Wolfenstein 2: The New Colossus Review
MachineGames |
Never has a video game franchise make killing Nazis more fun than the Wolfenstein games. I mean there is an over-the-top crazy story, but still stay true to their core. Three years after the latest success of Wolfenstein: The New Order and it's equally successful standalone DLC Wolfenstein: The Old Blood, we finally have hands-on Wolfenstein 2: The New Colossus. From what you've seen the last couple of months about this game you might have gotten an impression that Wolfenstein 2: The New Colossus is going to be even greater than the previous games, but can this game actually recapture what fans liked about The New Order and The Old Blood. So is this game worth even dropping money on it?
Our hero "B.J." Blazkowicz survived the ending of the last game, which is not really a surprise even though The New Order kind of had an open ending. Blazkowicz is to die anyway. Wolfenstein 2 is set almost directly after the events of The New Order where we find Blazkowicz waking up on the inside of a German submarine. He is in a wheelchair though, not being able to use his legs. Which is funny because the previous game Blazkowicz was brain-dead for 20 years, and wakes up and kills a bunch of people, but either way the game opens up with the protagonist killing Nazis. In a wheelchair, somewhere in the 1960s.
If you haven't played the first game this takes place in an alternate universe where the Nazis did, in fact, win the Second World War. They even conquered America, Blazkowicz, however, is an American at heart, hates Nazis and is a part of a resistance formed to fight back against Nazi rulership. This game develops the perfect balance between a serious deep action-focused story and also sprinkles in a lot of comedy while being self-aware. If you're interested in a game that explores a what-if scenario, you're in history that allows for you to endlessly kill everything. While also utilizing elements of stealth, dual wielding and just intense killing, this game might be a perfect match for you. The narrative takes plenty of twists and turns that keep you interested in the ongoing story, but also offers unique gameplay in each level that never makes the shooting and sneaking feel repetitive.
This game is linear for the most part and not open-world players still get to explore well-known places like the streets of New Orleans or Manhattan, which might look a little different than you would have expected. What is also unexpected is that the story really underlines a lot of the socio-cultural issues that society is facing today. It also evokes the mental discussion and it's nice to see some real-world cultural context that actually makes players think. Which is not what you usually get from first-person shooters. Even from the commercial alone you can see Nazis and KKK members make appearances and while these topics may seem outdated from a time period in American history they're just as relevant now in 2017 then they were half a century ago.
However not only does the story feel fresh and rich and variety between comedy and seriousness, so that's the gameplay. The core gameplay mechanics in the New Colossus are clearly translated from The New Order, but it is far from being anything negative. Killing masses of enemies feels even more satisfying in this game. Especially when doing so with new weapons like the diesel power grenade launcher. The developers Machine Games didn't just simply copy and paste the gameplay from The New Order. They tweaked the hell out of it. There are tons of ways to get around or to your enemies and finish them off in various different ways. Sure Wolfenstein 2 might be like some open world that is familiar in some Bethesda games. But they did a good job at hiding that the game is linear for the most part.
Wolfenstein 2: The New Colossus takes about 18 hours to fully playthrough and that is pretty good for a first-person game with only a single player in 2017. Coop mode would have been welcomed or some sort of additional gameplay that would extend the playtime of the game. Wolfenstein 2: The New Colossus could be considered one of the last big single-player only games and then with good reason. Gaming companies like Electronic Arts or Activision are the furthest away from creating a game without a multiplayer component. Wolfenstein 2 perfectly shows that it can still work in this day of age.
Wolfenstein 2: The New Colossus is more about being a playable action-adventure rather than just being a first-person shooter of course. The core gameplay is still about shooting guns and killing Nazis, but the presentation the setting the characters in the crazy story really make it a fun experience all around.
If you are Wolfenstein fan and played the previous games then obviously you need to pick up this game. But if you're still unfamiliar with the franchise and not quite sure if this game is for you then I would say play The New Order first, since it's cheaper and it doesn't feel that much different. Overall if you really enjoy The New Order this game is a must buy. Especially because you can find it at some stores for only $40. If you are unsure or there are other games you want to get at this point I predict this game will go and save for like 20 or 30 bucks within the next year.
Definitely, put this on your list of must play games.
6.5/10
GOOD
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