Tech: Day of Defeat - a tribute

There are a bunch of WWII-themed games, running the gamut from flight sims to strategy games. My favorite first-person shooter that covers the era is "Day of Defeat." It's a team-based multiplayer shooter that used the Half-Life engine (the current version uses the Half-Life 2 "Source" engine, as well). Perhaps a music video will express some typical gameplay (slightly NSFW):



Yeah, there are classes, and there are flags to capture, but what makes DoD so unique is the uncompromising lethality of all the weapons. A single hit from a K98, and you're dead. A headshot with any of the weapons spells instant death, and at most, you'll only be able to take 2 or 3 shots before going down. Even the last-ditch melee attacks (knives for the Allies, trench shovels for the Axis) easily kill opponents.

Additionally, you have enhanced mobility compared to most shooters - you can sprint and lay prone, which makes for some interesting tactics. For example, suppressing fire in this game works much like in real life, since a bullet hit will slow down a player sprinting past, making him an easy target. Also, recoil (though still rather unrealistically light) is simulated better here than in most games.

The new "Source" engine also makes for some fairly cinematic scenes: