CSGO maps containing high-level artistic finish?

[haymaker]

I tried posting this on the Source engine discord but it got lost in a flood of divergent babble and I got very little out of it.

I'm looking for names of CSGO maps that are objectively regarded as being artistically accomplished ( gameplay is irrelevant ). Lighting, brush/model work, advanced texturing, overall impressions.

I'm trying to decide if moving to that engine is worthwhile artistically, or if abandoning S1 entirely is a better option ( if S2 wasn't such a PITA to do pancake 3D on, I'd jump to that ). Map rotation popularity, nostalgia, or current game player base are not concerns.

Thanks!

[hgn]

my top 5:

1. Junction

2. Insertion 1

3. Santorini

4. Tuscan

5. Mikla

 

[haymaker]

16 minutes ago, hgn said:

my top 5:

1. Junction

2. Insertion 1

3. Santorini

4. Tuscan

5. Mikla

 

Thanks!

I forgot to mention that I've never even installed csgo. So this stuff will be new to me although I've been mapping for 2013MP since 2008 on and off.

[JorisCeoen]

Artistically Insertion 2 is even more impressive than 1 (unlike as suggested above). But basically, all maps from catfood or FMPone should give you a good indication. Anubis who’s now in the game is also amazing… and most of Valve’s latest maps (Nuke or Dust 2).

[haymaker]

On 12/24/2022 at 1:47 AM, JorisCeoen said:

Artistically Insertion 2 is even more impressive than 1 (unlike as suggested above). But basically, all maps from catfood or FMPone should give you a good indication. Anubis who’s now in the game is also amazing… and most of Valve’s latest maps (Nuke or Dust 2).

Thanks - will look.

One impression so far is of very high quality work with a common theme of exaggerated ambient light levels. I realize it's a gameplay factor so it's a moot observation. Nobody uses SetLightingOrigin on player models to allow darker zones? I suppose it would break immersion in this particular game.

{ For some reason it was a bit of a chore to get to an author's Steam workshop page. Searching by name at the workshop top level brought mostly irrelevant results for some reason. I ended up having to go the the independent portfolio page via this site and link back to the author workshop page from there. Is the Workshop always this clumsy? Can we not just drag and drop maps into the folder anymore? Sorry, still stuck in the past here )