You had to be part of the PC scene 25 years ago to truly appreciate the profound connection between Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus, the first-person shooter genre, and its defining style. Wolfenstein 3D (1992) allowed players to uninhibitedly engage in Nazi combat, simultaneously pushing the capabilities of their 386 or 486 33Mhz processors. Optimizing performance often involved reducing the game window to achieve a playable framerate, rendering BJ Blazkowicz’s world in its pseudo-3D glory.
The original title that launched the franchise 25 years ago – accessible within the game.
A generation has passed, yet the core theme persists. Wolfenstein’s alternate reality depicts a world where Hitler and the Nazis triumphed in World War II, devastating the USA and establishing a global presence as a brutal, oppressive force, largely embodied by faceless antagonists. Without delving into political commentary, it’s worth noting that Wolfenstein II avoids potential controversy by largely portraying its enemies as anonymous robot soldiers, monstrous figures reminiscent of Doom, and caricatured figures.
Following the conclusion of the previous installment, Wolfenstein: The New Order, the fate of William J Blazkowicz, also known as BJ Blazkowicz or “Terror-Billy,” remained uncertain after the explosion on Death Head’s submarine. However, he survives. Echoing elements of Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain, the game opens with the protagonist awakening in a hospital bed, struggling to navigate in a wheelchair amidst a Nazi invasion of the submarine. This introductory sequence effectively establishes the tone for Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus. While fundamentally an FPS, it incorporates innovative mechanics and places a greater emphasis on stealth and heightened difficulty. Even seasoned FPS players may find Wolfenstein II significantly more challenging. A “guns-blazing” approach will likely result in a swift demise. Players are quickly surrounded, alarms sound, and BJ’s resilience is notably diminished. Frequent encounters with the game over screen necessitate manual saves to avoid replaying lengthy sequences (a quick-save function would have been a welcome addition). Whether influenced by the recent trend of punishingly difficult games such as Dark Souls and Cuphead remains open to interpretation, but Wolfenstein II demands a more deliberate and tactical playstyle than its predecessor. Fans of stealth-focused titles like Dishonored will appreciate this shift. However, players accustomed to the frenetic action of Call of Duty may find it a departure.
Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus offers impressive visuals, provided you have the appropriate hardware.
The overall presentation of Wolfenstein II is visually appealing. The voice acting and motion-capture animations are convincing. A high-end PC offers the optimal experience. On consoles, the PS4 Pro version provides a noticeable upgrade in resolution, detail, color fidelity, and texture quality – at least until the enhanced Xbox One X version becomes available for assessment in the near future (promising 4K and HDR support). Playing on the standard Xbox One, as was primarily done for this review, presents a more inconsistent experience. Machinegames, the Uppsala-based developer, has prioritized maintaining a 60 fps target across all platforms, a crucial factor for FPS playability. However, the Xbox One’s technical specifications were somewhat constrained upon its initial release in 2013 (2014 in Sweden), and while the upgraded Xbox One S offered marginal improvements in some titles, it doesn’t deliver a significant graphical leap. Environments can be striking and immersive, particularly when set in the USA. Water rendering is notably realistic, and character animations are well-executed. However, facial models exhibit varying levels of quality, ranging from high fidelity in cutscenes to somewhat stiff, unrefined, and generic during gameplay. During stealth takedowns, characters can resemble plastic mannequins. Furthermore, a pervasive fog effect is noticeable in darker levels, likely intended to mask simpler textures and mitigate the Xbox’s challenges in dynamically scaling objects. While the original PS4 exhibits considerable fan noise under load, the Xbox One, with its inherent limitations, struggles even more. It’s becoming increasingly evident that enjoying modern console games as intended requires investing in a PS4 Pro or an Xbox One X (or ideally both, if budget allows).
Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus exhibits considerable intentionality in its design. Beyond being a challenging FPS with stealth elements, the narrative attempts to subvert norms and offer deeper character exploration. We gain insights into BJ’s traumatic childhood and witness the cruelty of Frau Engel towards her overweight and “weak” daughter, whom she deems a disgrace to the Aryan race. These humanizing elements lend Wolfenstein II a degree of psychological and philosophical depth (a notable bar scene in the USA features BJ engaging in political discussions with adversaries). However, it’s not a Game of Thrones-esque narrative with morally ambiguous characters; the antagonists (often Nazis or Ku Klux Klan members) are unequivocally evil, lacking any complex psychological justification. Nevertheless, it represents a step towards greater narrative complexity.
Silent takedowns are crucial for success.
We acknowledge the craftsmanship evident in Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus. While the previous installment might have offered more immediate gratification through its action-oriented gameplay, the narrative presented here is compelling and worth experiencing. Be prepared for a greater emphasis on tactics, challenge, stealth, and a reduction in all-out aggression. Although Wolfenstein is traditionally associated with unrestrained action, the franchise can explore new avenues and evolve while respecting its heritage (players can access the original 1992 game on an arcade machine within the submarine’s bar). Wolfenstein II is a well-executed game that charts a new course for the series. Whether this new direction resonates with you will determine your overall enjoyment. We encourage you to experience it firsthand and form your own opinion.
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