Day of Defeat: Source (PC)

GameSpot editors' review

• CNET editors' rating: 4.0 stars Excellent
  Detailed editors' rating
  Overall score: 8.1 (4.0 stars)

• Reviewed by:
  Bob Colayco
• Reviewed on: 10/03/2005
• Updated on: 05/17/2006
• Released on: 09/26/2005
• Originally published on GameSpot: Day of Defeat: Source (PC) Review

While Counter-Strike was easily the most popular mod developed out of the Half-Life engine, another mod based on World War II, Day of Defeat, also turned out to be quite a hit. Like Counter-Strike before it, the mod eventually made it onto store shelves as its own retail product. So it only makes sense that Valve would port this popular game over to its flashy new Source engine as it did with Counter-Strike. While a lack of maps cuts into the game's value somewhat, Day of Defeat: Source still offers a satisfying and exciting experience for those who just can't get enough of World War II.

Like its predecessor, Day of Defeat: Source focuses strictly on close-quarters infantry combat. You'll play as either the Americans or the Germans on four different maps. Yes, currently Day of Defeat: Source only offers four official maps to play on, but Valve has promised that more are on the way. If Counter-Strike: Source is any indication, Valve will follow through at some point. At least the routes that you can run on the maps are well-designed and flexible for the most part. There are usually multiple ways to approach any given objective, and once you get there, you're usually open to attack from different angles and elevations. In each of the initial maps, the goal is the same. Five capture points are scattered across the level. Your team can gain points by killing members of the other team, or capturing and holding one of the objective flags. If one team ever gains control of all five points at once, big points are awarded to that team, and the round is reset with each team returning to its spawn site. Most of the flags on any given map can be captured just by touching them, but some points require a couple of players to sit on the flag for a brief period of time. The ability to quickly capture a flag in Day of Defeat: Source contributes to the surprisingly quick pace. Also adding to the general speed of the game is that your default run speed is fairly fast already. A sprint button is available, which is limited by a fatigue bar, but using it lets you move at what seems like lightning speed.

You'll appreciate the ability to move quickly though, because the sprawling levels are chock-full of buildings, as well as alleyways and dark passageways, which can be entered. Anywhere you turn, an enemy might be lying in wait, aiming at you from an elevated window or a dark doorway. You never know which window or corner may be harboring a threat. All of this contributes to a constant sense of tension as you explore streets and enter the buildings that are decorated with a realistic amount of furniture and clutter. Our favorite of the four maps is Anzio, as it offers three levels of fighting, from underground passages, up to narrow, winding streets, and on up to elevated windows and firing points. Aside from its well-designed maps, Day of Defeat: Source also offers some interesting control quirks to help differentiate it from the endless number of WWII shooters on the market. You can, for example, attempt to pick up grenades and throw them back at enemies. In addition, you can't fire while sprinting or jumping.

There are six different class kits. These range from standard riflemen to submachine gunners to heavy machine gunners, snipers, and even bazooka-carrying infantry. The classes across the two sides are fairly analogous, like chess pieces. Even the American rifleman with his semiautomatic M1 Garand doesn't gain that much of a speed advantage over the German rifleman with a bolt-action Mauser. Each primary weapon includes a secondary fire mode that varies depending on the gun. Riflemen can aim down their iron sights, while submachine gunners get a melee attack. Heavy machine gunners and rocket-armed infantry must set up their weapons before they can be fired. Shooting a machine gun from the hip is literally uncontrollable, so you must set up a bipod on a railing or windowsill or else go prone to set up. The bazooka and Panzerschreck soldiers must also set up their rocket launchers before they can fire. Meanwhile, the support troopers can select single shot or automatic on their guns. All the guns in Day of Defeat: Source have quite a bit of recoil and kick compared to similar shooters, which encourages you even more to kneel or go prone in order to keep control.

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