From the creators of Half-Life and Counter Strike comes the new and improved World War II FPS that will make Battlefield 1942 shake in its little combat boots...maybe. Day Of Defeat was first released as a free download with the purchase of any Half-Life mod, but due to overwhelming success--and the demand for more WWII games--VALVe was going to get some money where their mouth was.

You may be asking yourself "Why another WWII sim when we've been so blessed with Medal Of Honor: Allied Assault/Spearhead and Battlefield 1942?" Well, I'll tell you why.

Gameplay: 10/10

Seriously now...I played the free version of this game for a hardcore year. Now they made it even better; I think I could munch on this one for a very long time...

Day Of Defeat 1.0 has extremely realistic combat. The weapons have true recoil and unique capabilities, maps have been given graphic and strategic overhauls to produce some of the best visuals in games today, and since DoD is online/multiplayer only, you will find players of all skill levels in all levels. Clans are taking off even more than before; 14 year old boys are waging war with 50+ veterans like it's going out of style. Many of the maps in Day Of Defeat are capture the flag scenarios, where you must help your team advance into enemy positions to conquer the entire field. Other new maps include objective retrieval quests which call for even more team cooperation; two of these are Kalt (a winter wonderland...auf Deutsch?) and Forest (it's...a forest). They provide hours of fun just learning the ins and outs--new maps are a kick.

One of the benefits of DoD over many of the other multiplayer FPS games I've seen is the option of stealth. You can't be very sneaky driving that tank up into enemy territory in BF1942, but DoD gives you the option to duck, go prone (lie down, silly) and even deploy your weapon to have more accuracy control. There are a variety of ways that you can choose to play Day Of Defeat; I prefer waiting for four nazis to pop out of a doorway and go running madly into a courtyard, then pumping their backs full of lead shells with my BAR. Of course there is always the joy of finding new and creative sniping positions, because the old ones just are too easy.

Another interesting feature of the game is the class system. Unlike many other combat games, you don't just run around and pick up new weapons to use; like when you storm that beach in Anzio, you have everything you will depend on right in your little knapsack: primary weapon, pistol, knife (or shovel if you're a Nazi) and grenades (these can vary depending on the class, like snipers don't get grenades). It's all very sweet. If you're new to playing I'd suggest you select a random class for each time you spawn, that way you can figure out which one suits you best. And while one class might be superior on one map, it may not be so great on others. So try them all out...and get yourself a decent microphone. Voice com is a must in here.

Graphics: 7/10

It's an online FPS. The graphics aren't meant to be spectacular, but at the same time they are; when you realize how fast paced these games can be, you tend to overlook the scenery. Sure, grass may just be a strip of flat 2-d stretched along the ground, bushes might have a few more clumps on them, but whatever. I didn't come here to play Myst. I came to kill Nazis (or Frenchmen). Still, the scenery is no eyesore.

Controls: 8/10

You can customize your macros, which is nice since I hate that W, A, S, Z bullshit. I like my strafes at Ctrl and Ins and my directional pad. There's no need to buy a new joystick because you don't have to fly any planes. You can run and jump, but you will be limited by your stamina meter. Dashing comes in handy for rushing certain points, you can't run and fire--but you can jump and fire (hint hint).

Difficulty: 10/10

Since there is no single player mode, the game can be as hard or as easy as your team decides to make it. Since there is no single player winning or losing, your score is determined by frag/death ratio. In other words: kill a lot + score points + die as little as possible = good. And it doesn't matter how good you think you are--there is always somebody better. Just try to have a good time.

Overall: 9/10

I just love this game. It's excellent for middle of the night hardcore sessions or in the middle of the day for a quick romp. It's fast. It's furious. It's everything I want in a multiplayer FPS. I would recommend this game to both the serious gamer and anyone who wants to try out a WWII FPS out, but doesn't want to spend the $50 on BF1942. It's cheaper, but no less quality of a game.

Pros:
Realistic weapons and physics
Tons of style and potential for custom servers
In-Game option interface (you don't get kicked out for adjusting volume)
Voice com supported

Cons:
Used to be free
Some boys (or grown men) can't handle a girl kicking their ass
1337 players are so good you'll think they're cheating
Campers (not snipers) suck

-Megan Rutledge