Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this article are those of Rift, and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of GotFrag.com in general.

When I first got wind of there being a closed beta testing of the newest version (v1.04) of CS Promod for GotFrag staff, I immediately threw my name into the mix to try and get a shot to test it out. I had always been a fan of what Promod was trying to do, and didn't want to pass up an opportunity to get a hands on experience with this newest release.

As luck would have it, I, along with several members of the staff and Alex Garfield himself, would spend the next couple of hours playing through the beta. After pubbing around for awhile and then eventually running a 5v5 scrim, I felt that it would only be fair that I had the chance to share my in game experience with you, the reader. Before we get to the review though, let me give you a little bit of history about the game.

CS Promod was originally created in an effort to combine the outstanding gameplay of CS 1.6 with the graphics of CS: Source so that both players and sponsors alike would be able to enjoy it. When Source was initially released, sponsors quickly latched onto it, as it was a lot more appealing to the eyes than the dated graphics of CS 1.6; however, many players stayed loyal to CS 1.6 because they felt that it's gameplay was superior. Promod was to be the hero that brought these two immensely popular games together so that everyone could enjoy playing one game as a single community.

When the first version of the beta for CS Promod was initially released in 2007, it received a lot of backlash from the community because it was extremely buggy and wasn't what they had hoped for. Though it was just a beta, many people overlooked this fact and didn't want to give it a chance; thus, the large amount of support that had been built up from the hype for this game quickly disappeared almost overnight. Even with a second beta release in 2008, not many people took the chance to give the game a shot, and it once again faded into the depths of gaming obscurity.

Cut to now, 2009, after a year of minimal updates, and with no real sign of life seen in quite awhile, we are now given yet another beta version of CS Promod. While not yet complete, I can assure you that the game has a pulse, and what seems to be a strong one at that.

Gameplay:

The biggest issue for Garfield and his staff was trying to bring the 1.6 gameplay to a game running on the HL2 engine. The hit boxes, the recoil, the movement; in essence, the feel of the game had to be perfectly recreated inside Promod.

While previous versions seemed nothing more than Source clones that failed to capture the true aspects of key CS 1.6 gameplay features, this new beta has taken giant strides in immensely improving the feel of the game so that it closer mimics that of CS 1.6.

The first thing that I noticed upon entering the game was that the movement, as well as the sound associated with the movement felt eerily similar to that of 1.6. While there were still some minor kinks to be worked out such as stopping when you crouch during a run (making it impossible to crouch hop) or sliding as if on ice at certain times, the movement as a whole was very refreshing. I had just played a CS 1.6 pug earlier in the day and had a hard time finding much of a difference in the two games in terms of movement.

As for other key features such as recoil and hit boxes, they have also been improved from previous versions. While still not on the same level as CS 1.6, firing a weapon in Promod has become a lot more satisfying. I actually felt as though when I was aiming at someone, I was actually going to hit the part of the body I was aiming for. A head popped over a box outside of B site on Dust 2, I put my crosshairs on it, and BOOM! I hit the head. As for recoil, while it still doesn't match that of CS 1.6, it is getting closer. A few more tweaks between that and the animations associated with it, and it should be ready to go.

All in all, it feels pretty good to run around and fire a gun in Promod. While it is still a few minor tweaks away from matching the gameplay we’ve come to love in CS 1.6, there is no denying that it is an enormous improvement from previous versions.

Graphics

Clutterless maps? Guns that don't look like toys? Animations that aren't annoying? I must be in heaven.

No, actually, this is what the newest beta Promod had to offer.

Long gone are the small maps filled to the brim with pointless car models and barrels just floating around. Gone are the guns that looked like thy were filled with helium. Gone are the annoying animations that made no sense whatsoever in the game.In CS Promod, the maps have been greatly improved to allow for less clutter and an all-around superior FPS.

On Dust2, as the screen shots will show, there are no longer random items cluttered around the map for no reason, making the game feel more like CS 1.6 while still supporting the superior graphics of Source. It was a great relief to be able to run around a map that looked like a suped up version of a CS 1.6 map, without all the random items littering the ground for no apparent reason.

We were given the opportunity to play three maps, Dust2, Inferno, and Train, all of which looked very nice. Inferno was probably the biggest change from its Source counterpart, as it looked nothing like Source's map, but more like a CS 1.6 Inferno that had been given a major face lift.

The guns in the game are also improved. The chubby, balloon version guns that are seen in Source have been remodeled to better resemble a prettier version of those from CS 1.6. As for animations such as flash bangs and adding a silencer to your colt, they have also been updated to follow that of 1.6 rules.

For me personally though, the neatest thing about Promod was probably the in game radar. While most other features are still working their way towards reaching the standards of either CS Source or CS 1.6, the radar in Promod is actually an improvement over those seen in each game respectively. Not only is it extremely clear, making it impossible for you to not lose a teammate on a map, but it also adds the feature of having their name displayed next to their dot on the radar. Surprisingly, this extra text doesn't get in the way, and makes it a lot easier for you to find specific allies, especially those who don't frequent their mic as often as they should.

Two other things I feel I should mention as well are the new scoreboard seen in the picture below, and the presence of the little men at the bottom of the screen.

The scoreboard was a pleasant surprise due mainly to the fact that it showed the health of your current teammates that were still alive. Another feature involves the separating of kills and points, so it's easier to digest those who have Steam points through winning by bomb plant or defuses.

Also, Garfield stated that in a future update, you will be able see your and the rest of your team's money at the beginning of each round during buy time, making it so you aren't standing there all typing out your money to each other. As for the little men at the bottom of the screen, they simply display how many members of each side are still alive on the map, making it so you aren't constantly hitting tab to see how many enemies are left. Both features, while simple, add a lot of depth to in game management.

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