The month of March is an exhilarating time for FPS fans. The decade-long wait is finally over and Valve announced their new product Counter-Strike 2. The expectations for the game are quite huge, and many are eagerly waiting for a chance to try it out.

Many popular streamers got access to CS 2, and it seems like some of them are not very much impressed with the newer mechanisms announced in the game. With that thought in mind, is CS: GO 2/ CS 2 just a revamped color-graded rework, or does it meet the hype?

Is Counter-Strike 2 living up to its hype?

CS: GO by Valve is considered one of the pioneering games on the competitive eSports front. The game garnered much popularity over the years, and many talented players rose from it. But, in recent times Valve has been the victim of criticism from the fans. Many were stating that the developers are not bringing quality-of-life adjustments into the game.

Thus, the release of a sequel to the popular shooter had a lot of expectations to it. After many rumors, the game is finally available for a limited pool of people. From the looks of it, the responses that Counter-Strike 2 is receiving are quite mixed.

Yes, Valve has brought some interesting changes into the game, but these very changes were found ‘weird’ by some pros. The ‘responsive’ smoke that is implemented in the game is pretty good on paper, but has many restrictions as well.

CS: GO veteran Shroud was seen experiencing the new game firsthand, and smokes were a point of discussion between him and other pros. Apparently, players no longer can do the ‘one-way smoke trick’ in the game. This would reshuffle the decade-long concept, making it difficult for players to adjust.

The usage of source 2 is pretty good, but some elements like guns feel a bit out of order. Tarik was seen hilariously calling out the game for using too many ‘filters’.

Some reported that the toggle switch, which allowed players to shift between left and right-hand mode, is no longer available. This was a distinctive element that made CS: GO stand out compared to its current competitor, Valorant.

Additionally, the game is rampant with glitches and huge FPS drops. Fighting in the newly adjusted smoke is a prime example of such a situation. Another noteworthy aspect is when spectating your team, the indication of whom you are spectating is pretty small, and it may be annoying for some.

The game has stuck to the old buy menu. Many people expected this to get revamped, but it seems like Valve decided to stick with its decade-old idea.

Read More: Top 7 Things CS: GO Fans Should Know About the Upcoming Counter-Strike 2

All these do not mean the game is a bad production. There are many notable positive aspects as well. The short video which portrays the players in your team when the match starts looks amazing. The addition of Source 2 has enabled melee skins to be visually pleasing. Players can even see the reflection of the sun on the knives.

The game has toned down its violent graphics without compromising the key mechanisms that made the predecessor popular.

So is the game living up to the hype? At certain angles it surely is, but disappointment also looms large in some key areas. This Beta version is expected to note all these down and bring the needed changes before the game is released to the public.

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