| Counter-Strike: Condition Zero | |
| Series: | Counter-Strike |
| Composer: | Zak Belica |
| Engine: | GoldSrc |
| Platforms: | Windows, OS X, Linux |
| Released: | WindowsOS X, Linux |
| Genre: | First-person shooter |
| Modes: | Single-player, multiplayer |
Counter-Strike: Condition Zero is a first-person shooter video game developed by Ritual Entertainment, Turtle Rock Studios, and Valve, and published by Sierra Entertainment and Valve. The follow-up to Counter-Strike (2000), it was released in March 2004 for Windows. Condition Zero utilizes the GoldSrc engine and has a multiplayer mode, which features updated character models, textures, maps and other graphical tweaks. It also includes two single-player campaigns; Tour of Duty and Condition Zero: Deleted Scenes.
Alongside various other Valve titles, the game received versions for OS X and Linux in 2013.[1]
The largest difference between Counter-Strike and Condition Zero is that all maps, player models, and weapon models, received updates to their graphics, enhancing their detail and modifying them slightly. The gameplay is separated into two parts; the multiplayer game, and the singleplayer add-on campaign.[2]
The primary game, Condition Zero, plays largely the same to Counter-Strike with the inclusion of bots and a "Tour of Duty" campaign across multiplayer maps. The game features a linear progression system where the player must complete each map by defeating opposing bots and completing challenges along the way, such as killing a certain amount of enemies, rescuing a certain amount of hostages, or killing an enemy with a specific weapon - new maps are unlocked after a previous one is completed.
All game modes from Counter-Strike are also present in Condition Zero. Minor changes to the hostage rescue game mode were made to allow hostages to reach the extraction zone on their own unless confronted by a terrorist, and will cower if gunfire is heard.[3]
Deleted Scenes is new to Counter-Strike in that it provides an offline, non-arena-based singleplayer campaign for the player, where they go along on an assortment of various missions all around the world, engaging in firefights with various enemies as a "Counter-terrorist". This game add-on uses gear and equipment from the main multiplayer game somewhat differently, where the player uses them for scripted interactive sequences. Beating a level unlocks a new mission somewhere on the globe for the player to then select. The weapons provided to the player are strictly based on the type of mission they are playing, as there is no longer a purchase menu for gear and equipment, though the player can still find and pick up weapons along the way. Missions are generally unrelated and meant to focus on immediate action, so the stories and plots within each level are self-contained.[4]
The player is more difficult to kill in this game mode, to seemingly make-up for the fact that you can die rather quickly in regular Counter-Strike. Overall, the gameplay is more action-movie-esque, with a focus on set-pieces and linear progression through each level.[5]
Condition Zero started development in 2000 by Rogue Entertainment, and was initially announced in May 2001 at E3 of that year. Rogue's producer for the game, Jim Molinets, later that year moved to Sony and the development company went defunct, leaving Valve empty. Later, they gave it to Gearbox Software, the developers of the Half-Life expansion packs, so that Valve could focus on the development rival Team Fortress 2 and its new engine.
Gearbox created an overhaul of Counter-Strike with high quality models and improved graphics. They also added alpha blending, allowing for realistic foliage and weather effects, a single-player mode to the game, similar to the final game, based on inspiration of Randy Pitchford from console games such as Tony Hawk's Pro Skater and , and they included explosive weapons such as a Molotov cocktails, tear gas bomb, M60 machine-gun and M72 LAW rocket. They also used the release of Steam to their advantage to help prevent cheating by ensuring constant code updates.
In the 2018 documentary Unforeseen Consequences, Pitchford told interviewers that after development was significantly underway, Valve requested that Gearbox pivot to a linear campaign in the style of their work on . This upset Pitchford, who subsequently decided that Gearbox would walk away from the project in July 2002.[6]
The development shakeup led to the project missing its late 2002 deadline. The project was given over to Ritual Entertainment, who completely remade the game into a single-player one with 20 unconnected missions.[7] It was expected to be released in early 2003 with a secondary multiplayer mode by the upstart Turtle Rock Studios, and released alongside the Xbox version of Counter-Strike. Capcom published the game in Japan.
However, after declaring the game gold and handing out review copies of Ritual's work, Valve saw an average review score of around 60%. The companies retracted the gold status and work on Condition Zero was essentially begun again. Ritual's share of development was dropped, and Valve assigned Turtle Rock to finish development. They implemented a new bot AI that was beta tested in Counter-Strike 1.6 before release. The final game contained a version mirroring Gearbox's version, along with 12 missions recovered from Ritual's single-player portion, called Deleted Scenes.[8] [9] [10] [11] [12] [13] [14] [15]
Condition Zero received "mixed or average reviews". It has a score of 65 out of 100 on Metacritic, based on reviews from 33 critics. The game was praised for its AI and new maps, while it was criticized for being out-of-date following its lengthy development.[16] [17] [18] [19] [20]
See main article: Counter-Strike in esports. Condition Zero has been featured in tournament play, although neither Condition Zero nor was able to generate mass interest from players of the original Counter-Strike as their successor did.[21]