This game has become my latest time devourer. I think, no, I know I have spent probably 25 of the available 30 hours I have had to play the game, playing it. When I am not in a position to enjoy it, I am thinking about it. Sheer brilliance.

Well, I am already a fan of anything that is a World War II reincarnation. But I must say, this is by far one of the best, if not the best first person shooter that has come out in a long time. It is an online only game, which for my computer is basically saying, “Only cool people get to play, so sit your mortal ass down and sip on your kool-aid b*tch. I’m 400 pounds, hairy, smelly, and I’m going to shake my ass in front of you and make you like it.” …Well, it’s not actually saying that, but since I have a 56K modem connection, it feels like it sometimes.

Ok, to the game.

Like Counter-Strike, the levels are somewhat bland. I did however think that they were better in that there is more stuff to hide behind, and stuff to sneak around in. For example, in counter-strike you can go prone and hide on the other side of a wall or on top of a box and basically camp until someone ran by, in which time you pump a clip full of led into said person. In Day of Defeat, you can get into camping spots, but you probably won’t last past the second or third person you’ve killed. The enemy has a funny way of launching grenades into areas where campers are, thus relieving themselves of those pesky problems. But there are a lot of indoor spaces and blown open buildings that make for excellent sniper/machine gun nests. Be aware though, the enemy probably knows that you’ll be sitting there, and will shoot there just to make sure someone isn’t. At least that is what I do.

What I really liked about DOD is the gun models. The historical accuracy and beautifulness (I know that isn’t a word, but some monkeys are smarter than me so I have the right to use such words) of the weapons are just amazing. The sounds, looks, and functions are all represented very accurately in this game, even down to the caliber of weapon it takes to take a man down (basically, you won’t kill a guy with one shot of a carbine, but you will with a .30 caliber machine gun). Little innate details like that give my appreciation bone a tickle.

I also love the overall way they did things. For example, in most games, when you shoot the sniper rifle, you either stay zoomed in on the target, or it takes your eye away and doesn’t let you see the kill. Not so in DOD. It gives just enough time after the shot to see if you have made the kill. I especially like the machine gun bipod options. After all, if you were to run around with a .30 caliber machine gun, you wouldn’t be very accurate with it, but, if you laid down, pulled out a bipod, and then let’er rip, you could damn near snipe with the thing.

Of course, as with Counter-strike and other half-life mods, you can do the same old same old, like spray-painting, which I recently learned you can custom your spray-paint design. But it is sad when all of the custom ones I have seen have been pornographic. Ah, geeks, can’t love’em, can’t hate’em ,but you can shoot’em and that’s good enough for me.

Time to go now, my sheet covered mattress is calling my name… at least I think it is, it has probably been a good 12 hours since I have slept, and for a guy who regularly sleeps every three or four, that is a very, very, long time to be awake. Toodles.