The first wave of Counter-Strike: Global Offensive previews went live at several online outlets tonight, providing first details on Valve‘s upcoming shooter update.
Counter-Strike: GO will include seven classic maps — Dust, Dust2, Aztec, Nuke, Inferno, Italy, and Office — all remade with updated visuals / given other tweaks. Expect to see all the weapons from Counter-Strike: Source, as well as new weapons, including: the Decoy Grenade, Molotov Cocktail, IMI Negev, Taser, Tec-9, Mag-7, Sawed-off Shotgun, and PP-Bizon. The Molotov Cocktail has environmental effects, setting the ground on fire and damaging players that walk its path.
It features a matchmaking system for 5-on-5 gameplay. An ELO-based ranking system will determine your skill level and make sure you’re placed against players of the same level.
The PlayStation 3 version of the game will be compatible with the PC and Mac versions, allowing players to go team-against-team in cross-platform matches. PlayStation 3 players can use a DualShock 3, a PlayStation Move, or a mouse and keyboard to play.
Global Offensive isn’t meant to be a reinvention of the franchise, but more of an incremental update.
Read IGN and Kotaku‘s previews for a more in-depth look at the game. Check out some gameplay videos below.