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One map features an extensive catacomb system that goes from one end to the other, with a staircase in the middle that leads right to a flag. As I mentioned earlier, the maps have lots of alternate routes - so much so that you might find yourself using them exclusively. Overall, grenades aren't used quite as much as in CS, since you have to switch to them manually, prime, and then throw, instead of just chucking one with a hotkey. The machine gun is devastating when placed strategically, and the Rifleman's grenade attachment is great for incredibly accurate placement. Other than that, the weapons function pretty much the same for both sides. Unfortunately, it's only available to the U.S. It can be used as a sniper rifle in a pinch and holds its own in a medium-range firefight. The M1 Garand might be the best all-around weapon, as it has great accuracy, rate of fire, and damage. And you'll become familiar with the arsenal pretty quickly, as certain types seem to work better than others from map to map. The other weapons feel a lot more authentic the assault rifles and carbines require short bursts, preferably while crouching, and the machine guns are useless unless fired while prone or while mounted on a sandbag or window frame. In reality, this would be virtually impossible - the accuracy and deadliness of this bolt-action rifle in DoD:S has to be seen to be believed. The Kar 98 is also quickly becoming a devastating weapon, as some ninja players are seemingly capable of getting one-shot kills at a dead run. People are more careful when moving forward, and grenade use is getting more prevalent. Where before people were playing more like UT, the Counter-Strike mentality is beginning to take hold (minus jumping around corners with an AWP). After a day of people figuring out maps and tactics, the flow of the matches has become a lot more strategic. I did the class-based system, and the multiple routes. The American character voices sound a little green, but that's about the only negative. As far as sound, the weapons sound great - accurate, with details like the clink noise of an M1 Garand reaching the end of its clip, and the chinking of a Kar 98 reload. I would recommend a gigabyte of RAM and a vid card with 128MB of memory. A mid-range computer should run this just fine. And despite being so high on the shine-o-meter, it actually runs quite smoothly, as I mentioned in the impressions piece posted yesterday. Nicer textures, better animation, ragdoll and a few other odds and ends. Overall, DoD:S is a great looking game, a cut above Counter-Strike: Source. Day of Defeat's HDR is not nearly as pronounced as in, say, Far Cry, which is nice because that can get a little distracting in the midst of a firefight. Assuming your video card supports HDR, you'll get some nice (and subtle) lighting effects that both make the game look pretty and make it a little easier to see in dark areas. While most people put Counter-Strike at the top of the multiplayer games they associate with Half-Life, Day of Defeat isn't too far behind, especially now that it's been overhauled and updated by Valve, complete with high dynamic range lighting.