Counter Strike's Art Direction has... Changed

[@Spotsy]

While you all are here, consider joining the SEALS discord where me and my other friends are relatively active - discord.gg/SM4fsxGwyp

[@victor.novorski]

Why does my CS2 lag so much? I mean there is an update right now but compared to CS:GO, CS2 is definitely not optimised.

[@victor.novorski]

9:46 also wtf..man this shot from the video is just so different

[@davidstadler1097]

You should use self promotions towards the end if you want to get more subscribers. This video was a piece of art keep up with all of this.

[@firewolf9493]

Great video, man! It really gave me a good feeling of how CS:GO was and how good it was, and also what CS2 has in store for us, and what it is already different, its hard to give us this feeling, you know? Also the video was really enjoyable overall, thanks!!!

[@BogdanZelinschi]

Wots rong w your game resolution? Looks stretched

[@Jalapinecone]

As the founder of the premier esports team 100Sneeds, I'm proud of my players out here doing the lord's work and joining in the teamkilling in mm

[@Spotsy]

Thank you for your valued service

[@IllIIIIllIIllll]

Formerly Chuck's

[@dadadome5996]

Sneed

[@SnrubSource]

Oh that's just superstition

[@TGospelGamer]

😂😂😂

[@sourceeee]

that trailer seriously was one of the best illustrations on how it "feels" to play counter strike and was seriously well made in every aspect. Can't believe they just dropped something that high quality more than a decade ago only to never do it again. Kind of sad to be honest.

[@vibaj16]

Maybe because of how much of a pain it is to make anything in SFM. I hope their S2FM encourages them to start making incredible trailers like that again.

[@laughingbob5786]

@@vibaj16 there's so much fanmade SFM thats not a reason. valve is just lazy

[@salty1]

@@vibaj16 sfm is THE animation software

[@vibaj16]

@@salty1 S2FM

[@C.A._Old]

How nice it is to come back here and watch this legendary popular video even after many years. nostalgia and the sense of humor of those times. It was the valve software that caused their destruction. because he destroyed them all. Now we will start a huge 2nd CS community civil war. Let's see who will be the winner? Source 1? Or the damn Source 2?

[@844box]

Both versions of CS:GO default music kit were present before Panorama update: One is used for CT side, and another for T side

[@thatcooldudeisawesome876]

BRO HAHAHA I was gonna say I thought they were same sound track but I just believed him

[@megakarlachofficial]

They actually played on both teams, you can change them by press the switch team key and then close it. and yes after Panorama update, Valve likely broke something on the code and only one of the music kit would play in-game (the main menu still plays both after Panorama through).

[@ΒασιληςΛυπηριδης-φ4κ]

TF2 fans: "First time?"

[@PoKeKidMPK1]

future: CS3 ADDS NEW ONE OF A KIND UNIQUE AND TOTALLY ORIGINAL TRADABLE HATS AND NEWER OPERATOR SKINS, ALONG WITH ANIME, FORTNITE, VALORANT, AND OVERWATCH CROSSOVER EVENTS (half life 3 never to be released and tf2 not recognized)

[@tearex8688]

@@PoKeKidMPK1 tf2 always showed good tasted restraint in certain thing. but its out of hand a bit lately.

[@PoKeKidMPK1]

@@tearex8688 w a t

[@hugubugu9100]

Tf2’s wasn’t intentional. it was just a lack of care from valve with which hats and what updates they put in

[@3ofSpades]

“That is not a mistake, that is by design.” Valve, discussing their monetization at GDC

[@mariuso0o0o0]

I feel the loss of the grit in CSGO made it lose it's identity a bit. All shooters nowadays are cartoony and have techno beats accompanying them. I miss the tactical realism and intensity the old style brought.

[@FIIIthy]

Cs2 feels like it lost all the grit

[@Maximus0451]

@@smugplush I still miss the original style of Siege. Counter-Strike first got me into tac shooters. Now, it's just following trends. Shame.

[@senorsoloq]

​@@smugplushSiege lost all its realism when they brought clones and nano bots.

[@perico17]

Honestly it's for the better. No one plays CS:GO anymore just because it's "tactical" or "realistic" and I say this as an avid MilSim player. Back in 2012 the tactical feel made sense because there really weren't any alternatives on the market. Now, we've got Escape from Tarkov, R6:Siege (2015-2018), Arma and some upcoming indies like Ready or Not. If CSGO wanted to pursue its future as a tactical shooter, it'd have to change the core mechanics - they're purposely left almost unchanged since CS 1.6 to make it more suited for a competitive environment.

[@geniyakova354]

​@@perico17if it ain't broken don't fix it

[@Ahmadabdal_]

the one thing that's unforgivable is that they removed map specific T and CT operators like it was so cool man wtf valve!

[@imembridibuddha]

THIS

[@GrimReaper..]

I'm still hoping for them to return🤞

[@tomeshec1122]

Valve´s art direction has changed not just Counter Strike´s

[@vibaj16]

I thought he was gonna talk about the visual art, not the music. I like Valve's visual art direction right now. It's realistic on first glance but slightly cartoonish at a closer look. I think this will help it not age badly, while still looking good even for darker games like Half-Life games. It also makes it stand out from hyper realistic games.

[@Kdkjdjewerdnxa]

@@vibaj16I think Portal 2 was the first big step towards their current “style”. Portal 2 still looks great because it feels stylized while still using (relatively) realistic lighting. Portal 1 on the other hand doesn’t hold up visually quite as well, I love its darker atmosphere but visually it looks its age while Portal 2 looks sort of timeless to me. Counter Strike Source has aged poorer visually than any of their 2000s titles (not counting ricochet and alien swarm)

[@LegioXXI]

​@@Kdkjdjewerdnxa I actually think that CS:Source (and the classic "source aesthetic in general) has the most nostalgic charm out of any Valve games. Idk, its just so iconic for the 2000s Valve era. Yes but obviously the visuals don't hold up to modern standards, but i still wouldn't call it "poorly aged". I mean, just look at other games from that era that didn't have unique art styles like BioShock but went for realism of the technical possibilities of the 2000s. Those have really aged poorly. The Source aesthetic overall aged pretty well compared to anything of that time.

[@jmgonzales7701]

plus its an easy engine to run on @@LegioXXI

[@kerimhanbozkurt]

fr!!!

[@narrowgauge0727]

I think CS still is a good looking game, but the old hardcore and gritty look was very cool to me. Old CSS maps just hit different in style and presentation and I love them.

[@Swattii]

Old CSS maps were pretty damn uncanny and ugly, that's why we love them. There wasn't really any rhyme or reason to them other than just playing on it. The new CS2 maps try to make the place more believable and beautiful which isn't a bad thing either.

[@narrowgauge0727]

@@Swattii Yeah, but I definitely think they could have kept the grit to them, that was what made css maps great in my opinion.

[@Swattii]

@@narrowgauge0727 I don't think there was much grit to any of them. Everyone kinda sees these Source maps as "liminal" now, lol. CSS is a horror game for some folks now. Havana is a eerie map revisiting it by yourself.

[@narrowgauge0727]

@@Swattii Nah, they are just dirty and full of grime, especially compared to csgo maps. css train to csgo train is like night and day, same with maps like nuke.

[@Swattii]

@narrowgauge0727 playing on the map right now and I don't get the sense of dirty/grime you're talking about at all. It's more of a industrial vibe going on. T spawn does have some story telling elements to it. There's a ladder that leads over the fence and into t spawn. If you look into the window by the truck near t spawn, you can see they killed some sort of worker, shot through the window.

[@Asdf-wf6en]

When Anubis first came out I remember thinking "wow this looks like an overwatch map", and that was before CS2. I honestly hate how clean and bright it looks compared to how it used to be. Remember CSGO dust 2's T models? How some of them had aviator sunglasses, scarfs and well groomed beards? Like these guys are supposed to be terrorists, they shouldn't be looking like hipsters. If there was a setting that disabled all skins and made everything a little dirtier I would turn it on in an instant.

[@ryuhanja3415]

for those who never saw the valve QnA about CS2 the dev behind the game literally said "When we looked at CS skins we noticed people didn't like the realistic camouflages that were based off the real thing, people like the more vibrant and exotic skins that stand out. That changed our view as we no longer saw Counter strike as a hardcore shooter but as a sport." is that perfect 1 for 1? no but it sums up what they said

[@SSS333-AAA]

difference being you can decide whether you want to use those skins or not. of course bright flashy skins will "look better" but not everyone wants better looks, we want definition in art which is lacking as of recent years. you can polish a turd over and over but at the end of the day it's still a turd.

[@inasatok]

@@SSS333-AAA well they cant satisfy everyone, so they chosed the bigger crowd.

[@sulphurous2656]

Well this sucks. A lot of the mates from early on in CS:GO's life who I spoke to remarked on enjoying the camouflage weapon finishes they got from drops for the sake of immersion. Now, almost all of those collections have been phased out and as such the prices for these textures (which you could once get for free) has been skyrocketing due to scarcity ever since. Why should I pay dozens of dollars to get a P2K | Silver, AK-47 | Black Laminate, or hundreds for an AWP | Graphite, Snake Camo, and so on that I once owned? On one hand, the prices discourage people for going for these finishes, but at the same time when sales on the SCM do happen (less often with time) the ASP results in Valve collecting more Gabe tax out of it. So it's a win-win for them I suppose business wise. It's also funny how much the change in what kind of skins we saw being dropped and put in cases also seems to coincide with the general look and feel of the game as well from a visual standpoint. First it was to complement the feel of the scenario and "put some personality" into the arsenal as they put it in Arms Deal, then it became something akin to the obnoxiously colorful paint jobs you saw on raceacars competing in championships and other tournaments. Hmm. Makes me wonder if E-'Sports' also had a bearing on skins seeing as how even the case collections were more colorful and fantastical compared to something like Bravo or Winter Offensive.

[@pizzaman11]

It’s the same thing that happened to TF2. It’s not necessarily that the flashy skins are like but they are perceived as more valuable. Over time the game will get flashier and flashier, then people will realize how dog shit it looks overall. It’s the cost we pay for a game monetizing purely off cosmetics, everything has a cost

[@MirelRC]

I can say that CS2 is a hardcore esports.

[@k4nki3gaming]

Honestly I stopped playing CS:GO after getting too loaded with school and never continued playing it. But at some point I saw that it became CS2 and joked with a buddy to play it again. But it was still fun and goofy, even won the first match just to get decimated on second queue. But honestly it ain't bad. Also bless the little changes that has been done to inferno, been playing that map competitvely aslong as I remember before I quit.

[@ajeettv]

Little changes to inferno 💀💀💀

[@jugi1231]

​@@ajeettvyeah, they changed the color of that one wall... 🤣🤣

[@Satritic.]

community servers what got me into the Counter Strike franchise. I was a huge zombie escape and surf player in Source and when going into Global Offensive, I became more into the competitive scene and had fun there. It really sucks that CSGO is gone, but this also makes me, or even all of us appreciate the game even more and it's history made. This new game will be the start of our new rage or excuses on why we suck, but it's a start to where us and other generations will make memories on.

[@Spotsy]

That's a great point, a lot of new people will be introduced to the game in a way that some people like ourselves haven't

[@sid6645]

Csgo isnt gone. You can use the demo viewer beta branch to play community servers.

[@Fosten12]

It's basically CSGO but an update. It even keeps your playtime on steam.

[@MapleovBacon]

Valve turned csgo aesthetics into fucking Valorant. I want the 90s-2010 aesthetics back.

[@KolyaUrtz]

valorant??? how??? where tf are cartoony graphics or magic or fantasy or anything futuristic?? you are literally delusional

[@bruhmastergachisound]

​@@KolyaUrtz Because THERE IS cartoony graphics. No shit, it looks better in some ways, but overall it just feels like they fucking turned saturation and brightness all the way up. Sometimes light looks just amazing, but sometimes like its not even there and everything looks flat (especially in the dark places) It feels like caves in minecraft with maximum brightness Old style is just.. Darker? And like more tarnished. This is how cs meant to feel like.

[@marcopolo8584]

If you look at the operators, and then Half Life Alyx, you'll realize, this is just part of the new Valve look. It's their semi-realism style that they're going to be carrying forward into future titles. Tyler Mcvicker has mentioned this before in this videos.

[@jmgonzales7701]

I just wish they make new games

[@TJ-wf1rr]

@@jmgonzales7701 They are apparently making a new puzzle like game i heard (probably portal or something)

[@vcr_official]

It literally still looks like shit in CS2 tho, it feels more like Valorant or even more like Fortnite now, especially with how the "operators" look.

[@contra7631]

I think its the source-2 problem.Source-2 doesnt have the source-1 look anymore which I liked.Source-2 looks very plastic,less sharp,washed out and face models also looks very weird to me kinda like unreal which I hate.

[@chivarawr]

when i hear the new music (which i do like) it feels like this is the next step for something greater than we’d ever imagine. new memories to be made and more fun to be had.

[@ChapinskyReal]

definitely

[@stasianatanasov6294]

same shit like r6. exactly the same downfall from something special to a generic competitive shooter with pink guns and clowns running around while electronic music is blasting. Those games used to actually have an artstyle back then. Now they are just a mishmash of whatever cosmetics they can sell to kids.

[@tezkyflex7304]

@@stasianatanasov6294bro csgo was selling cosmetics to kids since 2013 💀💀💀

[@roacktucktwist1163]

New music is cringe

[@stasianatanasov6294]

amen brother @@roacktucktwist1163

[@dinonuggets7148]

The cs2 gun models are really good. They have wear at the points they should from use, they have small details, and overall look great

[@BigBulacha]

Cs2 I feel like simply doesn’t take itself seriously like csgo did. I remember when csgo launched and it was this tactical, tense duel between terrorists and cts but cs2 just feels like a generic and souless port to a new engine being publish by a meta-ironic twitter account. It’s a difference of 10 years but we can already see the different mentalities and zeitgeist

[@LegioXXI]

As someone who gerw up with CS 1.6 and CS:S its weird seeing people being so nostalgic for CS:GO, since the first two games (yes, even CS:S albeit being small) still has a very nostalgic fanbase. It just makes me realize how old Counter Strike as a whole is - and how old iam 😆

[@helixzenith]

They made the game look brighter to make it easier to spot characters. Most people who took the game seriously would turn up different brightness/contrast features in the gpu panel anyway. Them doing it for us just made the game more approachable because it’s one less thing the game never teaches you that you otherwise would have to learn abt.

[@Foggycallabasashillshelicopter]

Fr visibility is huge in fps. Unrelated but realted, I don’t enjoy the new cods for multiple reasons but one is how bad the visibility has gotten.

[@niks660097]

almost every pro in csgo used gamma to make it so the map is similar to full bright, but broadcasted recording doesn't show that..

[@vetoneal6171]

I definitely don't like the new look. I just wish it leaned harder into it's original grounded and gritty look but now they seem to just be following the crowd.

[@SSS333-AAA]

following a crowd of people who don't know anything about art and game design. that's gaming in a nutshell right now.

[@pilotverse179]

CS:GO is not the only victim of this , look at Rainbow Six Siege and how it's artstyle was ruined because of this shitty trend.

[@SSS333-AAA]

@@pilotverse179 AMEN BROTHER i used to play siege because i wanted a tac shooter that felt real. now i play it to laugh at how bad its direction went.

[@pilotverse179]

@@SSS333-AAA preach

[@thighhighenthusiastic1268]

@@SSS333-AAAIt is literally the same except optional skins😂 My bad for “ruining” the game cause a few maps got reconstructed and the bar for example got moved. Absolutely unplayable. Have you ever heard of such a thing as renovation inside a building? Not me.

[@Hydro.131]

CS2s theme, the first time I heard it, immediately gave me the vibe that this really is the end of an era. Honestly started to tear up a little when that drop hit. Never played CS:GO that much, but it still had a place in my heart. CS2s theme really felt like it was paying respects to global offensive.

[@vibaj16]

The end of an era, but also the beginning of an era

[@Hydro.131]

@@vibaj16 Exactly, the song goes from sounding like the end of an era to the sound of a new era.

[@Narko_Marko]

I absolutely adore how CS2 looks. It's so realistic, terrorist activity doesn't change the weather and lighting, it's still a sunny day in Italy with cars driving by and dogs barking in the distance.

[@はなこちゃん]

CS did have an art style, it was just the graphics for its time back then. Something you forgot to consider was how long CS has been out even before Global and Source. Edit: when you called it artificial

[@chewwa1700]

I still think Counter Strike: Source is the best of the series. Say what you want, but between the faster movement, birth of thriving community servers with surfing and mini-games like scouts and knives, nothing has captured that feeling for me since. With the success of Valorant, CS2 is undoubtedly the direction CS has to be taken, and I don’t mind the game. I think the map overhauls are absolutely stunning.

[@PvtParts-hr4zv]

I think Source was the greatest blend of everything as well.

[@LegioXXI]

@@PvtParts-hr4zv CS:Source for sure is the most nostalgic for me. And even tho it could never top the popularity of both CS 1.6 and later CS:GO, it still had a huge legacy that influenced Counter Strike as a whole. Its just sad seeing more and more of this legacy being phased out in favour of more cartoony art style and skins. But i can't blame Valve for doing it, skins and the more cartoony but more visible art style is what the player base want - and its obviously a strategy that is working. CS:Source and its art style is at the end a product of its time, and times simply changed. Maybe the art style of CS2 will change in future too, who knows.

[@foochs]

I wonder why they've made community servers inaccessible to the average player. Otherwise it would be off the ground in less than a week just like old times.

[@Ang3lUki]

>complains about the change in art direction >puts his neon skins that are part of this change in art direction into CSS ok buddy

[@tarekcat1]

people be complaining about How the game looks like Valve is trying to be appealing for the players Fortnite or OW2, while wasting thier money gambling on Cases and skins

[@hommeboy]

"Ah good times" First played CS in 2020:

[@RussianPowerful]

Game looks cartoonish like valorant and most other free to play games. As a matter of fact, free to play games have this cartoonish art style to them now that looks slick and smooth but low budget. CS2 really does look like a free to play e-sport game. Nothing much remains in common with the orginal CS, e-sport games all look the same as theyre all made with sports/entertainment in mind, which puts a bigger focus on the perspective of the spectator than it does for the gamer. The simplified graphics and UI are visually pleasing for someone spectating the game as if it were a sport.

[@tearex8688]

yea well csgo looks like a mediocre cod game from back in the day. this means nothing. its just the time we are in. even gritty these days is lit up. its just how graphics are.

[@krovvy]

I've had this conversation a number of times regarding its art direction, but realistically if we were to consider the csgo agent skins.. they were precieved as cartoon-y.. fast forward nearly 5 years later since their initial release, we get cs2. This holistic design was being cooked for a good bit of time, from my opinion the agent skins don't really fit any of the old csgo designs.. and barely in some of the new map redesigns, nuke was really the only map redesign they felt they fitted in aesthetically and that was rumoured to be a valve redesigned with cs2 in mind.. its not until cs2 did they really feel "at home" in the game enviroment.

[@thepunisherxxx6804]

They did such a great job with the new music and everything really. Some things to fix but they will fix it. I love everything about CS2. No other game or engine both looks and runs so good. Usually companies compromise on one of those for the most part. The lighting just looks so vivid and inviting. I also got a "cozy" feel from Office, it felt like a real office at night with the lights still on, people working late. For anyone mad about realism but have never played CS long. It was always gameplay first. It wasn't classic rainbow 6 or SOCOM. The brightness and color choices play into the gameplay too. Many, many classic 1.6 pros were all about visual clarity first and would run on low, run on fullbright with no shadows, just to get that edge with performance and picking out targets. Their method keeps the good looks while also making everything more readable. Maybe player contrast could be slightly increased too... I also LOVE the new smokes, and the "follow recoil" option. It makes the game feel fresh and is a really cool idea to understand recoil and intuitively control it without guessing or endless practice to remember it.

[@tsuki0sm4nthus]

The way you describe the new cs2 ost, I found it why i love itt so much, it's that nostalgia feeling when the drop comes in or smthn. altho csgo is quite a throwback but there is still also smthn when i saw the trailers too

[@mercix_vt]

thanks for this video... really drowned me in tears, its true that we played Counter Strike series since its started way back in 2000 (thats where i born but yea) remembering the times playing CS1.6, CS:CZ, CS:GO and more... Valve really makes me feel the good ol nostalgia just in a music also again, thanks for your video

[@Ang3lUki]

Agent skins remind me of the old character select screen. Your character of choice said a lot about you, personally I was an Arctic Avengers guy, I hope they come back as an operator skin.

[@Skrenja]

Source had the best art direction.

[@chakandra4800]

I agree

[@vcr_official]

Based

[@flabbergasted1485]

people when a game has changed over a decade: 😠 people when a game hasnt changed over a decade: 😠

[@Maximus0451]

CS didn't start as an esports game. It was made by college guys who wanted to make a fun tactical shooter. Esports came after. As CS got more competitively focused and dropped its realistic artstyle, my interest dropped.

[@idkwuisp7626]

Demolition on Safehouse, Lake and Bank was so much fun... And the pre 2018 soundtrack is absolutely my favorite... I hope CS2 brings back demolition and the old maps

[@WhoIsJohnGaltt]

Personally I thought the original 2015 art style was amazing. So harsh dirty and gritty. It really did feel like a “terrorism” game. Along with all the sounds that came with it. Now it just seems like it’s being tailored for kids with cartoon graphics and vibrant colors.

[@tearex8688]

i think source 2 is just bright in general. where source was gritty for half life and bare/low poly cs2 looks like half life: alyx. and i'm not surprised. i don't think it was intentional. i think its just like that.

[@gladosbutstupid8807]

Suggesting that the art style of CS2 is “being tailored for kids with cartoon graphics” is quite possibly the dumbest thing I have heard about the game, and I have seen a lot of stupid opinions about Valve’s games.

[@WhoIsJohnGaltt]

@@gladosbutstupid8807 that’s interesting. Not a single statement to back up your claim to why it is false. Not even making a simple argument about how flashy and flamboyant colors are most associated with children’s activities and entertainment being possibly wrong. Interesting. Seems like somebody thinks shaming others will change reality to for them and for A to not equal to A because of it

[@gladosbutstupid8807]

@@WhoIsJohnGaltt Yeah, seriously my bad, I wanted to put an argument in there but I just… forgot. But here is my argument. Do you think having color appeals to children. I think it does, and you do too. But the color of CS2 is much more timeless than CS:GO. For example, turn on the lights in your room. Do you think it looks better that way? Now turn off the lights in your room. Do you like it better? Most people would probably turn off the lights because it’s easier to look at. But turn on the lights in your room and bask in it for a while, and if you are like me, you might start to think that your room looks better. You can see objects more easily, read things like a champ, see the perfect reflections of a can or of a computer monitor or a flat screen. Turn off the lights again and you get dull, harder to recognize, and nearly unrecognizable objects scattered across your room as if someone painted your room in a layer of Vantablack. Do you think just because something is bright and colorful it looks childish? Look at Half-Life: Alyx. It was also made by Valve in the Source 2 engine and I’d beg to say it is the best looking game I have ever seen while also being colorful and bright, blending realism with stylization. Looking at CS:GO all I see is a bunch of… colors… kind of. And that’s not the only thing about CS2’s design I find better, the colors make CTs and Ts a lot more recognizable, and the color of CS2 makes the world feel alive, it looks like I can lick an object and it’d taste like that thing, while most things in the Source engine look like they’d taste all like concrete, even steel and grass feel too similar to concrete. Colors make a world, wether dark or bright, while some games are alright staying at their current color palette, some games don’t put a whole lot of thought into them, like how almost every shooter from the early Xbox 360 era looked like shit because that wanted to look “dark and gritty”. CS:GO was *alright* at color but a lot of it just looked a bit too dark or too dull in color. Not to say that it was the least colorful thing and looking at a shade of gray just slightly brighter than black would be a gift from the heavens, but it kind of just looked *ok*. Making a game have an art style is usually more important than making a game look realistic, a few modern tactical games now are moving away from realism because it’s been done and it’s perfected, seeing a colorful world is just more appealing now. Overall, I just like color, you don’t look at a peacock and say “well pffff… that thing’s too damn colorful.” Color is just… kind of awesome. Though yeah I think me saying that your opinion was too stupid was, ironically, stupid on my part, but saying the game looks like a cartoon is like saying that your water is too translucent. The water just kind of looks better since you can differentiate it from its surroundings. Also, arguments are overrated, this is all stupid, and I’m not expecting to wow you over to my side, I’m just trying to share my thoughts. Also, I suck at writing because the way I’m “supposed” to right is boring and moronic, which is why I said you opinion was “the dumbest thing I have ever heard” because I’ve been told to make “bold statements” but I absolutely hate it Be wise, be safe, Sincerely, a stupid friend

[@Mr-E]

​@@WhoIsJohnGaltt So, if there's some sort of places under terrorist attack, the terrorists will paint the place and the sky into black and white?

[@Speak2Soon]

6:43 the prices are "comedy" driven I agree.

[@NDMO2468]

I like the new music, the new sounds, the new lighting, new maps. What I really dislike, is the cartoony nature of the "agents." The older designs were more mature, grounded in reality, and kinda cool! I miss the old DEVGRU and the Balkanites...

[@Gabsboy123]

Some may not like the overall intention of the change in Counter-Strike's art direction, but I appreciate how Valve managed to make CS2 saturated and vibrant without running into Valorant's problem of increased risk of epilepsy, or going full cartoonish like TF2 (knowing the whole premise of CS) Edit: CS2's artwork also reminds me of Condition Zero so maybe there's some nostalgia being invoked in my comment

[@grm9495]

Cs2’s art direction drastically changed making it brighter and colorful to fit in the competitive games, similar to Valorant’s art style, it’s still looks realistic with better details and all but the art direction makes it semi-realistic. I remember when csgo beta was released the art style was darker almost like some call of duty mw vibe. I noticed Valve in general Changed their art style Just look at half life alyx, it doesn’t have that dark and gritty style that half life 2 had but still looks unique.

[@periodictable118]

The CS2 aesthetic reminds me of my university campus a lot, rich, expensive, polished, brightly lit buildings, rooms and corridors. Very little 'grit' and overly modern.

[@jordancadiz6095]

I dislike their move towards Esports honestly. They added short matches in 2021 just to immediately dump it in CS2 less than 2 years later. I like a more casual competitive if that makes sense. I’m not trying to go pro, I’m not trying to reach global, I just like the gameplay and want a more relaxed atmosphere when playing the few hours a day when I can. This whole push towards making everything “pro” doesn’t cater to people who can’t play all day everyday.

[@ixa7040]

Can we appreciate the trailer narration/ walkthrough he did at 9:46 ... man i got the chills hearing the music and the memories rushing in...Cs is golden

[@MirelRC]

The music kit in CS2 fits perfectly. Sometimes it gets me pumped to play more and more. At the same time, it makes me think at how CS have changed‚ from 1.6 to CS2. I've played all of them except those Chinese or whatever CS Online. And I have so many memories. Now I am making new memories with CS2‚ with some friends that were not into CSGO, and they were playing PUBG most of the time and 1.6 from time to time‚ now they have forgotten about PUBG and play more and more CS2. It's amazing how this game (even if it still has flaws) have changed those people's opinion‚ and I am trying to teach them stuff that older friends‚ strangers and some KZbinrs taught me too.

[@pay-g2163]

What actually happened at Valve: "sounds ok, put it in"

[@fsk648]

The new soundtrack is so catchy. Can't help but nod to the rhythm at the start of every round.

[@nikgrafe2985]

Oh man you deserve so much more attention. I can’t believe you made a video this good while only being such a small channel. Mad respect ✊

[@Spotsy]

Thanks a lot! I'm trying to put more stuff out there since i have been uploading here and there but i recently wanted to express my appreciation, for not only CS, but other games too. Look out for more like this.

[@nikgrafe2985]

@@Spotsy idk i just felt like i should give credit where its supposed to be

[@fakeblast]

you summarized everything i think about CS2 in a video regarding these aspects, good job, people simply don't get the new theme, when i booted up cs2 for the first time i got INSTANTLY goosebumps by hearing the new menu theme, and this theme while also being really good, REALLY embraces the future of counter-strike, a much brighter no pun intended, future ahead for the game great video

[@aydinmakesthings]

I felt like CSGO's theme was only really seen in the Co-op story missions. The story of the CT's fighting the Phoenix was really cool! Learning in the 4th one, that ALL T teams are working together with the Phoenix, that shocked me so much! I literally yelled out "HOLY SHIT" when all the T teams attacked and deafened my pal. I also loved how it hinted that the CT's may be involved in Danger Zone. Hinting their commander may have been getting money from the people behind it. Making you wonder if the CT's are truly the good guys in the story? I like how it's also told that a neutral arms dealer named Booth is giving T's and CT's guns. I REALLY hope Valve adds more Coop missions to CS2. I love it's lore and was super bummed when we never got to find out about the Phoenix's evil plans!

[@JohnSmith-hp7ku]

Csgo/Cs2 colors and art feel like they shifted from being a lot more muted and brown to being more colorful over the years. At least thats how it has felt to me. Old csgo, before all the remade maps and panorama, had more of a call of duty 4 feel as far as colors went, but end of life csgo and cs2 feels more like valorant with more vibrant colors. I guess thats how the trends of the time have gone and maybe its better for competitive gameplay but it doesnt give the same atmosphere.

[@dkskcjfjswwwwwws413]

brother hasnt seen what literally every valve sequels art direction and tone was like compared portal to portal 2, l4d to l4d2, tfc to tf2, half life 2 to half life alyx its a strange phenomenon they seem to make every new game more stylized

[@JohnSmith-hp7ku]

@@dkskcjfjswwwwwws413 what i was saying is the style and tone of csgo changed through its life cycle. All those others are sequels to existing games. not the same game.

[@Ron-nr8lw]

I feel like as the game became more of a competitive title and less of an immersive shooter the art style went with it in a new direction which was a blessing and a curse since honestly the new stuff really captures the games identity but it’s blatantly less serious not like CoD levels of they added Alucard and Snoop to the game but not like a total life or death anymore

[@coooolibri]

i play cs since 20 years, and walking through any alleyway doesnt give me the feeling that im still playing cs....

[@tearex8688]

@@coooolibri what is CS though ? its a pretty subjective term. things change.

[@foochs]

It was a game you could run on almost any PC. Now that's not the case and even if you can stabilize at 100 frames you're at a huge disadvantage because of the sub-tick system. If you're flicking and your frames aren't stable your shot will register in hell. As a bonus they've made bullet punch give you inaccuracy with full armor so the game is practically a race to see who can spam tap the body first to induce inaccuracy and then kill. @@tearex8688

[@Reichstaubenminister]

Releasing CS2 without all the previous content while at the same time making CS:GO a "beta" is beyond re**rded.

[@Gonagonad]

valve started to look at the game more as a sport than a tactical shooter

[@Ray-dl5mp]

True. But I think people forget that cs was never really a tactical shooter. It’s a pure aiming fps game. And that is still true.

[@malif1279]

​​​@@Ray-dl5mpThat and I think it makes sense for them business wise to double down on the skins & eSports aspects of the game Since without the Arms Deal update (tradable skins & golds) and eSports, Counter-Strike could very well be relegated to a niche franchise with only a few thousand players playing at best compared to the hundreds of thousands we have now Or it could've gone the way of Day of Defeat and just died who knows

[@vcr_official]

Yeah and it's just sad

[@Swattii]

Off topic but really loved hearing the Persona music in the background.

[@JJ-xt2dq]

“Back in 2020”…

[@chakandra4800]

almost 4 years ago time flies

[@GiovanniDeMedici98]

Visuals went from gritty and cool looking to fortnite graphics.

[@tearex8688]

hardly.

[@maaackz]

i appreciate how this video is more optimistic than other recent videos covering cs2 and feels like a love letter to cs2. i admit that ive given the game my fair share of criticism as well, but at the end of the day we should all remember our love for counter-strike and wish it the best.

[@fair-rd1yp]

As a person who didn’t play old csgo, csgo from 2015 had this aura to it that seemed so magical. Everything looked much brighter in turn not making me depressed after playing the game for more than two hours.

[@archiemourad]

An amazing video, this deserves more attention. I've been voicing these exact takes since release.

[@nade5557]

I personally prefer the older grittier art style. That cs:go trailer remains the best representation of the game and the feeling of playing it I have seen so far. With the massive advancements in graphics engines and performance, it's no wonder that they steered the direction more towards flashy bright colours and graphics that pop, probably because of the esports scene and other games such as valorant setting the trend for this newer more artistically licensed style. The same goes with the music as mentioned in the video. You can even see this in the progression of skins, certain newer higher contrast skins would never have been added 5 years ago, but it seems valve is excited to flex the source 2 graphics muscles, and yeah its pretty damn pretty. While this new style is certainly excellent and pleasing to the eyes, it's the older style which sets the tone of the game and adds depth beyond simple gameplay. It's colours are somewhat more realistic, it's not trying to embellish any aspect of the gameplay or the lore, it sets a more realistic tone which can better immerse you in the game like that original trailer did, and it just feels right for the sort of tactical shooter CS:GO is, it is when you get down to it, a "serious" game. Anyway, excited for the direction that CS2 goes and the pro scene as well.

[@JosefTBHTheBrokenHeadphones]

my one complain is cs2 doesn't have a cinematic sfm trailer like what csgo did (the release trailer is fine, but I heard a rumor that they have a new sfm2, and I am hyping for it.)

[@diogo763]

Overall I really enjoy this new direction. People will always have something to complain about, but, this truly feels like a new step in a new era

[@Modrov]

Dude it looks like a Disney movie 😂

[@nohi9290]

@@Modrov Realism is boring most of the time

[@self-proclaimedanimator]

@@Modrov Man Valve doing this from a long time Even in Alyx the models are really slightly stylized it's subtle They found the perfect balance to make a realistic graphics not look uncanny Not sure about Cs2 looks bit like ow2 but I like it

[@tarekcat1]

​@@Modrovhave you ever got outside and saw the sunshine ?

[@SSS333-AAA]

@@Modrov it really does. don't listen to these cucks getting pissed over your opinion. your opinion is fine.

[@kaboomtoon]

definitely sticking around for how relaxing and entertaining your videos are, great work man i love talking about cs:go’s gritty boots on the ground art direction to cs2’s sporty and brighter art style, i can’t tell if i really like it or not the more i think about it the more i wish it stayed but i think cs2s new art direction will grow on me

[@TheVeganFinalBoss]

i thought you were just going to talk about how cartoonish the game looks based on the title but you're just gobbling valve off

[@SSS333-AAA]

^

[@contra7631]

Profesional valve d#k rider thats why.You can already tell he spend money on skins.

[@kemphoss-4791]

The only thing they did wrong with cs2 was deleting CSGO. im stuck in my old ways

[@shadowninja8082]

You did a really good job making this video alot of effort put in to this and going deep down in counter strikes history and roots and simply explaning the change in deepth. I never really thought about the new Counter strike like this. Also i did not expect this grate contect from such a small youtuber you got alot potential keep up the good work!

[@Maenum]

nah bruh valve is just really trying to get a piece of the cake by going into the esport direction which is absolutely stupid because legit every "good" game has done it before like valorant, r6s, ow2 and they all went downhill from there, it just got worse and worse from update to update. csgo was already competitive enough without those bright cartoony graphics or those over the top effects it really wasnt necessary. i personally really dislike this whole esport aesthetic it has destroyed all of my favorite games for me and its really going against casual players if you think about it. cs2 is a glitchy mess. the subtick system is broken and sounds too, globals and faceit lvl 10s getting ranked with literal gold novas and silvers in premium mode is unbalanced, and in general it just feels unfinished. I wonder what the future holds for cs2

[@Aibadenshi]

Regardless of how it changed. It's still have that uncanny realism graphic that valve game have since half life 2 where it still ages pretty well due to being both realistic and semi stylise. The new realistic we keep seeing might be good but it just realistic while Valve realistic style have enough tweaks to it make look like both cartoonist and realistic at the same time.

[@Ray-dl5mp]

Yes the smoke grenades are the perfect example of what you’re saying. They are cartoony and realistic at same time. It’s kinda realistic in a movie fun kinda way.

[@tearex8688]

i think its not on purpose. its Alyx graphics. source 2. people are just having growing pains for it i feel.

[@contra7631]

​@@tearex8688Exactly I hate source-2 because of that.

[@ggntic]

CS2 isn’t this dark tactical shooter Counter-Strike once was, and I miss that honestly. But cs2 isn’t bad either

[@tskaims]

you really summed up what i also felt when first watching the trailer. I legit shed a tear when i heard " a new chapter" and then the drop of the song.

[@FightingTable]

5:27 actually, pre-panorama csgo had 2 versions of the music kit. They would switch when you went to the team selection menu. It has the song that is in the csgo music kit now and it has one that is missing. Panorama just removed the second version of it, only keeping one.

[@KnownNiche1999]

To be fair, the visibility of enemy players got insanely good with the brightness increase

[@eternity_UwU]

Ill be staring someone dead in the eye and not see them

[@hxgonic]

@@eternity_UwUblind?

[@SSS333-AAA]

@@hxgonic no, just basic pallet separation.

[@hxgonic]

@@SSS333-AAA tbf the agent skins can be insanely good at blending in w the new environments, havent had any issues myself but i can see how it would be a problem

[@SSS333-AAA]

@@hxgonic glad we can agree on something.

[@alface935]

5:23 This has the energy of *Call Of Duty Announcer Voice* "Team Deathmatch" *Countdown to 0* "With our combined Strength victory will be ours"

[@Rauno_Repomies]

First video i have watched from you and i like this type of content!

[@Dasistrite]

Kelly Baileys "Hazardous Enviroments" is the true theme music of CS.

[@snubii]

cs 1.6 was my first game when I switched over to PC and through the years of playing 1.6, source, and global offensive I've grown attached to counter-strike and being there for the birth and death of cs:go really helps me appreciate all the effort that went into the game over the years, I was definitely on the hate train whenever they changed the animations, models, sounds, or anything about my preicous game and looking back at it now it was all worth it. the time I spent with friends and randoms on MM and community servers is priceless! I'm all in for the new design changes for counter-strike 2 I just hope they stop matching me with literally brainless demagorgin himadrought

[@Spotsy]

Everything comes circle eventually, you'll only realize it after the moment though

[@Iberium]

At this point I just take the "literally brainless demagorgin himadrought" you get queued with as a part of the CS experience lol It's fun, up to a certain point

[@snubii]

@@Iberium the mm experince wouldn't be the same without them lol

[@CruelSun69]

​@@snubiiexactly you're supposed to thank them for their service

[@samonjbeatz1398]

randomly popped up in my recommended, great job on the vid!🔥🔥

[@johnfrench59]

CSGO's artstyle was ultimately fucked after skins were implemented

[@reecec1379]

A cool detail is that church on inferno is fully built

[@vascosoares8188]

This video has the quality of a 100k+ subs creator at minimum, keep the good work, you gonna explode

[@kingmoao]

9:57 It brought back many memories of 2010 when I was playing on that same pc and started the earthquake in Chile that reached a magnitude of 8.8 MW my computer burned that day and I will never forget this game for bringing me such good times the best was to discover the community servers in the zombie escape version has been a long journey for CS thanks for the video I really liked the way you narrate everything and the music the video all perfect I really helped me to see your point of view to realize that even has much to deliver this great game. I'd like to send you my best regards from Antofagasta, Chile.

[@andreborba]

The old CS:GO soundtrack it's like: SharkTankGenericBackgroundMusic.mp3

[@enimoree_god]

CS:GO forever in my heart. It's my family.

[@LuzuVlogsGamer]

Finally someone to talk about the Original music kit ! Hope they add the extra sounds that they cut from the original soundtrack to the new one.

[@mikevismyelement]

The original CSGO music kit and Scaleform UI is pure nostalgia

[@smooxchi]

great vid almost thought u were my lil bro with your narrative great job

[@friendofp.24]

I've noticed this art style change since the remade Dust 2, when the leet crew had plastic for beards. It solidified in my mind when I saw the remade chicken model and it looked like it was made from ceramic. I'm a big fan of grittiness since I grew up on the likes of Half Life 2, CSS, Silent Hill, and Killing Floor. The trend to make everything cartoony and stylized is exhausting, especially bad for CS2 because it's a half-assed attempt.

[@spruce5113]

Your content is so polished and high quality for your Channel size, Criminally underrated

[@retardno002]

It's still a polished turd, maybe that's why the channel is so small. 'Valve, you never miss' is the funniest thing anyone can say about this game. Even the pros are worried, this is legitimately bad and gameplay constantly feels like 32 tick. As for the music, I turned it off the first time I started the game. It's like Skrillex and Armin Van Buren had a baby, then they gave it only one instrument in Ableton.

[@spruce5113]

I didn’t say anything about the game… but I agree counter strike 2 has major problems that need to be fixed

[@C.A._Old]

*This is official second counter-strike community civil war dude. there is no joke.*

[@phorty2]

Just wanted to comment and say how good this video is. For a channel below 1k subs, I genuinely believe you deserve more attention because the quality of this video and the time that was evidently spent on it shows to us as viewers. Thanks for sharing your experience and perspective on CS2.

[@darksun4377]

Dude this video literally had me in tears. Cs is beautiful

[@cedbun]

great video, i kinda forgot about the old csgo trailer so that was really fun to reminisce over again, it was certainly a much more grimy looking and sounding iteration of cs but i couldnt be happier with where the games headed now. i think between all the heated discussions about the games netcode issues its great to see some gratitude being expressed for how far weve still gotten over the years

[@hi_its_jerry]

i love this video. im glad to see someone else showing appreciation for the soundtrack ( which i also absolutely love, it gets me hyped up alllll the time)

[@DoopoBob]

Amazing. Absolutely amazing video. I couldn't believe when I looked at your subscriber count, so I subbed on 4 accounts.

[@lilrosebush]

Started play csgo in 2019. Even I was a little emotional looking at how everything changed

[@2mesmerized218]

im sad its less gritty know even though it looks more realistic now i feel like it used to be more realistic it feel like now the graphics are (at least somewhat)centered around making the skins look great

[@SSS333-AAA]

you're getting close. just wait till you realize why they chose a more bright art style that makes the basic skins for guns feel extraordinarily dull.

[@tearex8688]

well. real life is bright. the illuminated areas feel appropriate in this game. people i feel like are just use to that weird lighting of source coughing its lungs out to be on-par with modern graphics.

[@SSS333-AAA]

@@tearex8688 yes but also not everything irl is greased up and shined like a mirror.

[@tearex8688]

@SSS333-AAA yea. True. I think its just the engine honestly.

[@SSS333-AAA]

@@tearex8688 look man as a guy who is trying to make their own game right now, you're speaking nonsense. don't talk about things you have no knowledge in unless it's a question or you just give people a headache. you don't have to give your thoughts on everything. not trying to be a dick

[@poweepiureq3700]

Wow. You've been playing CS for a good while now? Whole 3 years? Since all the way back in 2020, when the game was only slightly over 20 years old?

[@Timotejy]

Yo, great video dude, I've been out of CS for a couple years (since the operation bloodhound), but I've never stopped being atleast aware of what's going on. Maybe when I actually get a good PC, I'll start again. But for now, I just wanted to give you props for the good video, hope it does well.

[@Spotsy]

Thanks! You experienced the much earlier state of the game and it's great that even you could still appreciate how much CS has grown.