The objective of DoD: Source is simple. You and your team (of Allies or Nazis) must capture every flag on a map. Of course, the other team isn’t just going to let this happen, so war breaks out. You are given a variety of classes to choose from, be it a rifleman, machine gunner, sniper and so on. This is where, aesthetics aside, DoD: Source differs the most from past versions. It used to be the case that rifles dominated a map – the Axis rifle was a one shot kill for instance, and the Allied rifle required a head/chest shot to do the same. They were also both ridiculously accurate, making them lethal in the hands of a skilled player.
The new iron sight. It’s rubbish.
Now however, both weapons are weaker and wildly inaccurate by comparison. On top of this, the right click melee functions (a bayonet for the Axis, rifle butt for the Allies) are gone, replaced with a slow iron sight which has little use in a hectic environment. And, in a move which almost cripples the class, pistols are gone – run out of ammo in a fire-fight and you’re ruined. This might seem like a small difference, but it completely changes the dynamic of the game.
Sub-machine guns now dominate maps. Machine gunners are also around in bigger numbers, due to the fact it’s harder to pop around a corner and one-shot them with a rifle. Running and gunning has become the order of the day, and the whole game feels much easier and more simplistic because of it. Still, this is no doubt intentional by the developers in an attempt to make classes actually represent what they would have been in the war. Obviously, it only affects those who played past versions – but those hardcore fans are unlikely to want to move on after becoming accustomed to it.
Due to this new (and somewhat random) feel to the game, things are much more hectic than before. Grenades are constantly going off in all directions, machine gun fire is suppressing positions, and players are dying left right and centre. It's insane and great fun. New additions to the gameplay like smoke grenades and grenade launchers add to this too, and provide a whole new layer of depth.
One of the biggest concerns with the game is the lack of maps – only four, to be precise. On top of this, all four maps are remakes from previous versions of the game – some of which stretch back to the game’s inception. This isn’t a bad thing, but some new maps would have been nice. Valve promise more will be forthcoming, but there are no definitive dates as yet. Hmm. Thankfully, the four maps are pretty good – Anzio and Donner are particular favourites with the community, while Avalanche and Flash have their lovers and haters.
However, some changes have been made to the maps which border on mind-boggling. For instance, there was a tunnel in Anzio that allowed the Allies through to the central street – this is gone, making it much tougher for the Allies to capture it. Still, weird alterations aside, the maps do make the transition quite well, retaining their feel despite the awesome new graphics. While four maps doesn’t bode well for the lifespan, each map is deeper than they look, and will take time to find every new aspect even for veterans. It’s safe to say that by the time you master every map here, more will be out.
One brave Nazi attempts to kill the entire Allied team at spawn – and nearly succeeds, too.
Visually, the game is a masterpiece, as you would expect from the Source engine. Player models are not particularly varied, but look and move as though they're absolutely real – especially with the ragdoll physics creating some amusing death animations. But it’s the levels itself which are the strong point. Everything is immaculately detailed, right down to the dust created when a bullet hits a wall. The art design is all very realistic too, with convincing 1930’s houses and shops looking like they were ripped out of Band of Brothers.
On top of this is the much-touted HDR, or 'High Dynamic Range'. This is a lighting effect, which can basically be best described as glare. While it sounds a bit gimmicky - and hell, it probably is - it still looks utterly sensational. From a visual standpoint, there isn’t really anything you can complain about here. Obviously you will want a decent machine – we tested on an Athlon 64 3000+ with a 9800pro and 1GB of RAM and got a good 50-70 frames per second after tweaking – but it will be optimised further with time.
Aurally the game is just as good. Where as previous versions of DoD had canned ambience noise, this isn’t the case in Source. Every sound you hear is being made somewhere in the level – be it the boom of a grenade, or the never-ending ratta-tat-tat of a machine gun. Each weapon also sounds absolutely authentic, especially the MG42 and the Garand. Even the lesser effects, like the voice commands and that of bullets pounding walls are done convincingly and with precision. Terrific stuff, Valve.
Nothing like beating the Nazis – especially with HDR in full effect.
It’s worth noting that the game is still a bit buggy. After one day there has already been a patch, and without a doubt, more will be forthcoming. Player clipping is questionable. Weapons need tweaking to get the balance just right. Minor graphical glitches are also apparent. Getting all the kinks out may take a bit of time, unfortunately.
DoD: Source is a cracking shooting game, make no mistake. Is it as good as past versions? Probably not – but that’s largely because Valve are trying to do something else here. Still, those new to the game will be utterly hooked after only a few hours of playtime. It’s fun, it’s addictive, it visually and aurally gorgeous, and it’s available right now for a mere $19.95 USD on Steam. It’s just a shame more wasn’t done to cater to dedicated fans. Just remember - it is only a Half-Life 2 multiplayer mod.
You haven't played CoD online either. As for me and jobs 
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