- Joined
- Mar 18, 2003
- Messages
- 17,746
- Reaction score
- 6
Rubble scatters past from a nearby explosion; the bang still drumming through
your head as you stuff another rocket into a hefty bazooka. Leaning against the
remnants of what used to be a stone wall, you watch a fellow American sprinting
onwards, through the ruins, into a hail of lead that rips him to pieces. The
fire came from an overlooking window; and sure enough, this draws your attention
to a mounted machinegun poking out. Cursing, you lift the bazooka and fire - a
trail of smoke roars upwards, and in a spectacular flash, blasts the Axis
soldier from his perch. Falling wreckage covers your comrade?s body; his death
was not in vain, but it is now forgotten. [br]
[br]
Listen here. When that tantalising little icon pops into your ?My Games? list
and you can finally get a taste of VALVe?s most recent project; I want you to do
something. It won?t take long. Just load up Day of Defeat, the original. Join
one of the few remaining servers, pick a class, and jump into the fray. When you
look around the landscape at the rigid models and crude textures, DoD won?t seem
that bad. In fact, while I was playing it in anticipation for its Source
conversion, I found it rather pleasing. Why do I want you to do this? Well, let
me put it this way. After having been hunched over my PC monitor, solidly
drooling over Day of Defeat: Source all weekend, the original just makes me
laugh. I just look at it and laugh. It really is that different. [br]
[br]
Thinking back, Day of Defeat was quite an original mod for it?s time. Nearly all
other multiplayer games, even Counter Strike to some extent, encouraged players
to just run around and spray bullets at anything that moved. If you were to play
DoD in a similar fashion, as soon as you saw an enemy your crosshair would leap
into the sky and your screen would be ripped apart by gunfire in an instant. The
maps were equally distinctive; rather than an open arena that players dispersed
into, teams had to conquer strategic locations by raising their flag and due to
the wonderful map design, this was a real challenge at certain areas. Combine
the awkward weapons with these complex maps, and you have a game where players
are forced to team up and fight together. DoD?s emphasis on tactics and skill,
above anything else, is what made VALVe take it under their wing, and many will
be pleased to know that Day of Defeat?s core gameplay has remained neatly
untouched throughout it?s conversion to the Source engine. [br]
[br]
Yet, some may actually find this off-putting, with such games as Battlefield
1942, which has mastered the point capture system, or Call of Duty which offers
a more traditional style of play- it would be easy to look at Day of Defeat:
Source and find it too small, too simple. There?s no epic vehicle fights or
kilometre sized battlegrounds, it?s more of an infantry skirmish. But to judge
DoD: Source on gameplay alone would be misleading. DoD is less of a game, and
more of an experience. [br]
[br]
Every gunshot, explosion, scream or shout echoes through the map on which you
play. Unlike other games, there is no background ambience that plays on a loop;
everything you hear is going on somewhere. Rather than it just sounding like
you?re in a war zone, you actually are in a war zone. Mind you, the sounds are
petty when you get to see what makes them. A machine gun?s muzzle flash will
aggressively illuminate its surroundings; bullets spill huge clouds of blood
when they rip into flesh, and grenades send chunks of rubble flying into the
air. It?s overwhelming to witness a large battle with support fire blazing from
the rear of each force, snipers concealed in obscure hidey-holes picking off
enemies unseen and assault troops running daringly through all of this. There?s
no multiplayer game that creates a fight scene that?s as nearly impressive as
DoD: Source. [br]
[br]
As for the passive environment, the detail is simply stunning. Old cottages with
peeling paint and smashed windows lie dormant in a derelict street- a small shed
squats untouched in an untamed growth of weeds. With Anti-Aliasing turned to
full, my jaw literally dropped just gazing at the surroundings, VALVe?s new HDR
technology giving the whole place a subtle, warm glow. To look back at the
original DoD is like staring at a makeshift cardboard model in comparison. [br]
[br]
The four maps that have been converted over by VALVe are Flash, a weaving line
of cottages that encourages fast paced action; Donner, a grim town besieged by
war; Anzio, a tangled village by the ocean and finally, the classic DoD map,
Avalanche- a steep hill that squeezes both teams into a bottleneck fight that
inevitably determines the round. All four are stunningly detailed; every nook
and cranny looks perfect and every landscape is beautiful. Although, if I could
criticize one thing, it?s that the maps are a little too beautiful. Even if they
do show off the new High Dynamic Range lighting, everything looks a little too
peaceful and sunny. It would be nice to see some depressing, overcast
environments with pouring rain and muddy trenches? but I guess there?s always an
opportunity for change when VALVe release some extra maps! [br]
[br]
So far, all I?ve been describing is the cosmetics of Day of Defeat: Source?
which is understandable, because it?s the best looking World War II game out
presently. But what about the gameplay? Saying it?s like the original means
nothing if you?ve never played it! Although to be perfectly honest, new players
will be able to simply jump in and play, due to the sleek and simple design.
Unlike the original mod, in which the interface was small and fiddly, DoD:
Source lays everything out for you; when capturing a flag there?s a sleek timer
that pops up, showing how long before you?ve captured it; when choosing a class,
there?s a quaint little picture of each of the soldiers, and when you?ve killed
an opponent, the kill conformation in the top-right of the screen is highlighted
for your convenience. [br]
[br]
As for the weapons, a few of them have been scrapped (as well as the entire
British team, unfortunately). Now there?s only one gun for each play style - for
instance, in the original DoD, American Assault players could choose between a
Grease gun and a Thompson, whereas the former has been dropped in the Source
conversion. The same goes for many alternate choices; leaving each side with a
streamlined 6 classes to choose from. These include the mandatory Sniper,
Assault and Rifleman; as well as the more unique Bazooka, which requires the
player to ?shoulder? it in order to fire (reducing you to a slug?s pace), and
the machine guns which can only fire properly when ?deployed? while prone or
while leaning on an object. Each side also has a heavy automatic rifle, such as
the BAR, which is just about controllable if firing while running. [br]
[br]
A good player will know to stick with others who complement their class; a
rifleman is pretty damn accurate for picking off opponents at long ranges, but
unless he?s got an Assault class backing him up, he?s more vulnerable in close
quarters. Of course, if teamwork isn?t your thing, you can always just sneak
into a church spire with a scoped weapon and pick off enemies who stray too
close. [br]
[br]
DoD: Source is the third official multiplayer game that?s founded with the
Source engine. Counter Strike: Source is a mixture of rewarding combat
incorporated into delicate tactics; Half-Life 2: Deathmatch is just crazy fun
with physics, and now, the final pillar that holds aloft Source, is Day of
Defeat. It?s gritty, realistic, and challenging. The core gameplay may be
simple, but it?s unbelievably enjoyable. While some people may still complain
that it?s being sold by VALVe instead of being distributed free as a mod,
personally I think it?s worth every penny. If you like multiplayer gaming, Day
of Defeat: Source is essential.
your head as you stuff another rocket into a hefty bazooka. Leaning against the
remnants of what used to be a stone wall, you watch a fellow American sprinting
onwards, through the ruins, into a hail of lead that rips him to pieces. The
fire came from an overlooking window; and sure enough, this draws your attention
to a mounted machinegun poking out. Cursing, you lift the bazooka and fire - a
trail of smoke roars upwards, and in a spectacular flash, blasts the Axis
soldier from his perch. Falling wreckage covers your comrade?s body; his death
was not in vain, but it is now forgotten. [br]
[br]
Listen here. When that tantalising little icon pops into your ?My Games? list
and you can finally get a taste of VALVe?s most recent project; I want you to do
something. It won?t take long. Just load up Day of Defeat, the original. Join
one of the few remaining servers, pick a class, and jump into the fray. When you
look around the landscape at the rigid models and crude textures, DoD won?t seem
that bad. In fact, while I was playing it in anticipation for its Source
conversion, I found it rather pleasing. Why do I want you to do this? Well, let
me put it this way. After having been hunched over my PC monitor, solidly
drooling over Day of Defeat: Source all weekend, the original just makes me
laugh. I just look at it and laugh. It really is that different. [br]
[br]
Thinking back, Day of Defeat was quite an original mod for it?s time. Nearly all
other multiplayer games, even Counter Strike to some extent, encouraged players
to just run around and spray bullets at anything that moved. If you were to play
DoD in a similar fashion, as soon as you saw an enemy your crosshair would leap
into the sky and your screen would be ripped apart by gunfire in an instant. The
maps were equally distinctive; rather than an open arena that players dispersed
into, teams had to conquer strategic locations by raising their flag and due to
the wonderful map design, this was a real challenge at certain areas. Combine
the awkward weapons with these complex maps, and you have a game where players
are forced to team up and fight together. DoD?s emphasis on tactics and skill,
above anything else, is what made VALVe take it under their wing, and many will
be pleased to know that Day of Defeat?s core gameplay has remained neatly
untouched throughout it?s conversion to the Source engine. [br]
[br]
Yet, some may actually find this off-putting, with such games as Battlefield
1942, which has mastered the point capture system, or Call of Duty which offers
a more traditional style of play- it would be easy to look at Day of Defeat:
Source and find it too small, too simple. There?s no epic vehicle fights or
kilometre sized battlegrounds, it?s more of an infantry skirmish. But to judge
DoD: Source on gameplay alone would be misleading. DoD is less of a game, and
more of an experience. [br]
[br]
Every gunshot, explosion, scream or shout echoes through the map on which you
play. Unlike other games, there is no background ambience that plays on a loop;
everything you hear is going on somewhere. Rather than it just sounding like
you?re in a war zone, you actually are in a war zone. Mind you, the sounds are
petty when you get to see what makes them. A machine gun?s muzzle flash will
aggressively illuminate its surroundings; bullets spill huge clouds of blood
when they rip into flesh, and grenades send chunks of rubble flying into the
air. It?s overwhelming to witness a large battle with support fire blazing from
the rear of each force, snipers concealed in obscure hidey-holes picking off
enemies unseen and assault troops running daringly through all of this. There?s
no multiplayer game that creates a fight scene that?s as nearly impressive as
DoD: Source. [br]
[br]
As for the passive environment, the detail is simply stunning. Old cottages with
peeling paint and smashed windows lie dormant in a derelict street- a small shed
squats untouched in an untamed growth of weeds. With Anti-Aliasing turned to
full, my jaw literally dropped just gazing at the surroundings, VALVe?s new HDR
technology giving the whole place a subtle, warm glow. To look back at the
original DoD is like staring at a makeshift cardboard model in comparison. [br]
[br]
The four maps that have been converted over by VALVe are Flash, a weaving line
of cottages that encourages fast paced action; Donner, a grim town besieged by
war; Anzio, a tangled village by the ocean and finally, the classic DoD map,
Avalanche- a steep hill that squeezes both teams into a bottleneck fight that
inevitably determines the round. All four are stunningly detailed; every nook
and cranny looks perfect and every landscape is beautiful. Although, if I could
criticize one thing, it?s that the maps are a little too beautiful. Even if they
do show off the new High Dynamic Range lighting, everything looks a little too
peaceful and sunny. It would be nice to see some depressing, overcast
environments with pouring rain and muddy trenches? but I guess there?s always an
opportunity for change when VALVe release some extra maps! [br]
[br]
So far, all I?ve been describing is the cosmetics of Day of Defeat: Source?
which is understandable, because it?s the best looking World War II game out
presently. But what about the gameplay? Saying it?s like the original means
nothing if you?ve never played it! Although to be perfectly honest, new players
will be able to simply jump in and play, due to the sleek and simple design.
Unlike the original mod, in which the interface was small and fiddly, DoD:
Source lays everything out for you; when capturing a flag there?s a sleek timer
that pops up, showing how long before you?ve captured it; when choosing a class,
there?s a quaint little picture of each of the soldiers, and when you?ve killed
an opponent, the kill conformation in the top-right of the screen is highlighted
for your convenience. [br]
[br]
As for the weapons, a few of them have been scrapped (as well as the entire
British team, unfortunately). Now there?s only one gun for each play style - for
instance, in the original DoD, American Assault players could choose between a
Grease gun and a Thompson, whereas the former has been dropped in the Source
conversion. The same goes for many alternate choices; leaving each side with a
streamlined 6 classes to choose from. These include the mandatory Sniper,
Assault and Rifleman; as well as the more unique Bazooka, which requires the
player to ?shoulder? it in order to fire (reducing you to a slug?s pace), and
the machine guns which can only fire properly when ?deployed? while prone or
while leaning on an object. Each side also has a heavy automatic rifle, such as
the BAR, which is just about controllable if firing while running. [br]
[br]
A good player will know to stick with others who complement their class; a
rifleman is pretty damn accurate for picking off opponents at long ranges, but
unless he?s got an Assault class backing him up, he?s more vulnerable in close
quarters. Of course, if teamwork isn?t your thing, you can always just sneak
into a church spire with a scoped weapon and pick off enemies who stray too
close. [br]
[br]
DoD: Source is the third official multiplayer game that?s founded with the
Source engine. Counter Strike: Source is a mixture of rewarding combat
incorporated into delicate tactics; Half-Life 2: Deathmatch is just crazy fun
with physics, and now, the final pillar that holds aloft Source, is Day of
Defeat. It?s gritty, realistic, and challenging. The core gameplay may be
simple, but it?s unbelievably enjoyable. While some people may still complain
that it?s being sold by VALVe instead of being distributed free as a mod,
personally I think it?s worth every penny. If you like multiplayer gaming, Day
of Defeat: Source is essential.
