Day of Defeat

"This is the true masterpiece of World War II and realism combined."

With so many developed add-ons for Half-Life, some mods have to make a stand out from the rest of the pack. Day of Defeat has done just that, being another top modification in the Half Life gaming community. Day of Defeat is a World War 2 orientated mod where players can choose to be either Axis or Allied forces. Each team battles it out against each other on captured-based maps, and round maps. Objectives can range anywhere from destroying a tank, to capturing all the flags on a map. But what makes Day of Defeat stand out is the amazing tuneups that the modification went though. It's done so well that it only trails Counterstrike as the #1 mod for HL, and has already been released as its own retail version by Valve. This says a lot coming from a mod that carved its existence in the community a few years ago.

Graphics [9/10]
While the Halflife game engine is outdated by most modern PC games, Day of Defeat has utilized the engine to nearly full potential. So much detail has been placed into maps, player models, and weapons that this game could have probably been released alone (like Battlefield 1942), rather than a free modification. To start off, player models are very detailed. The entire uniform has every pocket, flap, and crease covered in full shading. Everything from the soldier's digging tool, to his sidearm, and primary weapon are pictured. Faces are unique, with a strong resemblance to a tough war hero. Some of the best player models in Half-Life come thanks to the Day of Defeat mod team. Weapons are exactly like their real-life counterparts, including flash muzzles and target reticules. Not many games can put as much detail and originality that DoD put into its in-game models.

Maps, while pleasing to the eye, can seem a bit conjuncted at times. Every map is detailed in the game, but slowdowns in framerate do occur somewhat often. Many of the maps in the game are balanced for both teams, but there are a few that are off-balanced like overlord (which is similar to the Omaha beach battle). There are lots of maps in DoD, some with special raining effects, and breachable walls. There's plenty of sniper spots, jagged holes in walls, and hiding places that every camper would dream of. Darkness is a big specialty in DoD, especially when used to camouflage a proned enemy. The environments are so realistic, with the dark-filled skies, to the puddles of water along a brick-paved road.

The best part of Day of Defeat has to be the special effects. There are simply so many countless effects in this game, that's why the graphics do such an eye popping job. Every weapon has flashy muzzles, great reload animations, and even player models have unique hand signals. Rather than simple voice commands, the developers actually gave the players silent hand commands. No other mod comes close to the graphical detail of DoD. A few good examples of special effects include the trail of smoke that follows a RPG. Even grenade explosions look realistic, unlike your flat 2D ''fire'' sprites. DoD has a haze of smoke, and debris flying after a grenade explodes. The entire layout of your status including health, stamina, and bullets remaining is very precise. Quite simply, the interface, overall appeal, and swift detail is enough to make Day of Defeat a diamond of beauty.

Sound/Music [9/10]
Don't worry, there's no goofy sounds in this game. Day of Defeat uses top-quality recorded audio clips, and great musical compositions to lure the gamer into a WW2 mode. The best feature of this game has to be the unique pitches of the weapons in the game. Every single weapon has a different gunshot sound, and this is good since you can tell when a machine is proned up ahead, or a sniper is waiting in a window. Sniper weapons tend to send that loud, echoing blast, while machine guns have that repetitive sound of a tooting whistle. Every reload has an ear-popping click, or a tone not similar to another weapon. Voice commands in this game are very useful, and actually have different accents depending on the mission. For example, this one mission pits British versus German forces in battle for a town. The British forces actually have British accented commands, while on any other map, your Allies would have American accents. This is the kinds of details that really add to the realism of a mod like Day of Defeat.

Music, while not as prevalent, is good. If your team wins the round, then their anthem or victory song will play. Most of the time you can distinguish the difference between a German or Allied song, but the quality is crisp and clear. There's also some other songs, but most of the gameplay is without background music. Plus, with the ability to use your microphone and talk over the internet, that makes the entire experience more enjoyable. Superb job thus far.

Gameplay [8/10]
As stated before, Day of Defeat is a World War 2 modification. Thus, this means, all the action takes place during World War II. Gameplay is team deathmatch, where players must kill other players in order to complete objectives. Most objectives are flag capturing, where all flags must be captured to secure the area. When an area is secured, then another round starts, and you keep going till time runs out. There's also some round based maps, and alternate objectives (like destroying tanks, or stealing plans), but they're all very similar. DoD gameplay is moderately fast, but slow enough to give even the beginning user a chance at learning. Aiming your weapon isn't like most mods where you can make pinpoint shots. Every time you run, move, or jump, your aiming reticule will ''expand'', making your target area larger when you fire your weapon. In order to keep it small and accurate, you have to stand or crouch still to aim. It's not as hard as it seems, but don't expect to be John McClane, and blowing away bad guys with your Garand.

There's usually a couple player classes for each team depending on the map. You can usually play Riflemen (light armored, fast moving, rifle shooters), Sergeants (leaders, automatic weapons), Snipers (sharpshooters, scoped rifles), Support Infantry (used for cover fire, heavier automatic weapons), and your Machinegunners (designed for support fire, heavy mounted machine guns). Each class features unique weapons, and the Allies/Germans each have different weapons. Some weapons are very powerful (KAR 98K rifle), but have drawbacks like bolt-action reload, or need to be mounted in order to be accurate. You can also prone in the game, or basically crawl flat with the ground. However, when you prone, there's usually a delay, and your head is the most exposed target (but your accuracy improves). There are other features including a stamina meter, so you can't leap like around like a toad, and a dashing button which gives you a big boost of speed, however, you can't fire while using it.

You can also use rocket launchers on certain maps, and most soldiers are equipped with grenades (including potato-stick ones for the Germans), which can be a real ''blast'' to use. All this realism comes at a price though. Dieing in DoD is very easy, mainly since it's designed to be a simulation of World War II. You can only survive a few bullets, and some weapons will kill you in one shot. You don't have superman-like abilities, but are rather limited in movement. The basic idea behind DoD is to use teamwork, and filter out areas using debris and shrubbery as cover. Sniping isn't as effective as most other mods, since your scope tends to wobble while in view. Machine gunning can be a pain since you have to prone and mount your gun in order to be a real threat. There are also plenty of campers in DoD, and this can be a nagging problem throughout gameplay. Still, this is how WW2 was, and DoD does a great job in simulating it.

Fun [7/10]
While it may not as be fast-paced as Counterstrike, DoD does provide a decent amount of fun. It's one of the few mods that takes realism into mind, and does a good job at executing it. Most maps require a good knowledge of where you're going, and you might have to take a long hike before you reach some enemy contact. Campers can take the fun out of the game, but there are tons of alternative paths on maps to avoid them. Teamwork can be fun at times, but isn't the biggest necessity on the battlefield. Since DoD is an online game, you'll have plenty of challenge, and will find ways to keep coming back for more. But remember, you probably won't have the most joyful time playing it.

Replayability [8/10]
With plenty of maps (well over 15), and a variety of weapons, classes, and different pathways on maps, DoD should give you plenty of things to be entertained with. Each class has its downfalls and advantages, and using teamwork can really improve the gameplay. Plus, each map usually has a change of pace in gameplay, which should give you enough time to adjust to the gaming environment.

Difficulty [8/10]
Yet again, you have to be prepared to a face a challenge when playing Day of Defeat. There are lots of possibilities as to where your enemies can hide, and you have to be very aware on the battlefield. Plenty of veterans play Day of Defeat (although not as many as Counterstrike), and that can become another nuisance. Most beginners will take a few hours before they get the hang of it, and grasp the concept on objectives. With balanced weaponry, and good map designs, most players will have a challenge in playing online. Framerate slowdowns and lag on certain maps can cause some gaming hindrances, but most people can play regardless. Day of Defeat provides a great challenge to the player, sometimes comparable to that of Counterstrike.

Final Factor [9/10]
When you're one of the top three modifications for Half-Life, you know you've made a great game. Day of Defeat is one of the best mods you can play for HL, and it has got tons of possibilities unlike other mods. Whether you're a new or experienced player, DoD will provide a challenging experience. This is the only true mod that represents World War II to full accuracy, without the unrealistic matrix-like qualities. While it may suffer from lag and difficulty spikes, DoD is a must have download for any true player. Download this as fast as you can, it's as good as Counterstrike and Team Fortress. Prepare to enter World War II unlike any other game before.

Reviewer's Score: 9/10, Originally Posted: 07/18/03, Updated 07/18/03