Severe cash penalties are incurred by both sides if a hostage is killed. Try to play this type of map without good team play, and you won't get far. With a wide variety of items, you'll go poor trying them all, but it is worth it. Each weapon fires differently, and are quite accurately depicted. This can change with custom models, but that is half the fun.
Money management is one of the most important facets of the game, and adds difficulty to each round.
On darker maps, using night vision can be a necessity. Imagine playing near blind because of squandering your cash early on. Add to this exciting game realistic gun and player models, and you have a game that allows you to enjoy yourself while realizing the dangers of terrorism in the real world. The wide variety of maps and playing tactics contribute to a very diverse game. As with most Half-life mods, players can also make their own maps due to Valve's commitment to player modification.