Death to Spies

Death to Spies Offical Boxart Release Date: 2007 Developer: Haggard Games Publisher: Atari, Inc. Series: Death to Spies Platforms: PC Genre: Third-Person Shooter

Death to Spies is a third-person stealth game that lets the player assume the role of Captain Semion Strogov, a Russian WWII veteran and eventual field agent of the USSR's SMERSH counterintelligence agency from its 1943 inception. The game begins as Capt. Strogov is called to the Lubyanka building (then the headquarters of the KGB) in Moscow during 1951, and interrogated about his experiences to assist in tracking down a possible traitor in the organization. During his interrogation, the game's missions unfold in retrospective as Capt. Strogov tells his interrogator, or privately reminisces, about his experiences as a spy, saboteur, and assassin around the globe.

On a side note, SMERSH, a term coined by Joseph Stalin, is short for SMERt' SHpionam (СМЕРть Шпионам in Cyrillic), which itself means "Death to Spies" in Russian.

Overview

The game features a large variety of World War II weaponry, and also a fairly restrictive inventory system with which the player's weapons, equipment, and ammunition can be carried. The inventory itself has only 18 spaces and a weight limit of 22 kilograms to force players to be selective with what they take and leave behind. Inventory items each occupy a single slot and cannot be stacked, so a five-round stripper clip occupies the same amount of inventory space as a 71-round drum magazine would. The game does, however, let players carry a backpack into a level, which will allow for more than the usual 18 inventory spaces to be available, but even this must still respect the 22 kilogram weight limit, and the amount of extra inventory spaces granted depends on the type of backpack selected. Capt. Strogov for his own part cannot carry more than one long gun and one sidearm at any given time.

Death to Spies utilizes a equipment selection screen available before missions to allow players to choose their loadout before starting a mission, which is important because many weapons and pieces of equipment cannot be found in the various levels. Some weapons are not available on all missions at this screen however, and only a limited amount of ammunition (itself variable across missions) can be carried into a mission for weapons available at the pre-mission selection screen.

Like its more popular genre-mate the Hitman game series, Death to Spies also features a disguise system to allow the player character to blend in among hostile forces or access restricted areas, but the latter title's is significantly more restrictive. Disguises can only be taken from NPCs who were incapacitated in a (relatively) bloodless manner (the rationale is that clothes that are bloodstained or riddled with holes from bullets/explosive fragments/knife attacks scream "bloody murder"), and NPCs who were killed with firearms cannot have their clothes commandeered unless they were dispatched with headshots (a gameplay mechanic that is somewhat unrealistic as headshots in real life can be distressingly bloody). Even with a disguise, various NPCs (most often officers or patrolling sentries) can and will see through the player character's charade if they get close enough to verify their suspicions.

This emphasis on deflecting suspicion extends even to any long guns carried while using a disguise; if hostile NPCs get close enough to a disguised Capt. Strogov to recognize that a firearm he's carrying is incongruous with his disguise (i.e., if he is disguised as a civilian but is seen carrying any firearm, or if he is disguised as a German soldier and is seen carrying a non-German firearm), they will immediately attack him and/or sound the alarm. Incongruous backpacks are also cause for alarm if NPCs get close enough to verify a backpack's foreign appearance. Aiming a firearm (even one appropriate to a disguise), setting a planted explosive, or throwing/placing any live grenade in the close sight of any NPC are also considered hostile acts.

Note: Unless otherwise noted, the following weapons are available via the pre-mission loadout selection screen, and cannot be obtained within the game's various levels.

Handguns

Note: All handguns can be carried while concealed on Capt. Strogov's person to avoid arousing suspicion, but only handguns that match his disguise can be openly carried without drawing hostile attention. Due to the game's "effective range" system it is not possible to hit enemies with handguns beyond a distance of around 20 meters.

Colt M1911A1

The Colt M1911A1 appears in the game under its full name. Chambered in .45 ACP, It has a magazine capacity of 7 rounds, and 5 magazines can be taken into a mission for this gun from the loadout selection screen, but after the "Project Y" mission (set in the Los Alamos National Laboratory), 10 magazines can be taken into a mission. It can also be looted off of the various US Army NPCs in the "Project Y" mission. For some reason, a British diplomat's security detail in the "Hotel" mission (set in a British hotel) also carry the Colt M1911A1, though the presence of those guns in British hands could be explained as a result of the American-British "Lend-Lease" program, implemented during WWII to allow the British government to obtain American military materiel it could not otherwise pay for. Unusually for a stealth action game, the Colt M1911A1 is not available in a suppressed form.

Colt M1911A1 - .45 ACP

The Colt M1911A1 in the loadout selection screen.

A full view of the aforementioned loadout screen.

Captain Strogov lying on the floor, M1911A1 in hand. Note that the hammer is uncocked (visible at full size); seeing as the M1911A1 is a single-action-only pistol, this would render it unable to fire in reality.

Strogov aims the M1911A1 at a wall; the position of right thumb is unlikely to result in anything good, and the fact that he's able to get his thumb that far over the slide suggests that the pistol has been modeled a bit too small.

Luger P08

The Luger P08 appears in the game as the "Parabellum Luger." It is chambered for the 9x19mm cartridge, has a magazine capacity of 8 rounds, and 5 magazines can be carried into a mission. Many Wehrmacht NPCs, mainly officers or non-frontline personnel, carry this weapon and its ammunition ingame, though whether they carry this sidearm or the Walther P38 depends on the level in question; it also appears prominently on the game's cover art.

Luger P08 - 9x19mm Parabellum

The Luger P08 in the loadout selection screen, here cropped...

...and here in full.

Strogov on the floor, Luger in hand.

Aiming the P08; as with the M1911A1, his thumb is in a position that's equal parts inadvisable and impossible.

Nagant M1895

The only handgun available in a suppressed form, the Nagant M1895 appears in-game under the simple moniker of "Revolver". Chambered for 7.62mm Nagant and possessing a 7-shot cylinder, it is only available from the loadout selection screen (with the exception of the "Hotel" mission, where the player must find it in a hotel storeroom). Most missions let you carry 21 rounds of spare ammunition for the Nagant M1895 (which come in clips of 7 - this is rather odd, given that the Nagant is an individually-loaded revolver).

The game's depiction of the Nagant M1895 has some unrealistic elements - most notably, the loading gate (found on the right side of the real firearm, behind the cylinder) is missing on the in-game model. Additionally, the in-game reload animation implies that it is being reloaded with a speedloader, when in fact the real firearm had a fixed cylinder and thus could only be loaded/unloaded one round at a time. The extremely heavy 20-pound trigger pull that the real weapon has when used in double-action mode (the only firing mode used in-game) is also not represented, with the weapon having rather impressive accuracy (though it could be argued that, given his position and experience, Captain Strogov has sufficient training to render this a non-issue).

1920's production Nagant M1895 - 7.62x38mmR

The Nagant M1895 in the weapon selection screen; here, the absence of the loading gate is apparent, with the heads of the cartridges that it should be covering up being completely exposed.

The full selection menu image of the Nagant - yes, it really is just called the "Revolver".

Once more, same as before, Strogov is on the floor.

Aiming the Nagant; this is about the only handgun for which the position of Strogov's thumb makes at least a little sense - it's in roughly the right position for cocking the hammer, which would be perfectly reasonable if not for the fact that he uses the Nagant exclusively in double-action.

Nagant M1895 with Bramit supressor (modern replica) - 7.62x38mmR Nagant

The inventory view of the suppressed Nagant.

A full inventory view of the revolver; note that the English translation of DtS refers to the suppressor as a "muffler".

For traitors to the state,
But one fate awaits.
Capt. Strogov, disguised as a hotel worker, executes a Russian double agent with a suppressed Nagant M1895 after knocking the traitor out. This particular double agent was leaking sensitive information to a British diplomat.

Tokarev TT-33

The Tokarev TT-33 is available in-game as the "TT-33." Chambered for 7.62x25mm Tokarev, it has an 8-round magazine capacity. A whopping 10 spare magazines can be carried into a mission, right from the start of the game.

Tokarev TT-33 (Tula production) - 7.62x25mm Tokarev

A close-up of the TT-33 in the weapon selection menu...

..and the full selection screen.

Strogov on the floor with yet another handgun. This is getting to be a habit.

As is his apparent insistence on putting his right thumb in places it shouldn't be, apparently. Note that, like the M1911A1, the Tokarev's hammer is uncocked - also like the M1911A1, the Tokarev is a single-action-only pistol, so this is incorrect.

Walther P38

The Walther P38 appears in the game under its full name, is chambered for 9x19mm ammunition, and comes with 5 spare magazines standard. The P38 and its ammunition can also be taken off of various Wehrmacht NPCs who are officers or non-combat personnel - whether they use it or the Luger P08 is down to the level in question.

Walther P38 (Mauser production) - 9x19mm Parabellum

The in-game model of the P38...

...and its corresponding full selection screen.

Strogov, floor, Walther. Same soup, just re-handgunned.

Aiming the pistol; while the P38 is at least capable of double-action fire, it's still not DAO, so the game's depiction of it is still incorrect. And Strogov's still apparently keen on removing his right thumb.

Walther PPK Suppressed

The cover art for some versions show Semyon with a Walther PPK; this weapon would not be present in-game until the third entry Alekhine's Gun.

Walther PPK with Suppressor- 7.65x17mm Browning

Semyon holds his Suppressed Walther PPK on the cover art.

Submachine Guns

The only fully-automatic weapons in this game, submachine guns can hit enemies within 40 meters or less (any further and the game will simply make the bullets disappear). It is not possible to conceal this class of weaponry, so an incongruous SMG will cause NPCs to raise an alarm if they get too close to Captain Strogov.

M1A1 Thompson

Carried by various US soldiers in the "Project Y" mission, the M1A1 Thompson is chambered in .45 ACP, has a magazine capacity of 30 rounds, and appears as the "Thompson Submachine Gun" in the loadout selection screen, or simply the "Thompson" within a mission. This weapon only becomes available on the loadout selection screen after the "Project Y" mission, and 5 magazines can be selected for it. Despite firing the most powerful round, it possesses the least recoil and is the most accurate of its class ingame.

M1A1 Thompson with 30-round magazine - .45 ACP

The weapon selection menu's image of the M1A1 Thompson.

Aaaaaaand Strogov's still on the floor. He does at least show some nice trigger discipline, which was rather uncommon (and not by any means standard practice) at the time.

A better view of the Thompson; note that the bolt is always closed, and the ejection port is apparently just gone.

MP40

The most common weapon in the game is the MP40, appearing in the hands of almost all the game's Wehrmacht soldiers. The MP40 is chambered for 9x19mm ammunition, and its magazines are always loaded with 32 rounds (despite the fact that most users of the MP40 in real life only loaded 30 rounds to reduce the risk of jamming). The weapon is available from the beginning of the game at the loadout selection screen with 5 magazines there, but because of its ingame ubiquity (far more prevalent than the Karabiner 98k, which was the most common standard-issue weapon of the real-life Wehrmacht), selecting it from that screen is fairly pointless. NPCs using this weapon always fire it from the hip (unlike Captain Strogov who uses the iron sights), and two magazines for the weapon can be looted from their bodies (though they never run out of ammunition while shooting the weapon).

The game's version of the weapon is never depicted with its buttstock unfolded; as such, muzzle climb is understandably high when Capt. Strogov uses it.

MP40 - 9x19mm Parabellum

The MP40 in the weapon selection menu.

A full view thereof.

Yet again, Strogov lies facedown on the floor and practices period-uncommon trigger discipline with a classic wartime SMG.

The MP40 on Strogov's back; note the folded stock, which presumably can't be unfolded because it's just part of the texture.

PPS-43

The PPS-43 appears ingame under its real-life designation, chambered for 7.62x25mm Tokarev and with a magazine capacity of 35 rounds. In addition to being lighter than the ingame PPSh-41, it also possesses less muzzle climb and is more accurate. Up to 5 magazines for the PPS-43 can be selected from the loadout selection screen (the weapon itself is available from the beginning of the game).

PPS-43 - 7.62x25mm Tokarev

The PPS-43 in the loadout selection screen.

A full view of said loadout screen.

Strogov continues his floor-shuffling, now armed with a PPS-43; note that the bolt is, and will forever remain, closed on this open-bolt submachine gun.

Strogov pauses his shuffling for a moment to ponder the exclamation point sign someone has seen fit to put on the floor.

The PPS-43 also appears in the background of the title screen with its buttstock folded, which depicts a SMERSH safehouse (or rather, a "safe log cabin"). This screen is also used for the background of the mission briefings and the loadout selection screen. Sadly, the buttstock cannot be folded in-game.

PPSh-41

The iconic symbol of a Red Army trooper, the PPSh-41 appears in-game under its real name; it uses 7.62x25mm Tokarev ammunition, and feeds exclusively from 71-round drum magazines. Available from the start of the game, the PPSh and its magazine are both the heaviest of its class, and carrying both the weapon and 5 additional magazines (the maximum that can be carried into a mission) will almost completely exhaust Capt. Strogov's weight limit on his inventory. Despite the depicted weight, the PPSh-41 is the most inaccurate and possesses the most muzzle climb of all SMGs in the game; this is presumably more for the sake of balance than authenticity, since a heavier firearm will have less felt recoil and muzzle climb than a lighter firearm using the same cartridge, and the PPSh is noted as being rather controllable IRL.

PPSh-41 - 7.62x25mm Tokarev

The PPSh-41 in the loadout selection screen...

...and in the hands of our resident floor-crawler.

And on his back, too. Where he's hiding those 5 extra drums is anybody's guess.

"Za STALINA!"
Having decided that stealth isn't worth a chyort, Capt. Strogov whips out his PPSh-41 and begins gunning down German soldiers en masse with his PPSh-41 in a Gestapo interrogation facility.

Sten Mk. III

The Sten Mk. III is the last of the game's submachine guns, going by its real name. Chambered for 9x19mm ammunition, it uses 32-round magazines; somewhat unrealistically, these are proprietary, and cannot be interchanged with those of the game's MP40 (ammunition and magazine compatibility with the MP40 having been one of the "design goals" of the real Sten SMG). It is available only from the loadout selection screen from the "Die Spies!" mission onwards, with up to three additional magazines selectable there. A suppressed variant is available, and is the only suppressed fully-automatic weapon in-game; this is simply a Mk. III fitted with a suppressor, rather than one of the integrally-suppressed Sten variants like the Mk. II(S). Needless to say, the overheating problems that the real-life Sten suffered when fitted with a suppressor are not emulated in-game.

Sten Mk. III - 9x19mm Parabellum

The Sten Mk. III in the loadout selection screen.

A full view of the aforementioned screen.

And, yet again, Strogov finds himself on the floor with a submachine gun.

Having cleared all of the handguns and SMGs, will Strogov's perpetual desire to crawl around on the floor with different guns finally be satisfied? Only time will tell.

The suppressed Sten in the loadout selection screen, here zoomed in...

...and here zoomed out. As with the Nagant, the Sten's suppressor is referred to as a "muffler" in-game.

A disguised Capt. Strogov looks out on the streets of German-occupied Krakow in Poland, not realizing how ridiculous he looks with the magazine of a suppressed Sten Mk. III sticking out of his right armpit. All of the game's long guns use the same drawing and slinging animations; as such, they do not work very well with weapons that have side-mounted magazines.
The icon at the top of this screenshot is the suspicion meter, and is only present if Capt. Strogov openly carries a weapon incongruous to his disguise, or if he is doing something NPCs will see as hostile. The more red the icon has, the closer a hostile NPC who can see Capt. Strogov is.

Rifles/Carbines

As is the case with all long guns, rifles and carbines cannot be concealed on Capt. Strogov's person. Most of the rifles are available in a scoped variant, and almost all unscoped rifles and carbines ingame have a maximum range of 50 meters (scoped rifles can hit visible NPCs at any distance). For some reason, unscoped semiautomatic rifles and carbines ingame are depicted as far less accurate than bolt-action versions. Scoped rifles, however, are always perfectly accurate (though crosshair sway caused by Capt. Strogov's breathing is emulated, along with the ability to hold his breath for a more accurate shot), and are always one-hit-kill weapons whereas the unscoped versions have more random stopping power per hit. Somewhat unrealistically, rifles with integral magazines in this game can be reloaded at any time with stripper clips (even though nearly all of them in real life only had enough room in their integral magazines for one full stripper clip's worth of ammunition--loading one that was not completely empty would require the use of loose rounds).

De Lisle Carbine

The De Lisle Carbine appears in-game as the "DeLisle Carbine", and is chambered for .45 ACP with a magazine capacity of 7 rounds. Solely available from the loadout selection screen, the De Lisle has the same maximum range as the game's SMGs; precisely how SMERSH got its hands on an incredibly rare British covert-ops weapon with a documented production run of 129 units is never really explained. Up to 2 additional magazines can be taken into a mission for it, which is sometimes more than can be taken for the suppressed Mosin; these magazines are proprietary in-game, which is somewhat correct - while the De Lisle's requires specially-modified M1911 magazines (and thus shouldn't be able to use mags from the in-game M1911A1), these modified magazines should (theoretically) work just fine in a standard M1911, making their true compatibility a one-sided affair instead of the game's zero-sided one.

De Lisle Carbine - .45 ACP

The De Lisle in the loadout selection screen.

Well, time has told, and the answer was "no".

Hey, it was worth a shot. As is pointing out that, since the De Lisle is the last pistol-caliber weapon on the page, maybe he'll stop now?

Gewehr 43

The Gewehr 43 appears under its real name, and is one of the few pieces of equipment that is not available from the loadout selection screen. Chambered in 7.92x57mm Mauser, it has a magazine capacity of 10 rounds, but spare magazines cannot be found ingame. The eponymous German snipers in the "8 Snipers" mission all carry a Gewehr 43, and one is also available in a store room in the first mission of the game (titled "Cannibal"). In-game, the G43 is only ever found with a scope, and serves as the most common weapon of German snipers; this is incorrect, as the majority of Wermacht snipers were historically armed with scoped Karabiner 98ks.

Gewehr 43 with ZF 4 scope - 7.92x57mm Mauser

Nope, I guess not.

Having defied any attempt at intervention, Strogov continues his floor-crawling habit, showing off a strange graphical bug with the trigger guard in the process.

Having gotten back to his job, Capt. Strogov eyes a scoped Gewehr 43 lying on top of some storage crates. Note that the trigger guard looks fine here, making the bug above all the more bizarre.

A Wehrmacht sniper relaxing on top of a bridge tower, unaware of the true intentions of the Soviet saboteur behind him.

Capt. Strogov looking at two Wehrmacht troopers, enjoying a smoke break on a bridge, through a Gewehr 43's scope; note that this isn't at all what a ZF4 scope's reticle looks like - the real deal uses a vertical post and two horizontal lines, similar to the reticle of the PU scope shown further down. The red-and-grey horizontal bar along the bottom of the screen measures how long Capt. Strogov can hold his breath for reduced crosshair sway; this is a real aiming technique, though it is generally advised to hold a breath out rather than in for optimal results.

Karabiner 98k

The Karabiner 98k appears in the game as the "Mauser K98k" at the loadout selection screen (though in a mission it is simply called the "Kar98"), and it is occasionally found in the hands of Wehrmacht troopers (which is the opposite of its ubiquity amongst the real-life Wehrmacht). Chambered for 7.92x57mm Mauser ammunition, it uses 5-round stripper clips to load into its 5-round integral magazine; up to 5 of these clips can be carried into a mission, but NPCs who carry the Mauser usually only carry 1 or 2 stripper clips (which is an unrealistically low ammunition load for the Wehrmacht, outside the very last days of the war). A scoped variant is also available, though it cannot be selected from the loadout screen, and instead must be taken from Wermacht snipers.

Karabiner 98k - 7.92x57mm Mauser

The Karabiner 98k in the loadout selection screen.

A full view of the aforementioned screen.

"Strogov, seriously, you need help."

"I CAN STOP WHENEVER I WANT!"

Two Wehrmacht troopers with Karabiner 98k rifles slung over their backs relaxing over a meal, while a disguised Capt. Strogov looks on.

A Wehrmacht trooper in the game's introductory cutscene with a Karabiner 98k rifle.

Karabiner 98k with Zeiss ZF42 scope - 7.92x57mm Mauser

Having somehow managed to find an enemy sniper in an empty hallway, Strogov brandishes his prize.

And then, in grand addictiontradition, slings it over his back for a better look.

Lee-Enfield No. 4 Mk I

The Lee-Enfield No. 4 Mk I can be selected from the loadout selection screen under its real name, though no NPCs use it. It is chambered for .303 British ammunition, and has a magazine capacity of 10 rounds. The unscoped version of this rifle is first available to the player at the "Die Spies!" mission; the scoped version, the Lee-Enfield No. 4 Mk. 1(T), becomes available in the subsequent mission, "Die Spies!".

The in-game version of this rifle is somewhat unrealistically depicted as having a detachable box magazine (of which up to 3 can be carried into a mission, in addition to the one already in the weapon); while the real weapon's magazine was detachable, this was primarily for cleaning and clearing purposes, and soldiers were only given 1 magazine and a set of 5-round stripper clips for reloading - in short, such loading is possible, but unorthodox.

Lee-Enfield No. 4 Mk I - .303 British

The Lee-Enfield No. 4 Mk I in the loadout selection menu; somewhat surprisingly, the game refers to it by its full name, rather than just calling it the "Lee-Enfield".

Deciding to be a bit different, Captain Strogov makes himself the only person in the entire game to use a Lee-Enfield.

The downside of this is that there's nobody to teach him how to use it, which is probably why the striker isn't actually cocked.

Lee-Enfield No. 4 Mk I (T) - .303 British

The (T) variant (short for "Telescopic") in the loadout menu; again, the game surprises us all by using the weapon's full, unaltered name.

Undeterred by his lack of knowledge, Strogov sticks a scope and a cheekrest onto his No. 4.

Luckily, he's alone in this hallway, so his lack of knowledge about what he doesn't know won't come back to bite him. Probably.

M1 Carbine

The M1 Carbine appears ingame under its real-life designation. Chambered in .30 Carbine with a 15-round magazine capacity, the ingame version is carried by various US soldiers in the "Project Y" mission, and is selectable in the loadout selection screen (with a maximum of 5 additional magazines selectable) after that mission. As is the case with all of the game's semiautomatic rifles (barring the G43), the M1 Carbine is depicted as being fairly inaccurate.

M1 Carbine (early-pattern) with khaki sling, oil bottle, and twin-magazine pouch on stock - .30 Carbine

The M1 Carbine in the loadout selection menu.

His arms having grown rather tired, Strogov decides to choose a lighter rifle for his next date with the floor.

He then slings it over his back. On a sidenote, he's been doing this with an invisible sling for every single long gun on this page, and you probably just now noticed.

M1 Garand

The M1 Garand appears under its real name, and is chambered in .30-06 Springfield with an 8-round magazine capacity, fed by en-block clips. As with other American weapons, it is first seen in the hands of various US soldiers in the "Project Y" mission, and is available from the loadout selection screen (with a maximum of 5 en-bloc clips selectable) after that mission.

M1 Garand with leather M1917 sling - .30-06 Springfield

The M1 Garand in the loadout selection menu.

Having regained his arm strength, Strogov decides to grab a Garand and make some music.

But page uses repetitive, formulaic screenshots, so no ping for you.

Mosin-Nagant M91/30

The standard-issue battle rifle of the Red Army, the Mosin-Nagant M91/30 in-game is chambered in 7.62x54mmR, with a 5-round magazine capacity. The Mosin is only available via the loadout selection screen, and has the most variants available of any of the game's firearms - two M91/30s are available (both PU-equipped sniper rifles, one fitted with a suppressor), as well as an M38 Carbine detailed below; the suppressed version is also available with a (purely cosmetic) woodland camouflage wrapping. Both M91/30 variants can only be brought into a mission with 1 or 2 stripper clips (depending on the mission); aside from being a somewhat arbitrarily strict limitation, this is incorrect, since PU-scoped Mosins can't be reloaded with stripper clips (due to the scope getting in the way).

Mosin-Nagant M91/30 with PU scope and downturned bolt handle - 7.62x54mmR

The M91/30 in the loadout selection menu; the game calls it the "Mosin, 1891/30 version", in contrast with its usual habit of calling guns by their exact, standard name.

Having finally grabbed a rifle that could be reasonably described as "standard-issue", Strogov returns to the floor from whence he came.

"Slung" over his back, the distinctive downturned bolt handle of scoped Mosins is readily apparent.

It's even more apparent in this zoomed-in image of the loadout menu; this is the suppressed version, in case you couldn't tell.

Capt. Strogov prepares to ambush a distant Wehrmacht patrol with a suppressed M91/30 sniper rifle. This variant is covered in camouflage wrappings that match his own uniform's woodland camouflage pattern.

"A bullet for your thoughts?"
Capt. Strogov snipes a Wehrmacht trooper with his suppressed Mosin.

Mosin-Nagant M38 Carbine

As mentioned above, the M38 Carbine variant of the Mosin is also selectable from the loadout screen; it is called the "Mosin-38 Carbine" in this screen, while in missions it is simply called the "Mosin Carbine". Gameplay-wise, it trades the M91/30 variants' scope for extra stripper clips; this doesn't make much sense, seeing as the M38 is nothing more than a shortened M91/30, and uses the exact same ammunition and clips.

Mosin-Nagant M38 Carbine - 7.62x54mmR

A Mosin Nagant M38 carbine at the loadout selection screen; note that, unlike the M91/30, this variant has a straight bolt handle.

A full view of the above screen.

Same old song and dance, but now with a slightly shorter rifle.

More specifically, it's a slightly shorter rifle that sticks out a bit further to the right, and doesn't have any glass on it. But hey, you get extra ammo for it, so there's that.

Capt. Strogov plays the role of an intrepid resistance fighter with a Mosin-Nagant M38 on his back. Unfortunately for Strogov, being visibly armed while wearing civilian clothes is a surefire way to be recognized as an enemy in this game, as indicated by GUI icon in the upper center of the screen.

Springfield M1903

The Springfield M1903 appears in two forms in-game, the iron-sighted M1903A3 and the scoped M1903A4; both are chambered in .30-06, and have 5-round magazines fed with stripper clips. Both are only available at the loadout selection screen after the "Project Y" mission (despite not actually appearing in that mission, unlike most of the game's American weaponry); the M1903A3 can be taken with a maximum of 5 stripper clips, while the scoped A4 can be brought along with a maximum of 4 (the most of any sniper rifle ingame) - again, this is incorrect, since the M1903A4's scope prevents the use of stripper clips.

Springfield M1903A3 (Remington-manufactured) - .30-06 Springfield

The Springfield M1903A3 in the loadout selection menu; it features a squarish trigger guard and straight-wristed stock, indicating a Remington-manufactured rifle.

Lying on a Tilefield, Strogov clutches his Springfield.

And then decides to stop clutching it, to give the invisible man staring at his back a better look.

Springfield M1903A4 with Model 330 Weaver scope - .30-06 Springfield

The M1903A4 in the loadout menu; unlike the reference image, it has a straight-wristed stock, since it's based on the in-game M1903A3's model.

Deciding that he needs a bit more range in this cramped, empty hallway, Strogov swaps out his A3 for an A4.

He then drops it on his own back. Note that the in-game M1903A4 incorrectly has a front sight; the real weapon lacks one, as with the scope mount taking the place of the rear sight, there isn't exactly much point in putting one on.

Tokarev SVT-40

The Tokarev SVT-40 appears in the game as the "SVT-40," and is chambered for 7.62x54mmR with a magazine capacity of 10 rounds. It is only available from the loadout selection screen (right from the first mission), and the amount of spare magazines selectable there changes throughout the game - the unscoped variant starts out with just one at the start of the game to a maximum of 5 by the "Die Spies!" mission. A scoped variant of the SVT-40 is also available at the start of the game, but this version only has a maximum of 2 spare magazines selectable - as with several of the other weapons, this is more for the sake of balance than any sort of logic.

Tokarev SVT-40 - 7.62x54mmR

The SVT-40 in the loadout selection menu.

Once more, same as before, Strogov's... wait, I used that joke already.

Anyway, here's a better view of the SVT.

Tokarev SVT-40 with PU scope - 7.62x54mmR

The scoped SVT in the loadout menu.

Strogov lying on the floor with his scoped SVT. Bet you can't guess what comes next.

Yep, he puts it on his back. Pat your own if you managed to predict that one.

Grenades

Note: Thanks to Capt. Strogov's saboteur training, all grenades can be used to make booby traps. Doors can be rigged to explode when opened, and incapacitated NPCs can be turned into "body bombs" that detonate when examined by enemies. The latter will also detonate if the trapped body is raised to be moved around by Capt. Strogov. He can safely disarm and retrieve grenades used as booby traps at a later time. Grenades cannot be "cooked" when thrown, and the ingame stick grenades cannot be thrown further for the same amount of throwing force than conventional hand grenades (as they can in real life). It is not possible to select a specific grenade when setting grenade booby traps, but Capt. Strogov will use the most commonly found grenades first before using rarer ones.

F-1 Hand Grenade

The F-1 hand grenade appears in-game as the "F-1 Grenade", and is only available from the loadout selection screen. It is the heaviest grenade in the game, and up to 3 can be carried into a mission. Despite being a "defensive" grenade with a larger effective radius than most "offensive" grenades in real life, the in-game version's effective radius is not noticeably larger than the other grenades'.

F-1 high-explosive fragmentation hand grenade

An F-1 in the loadout selection menu; note the somewhat odd flat-topped fuze.

A full view of the loadout selection screen, showing that DtS understands the importance of the hyphen in distinguishing Russian and French F1s.

Attempting to kick his floor-lying addiction, Strogov tries some aversion therapy by lying facedown on snow-covered concrete.

Capt. Strogov cocks his arm back as he prepares to deliver an explosive gift to a group of inattentive Wehrmacht infantry, who are busy attending to a side-car-equipped motorcycle. Strogov is wearing a captured German backpack in this picture, all the better for moving among Wehrmacht guards with a load of dynamite.

The explosive aftermath of a thrown F-1: the nearby motorcycle sympathetically detonates, and a couple of unfortunate Wehrmacht troops gain some frequent flyer miles. In reality, the relatively large explosive radius of an F-1 necessitates that it be used behind hard cover when armed and thrown; using one at this short a distance with nothing but a tree for cover would be a very dangerous proposition in real life.

Model 24 Stielhandgranate

The Model 24 Stielhandgranate appears in the game simply as the "Stielhandgranate", and is one of the few pieces of equipment in game that cannot be obtained from the loadout selection screen. However, many Wehrmacht troopers ingame have one in their inventories, and they will start to use them with reckless abandon on higher difficulty levels once they spot or unmask Capt. Strogov. Notably, the Model 24 Stielhandgranate is automatically chosen for use over other grenades in Capt. Strogov's inventory whenever the player sets a booby trap, as (unlike the Soviet-designed grenades) they can be replaced mid-mission.

Model 24 Stielhandgranate "Potato Masher" high-explosive fragmentation hand grenade

Following his foray into rehabilitation, Strogov immediately relapses.

RGD-33 Stick Grenade

The RGD-33 stick grenade appears as the "RGD-33 grenade" at the loadout selection screen and as the "RGD-33" in a mission. It is only available at the loadout selection screen (with a limit of 3 grenades per mission), and is the lighter of the two Soviet grenades in-game; this is incorrect, as while the RGD-33 is lighter than the F-1 normally, the add-on fragmentation sleeve increases the weight past that of its stickless contemporary.

RGD-33 high-explosive fragmentation stick grenade with fragmentation sleeve

A close-up of the RGD-33 in the loadout selection screen; here, the fragmentation sleeve is obvious.

It's slightly less obvious here, but still obvious.

Not willing to give up yet, Strogov resumes his attempts at curing his addiction.

Landmines

Note: All landmines can only be carried in backpacks, not in Capt. Strogov's "regular" inventory. Landmines cannot be buried or otherwise concealed when placed, but are still invisible to enemies anyway. Unlike many games with landmines or similar weapons, an NPC must directly step on an armed landmine to detonate it. Capt. Strogov cannot detonate landmines by stepping on them, but he can still shoot them to detonate them prematurely.

PMD-6 Mine

The PMD-6 Mine is the heavier of the two Soviet landmines, and up to two can usually be taken into a mission. Despite being larger and heavier than the PMK-40 mine, the PMD-6's blast radius is not noticeably larger when triggered.

PMD-6 Mine

The PMD-6 mine in the loadout selection screen.

The full loadout screen; mines and hand grenades are both placed into the "explosives" category in-game.

Cold and hungry, Strogov decides to remedy one of his problems by pulling out his wooden lunchbox.

Confident that they have thoroughly conquered a winter-bound city, a Wehrmacht patrol fails to notice an armed PMD-6 mine in their path.

PMK-40 Mine

The PMK-40 Anti-Personel Mine. The lighter of the two ingame Soviet landmines, Capt. Strogov can usually take up to 3 PMK-40 mines in his backpack into a mission.

PMK-40 Anti-Personel Mine

The PMK-40 mine in the loadout selection screen.

A full view of the aforementioned screen, which seems to squash the image a bit.

Strogov lying next to a PMK-40; it doesn't look like much, but that's kind of the point.

A Wehrmacht patrol about to make an explosive mistake in the form of an armed PMK-40 mine. The mine itself is visible in the lower left hand area of this binocular view.

Other

Cannon

Antique muzzle-loading cannons, in both field and naval mounts, are occasionally seen as map decorations; they are (rather obviously) unusable.

Naval cannon - 18th century

Midway through an unguided museum tour, Captain Strogov looks at the selection of cannons on display. Fascinating stuff, really.

MG34

The Panzerkampfwagen V "Panther" tanks that decorate some of the game's levels feature MG34 machine guns in their hulls.

MG34 Panzerlauf - 7.92x57mm Mauser

Strogov decides to try his hand at some wildlife photography, and sneaks up on a Panther for a closer look. The top-mounted MG34 is missing, but the one in the hull is still present.

MG42

MG42 machine guns are mounted in German bunkers in-game; they are (sadly) unusable.

MG42 - 7.92x57mm Mauser

Strogov takes a momentary break from being as inconspicuous as possible to observe the MG42 mounted in a German bunker; apparently, one of the Wermacht's last-ditch experimental projects was the development of an anti-gravity mounting for the gun and its belt.

Unable (or unwilling) to crawl through a giant hole in a concrete wall, Strogov declares the weapon entirely beyond his reach, and promptly leaves.

Flintlock Musket

Flintlock muskets (possibly Charleville derivatives) with bayonets fitted are also used as map decorations.

Charleville Mousquet Modèle 1777 - .69 caliber

After the end of his tour, Strogov immediately found the nearest payphone and gave Haggard Games a rather angry call over these muskets being unusable.

Smokestick

Capt. Strogov can select smokesticks (an older version of a handheld flare, full of chemicals chosen to produce smoke rather than visible light) from the loadout selection screen; the game itself calls them "smoke pots", while the manual calls them "smoke bombs". They serve as distraction devices in-game, with lit smokesticks causing the first enemy that sees them to investigate the smoke's source; they burn for around 30 seconds, and for gameplay reasons cannot distract more than one enemy per thrown smokestick. The decision to provide smokesticks instead of smoke grenades may have been based on the former being significantly lighter than the latter; the developers also may not have wished to emulate the choking, coughing, and visual obstruction of NPCs (or the player character) caught in a smoke grenade's smoke cloud - since a smokestick produces far less smoke than a smoke grenade, none of these behaviors are present in-game.

A smokestick in the loadout selection screen. It's not dynamite, we swear.

A full view of the aforementioned screen; given the smokesticks' in-game name, we can surmise that the devs don't have very much kitchen experience.

Strogov and his pet smokestick decide to practice their disguises, with the former attempting to blend in with the snowy concrete, and the latter doing its level best to look like one of the twigs on the ground.

Dynamite

The most powerful explosive available in the game, dynamite bundles may only be carried in Capt. Strogov's backpack and are only available from the loadout selection screen, with 2 bundles normally available for selection in missions that allow a backpack to be taken. The "8 Snipers" mission however, which requires that Capt. Strogov destroy a railway bridge with no less than 5 bundles of dynamite, does have bundles of dynamite stored in various locations around the level in case the player did not take all 5 bundles by default. Under normal circumstances, dynamite bundles have to have their timed detonators manually set by the player, but the "8 Snipers" mission only makes the mandatory dynamite bundles detonate when the mission is successfully completed.

When the timer runs out, these bundles explode with greater force than any other explosive in the game, but cannot penetrate cover provided by buildings of any type since the game does not have any destructible environments. As the timed detonator is the only triggering method available, killing NPCs with it is more difficult than doing so with the the touch-triggered landmines. Dynamite bundles are still invisible to NPCs, however.

A WWII-era German dynamite bundle, with fuse.

A timed dynamite bundle in the loadout selection screen.

A full view of the aforementioned screen.

Having accepted his fate, Strogov lies down on the floor, and waits for the timer to run out.