Train is the first map redesign that shows the true potential of CS2

The vivid look and the more foundational rethinking of the layout of a classic that genuinely got left behind by the game’s evolution is a fantastic sign of what is hopefully still to come – if only it didn’t take this stupidly long to get it.

Maybe I’m just burnt out by the Premier pool, but I’ve been having a blast on the new Train, to the extent that I’d call it my new favorite version of the map. First of all, it is gorgeous. Not just from a technical perspective, either – of all the designs and color schemes of it that I’ve seen over the past decade, this is by far the best-looking version of Train I’ve had the pleasure to experience. It isn’t just another concrete-o-thon like the early Global Offensive variant used to be, nor is the misguided bleak and brown version of the Operation Vanguard era.

The nighttime blue hues of the external parts and the harsh light neon offer good contrast and visibility, and the labyrinthine train yard of A has clearly taken many cues of modern Nuke with its angular layout and colorful wall signs. Even the trains on B site have more color and differentiation of them, which is great to see, though the butchering of upper B just doesn’t feel right, neither from a look nor the gameplay perspective – I assume everyone else has also been thrown by the fake door as they ran up to it the first time?

Nevertheless, this version of Train feels like the success the 2014 version never was – and, in fact, reading through the “Reintroducing Train” blog post from nine years ago makes for an interesting time. I wish we still got the same sort of detailed breakdowns of the devs’ design goals and the reasons behind specific changes made, if only to confirm my impressions that they’ve done a better job this time around with the same targets than they did back then.

Apart from the previously mentioned upper B weirdness, I’m down with all the layout changes made to the map, too. Valve mercilessly removed the jank – it’s long past the time we should give up on ladders in a competitive game on the Source engine – and streamlined things for the better. There were simply too many stupid nooks and crannies on Train, which made low-player post-plant situations more of a guessing game than a test of skill, but the new version still offers enough hide-and-seek potential (especially on B) to maintain this aspect of play. I also actually quite like the controversial “longdog,” with some more interesting timings and a much more appealing crossfire option from the hallway leading to B’s double entries and this lengthened rotation opportunity to the A site. Top marks all around from me.

Also, CS2 esports on Train? Sign me up, sailor! I mean, please, go back and rewatch the decider map of the first CS:GO Major and then tell me that you actually do miss that version, and it isn’t just the sepia-tinted hue of the nostalgia goggles:

Then again, for a non-insignificant portion of the Counter-Strike player base, this will be their first time encountering the map – yeah, the rest of us are getting old. It’s one hell of an introduction. I’m just a little sad that we’re still waiting for an entirely original CS2 map from the devs – and if the Easter Egg showing Bank and Lake is any indication, this wait will continue for a while…