Game Theory

What makes this game Counterstrike so interesting, is that you play over the internet with real people, and you work in teams, against other teams. This means you have to work very creatively and think strategically to survive. Unlike games where your adversary is software, or a program, playing against people is very unpredictable, there are fewer discernible patterns, and you have to know what you are doing if you are trying to outsmart just one other person, nevermind a team working together. Teams don't always work together, and in certain games, you can even shoot your own team member, even intentionally. It sometimes happens!

You can choose your uniform, weapons, and area of combat. It is very realistic, from the radio commands you can call out ("I'm in position; Sector clear, Enemy spotted..."), to the sounds and effectiveness of different weapons, to the fact that if you wear kevlar or are wounded below the shoulder you are able to survive a certain amount of shots fired at you. But not much. This is also a game where if you are not accurate - pin-point accurate - then you simply don't hit your target. Moving targets are, by definition, very hard to hit. So it helps, when someone is shooting at you, to jump and run one way and then another. On the other hand, the accuracy of your shooting is enhanced by crouching (sitting still) and by zooming in, which obvious restricts your peripheral vision, making you more vulnerable. There are a lot of maps to choose from and obviously if you don't know these environments, you don't know where are the good hiding places or sniper positions or where bombs can be planted - and that makes you an easy target. So it takes time to figure it out, and when you become competitive, that's when you start to play the game a lot.

This game and Need for Speed, where you race other cars, are both great for honing in your reflexes. One could argue that these are necessary skills in teaching, and cycling through heavy traffic.