The Video Game Revue

dod_avalanche

I'd like to take a minute here to salute my personal favourite map of any FPS game: dod_avalanche. I'm not saying that it's the best FPS map--just that it's the one that I, personally, am the most addicted and attached to. Many others come close. But there is undeniably something special about Day of Defeat's Avalanche map.

Part of the magic is that dod_avalanche throws a bit of everything into the mix. There's a lot of close-quarters combat, a lot of effective sniper perches, lots of common hot spots, and a lot of places where stealth is paramount. The map is compact, yet feels epic in scope. Teamwork is vitally important to achieve victory (otherwise the map tends to just drag on endlessly), and there are useful positions for pretty much every character class. I find that dod_avalanche effectively showcases a wide range of what Day of Defeat--and FPS gaming in general--is all about.

One thing that I really love about DoD is the gritty, brutal feel of it. It feels authentic in a way that games like Medal of Honor and most other popular WW II FPSes don't. Certainly a big part of this has to do with the high lethality and characteristic feel of the weapons. I don't know what a Garand, Springfield, or K-98 rifle feels like in real life, but I sure as shit know how they handle in DoD; you could disable the weapon graphics and sounds, and I bet I'd be able to tell them apart based entirely on their ranged accuracy, firing rate, and effectiveness. I love Battlefield 1942, but one of the weaknesses of that game is that the weapons mostly feel quite generic. DoD is more like Rainbow Six 3: Raven Shield, which has frighteningly realistic-feeling firearms.

Getting back to dod_avalanche, though, it's one map that really showcases that gritty, DoD feel. I guess that's not really fair to say, actually, because DoD has so many great maps that do that. I even have to applaud a relatively weak map like dod_charlie for the fact that when I first played it, it really did sort of feel like I was storming the beaches of Normandy to a degree that I hadn't felt before. I remember lying on the beach behind one of those metal hull-breaker dealies for cover, and as a German machine-gunner was sweeping arcs of glowing death across the sand, I lined him up in the sights of my rifle, pulled the trigger, and the carnage stopped... for a couple of seconds, anyway.

Okay, I guess we've established that I have a soft spot for Day of Defeat. It only takes a few minutes of dod_avalanche action to remind me of that. Clearing out that crazy building on the east side of the map is a real rush--as is working my way to the roof to have a shoot-out with a sniper perched in the church belltower. Good times. One of my favourite camping spots on the Allied side is on top of that little archway where the Germans come out into the center courtyard. If you're discreet enough, you can pick enemies off as they filter out into the middle while keeping an eye on the far side--the east. Sometimes some opponents will run past you on their way to the belltower and you can plug 'em in the back. Of course, that spot is only effective until people get wise to your game and start looking for you there. :)

One thing that seems to have changed with DoD: Source, although maybe it's just my memory playing tricks on me, is that it seems to be a lot easier to spot other players now. With the original DoD, it was definitely the case that when a player sat still, it was really difficult to see them--assuming they were crouched in bushes, shadows, or some other fun form of cover. I clearly remember getting into some sniper wars where I knew where a sniper was hiding and I approached a window in their line of fire very, very slowly so they didn't see the movement, and then I lined up a shot (often I knew what window they were in but couldn't even see them myself) and took the sniper out. That's why snipers are generally supposed to move after taking a shot. :) Anyway, this sort of thing still happens to me in DoD: Source, but not as much. Maybe I'm just not playing as well as I used to. More time spent with the game will help with that problem.

That's my little rant about Day of Defeat for now. In other news, I'm making steady progress through Resident Evil DS, although I've stalled on just about everything else for now. I'm planning to log some serious RPG time soon with the usual stuff--FF IV Advance, Digital Devil Saga, Disgaea, and Xenogears. One of these days I'll have those suckers finished. I'm trying not to worry about Dragon Quest VIII for now. :) I nearly bought myself a copy of Icewind Dale: Ultimate Collection today, but I was reminded at the last minute that no matter how badly I'd like to play it, there's just no way that I'm going to find the time in the near future. I have placed a couple of essential pre-orders, though: Tales of Phantasia for GBA and Metal Gear Solid 3: Subsistence. February has been a slow month for gaming, overall, but I think that the little break may actually help me to get more gaming done in March.

One major factor is that as of next week I am switching employers. The new work environment might help me to take more time to myself for hobbies like gaming, although that is far from certain. What is fairly certain is that the change of pace will be refreshing, at any rate.

posted by Parappa @ 11:17 AM