If you’re looking for a game that packs more of a punch, never lets up on the action and allows you to play in a variety of fashions, then look no further than Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus. Allowing those behind the gamepad to blast through legions of Nazi soldiers in an alternate timeline where the Nazis won the Second World War, players will become a part of the resistance committed to taking the Nazi forces out of America once and for all. It’s a tough subject for many to tackle but thankfully, Wolfenstein II provides enough stellar gameplay and sequences to ensure it never borders on inappropriate or tastelessness.
Action sequences are intense and addictive
An emotional storyline is followed, no matter which timeline you decide to embark on at the beginning of your adventure. It’s worth noting however that your experience will wildly differ depending on the choice you make right at the start of the game. For super fans, it’s worth playing through both available versions of the game to really get the most out of Wolfenstein II.
Though a chronological path is of course presented for players, it’s worth deviating from main objectives whenever possible and exploring the meaty areas you’re thrust into every chance you get. There, you’ll come across extra loot including weapon upgrade kits, which are arguably some of the most important items you can find in the entire game. The versatility of your arsenal is something that you’ll be calling upon right from the get-go, so expanding that at every opportunity is a necessity if you’re to make a success of yourself.
With the entire Nazi forces against you, there are enemies around every corner, but that doesn’t mean you have to come in all guns blazing for every fight. In fact, stealth is encouraged – especially on the higher difficulty levels – as your health will be drained pretty quickly if the numbers firing against you continue to quickly rise.
When it comes to the uprising, it’s one that actually takes place in 1961; a little unbelievable when you see the technological advancements the people in the game have managed to harness. The Big Bads of the game are some of the vilest and disgusting villains you’ll ever come across in the gaming world, whilst the heroes are instantly relatable and people you want to root for. The narrative is all over the place, dealing you heavy hitting emotional blows in one moment before cutting to a scene that will literally have you laughing out loud. Fortunately, the strength of writing and the voice actors involved means that you’re never drawn out of the strange world drawn up for you, no matter the back and forth. Full immersion is something that’s vital for a game like this to work, and the man you take charge of – BJ Blazkowicz – is somebody with a fully fleshed out history that you’ll not only get to witness in a series of flashbacks, but engage with and morph at various points.
Around halfway through the game, you’ll be introduced to contraptions which support three different styles of play, and whilst you pick just one, there is the chance to pick up a second if you complete side missions, available on Eva’s Hammer; the central HUB between the game’s campaign missions.
With a gorgeous story, tonnes of exploration and secrets to uncover and some of the most addictive gameplay available this year, Wolfenstein II is the perfect follow-up to the infectious first game, and a title that just begs its players to jump into the action even after they’ve completed the campaign the first time round. From its music, to its graphics, every inch of the game has been polished. An almost perfect gaming experience on every level.
Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus is available now on Xbox One, PlayStation 4 and PC.