I was in the Discord chat with some of the homies and we all got to dumping on live service games (my favorite pastime). And near the end of this conversation, it turned into discussing what used to be a true separation between console games and PC.
You know, before everyone decided every game needed to be everywhere. Then we started talking about games that would never die. So here I am bringing that conversation here…
Videos by VICE
Counter-strike will live forever
The OG of the OGs at this point. Established in 1999, it’s truly remarkable how this game has endured over the years. While you may not hear it in the mainstream every day, rest assured that it’s played just as heavily as your favorite games.
The tactical FPS has remained popular because of its objective-based gameplay and rewards system. If you want to challenge yourself, fire up Counter-Strike 2 and get back to me.
The craziest thing is that the sequel came out two years ago. And while it had a slightly bumpy start, things have settled right back into form, and it remains a highly played game on Steam. I genuinely do recommend getting your feet wet in the game if you want a different style of FPS. There is still nothing like it that exists today.
That, and its dedicated userbase, are why it will never go away.
Fortnite is a cultural touchstone
Fortnite has been around for almost 10 years now. To see the impact it’s had on gaming and culture is truly remarkable. No one saw this coming. And it’s not about meme merchants or anything like that. It’s a legitimately good game.
PUBG got this Battle Royale thing started, but Fortnite took the ball and ran with it. With all the collaborations that have occurred over the years, including securing a cameo from The Rock, it doesn’t seem that Fortnite’s cultural impact will slow down anytime soon.
Epic’s ability to pivot and listen to its fans has led to massive success. And while you won’t catch me playing it in anything other than Zero Build mode, the skill involved in the building aspects is insane. I prefer making y’all shoot. And I’ve run into some poor shooting.
If Counter-Strike can go for 20+ years, I don’t see Fortnite slowing down anytime soon.