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DoD:S A worthy successor to DoD but still a work in progress

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 12 / 18
Date: February 09, 2006
Author: Amazon User

Day of Defeat: Source (DoD:S) is not a port of the last pre-Source version of the HL-based mod-cum-retail-release of DoD. It is a complete, from the ground up, build of the game on Valve's (Half-Life 2) Source engine.

For those unfamiliar, Day of Defeat is a WWII-based FPS (first person shooter). You choose either the US (Allies) or Germans (Axis) and fight it out online, choosing from 6 classes. This is purely an online game. There is no single-player mode and there is not (yet) official bot support.

While not as nearly as popular as fellow Valve title, Counter-Strike, DoD:S is a lot of fun. The visuals are absolutely stunning and take advantage of the latest technology that Valve has made, most notably, HDR lighting. The gameplay is quick and the weapons are more lethal than the typical WWII shooter. The game has a very authentic feel, but if you're expecting a realistic shooter, look elsewhere.

So far there are only 6 official maps released, but at least 2 more are in the works and there is a strong custom map (and other content as well) community.

Overall:

Pluses
*Great graphics
*Fun gameplay
*Wide-ranging options for players to choose from in terms of classes and roles.
*Well supported by a company (Valve) that will continue to put out content for the game
*Price: Under $20 for a new game that uses state-of-the-art graphics
*Good community: There is a good DOD community on the official forums, there is a good amount of custom content, and many great community/friendly servers
*Relatively easy to learn. There are a couple classes that are good for new players to start with and learn and come along.
*as opposed to other WWII-oriented games that have poor online play, DoD:S has great online play.

Minuses
*State of the art graphics = will not run so well on older PCs.
*Limited list of stock maps
*While, overall, the community for DoD is a good one, its not being adopted by the competitive community. This is for a variety of reasons that I'll leave you to read elsewhere as they're lots of theories on this.
*online play only

Overall, I'd give the current state of the game a 4, but I think the potential is there that with continued support from Valve, it could be a 5.

For the price, its a good buy.

WW2 Beauty

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 3 / 8
Date: February 10, 2006
Author: Amazon User

The older versions of DoD remain in my heart some of the best online titles of all time. This new version does not disapoint. A visually stunning frag fest. For the 16 bucks that it is offered here you will find no better entertainment for your dime.

It is a pretty hardware intensive game. But if you were able to play Half-life 2 or the recent Counter-Strike: Source you should be up to par. The online community at www.dayofdefeat.com has some fixes, too, for those on slower machines.

By the way it looks as if you can demo this game for free this weekend of the Feb 9th. see ya in game.

aka Col.Krust

Not what we wanted

1 Rating: 1, Useful: 5 / 8
Date: February 20, 2006
Author: Amazon User

It was supposed to be the Source Port of a GREAT Game
DoD 1.3 (still free if you own Half Life) was the best WWII FPS around.
Source would have been great if they KEPT THE GAMEPLAY!
They didnt
They failed
and this.... this is some suit's idea of what WWII game would sell...
This is NOT Day of Defeat

An attractive disappointment

1 Rating: 1, Useful: 6 / 13
Date: February 21, 2006
Author: Amazon User

The Source engine is a beautiful thing, excellent physics, good rendering. All around a nice platform for the Half Life 2 game.

Having said that, Day of Defeat: Source is a disappointment to all of those who played the original version. This game's play has been dumbed down as much as it's appearance has been improved since the original.
4 maps at release, with only 2 more added in the following 6 months?
Game play with no positive learning curve! (we call this Spray n' Pray tactics, and they work here, while the accomplished player gains nothing). Note that I saw this in another review, and agree with that review whole-heartedly.
Silly hitbox mechanics, and changes to classes that have made them LESS interesting to play since their DoD heyday.

Overall, a "Don't Buy" rating is well deserved on this modification/addition on the Source Engine. Though the base game Half Life 2 is amazing, this "mod" fails to provide any satisfaction through game play, and in general is a waste of my 20 dollars. And I bought it packaged with HL2!

DoD:S: A complete failure

1 Rating: 1, Useful: 6 / 19
Date: February 21, 2006
Author: Amazon User

DoD:S is nothing compared to the orig. They didn't keep any of the good stuff from the orig. Source lost pistols for all characters and lost the carbine as a primary and they lost the bayonettes. Not only that but the game play that was in it has been reduced to nothing. Some of the great maps are no longer around.

Valve has killed this game.

Not what was promised.

1 Rating: 1, Useful: 5 / 9
Date: February 21, 2006
Author: Amazon User

DoD:Source is very close to the worst possible game that it could have been.

1. The guns miss, and are weak.
2. The classes have been cut down in size and capability.
3. 6 maps, for a game that's been out a long time.

Valve, in their desire to mindlessly gather new players, gears the new game to be good to them. Instead of a new player getting defeated until he improves, and the veteran ruling the servers, everyone is entered into a crapshoot lottery of whose bullets will land and do significant damage. The veteran is frustrated by the "skill ceiling" and the noob is perplexed why he seemed better than he should be at the beginning, but never gets any better.

A Sad disapointment

1 Rating: 1, Useful: 4 / 6
Date: February 21, 2006
Author: Amazon User

I had been a fan of Day of Defeat for years.
When I heard that they would bring the game to source, I Was delighted. When I saw this, I was deflated.
The Classes are all neutered, there are only 4 small maps and the playstyle has completly fallen apart.
This is makeup on a pig. Pretty graphics with nothing underneath

Too little, too late...

1 Rating: 1, Useful: 4 / 12
Date: February 21, 2006
Author: Amazon User

This game would have been worth buying over a year ago. You can find more bang for your buck elsewhere.

Addictive and a bargain as well, good for old folks like me.

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 15 / 18
Date: February 28, 2006
Author: Amazon User

I'm a little ashamed at having to admit that I'm old in gaming years, well over thirty, so my reflexes are not what they used to be. Playing games like "Counter-Strike: Source" expose my degraded skills all too readily: I can see the enemy, I can predict where they pop up, and I can't seem to get my shots off quickly or accurately enough to save my life. So I usually spend much of a level watching as a dead spectator. Not fun.

"Day of Defeat: Source" offers people like me a better alternative. It relies more on strategy than CS:S because it's based solely on team-play and objectives. You have to capture five flags, and while it sounds easy, you have to keep them captured long enough to call it yours.

The result is that I can leverage my years of experience (and my years of gaming experience normally surpasses the ages of my fellow players). I can work in coordination with others to set up fire bases, provide cover, assault a position, and so forth, knowing that the objective is flag caps and not personal victory.

Granted, you will find games where personal glory is more important, and you will find games where cheats occur (spectators calling out positions to players, as one), but overall you'll likely find a good three hours of tactical and strategic play. It's easy to learn, you have enough variety of player class to attempt to master them all, and playing against people ensures you compete against the best possible opposition.

To the negative reviews, I would grant them their own experiences are valid, but I would tell readers to consider this: younger players have more time on their hands to master a game. Old folks with fulltime jobs just can't commit to 80 hours of study on a video game anymore, so while this game doesn't offer the fastest gameplay (Quake 4 apparently has that title), it does offer a load of fun. For the price, you can't lose.

-Fred

Great game with very little lacking

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 1 / 2
Date: April 14, 2006
Author: Amazon User

I am a huge fan of the original and can understand why some of the other reviews rip on this game, but it is still great. DOD:S has excellent graphics, quick and realistic gameplay, expanding and increasing game content, and it is a game that never gets old no matter how much you play it. It is probably the most team based online game I have played, you simply can't win all by yourself.

My favorite part of the game is how it doesn't take twenty hits to kill a guy and it is definitely not a "spray and pray" style of gameplay, it is all strategy. You learn that maps and build your reflexes and you can be great at this game.
The only thing that bothered me was the removal of a couple classes from the previous game and some of the changes in the weapons there. I didn't like how the K98 didn't always get the one shot kill, or how from a long ways off you couldn't pick someone off with the thompson. In the end the game is better for these changes though, it adds to the realism. The people complaining about the lack of maps are also out of place. While there are only 6 standard maps out, more will come and there are a lot of custom maps out there already.

Overall this game is fast-paced, strategic, team-based, and realistic. The graphics are great and the game never gets old.

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