Wolfenstein

Wolfenstein

Wolfenstein is a game that is retro in many ways. First of all, the franchise itself is positively ancient in videogames terms, with the original Wolfenstein 3D having been released 17 years ago. Secondly, the core technology that powers the new game is somewhat old itself, having originally been the driving force behind id software’s 2004 release Doom 3 on PC. And finally, there’s a very strong argument that the World War II setting for first person shooters is swiftly becoming very, very old and tired indeed. All of these factors combine to create a game that, while fun, simply can’t compete with the best in the genre.

Wolfenstein’s single-player mode once again casts you as arch Allied agent BJ Blazkowicz, once again waging his one-battle war against the Nazi war machine, and once again unearthing an evil jackbooted occult that needs dealing with. Early on in the game, Blazkowicz gains possession of a mysterious medallion which gives him access to the supernatural powers of “The Veil” (spot the obvious anagram). BJ manages to utilise different sets of powers from this artifact that unlock as the game progresses – he can channel its energy into his body, making him faster and more powerful. Secondly, he can induce an effect known as “The Mire” which slows down time, allowing him to dodge bullets with ease. Its other abilities include more powerful firepower and the ability to erect paranormal forceshields. The veil also hosts creatures called “the Geist”: shoot them strategically in order to inflict smart bomb-style damage upon nearby enemies.

The sheer scale of the Nazi hordes is enough to ensure that success relies almost entirely on cunning use of The Veil, and in this respect, Wolfenstein is elevated above the usual shooter. But the actual gameplay just isn’t that compelling. Progression is simply a case of following the compass, killing anything that shoots at you en route, and spending an inordinate amount of time traipsing through the same city streets as you move from one game area to the next. Get used to that blasting, because there’s a whole lot of it.

To get the job done, the usual range of World War II weaponry is included, along with fantastical new tools of death created by the Nazis from reverse-engineering occult artifacts. Adding to the fun is that every single weapon can be tweaked and upgraded on the black market, and so can The Veil’s powers too. But choose your upgrades carefully: some of them are rubbish and when you sell them, they lose 50 per cent of their value.

Moving into the multiplayer side of things, the upgrades are retained along with the Call of Duty style ranking system. It works well and plays nicely, but there’s still the sense that there’s nothing here that’s really new and exciting. For the Call of Duty veterans out there, we can’t see you moving across from your game of choice (be it Modern Warfare or World at War) simply because the multiplayer gameplay is nowhere near as good. Indeed, the actual gameplay is actually pretty simplistic compared to the classic PC giveaway, Wolfenstein: Enemy Territory.

Combine all of this with a game that doesn’t really offer anything graphically over the competition (in many ways, it looks for all the world like a first generation 360 game) and you have an above average release that plays nicely, but simply isn’t advanced enough in terms of graphics or gameplay to give it any kind of edge worth laying down the money for.

3 out of 5