How to rewind the demo in CS 2

In CS 2, the developers have changed and improved the replay viewing. It's useful for players to know how to rewind a demo in CS 2, what viewing tools Valve provides to users.

In CS 2, a demo serves as a recorded match that players can revisit post-game to analyze gameplay, spot errors, or observe strategies. There are two primary types of demos in CS 2:

• CSTV Demos: These recordings offer a versatile viewing experience, allowing users to switch perspectives between any game participant. Viewers can freely navigate around the map or utilize an auto-view mode, which automatically highlights the match's most engaging moments. CSTV demos are particularly valuable for a comprehensive review of the game, providing insights from various angles and perspectives.

• POV Demos: These are first-person recordings that capture the game exactly as experienced by a player, making them ideal for analyzing personal performance and decision-making during the match. Watching a POV demo enables players to recognize their mistakes and identify areas for improvement in their gameplay.

Demos, especially CSTV versions, are instrumental in detecting cheaters, as they reveal all player actions, including aim direction. The system enhances this by displaying outlines of participants through walls during playback. This feature is crucial for identifying players who might be using Wallhack cheats, indicated by an unnatural focus on walls concealing opponents.

CSTV demos are preferred by most players because they offer a detailed and accurate depiction of the match's events. CS 2 automatically saves match demos in CSTV format, although Valve stores these recordings on their servers for a limited period. Players are encouraged to promptly save recordings of matches they find noteworthy.

Between September 29 and October 3, 2023, Valve temporarily disabled the saving of CSTV recordings on servers. Unlike CSTV, POV demos include voice chat recordings and reflect the player's exact screen format and resolution. This specificity can help in pinpointing mistakes that might not be as evident in CSTV demos due to varying player settings.

For players looking to improve their skills or analyze gameplay for educational or entertainment purposes, utilizing both CSTV and POV demos can be incredibly beneficial. This dual approach allows for a more nuanced understanding of both individual and team dynamics within CS 2 matches.

In CS 2, a user can view demos of their personal gameplay in the "My Games" section:

1. Navigate to the "My Games" section.
2. Download the match demo.
3. Enable the viewing feature.

Viewing another player's demo, for example, a professional match from Faceit:

1. Download the recording on the platform. The system will download the game recording to your computer as an archive.
2. Unzip the file and transfer it to the root game folder.
3. Select the match.
4. Enter the console command "playdemo ". For example, to launch the "demo1" match, enter the console command "playdemo demo1".
5. Click the "Watch Demo" button.

The system will initiate the viewing of the downloaded game.

It is not possible to add the downloaded recordings to "My Games". The player must launch the viewing each time using the console command.

After major updates in CS 2, old demos are usually not available for viewing. For example, if the developers have changed the map and the actions of the match participants in the demo are saved according to the old landscape.

The system demonstrates a demo at standard speed. By default, player control is hidden. The player cannot switch the round or fast-forward the demo recording by time. To display the player interface, you need to enter the "demoui" command in the console.

The user can fast-forward the match for 15 seconds, switch the recording by rounds, use the progress bar for searching and fast forwarding the moment.

In CS:GO, players often resorted to using binds for demo rewinds due to the interface's inconveniences, such as a small player panel and the difficulty in locating specific buttons. These binds provided shortcuts to various playback controls, making it easier to navigate through demos. Examples of such binds included:

• bind F1 demo_pause for pausing the demo.
• bind F2 demo_resume to resume playback.
• bind F3 demo_timescale 10 to increase the playback speed by 10 times.
• bind F4 demo_timescale 0.1 to decrease the playback speed by 10 times, effectively slowing it down.
• bind F5 demo_timescale 1 to reset the playback speed to normal.

In the transition to CS 2, these rewind binds are still functional. However, the necessity for players to use such binds has significantly diminished. The developers have addressed the previous interface issues by redesigning it, making the demo review process more user-friendly and intuitive. This redesign has effectively obviated the need for players to rely on binds for demo navigation, enhancing the overall user experience when analyzing gameplay.

In CS 2, the player menu includes an option that allows players to rewind recordings by adjusting the playback speed, enhancing the analysis and review process of match demos.

The available playback speed range is quite flexible, with the slowest speed being 0.25x, suitable for detailed analysis of specific moments, and the fastest speed reaching up to 8x, which is useful for quickly skimming through less relevant parts of the demo.

This feature is part of the game's efforts to improve user experience, making it easier for players to study game footage, learn from their gameplay, or observe strategies implemented by others.

In CS 2 players can record POV-demos - first-person match records. Unlike GOTV demos, the player can view the POV recording at any time.

After starting the game, you need to enter the command "record name of the recording" in the console. For example, by entering the command "record test", the system will save a demo recording titled "test". To stop recording, the user enters the "stop" command in the console.

To view a POV demo, press "Shift + F2" in the game menu and select the demo.