and abilities for teamwork.
You get past a map by winning at least three rounds, including two consecutive victories. CZ introduces mini-challenges to add a level of sophistication for the gameplay, with additional objectives such as completing a round within a time constraint or killing a specific number of AI opponents. The game won’t progress until all objectives are met. While it’s a nice touch that adds some variety to what are essentially repetitive missions, the extra goals can often feel arbitrary and added in without much forethought in terms of integration into the scene.
The bombing missions also add the extra difficulty of requiring you to track down and detonate the bomb even after you’ve killed all players in the opposing squad. For the hostage missions, on the other hand, you will lose if you end up killing all AI opponents without being able to rescue a hostage. Additionally, the hostages can be pretty dumb.
Improving AI
One aspect of the AI that can throw you off is the graded difficulty. During early levels, you only have access to severely inept bots, both on the opposing squad and yours, leading to frustrating matches that make the game look worse than it actually is.
After those bouts with mediocrity, though, the bots get smarter and gameplay turns out much more compelling. As the game moves forward, you’ll find your teammates exhibiting intelligent behaviors (like camping in areas where terrorists are likely to pass) and your opponents presenting more formidable challenges (like breaking windows and jumping walls for better position all on their own). In fact, the AI in CZ is probably one of the best among first-person shooters, considering the complexity and range of possible behaviors available to them.
The bots, however, were modeled after real human Counter Strike players which means that are fallible to the same follies you sometimes see in online play, like accidentally dropping grenades, getting stuck in corners and terrorists abandoning bombs shortly after planting them.
Deleted Scenes
CZ saw major development work from four studios, beginning with Valve, continuing to Gearbox, moving to Ritual Entertainment and eventually ending up with Turtle Rock. Condition Zero: Deleted Scenes contain Ritual’s dropped portions of the development which consisted of 12 loosely-connected single-player missions. They contain scripted sequences and a pretty linear storyline that, sadly, was considered too cliché at the time, leading to its reduction in stature as an added feature instead of being the actual campaign.