It's easier to play than 1.6. You retain more accuracy while running, so there's less incentive for defenders to camp eternally, and you can take positions without grenades - it's much more about shootouts, who has the best positioning and weapon control.
There's a hard core of players who want CS to be campers vs nades, so they'd probably get very angry if I said it was better... but really, it is.
You also get a sense of reward for playing. It has an economy system - you 'earn' skins and stickers for your weapon by playing, which can then be sold for real money if you don't want to keep them; I've made something like £100 just by playing the game a few hours a week. Plus there's the usual achievements, grinds etc.
Anyway, is it good? Yeah. It's easy to pick up the basics (and being a Valve game the controls are extremely fluid), but there's a tonne of depth that takes a lot of skill and work to master (hence the guide). It favours team tactics and individual skill, it's slow-paced but with hugely visceral payoffs. There are several gametypes to try, and 34 weapons to get to grips with, each of which has a role it's best for.
It's the only shooter I regularly play online right now. Its slickness, depth and ease of play is hard to match. Biggest issue to look out for is that the community's filled with twats.
