Review
Gestalt: Steam & Cinder is the perfect Metroidvania for the weekend
by Kevin Hofer
CS 1.6 as a place of longing: "It Takes a War" tested
6.11.2025
Translation: machine translated
At first glance, "It Takes a War" is a cheap copy of Counter Strike 1.6. It quickly becomes clear that the game is just a vessel for a deeper story. One that I won't forget in a hurry.
The start screen is rudimentary. «It says Join Game», I briefly test my microphone and am informed that I cannot use voice chat until I have completed the first game. A precautionary measure to prevent annoying trolls.
Then I find myself on a map that could be straight out of Counter Strike 1.6. I've ended up in a squad of friends who know each other and are cheerfully throwing slogans at each other. Round after round, we try to wipe out the opposing team. Round after round, stranger and stranger things happen. Doors where there were none before. Glitches that suddenly appear.
«Shall we game CS again?», suggests one of the troops. By then it's already too late. We are trapped in this online world of fake friends and fleeting acquaintances. The textures are washed out, the sound effects lo-fi. And yet these are better times. A never-ending round of Counter Strike as an allegory of growing up between Teamspeak and teen angst.
«It Takes a War» is a short episode of under an hour that feels much longer. A snack that leaves me with nostalgia and remorse and reminds me that the internet is not the anonymous place you sometimes think it is. There's usually a person on the other end of the line too ...
«It Takes a War» will be released on Steam on 6 November and will cost less than 10 francs or euros
In a nutshell
Kafkaesque Counter Strike
"It Takes a War" achieves something in less than an hour that most blockbusters can't even manage in hundreds of hours. It moves something in me. Counter Strike 1.6 as a reminiscence and stage for a larger narrative is daring, but it works brilliantly. Breaking out of the level means having to face your own fears and confront reality. This balancing act between virtual familiarity and a place beyond the comfort zone makes "It takes a War" an experience that lingers like a shot from an AWP.
Simon Balissat
Teamleader Editorial
Simon.Balissat@digitecgalaxus.chWhen I flew the family nest over 15 years ago, I suddenly had to cook for myself. But it wasn’t long until this necessity became a virtue. Today, rattling those pots and pans is a fundamental part of my life. I’m a true foodie and devour everything from junk food to star-awarded cuisine. Literally. I eat way too fast.
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