The greatest offering yet in Wolfenstein series
In 2014, Wolfenstein: The New Order was released to critical acclaim and there is no reason to believe that MachineGames latest effort, Wolfenstein 2: The New Colossus, will receive the same warm appraisal from the gaming community.
In a game that primarily revolves around killing as many Nazi’s as possible in increasingly inventive and brutal ways, you would be forgiven for thinking that the plot isn’t exactly going to impress, but that’s where you’d be wrong. The story in Wolfenstein 2 is by far and away the greatest offering yet from the long-running series. One moment the tone is extremely serious, dealing with issues as sickening as racism, violence and sadism. The next, the tension is swept away and we experience the brighter side of Wolfenstein 2, the side with the wacky but very likeably characters and the genuinely laugh-out-loud moments.
Wolfenstein 2 manages to pull off without feeling jarring purely on the back of its impeccably acted and voiced cast. Without bogging itself down with excessive exposition, the game manages to let us know enough about the characters early on that we find ourselves forging a meaningful connection with them right off the bat.
Gameplay this time around is even more boisterous than in its predecessor, while always maintaining a fun and fair balance. While your character can dish out an inhuman amount of firepower, you are pretty weak from a defence point of view, something that encourages the incredibly fast-paced gameplay that the series is known for.
Wolfenstein 2 even introduces a smattering of stealth gameplay should you choose to make use of it. Fortunately, going in all-gunsblazing is also perfectly acceptable for the most part. Along the way, you will be picking up upgrades for your (admittedly meagre) selection of weapons, unlocking perks by completing certain acts.
Aesthetically, there can be no denying that Wolfenstein 2 is a serious looker. Although a little drab and grey and first, the game will eventually come out of its shell and reveal the often beautiful world that Wolfenstein 2 is set in.
While not being the greatest first-person shooter on the shelves, Wolfenstein 2: The New Colossus is certainly a contender for the best story in a shooter today. It is an expertly crafted title from a studio who seem to struggle to put a foot wrong.