Some background on myself...
Having not played a game in ages, I was lured to Counterstrike through a friend of mine. To be honest, I never really was much of a fan of first person shooter type games. Instead, i was more or less into strategy and rpg type games (Final fantasy, warcraft, etc.) and more of the progressive games (ones with save points, storyline, etc.). I got my first taste of first person shooters back in the days of the infamous game Quake. Spending hours of time on the game, i became fairly decent at it and more or less able to "own" a few ppl and otherwise "hold my own." Eventually though, the rapid fragging(killing other players) and rambo quality of the game lost its appeal and i went back to more progressive games such as Diablo.

What lured me to counterstrike was a combination of several factors. Being in college, i no longer had time for such progressive games. Instead, games that appealed to me were those based only on skill. Ones that i could just hop on the game, play it and rely on my skill rather than the previous state i had left the game in.

The second factor that influenced my addiction to this game is that it was very unlike other first person shooters. Instead of non-stop firing of rockets and other projectiles, Counterstrike demands more patience, user control and thinking. Although many of the weapons in counterstrike are very much like the machinegun in Quake 3 (in that they are automatic; hold button down, gun fires constantly), the accuracy of the weapon decreases while you hold down the button. Also, unlike many other first person shooters, Counterstrike weapons have a small amount of ammunition that they can hold at a given time. This means, that each shot must count all the more. Bullets can only be replenished through the reloading of the weapon which requires downtime during which you will be unable to fire.
Furthermore, no longer can players jump carelessly into a fray and expect to come out alive. Life in Counterstrike is precious and can be depleted by an opponent's weapon in a matter of a split second. Therefore, counterstrike games tend to be far more cautious than other first person shooters and taking cover behind boxes and walls becomes all the more important.

This game is very much like Team Fortress in that there is a team aspect to the overall game. One person can never hope to win a round with only their individual skill. Instead, coming out on top relies heavily on organization and trust in your teammates.

After 3 months of straight playing, Counterstrike hasn't lost its appeal to me. In fact, i've convinced 2 of my good friends to pick up the game as well (one of which didn't ever want to play the game until my constant persuasion got to him). Both of them are now sorely addicted perhaps even more so than I.

If first person shooters are not appealing to you, then you won't find this game to your liking. If you are open to any sort of game, this game might be for you if you have the patience (it has a fairly high learning curve) and are up for a challenge. This game has a lot to offer and the challenge and replayability of the game will have you coming back for more.

A thing to note is that Counterstrike is a multiplayer only game. There is no single player mode for this game. This means that either you play counterstrike over a network or over the internet. If you play games over a modem, you will be at a disadvantage but that in itself yields more challenge =).

Overall, i think the average gamer will thoroughly enjoy this game and will speak highly of it if they give it a fair chance. I am honestly surprised that this game didn't receive more awards than it has already. It is truly what first person shooters will turn into in the future.

Recommended: Yes