Infobox
- Developer: Valve
- Publisher: Sierra Studios, Valve (digital)
- Designer: Minh Le, Jess Cliffe
- Series: Counter-Strike
- Engine: GoldSrc
- Platforms: Windows, Xbox, OS X, Linux
- Release: Windows – November 9, 2000; Xbox – November 18, 2003 (NA), December 5, 2003 (EU); OS X, Linux – January 24, 2013
- Genre: Tactical first-person shooter
- Mode: Multiplayer
Introduction
“Counter-Strike” (also known as “Half-Life: Counter-Strike” or “Counter-Strike 1.6”) is a tactical first-person shooter game developed by Valve. It was initially developed and released as a “Half-Life” modification by Minh “Gooseman” Le and Jess Cliffe in 1999, before Le and Cliffe were hired and the game’s intellectual property acquired. “Counter-Strike” was released by Valve for Microsoft Windows in 2000, and is the first installment in the “Counter-Strike” series. Several remakes and ports were released on Xbox, as well as OS X and Linux.
Gameplay
“Counter-Strike” is a first-person shooter game in which players join either the terrorist team, the counter-terrorist team, or become spectators. Each team attempts to complete their mission objective and/or eliminate the opposing team. Each round starts with the two teams spawning simultaneously. All players have only one life by default and start with a pistol as well as a knife.
The objectives vary depending on the type of map. The most usual ones include bomb defusal, hostage rescue, and assassination. A player can choose to play as one of eight different default character models (four for each side). Players are generally given a few seconds before the round begins (known as “freeze time”) to prepare and buy equipment, during which they cannot attack or move.
Development
“Counter-Strike” was developed by Valve and published by Sierra Studios and Valve for digital distribution. The game was built using the GoldSrc engine.
Reception
“Counter-Strike” was met with positive reviews from professional critics. It was praised for its tactical gameplay and team-based objective-orientated style.