Counter-Strike: Global Offensivetook the long way to success. It started off with a number of significant flaws, but with time and some substantial patches, has become one of the most-played games on Steam and one of the best PC gamesyou can play.
As usual, the people who know the game best are the ones who spend every night and most weekends in the trenches, defusing bombs, shooting chickens, and desperately hunting for knives. Also as usual, the people who love the game most are also the ones who have the most complicated relationship with it. Play a game enough, and even if you love it, part of you will probably start to loathe it. In a loving way. If that makes sense.
I've really enjoyed Patricia's semi-regular Steam Reviews roundup series, since they give a glimpse into the minds (and senses of humor) of a given game's most dedicated players. So, I thought I'd dive into the CS:GO Steam page and see what I could find.
Generally speaking: CS:GO players love the chickens, are flummoxed by the knives, are in agreement that Dust2 is in some ways the game's only map, and hate hackers almost as much as they hate being called hackers. And of course, like any good game, for all the complaints most people have, they still can't stop playing.
Let's see what Steam reviewers have to say about Counter-Strike: Global Offensive:
One of my favorite reviews calls CS:GO "The future of competitive gaming," then lays out exactly what that future will look like:
It seems more than licensing coincidence that Atlético Madrid are the first club we get to play as in PES 2017. Like Atlético, Pro Evolution Soccer is the people's favourite, the underdog that huffed and puffed its way to hearts and minds without the mass appeal and buckets of money to throw at it, unlike EA's FIFA or Real Madrid.
The annual footie fight between the two each September is a mainstay of both the football and gaming seasons now. Japanese developer Konami's PES has spent many years in the wilderness as EA Sports' FIFA pushed technical advances, budget and media hoo-ha.
Then last year, something funny happened: PES got better. Like loads better. PES 2016 handles the blend of tactics and pitch tricks so well that it turned more than a few heads from FIFA 16's increasingly familiar fare. It reviewed brilliantly. A critical darling, PESwas back… yet most people still bought FIFA.
"We're not the licensing game," says Adam Bhatti, PES's global product and brand manager, in reference to FIFA. "We're not the one that has all the money, we're not the one that does all the big marketing campaigns. We're the game that survives on how it plays. Not because we don't want the official licences, don't get me wrong. But it's a fight you can't say you're going to win."
So in lieu of throwing lolly at the situation, what strategies has Konami come up with to overcome FIFA 17this time out? We grabbed a PS4 control pad and a day with an early demo of PES 2017 to find out.
1. They've fixed the goalies – and they're glorious
PES 2016 did a lot of things right but what everyone, even its creators, agreed on was that the keepers were hilariously easy to beat. It's the "most requested change," confirms Bhatti, and it's been well and truly sorted with goalies now capable of some fantastic feats to suit their standing.
More impressive is that this is not just a settings tweak across the board, but on an individual basis, reflecting personalities, with Tottenham's Hugo Lloris acrobatic and aerially gifted, Bayern Munich's Manuel Neuer all strong hands and good feet. It often felt like you could put anyone in goal, but now they're as important to your success as your star striker.
And best of all: they now come up for corners again when you make your tactics super attacking, an old favourite feature that had been lost in recent years.
2. Player focus make you feel like you're controlling the actual teams
Another big request was to make the game "less arcade-y", an avenue Konami had increasingly gone down in reaction to FIFA's success. The result is a focus on ball physics and player touch that not only slows the game down, but also makes it feel like you're controlling the actual team whose badge is on the shirt, rather than a random collection of computer-generated footballers.
Statistical attributes and position play their part so that players excel in certain areas and yet are vulnerable in others – well, unless they're Pogba, who seems to be amazing at everything, and is so large he's almost like an end-of-level boss. Him aside, if you're playing out from the back, it best be with a defender who has good control and a range of passing; if they do, though (more Hummels, less Mertesacker), it opens up opportunities more clearly.
"We've also brought in new stats to differentiate between strength, like [Olivier] Giroud, or body balance, like [Mesut] Ozil," says Bhatti of Arsenal's attackers. "Ozil is not the strongest player but he holds the ball well, so those new stats completely change the game. When you get the ball to Ozil or your better midfielders, you feel the ability to do something more."
3. Arsenal are in the game but kit editing is coming to sidestep licence grief
Where FIFA always wins against PES is it has all the real player and club names, all the kits, all of the whizz-bang, all of the time. Alas, the exclusivity around the FIFA deal makes that a pretty challenging situation for Konami to overcome without re-mortgaging the Metal Gear Solid franchise.
"I appreciate guys who play PES really want to have authentic kits," says Bhatti, "but there's some features in edit mode that we can announce later at E3 that will definitely appease that." Kit edit mode confirmed.
Konami is currently permitted to licence just two Premier League teams and this year Arsenal is the first to be revealed ("North London" is no more), alongside Atlético Madrid on the club front. Four are allowed from the Bundesliga, but they're not playable yet, the four-team line-up on this early demo filled out by an immaculately rendered Germany and France.
4. Tika Taka, Gegenpressing and all the new tactical fads are at your fingertips
PES has long been laden with statistical options that the less hardcore players might skip, but there are a few new additions that you will find invaluable. Under the setting 'Advanced Instructions', you can assign the four D-pad buttons to two attacking and two defensive strategies from a deep checklist, including Barcelona's Tiki-Taka in possession (short, quick interplay) to Jürgen Klopp's Gegenpressing in defence (every single player run at the ball, NOW!).
That you can choose overlapping full backs on the fly at last is a real boon, too. These can be turned on and off in conjunction with the L2 button, the depressing of which can also act as an overall pace-setter for your team, ratcheting up through the attacking gears with R1 and R2.
Tap the D-pad at a corner and there are advanced settings there, too, selecting from back-post runs or the whole team forming a Train into the box.
Sports games are prone to chuck more and more tactical options in that can sometimes clutter your fun – we're looking at you, Madden – but all of these became integral parts of your our game within just a few matches. Because the benefit is so palpable, we doubt you'll find yourself skipping them.
5. PES is now watching what you do and will shift its tactics to beat you
New sport game launches are always overflowing with buzz words to describe how they are definitely not the same as the one you already own. For PES 2017, read 'Adaptive AI', which sounds all kinds of Cyberdyne Systems 101 but actually seems to make a very subtle yet noticeable difference.
Over use any player or goal route too much – out wide to the annoyingly speedy overlapping Arsenal winger Theo Walcott, for example – the computer-controlled defenders will shift to compensate, doubling up to stop you being so damn lazy. It keeps you honest, and makes you vary your play.
6. Master League is being overhauled with a new transfer system and cut scenes
While the e-sports spectacle of the PES World Finals may attract and fuel the game's social boom, it's still the single-player Master League where chin-stroking PESplayers congregate.
These purists also have very strong opinions on what they want changed – to the extent that there's a player survey each year that collects tens of thousands of suggestions and gripes. And while Konami is staying pretty tight-lipped about the campaign mode for now, we got a few nuggets of what to expect.
"We know people want more managerial options," says Bhatti. "They want more cut scenes, new transfer systems, they want to manage their team differently, they want to know what they achieved throughout their managerial career… well, I've pretty much told you everything there."
7. The graphics and presentation are just much, much better
It's quite staggering how much this game has improved visually in less than 12 months. PES 2016 played a lovely game, but heading back to it after a day on PES 2017, the almost pleased-to-be-puritanical front-end is a frosty reception.
"Establishing connections…"
On PES 2017, the menus look less like '60s Soviet space-race prototypes and more like a slick, modern video game. Your players are now illustrated – praise be! – and the interface is smooth, although there is still much work to be done before now and release.
Rain – look at that water spray off the net as you bulge it! – and night-time light effects are noticeably boosted, crowds are more active and selectable celebrations are even more elaborate, whether it's running to the camera en masse or kicking the ball back into the net solo.
The player models, meanwhile, further integrate the Fox game engine from Metal Gear Solid with some incredible likenesses – Ozil and Giroud in particular are ringers. PES 2016had some good visuals, too, of course, but below the top players lay a limited selection of face options for those who hadn't had their mug scanned in. Konami promises it will run much deeper this time.
Another promise is that, after PES 2016's roster issues left the game's team sheets lagging behind real-life, this time out will see a day-one update to get all those late signings into the right line-ups, plus weekly roll-outs for both online and offline players. PES is certainly talking a good game this year. Luckily, right now, it's walking the walk, too.
"Our first announcement is usually cover star, release date, modes, but this year we said no, let's let people play it," says Bhatti. "We're so confident with the quality of the game right now, even though we're still working on visuals, animations, Master League and the rest. By the time we get to Gamescom in August, this game is going to blow people away."
The Microsoft's Lumia 950 XL is the face of the new Windows series and a reboot of the company's smartphone business. Microsoft may have been slow in adopting new tendencies and features, but it made sure everything is done right with the Windows 10 Mobile premiereAnd indeed the Lumia 950 XL lives up to all the promises and then some. The Lumia 950 XL is the most powerful Windows phone to date.
Design and build quality
The Microsoft Lumia 950 XL offers great build-quality and clean simplistic design, but the polycarbonate back doesn't feel as premium as the phone's price tag would suggest.
The Lumia 950 XL may be big, but it's not monstrously big. It can easily fit in most pockets because of its slim profile and rather lightweight construction. The build is excellent - the rear cover fits perfectly around the chassis and there are no squeaks or creaks.
Handling a phone made of matte plastic is always a pleasure and this choice of materials pretty much guarantees an excellent grip. Operating the Lumia 950 XL with just one hand, or taking pictures, is rather easy and you don't feel the phone will slip any moment now - a rarity these days.
The Lumia 950 XL may be big, but it's not monstrously big. It can easily fit in most pockets because of its slim profile and rather lightweight construction. The build is excellent - the rear cover fits perfectly around the chassis and there are no squeaks or creaks.
Handling a phone made of matte plastic is always a pleasure and this choice of materials pretty much guarantees an excellent grip. Operating the Lumia 950 XL with just one hand, or taking pictures, is rather easy and you don't feel the phone will slip any moment now - a rarity these days.
The Lumia 950 XL back panel is removable and what's more, the battery bellow it is removable as well, which allows you to carry a spare if a single battery charge is not enough.
Speaking of removable stuff, the Lumia 950 XL is among the few high-end phones to actually offer a microSD slot, so you can expand the built-in storage cheaply and easily.
The Lumia 950 XL has a USB Type-C connector - it's the new reversible connector for USB that builds on top of USB 3.1. If you like to use USB OTG or USB Host, you should either get the Microsoft's Display Dock or other compatible accessory or adapter. If none of those matter to you, it's enough to know that the port provides speedier transfer speeds but none of your existing chargers will fit. In fact, we couldn't get the Lumia 950 XL to work with any other USB Type-C cable or charger we had around, so we could guess they have some sort of a proprietary implementation. Not good, Microsoft, not good!
Imitation is touchy topic in tech circles, but few manufacturers are as slavish as Chinese company Xiaomi. Branded by many as "The Chinese Apple", Xiaomi has adopted many of its rival's tactics with great success.
The Xiaomi Mi4 is possibly the most unashamed copycat phone you'll ever lay eyes on. It looks almost exactly like an iPhone 5 or iPhone 5S. But despite the flagrant plagiarism on show, the Mi4 is arguably one of the best Android devices of 2014. It manages to combine incredible power with impeccable build quality and excellent software, and all for around £250.
Price as reviewed is based on import prices but does not include shipping or any additional import duties. Sample kindly supplied by Efox.
Imitation is touchy topic in tech circles, but few manufacturers are as slavish as Chinese company Xiaomi. Branded by many as "The Chinese Apple", Xiaomi has adopted many of its rival's tactics with great success.
The Xiaomi Mi4 is possibly the most unashamed copycat phone you'll ever lay eyes on. It looks almost exactly like an iPhone 5 or iPhone 5S. But despite the flagrant plagiarism on show, the Mi4 is arguably one of the best Android devices of 2014. It manages to combine incredible power with impeccable build quality and excellent software, and all for around £250.
Price as reviewed is based on import prices but does not include shipping or any additional import duties. Sample kindly supplied by Efox.
Smartphones Buyers Guide
XIAOMI MI4: DESIGN
There really is no getting around it: the Mi4 looks like an iPhone. But if you're going to emulate another product, you might as well pick the one that looks best. The Mi4's metal chassis exudes a premium feel that is all-too-often missing from Android phones, and the entire device boasts the kind of build quality that most pre-Galaxy Alpha Samsung owners can only dream of.
The back of the phone is where Xiaomi has deviated slightly from the Apple template as it has a convex plastic panel and a centrally-aligned camera. The back of the handset can actually be removed — using a suction cup, we kid you not — and replaced with another to give your Mi4 a more unique feel.
Despite the 5-inch screen, the Mi4 feels thin and tall, just like the iPhone. This is largely thanks to the very narrow bezels either side of the display, which give an almost edge-to-edge screen, at least horizontally. At 8.9mm, the Mi4 is impressively svelte, but the aforementioned bulge on the rear panel makes it feel a little fatter than it actually is.
The sides of the phone showcase the Micro SIM slot, volume key and power button. Compared to most Android devices, the placement of these buttons is switched — the power key resides below the volume rocker. This takes some getting used to, and we found that we often hit the power button by accident when removing the handset from our pocket or when making a call. Along the top edge of the Mi4 is the 3.5mm headphone socket and the IR blaster, which can be used to control your television set, amongst other things.
The bottom edge has a grille for the single speaker and a MicroUSB slot for charging and data transfer. Strangely, Xiaomi has opted for the little-seen MicroUSB-A standard, which boasts a square-shaped connector. You can still use the more common MicroUSB-B lead, but because of the shape of the port there's the danger that you could insert the cable the wrong way around and damage the connection. Needless to say, caution should be taken when trying to top up your battery late at night when you've had one too many naughty beverages.
Below the screen you'll find three touch-sensitive buttons, but with a difference. Unlike most modern Android devices — which have Home, Back and Recent Apps commends — the Mi4 reverts back to the pre-Android 4.0 arrangement of Home, Back and Menu. That means to access the Recent Apps menu — which shows all of your active applications — you'll have to long-press the Home button. It's hardly an elegant solution, but one that you can easily become accustomed to.
The Mi4 comes in two storage flavours — 16GB and 64GB. We're reviewing the former, and when you take into account all of the software that comes pre-loaded which you can't uninstall, the end user has about 11GB to play with. Sadly, like its forerunner the Mi3, the Mi4 lacks a microSD card slot so you can't augment that total with cheap flash media. However, the Mi4 does go one better than the Mi3 by finally moving to the now-ubiquitous Micro SIM standard.
Huawei is not, perhaps, a name that springs immediately to mind when you think about smartphones. But with this latest model the Chinese manufacturer is making a bid for a slice of the top end market dominated by the likes of the iPhone and Samsung Galaxy.
You get the impression of quality from the moment you receive it. It comes in a smart black plastic box with a cardboard slip case, the phone sits in this with a shiny edge uppermost so it’s like opening a piece of jewellery.
The P8 has a metal body that’s a slender 6.4mm thick – that’s thinner than a Galaxy S6 or an iPhone 6. There’s a 5.2-inch full HD display and it’s available in 16GB or 64GB versions, you can add a microSD card up to 128GB for extra storage. It uses an eight-core 1.5GHz processor and two cameras, 13-megapixels at the rear and 8-megapixels at the front, and of course it’s 4G. The latest Android 5.0 Lollipop is installed but Huawei adds its own Emotion interface which gives a different
look and feel
The design is smart, with a metal back and edges along with a Gorilla Glass screen, the power and volume controls along with trays for the SIM and SD cards are all on the right-hand side. The headphone jack is on top and the USB port at the bottom along with speaker slots.
The P8 is available in four colours, two for each version, our review sample came in ‘Champagne Gold’ which is actually more of a silver. The phone feels nicely weighted and while quite large isn’t too big for one-handed use.
In use
Huawei foregoes having separate navigation controls and displays them on the bottom of the main screen instead. The screen itself is clear and sharp with 1,920 x 1,080-pixel resolution, which equates to 424 pixels per inch. That’s less than the 577ppi of the Galaxy S6 but you don’t really notice the difference on a screen this size. It delivers smooth video playback with strong colours and touch response is good.
It has a 2,680mAh battery and you’ll get about a day and a half of use out of a full charge. If you want to play games or watch videos intensively though you can easily run out of juice in around eight hours.
There’s a clever ‘Speech awareness’ feature that allows you to wake the handset and say “where are you?” to which the phone replies by lighting the flash LED, playing some music and speaking a rather creepy “I’m here” — handy if you tend to forget where you put your phone. Whilst this is a neat idea, in practice you need a fairly quiet environment for the phone to hear you.
Another neat idea is that the phone can differentiate between tapping the screen with a finger and a knuckle. Double tap with a knuckle and it takes a screen shot, draw a circle and you can access a crop tool. Whilst this is a clever party trick there’s currently nothing else you can do with it, but maybe it will be expanded in future versions.
The 13-megapixel rear camera has a dual LED flash and the phone uses a DSLR quality image processor. Whilst this is less than the 16-megapixel of the S6 it’s more than the 8-megapixel of the iPhone 6. There’s more to photography than the number of pixels though and in use it delivers natural colours and it has an impressive auto mode that helps ensure you get the best results. It’s good in low light too.
If you need to grab pictures in a hurry the P8 lets you take a shot while the phone is locked by double pressing the down volume button. There are various options to let you enhance your photos, including a beauty mode which irons out wrinkles, slims faces, enhances eyes and generally tries its best to make you look like Kate Moss – with slightly scary results. There’s a light painting mode too so you can take long exposure shots of night time traffic or a friend writing in the air with a torch. Let’s not forget the front ‘selfie’ camera which at 8-megapixels offers better resolution than most of the competition.
WPS Office and NQ anti-virus are pre-installed but otherwise the phone isn’t overloaded with software, though you do get a few useful tool apps including a mirror and a torch. If you’re used to standard Android, however, the Huawei interface doesn’t feel quite as polished, with rather dull uninspiring icons in its default settings. You can tweak it via a Themes app to brighten things up a bit though.
Conclusion
Shop around and you can pick up a 16GB P8 for about £360 which is cheaper than the competition from Samsung and Apple. If you want a contract Carphone Warehouse is currently offering it for £21.50 a month on its own iD network. Price is really the only advantage it has, there are no big technical advantages, but don’t let the fact that the Huawei isn’t a ‘big name’ phone put you off.
The P8’s hardware is well up to the standard you’d expect of a flagship phone, the camera in particular is impressive, and it feels well made. The only major thing missing compared to a Galaxy S6 or iPhone is a fingerprint scanner.
Other than that what lets it down are the non-standard interface and some slightly gimmicky features like the knuckle sensing mode that don’t feel quite thought through. But spend a bit of time tweaking the user experience and it’s a phone you can quite happily live with and not feel that you’ve bought second best.
