The change to CS2 has impacted everything, from playing CS:GO recreationally to how people enjoy making bets on CS2 matches. The features, updates, map changes, and tactics have all been dramatically altered, and in this article, we will break down the best and worst of CS2 in the early days of its release.

The Good of CS2
A Better Buy Menu
One of the best things about CS2 is the new and improved buy menu, which is far tidier and cleaner than the previous edition. The buy menu allows players to buy more quickly and efficiently and they can now get refunds for misclick purchases, which seems small but can prove to be a major update when teams become more efficient with their economy in games.

The Visual Overhaul of Counter-Strike
The visual aesthetics and "prettiness" of Counter-Strike have gone up to new heights, with the ability to see your own legs as one of many features, including revamped maps that look gorgeous. Favorites like Inferno and Overpass look significantly better, with more textures and details that improve the look, and subtle physics changes that improve the competitive balance. The water has been a huge, notable improvement that looks incredible.

Sub-Tick Servers Improve Responsiveness
In a move to level up the entire competitive gameplay of Counter-Strike, CS2 has seen the introduction of "sub-tick" servers, which improve the shooting and movement, and create subtle differences in an FPS that can dramatically alter the game. This is a huge win for CS2 players, which takes their old 64-tick servers up to the level of a game like Valorant, which uses 128-tick servers.

The New Smoke Meta
Smokes in CS2 are a whole new game in themselves. They now fill spaces, just like smoke does in real life. The smoke can also be altered physically by bullets and grenades, creating temporary gaps or even causing the entire smoke cloud to disperse. The new meta has thrown away old ways and created new game strategies and situations that players need to adapt to.

The Bad of CS2
The HE + Smoke Mechanic
The new smokes have been widely praised, and rightfully so, but the way they can be dispersed with a HE grenade is a huge point of contention, right from the professionals to the recreational gamers. It changes the fundamental aspects of playing CS, as now spamming through smoke grenades is a much more risky pursuit than it previously was.

The Change in Spray
The spray mechanics have been altered significantly, with the recoil and spray pattern coming across as far more random than the original CS. The spray mechanics have been compared to Valorant, which has not gone down well with the Counter-Strike faithfuls, many of whom have spent thousands of hours learning the art of the spray in CS:GO.

Potential Eye Strain
The brightness settings, which have been adjusted after the game's facelift, have caused some players to experience eye strain. This will not be widespread, but there is a stark contrast in how vivid and bright the new Counter-Strike is compared to the previous game. It has been pointed out that the introduction of a more complex and detailed brightness slider could help.

The HUD is Standing Still
While some aspects of the game were revamped and leveled up when it comes to efficiency, the overall HUD is still stuck as it was. The intuition is still the same, and the preceding HUD actually seemed a bit more detailed than the latest version. Having to double-check essentials like health, money, or ammo during a round can be fatally distracting.

The Okay of CS2

The launch was not a total disaster nor an overall triumph; it is certainly a work in progress. Many fans still see the potential to eclipse CS:GO with more balancing, updates, and small gameplay changes. The game is still very much in its infancy and is heading down the right path to hit the stable and secure heights of CS:GO.

The "okay" aspect of CS2 comes in the way that it is malleable. You can mold this game to become something even better than CS:GO, and to be the best first-person shooter out there. The experience may not be perfect, but the promise is there; time will tell if the game hits its potential down the line.

Is CS2 Good, Bad, or Sort of Okay?

CS2 is a mixed bag right now, widely getting praise for the innovation and updates but adding controversy with a selection of strong, wholesale changes. Will upcoming updates iron out these issues, or will CS2 shake the core foundations of the game and look to remold it in the image of a game like Valorant? Time will tell.

The latest Counter-Strike is certainly up for debate, and the jury is out. The phenom of CS2 will only grow with each passing month and eSports tournament. The strong opinions and theories will continue to circulate, but we will see how the game finds itself over the coming weeks and months.