In an amazing sign of how metamorphic the gaming industry is, XBox Counterstrike is a console version of a PC mod of of HalfLife.

First, for those who have never heard of counterstrike, this was a user-created modification of the classic HalfLife game. Counterstrike pit counterterrorists against terrorists in a team vs team situation, moving through a variety of city, town and other landscapes.

As you might imagine, the graphics have been updated to take advantage of the great XBox engine. You get great rain and fog effects, as well as reasonably nice terrains. This isn't Splinter Cell, but it is far better than the original PC version.

The sounds are reasonably good too, with foodsteps, ambient noises, radio chatter and so on.

Players of counterstrike on the PC will immediately fall into play. The XBox controller is actually a benefit here.

Single player is great, with AI working quite well both with your teammates and your opponents. Where the game shines, of course, is in online multiplayer. XBox Live lets you take your skills and talents online against players around the world.

A great benefit is that you can easily play on the couch with your friends and family hanging out with you, instead of huddled around your computer monitor. This is a great thing for those all-night-long gaming sessions!

Sure, we play Counter Strike on the PC. But the servers are often laggy and full of cheaters. With the enhanced graphics and more stable servers of XBox Live, there's little reason to go back.

Buy Counter Strike XBox from Amazon