Day of Defeat Source > COD4 + CounterStrike?! Yeah, I Went There.

The original Day of Defeat, a classic Half-Life mod from the days of the original Counterstrike boom, never really took off. Superseded by games like Call of Duty in a time when WW2 games were a dime a dozen (things haven't changed that much in that regard), it never achieved the wide play status that vault FPS games to universal eSport status, and seemed to be brushed off and forgotten at the time. I remember thinking the concept of the game was sound, but that it was unpolished and that there weren't enough people playing for it to make sense. That was then.

Fast forward 8 years, and I've recently discovered the joy of Day of Defeat: Source, the current version of the classic, a full 3 years after it was released into retail... and I like the multiplayer action in this title better than both COD4 and Counterstrike, BY FAR.  This game is POLISHED, and as far as MP Team FPS goes right now, I think this is the best out there.

Why I like it better than Counterstrike: The "no-respawn" aspect of CS is a unique thrill, for sure. It's hardcore tactical gameplay and highly rewards focused, competitive teamwork. But have you tried pubbing CS lately? Good luck. If you can get past the cheaters, you won't beat the guy who can take on your whole team with his sick AWP skillzzz. DOD:Source, on the other hand, gives that tactical flavor, but with guns that feel more realistic. Plus, there is re-spawning, so you aren't waiting 10 minutes in between rounds. I still love CS, but DOD:Source is more fun for the casual, no-clan pubber like mwah.

Why I like it better than COD4: COD4 is CS with re-spawning.  Add in a rich variety of play modes, a wider level of customizability, and some other extras (like the helicopters and airstrikes), and I'd actually say COD4 is more fun (horrors!).  DOD is still better, though!  Against COD4, DOD's advantage is all about the control. The feel of the WW2 weapons in DOD are more balanced and complementary to one another. It emphasizes teamwork far more. The way DOD:Source feels is a completely different, and far more interesting, experience.

Day of Defeat level design is a work of art.  Seriously, I would love to shake the hands of the people who created the maps in this game, because they are a huge part of what makes it great. The level designers understood exactly how to make MP maps that are complicated, detailed, and expansive, yet intuitive, balanced, and exciting.  And beautiful.  

Day of Defeat is $10!  Valve, you rock my world.