Like a breath of fresh air Wolfenstein The New Order did two things that most current gen FPS games are afraid to do. Number 1: It got rid of multiplayer, that’s right folks it IS possible to have a FPS with out some tacked on multiplayer aspect to it. Number 2: Give us a story where you actually give a damn about why you are mass murdering thousands of people. id software focused on making Wolfenstein The New Order a great single player experience, and you know what? They succeeded.
Gameplay: To be honest I was surprised on how well the game worked when compared to other shooters out there, as I was a little nervous since Wolfenstein’s past library of games isn’t the greatest. Yes, Wolfenstein at its core is a run and gun shooter but it is still open for options.
If you want to use cover, go for it.
If you want to use stealth, go for it.
If you want to run through the level blasting everything with double shotguns THEN MOTHER FUCKING GO FOR IT!
The point is, for being a typical FPS the way you play is totally up to you, mix in an awesome perk system that rewards you for playing the way you want and you have game worth investing some time into.
Graphics: is it possible for a game to be beautiful and crappy at the same time? Yes, yes it is. Wolfenstein looks so good and crisp and at other times looks like you have shit smeared on your goggles. While the guns always look clear, and every character model is fantastic, some levels are gritty and down right pixelated, like that old school style where you would get too close to something and the resolution would go to shit. I know its a way for the game to make textures look more realistic when viewed from afar but boy oh boy get too close and bleh!
Sound: The voice acting is well done, the small things Captain Blazkowiczi says to himself are spot on and enemies actually have different voices (rather than just one voice actor to do all German lines). The music is well done as well, mixing in metal for high action and eerie acoustic guitar riffs for slow or tragic points but nothing too memorable outside the awesome Menu Music. At the very least the music does a fantastic job setting the mood. Unfortunately the game seems to love cutting sounds short or ending them abruptly quickly killing the very same mood. On one of the last levels the games “menu theme” is playing (the best song in the game arguably) and when it loops there is a slight stutter to restart the song, very annoying especially since the song is on repeat for the entire level.
Gripes: I know I pretty much say it in every game but, the enemy AI is piss poor, even on UBER difficulty the guards will stare at you for a good 5 seconds before acting, so if they are walking by or if you move back into hiding, they act like nothing ever happens…see video.
Clearly the guard saw me, said huh..What? then kept moving to be stabbed in the back. At least the hulking meat mountain that is William “B.J.” Blazkowicz was ducking behind a box this time. “hidden”
Even on UBER difficulty the game wants to vomit shower health packs all over you constantly, almost every inch of Wolfenstein is covered with health packs and armor to the point you almost stop looking, if it weren’t for the hidden collectables in the game I would never break open a crate or box in game. Granted there are parts of the game where it is nice to run around a corner or duck behind cover to find +80 health, but it was mostly over kill.
you can only quick swap between two weapons at a time and using the weapon select wheel is far from perfect resulting in wrong selections, and when in the heat of battle fumbling with your guns is deadly.
The Final Word: Wolfenstein The New Order has reopened my eyes to the Wolfenstein franchise by bringing that perfect mix of nostalgia and new gameplay together. In a world where new games are still far and in between (especially for PS4 and Xbox 1) Wolfenstein easily stands out as a great buy.
I BEAT IT FIRST.