Parents' Guide to

Counter-Strike: Global Offensive

By David Chapman, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 16+

Dated online shooter drowns in cesspool of toxic behavior.

Game Linux , Mac , Windows 2012
Counter-Strike: Global Offensive Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this game.

Community Reviews

age 11+

Based on 30 parent reviews

age 13+

Is Counter-Strike Global Offensive safe for kids?

I'll admit at first when my son came to me about this game I turned it down. However, after doing some extensive research and not just going off my own personal anti-bias towards shooting games I realized, that this game is just like all others in the genre. A few things that stood out to me when doing my research were the fact that blood, voice chat with others, and the text chat feature can easily be turned off. On top of this, there is no sexualizing of any gender in any way in this game. Now let's talk about the graphics. They are realistic, however, it is impossible to see any gore or specifics of guns or people in Counter-Strike Global Offensive. Overall I believe that if you allow your son to see pg-13 movies they are more than capable to play this game. Rest assured that your kid will be safe while playing and is all set to have a blast with his friends! Hopefully, this review helped!

This title has:

Easy to play/use
8 people found this helpful.
age 5+
A good game, my son has been playing since he was 5/6. Some more conservative parents may be put off by the theme of terrorists/counter-terrorists, but FPS games are common these days. There is a low-violence option that is on by default in Germany and can be turned on, all it does it make enemies surrender when they have been shot instead of dying. Some members of the competitive community can be toxic, but they can be easily muted, and I have made life long friends from playing the game since it's original release in 2000. The game can encourage teamwork, tactical thinking and motor skills amongst others.
2 people found this helpful.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (30 ):
Kids say (102 ):

While the action in this shooter is fast-paced and okay, the dated gameplay and toxic nature of this community really ruins the enjoyment for virtually all gamers. Counter-Strike: Global Offensive tries to take the older team based ideas of "Cops and Robbers Cops and Robbers" with players splitting off into teams and competing to prove which side was better to the next level. It takes that formula and gives it a more modern flavor, pitting teams of terrorists and counter-terrorists against one another with recreations of real-world weapons and tactics in team-based matches. While the shooter has evolved somewhat over the years, most notably ditching its retail package in favor of a free-to-play model, the core mechanics haven't changed much. Unfortunately, that also means it's built on a framework that's well past its prime and is starting to show its age. Compared to other shooters, it's starting to feel like a bit of a relic that's struggling to stay relevant.

Although CS:GO is still a serviceable shooter, its gameplay is quick, dirty, and very repetitive. Outside of some very recent additions, such as the Danger Zone battle royale mode, the bulk of the game is little more than slight variations on the same two or three objectives. That wouldn't be so bad if not for the overwhelmingly toxic community that's built around the game over the years. There's no way to avoid getting flooded with offensive language and poor sportsmanship before, during, and after matches. Not only is this hyper-competitive atmosphere not inviting to newcomers, but it's often an almost prime example of how NOT to behave in any social setting. Worse still, there's very little that can be done when confronted with such behavior. For the more jaded veterans of Counter-Strike: Global Offensive combat, this might just be par for the course, but for anyone else looking to just have some competitive fun, there are many better quality opportunities out there, with much less toxic environments to put up with.

Game Details

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