To begin, I must say that I play a lot of FPS games, both online and off. However, I can honestly say that I have played Day of Defeat in it's numerous iterations more that any other game... ever. When similar products become stale, I have always been able to go gravitate back to Day of Defeat, despite the fact that until now, it's graphics were years behind competing products in the genre. Well DOD:S solves the game's only shortcoming... and then some! It is a wonder to behold from a graphical perspective, and incredibly, the conversion over to the Source engine has not only maintained the core gameplay elements that seperate DOD from the pack, (namely it's accurate weapons and damage modeling and physics) but also enhanced the gameplay in a fresh way. Newcomers will find much to enjoy here. DOD is all about fast paced, squad combat. If you are looking for vehicles, try EA's offerings. This game is about close quarters combat and teamwork with your close-knit squad, so as long as you don't demand your shooters to include tanks and airplanes, you can really appreciate everything DOD has to offer. (Don't get me wrong... I like vehicles, but that's a totally different genre of game. If you like pure infantry based online shooters, DOD:S has got the goods.) The Pros: The physics are the best in any shooter, period. Your weapon FEELS like it should... powerful and responsive. Arcade elements are kept to a minimum, relative to other games in the genre. You can destroy elements of the environments, and the ragdoll death animations are the best in the business. I love that you can kill with a single shot from the Kar 98 or Garand. (Just don't shoot their extremeties!) Graphics and sound are amazing in this Day of Defeat. I couldn't believe it when I 1st saw HDR (High Dynamic Range lighting) in it's glory. Basically, the game engine simulates the dilation of your pupils when you go from light to dark. The adjustment is a subltle one, but looks absolutely realistic. And then there's the water. Oh... the water. If you've played a SOURCE game before, you know what I mean. The textures and models are all crisp and well laid out. These are, in my opinion, the finest maps ever created for an online shooter. Bravo, Valve! So beautiful. Shadows play a big role this time around, and are more than cosmetic improvements. It's fun hiding in ald familiar hiding places now covered in shadows. Veteran players accostomed to being able to see these places are suprised when they see your muzzle flash half a second before they die. So the graphics add gameplay imorovements as well as cosmetic ones. The sound is so damn good it's almost in a class of it's own. Veterans of the series and newcomers alike will really appreciate the newly recorded voicework, ambient noises, and satisfying explosiveness of the weapon effects. Even better than the Medal of Honor and Call of Duty audio, which says a lot. The Cons: As mentioned earlier, the weapons do more damage than many other online shooters in the genre, newcomers may find it frustrating how easily they die initially. I remember dying over and over and over again when I started playing, and this could discourage some players. However, the problem of insta-death is easily solved by becoming familiar with the maps. There are numerous routes and hidey-holes that veterans will use to pwn newcomers, but once the player becomes familiar with the mapsm it just becomes a matter of outflanking your adversary. The addition of smoke grenades for assaulters and grenade launchers for rifleman add elements to the game which change it's core formula significantly. These are only going to bother the old gaurd who won't like any new changes to their beloved franchise, but I think they are both interesting additions. Still, some people might not like the changes. Other changes that have the community steamed (pun intended) invlove not giving riflemen pistols or melee attacks. Me? I don't care, but a lot of people hate not having close quarters options. So check it out if you are a shooter fan. It's online only, just like Counter Strike, but without all the pesky waiting around for the next round. If you like great graphics, fast paced play, and WWII, stop reading and start downloading Day of Defeat: Source. It's only $20 on STEAM.
Finally, the second most popular mod for the original Half-Life gets its well-deserved port to the source engine. The port changes a few key points from the original, but it still manages to retain the classic Day of Def... Read Full Review
DoD:S has to be the most underrated and underappreciated competitive shooter on the market. It's balance alone makes it a far better game than the Battlefield series. The lack of vehicles is a help rather than a hinde... Read Full Review
