Counter-Strike: Condition Zero

Counter-Strike: Condition Zero, like its predecessor and successors, is a tactical, team-based first-person shooter featuring two opposing teams: Counter-Terrorists and Terrorists. The game has three game modes—single-player, multiplayer and Deleted Scenes.

The multiplayer game mode is similar to Counter-Strike but differs in that the maps are better in quality. The matches follow a round-based structure where players do not respawn until the round ends. Unlike some shooters where weapons are provided at the start of each round, players must purchase their own weapons, armor, and ammunition using in-game money earned through gameplay. The game mode features a reward system where players receive money for completing specific objectives.

Following the sudden decision by Electronic Arts to cancel the PlayStation 2 port of American McGee's Alice in January 2001, developer Rogue Entertainment was left without a project. To quickly secure new work, Rogue contacted various companies and received several promising job offers. One of the companies Rogue Entertainment approached was Valve Software. Gabe Newell, co-founder of Valve, had long wanted to see single-player missions in Counter-Strike.

As a result, Valve offered Rogue Entertainment the opportunity to develop such a project. By April 2001, an agreement was reached for Rogue to begin development on Counter-Strike: Condition Zero. As E3 2001 approached, Rogue Entertainment entered crunch mode to prepare a playable demonstration of the game.

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 The game was praised for its AI and new maps, while it was criticized for being out-of-date following its lengthy development.

Tom Bramwell from Eurogamer described the development process as chaotic, with early versions receiving negative feedback for being unpolished and lacking originality. However, he mentioned that the final version from Turtle Rock Studios was closer to the classic Counter-Strike feel, though it did not bring many new ideas. Bob Colayco from GameSpot also noted that the extended development cycle meant the game was outdated by the time it was released, overshadowed by more advanced shooters. Steve Butts from IGN acknowledged the troubled development but pointed out that at least the game was finished. He stated that while it introduced new offline challenges and improved bot AI, it lacked significant new content outside of the single-player modes.