"Another Good Half-Life Mod"

Introduction
Let me first say that I'm not very good at Ricochet. My main thing is Counter-Strike. But this mod was in the 1.5 update for CS, so I figured I'd give it a try after I got sick of being owned by AWPing n00bies. It was a pretty good experience.

Gameplay
Here is one of the things I like most about Ricochet: it's very original in the gameplay department! You are in a floating arena, and you throw discs at other players that bounce off of walls. If you don't understand, try picturing it like a giant pinball game. You can also jump from platform to platform. The object is to make the opponent either fall off of the platform, or get sliced by one of your discs. This concept is very original. And it makes for a very good time.

Gameplay = 9/10

Audio
There isn't much in the way of sounds in this game. Your discs make sounds, jumping makes sounds, and dying makes sounds. I especially like the dying sound. But, the sounds aren't very good. But I'm gonna give this a good sound rating because the sounds aren't really crucial to this game. It's still good with bad sounds.

Sound = 6/10

Visuals
The graphics in this game aren't too hot. But for the Half-Life engine, they are pretty good. The colors are either really dark, or neon most of the time. This makes it really feel like some kind of pinball machine (for me anyways). The players look pretty good, and so do the bumpers and discs. The graphics are good. That's all there is too it.

Graphics = 8/10

Controls
The controls are fairly standard for a Half-Life mod. And if you don't like them, just configure them to something you like! How easy is that? If only every game out there was like that. Since you can choose what controls you want, I'm not gonna give controls a rating this time.

Controls = N/A

Pros/Cons
Let's go over what I just stated, for all the lazy folks out there:
Pros
+Configurable Controls
+Good Graphics
+Innovative Gameplay
Cons
-Sound

Download?
Should you download this mod? I think so. Is it worth going out and buying Half-Life just so you can play Ricochet? I don't think so, but if you already have Half-Life (or retail CS), go for it! It's a great mod that is fun to play.

Closing
Overall, I'm impressed with Ricochet. For something I just happened to already have on my computer, it was worth the time to try it out. And I bet you will enjoy playing it if you give it a go.

Overall = 7/10

Reviewer's Score: 7/10, Originally Posted: 07/24/02, Updated 07/24/02