Wolfenstein: The New Order Review

[vivek1997]

In The New Order, Nazi Germany didn't only win World War II; it completely dominates the globe. By 1960, the Nazis are everywhere, laying waste to their remaining opponents while cleansing the impure from society. Walking into a setting I've seen so many times before, I didn't expect the high level of polish applied to Wolfenstein's exceptional writing. Cutscenes are especially riddled with little touches that made them more believable -- the twirling of a character's thumbs as he speaks, the subtle ashing of a cigarette, the nuance of rolled eyes -- and there are relatable heroes to pull for and devilish villains to wish the worst upon alike.

The Wolfenstein series' longtime hero -- BJ Blazcowicz -- returns, though he's deeper, better written, and more fleshed-out than he's ever been. You catch a glimpse of him 14 years before the events of the main campaign in a shockingly weak intro sequence that takes forever to put an actual gun in your hand, and at that point, he's more unrelenting meathead than poet laureate. But when you fast-forward to 1960, Blazcowicz is older and smarter, hardened by his experiences in the post-war, Nazi-controlled world. You get to see an interesting side to him that makes it easy to become invested in his journey, and he's not the only character who's worth noting, either. Virtually everyone around him -- from the fiendish General Deathshead to the brave Caroline Becker -- also command attention. Wolfenstein's bloody brutality, especially when it comes to those Blazcowicz loves, only makes it easier to be sympathetic.

The New Order plays and runs well, though you'll encounter occasional texture pop-in and some poor audio mixing that frustratingly drowns out some well-acted voices. It's pretty, too, both in-game and during cutscenes, especially when you get a chance to marvel at some of its open vistas and cityscapes. Neo-Berlin is frighteningly beautiful in its order and grandeur, yet quainter, picturesque moments can also be found out in the wilderness, for instance when Blazcowicz escapes from a hospital in Poland early in the campaign and gets his first look at the blue sky in 14 years.

 

Then again, when it comes to mechanics, The New Order doesn't do much to differentiate itself from the glut of shooters that comes out every year. Blazcowicz has a typical array of weapons at his disposal -- a knife, a pistol, a machinegun, a sniper rifle, and so on -- as well as some Nazi future tech, like laser rifles, that give the game the alternate history feel that Wolfenstein has thrived on for 22 years. Gunplay is fun and fluid, though I have to question the inclusion of dual-wielding, which, while cool in theory, is exceptionally cumbersome and entirely inadequate in heated firefights.

Combat is made more dynamic by a heavy emphasis on stealth, which is both a blessing and a curse in The New Order. Slinking around wide-open maps and linear corridors -- knife in hand -- is satisfying, especially when you score a stealthy kill with a slash or toss of your blade or the shot of a silenced pistol. I also enjoyed the inclusion of special enemies with the ability to call endless reinforcements if you're spotted. By finding and killing them in secret, you can mitigate the challenges presented by specific areas while illuminating the locations of secret items on your map (like gold, Enigma codes, and letters). It's just a shame that these stealth mechanics expose some questionable and inconsistent AI that seems designed to make things a bit easier on you if you opt to play with a quiet slant. Sometimes it seems blind, both to you and to the freshly knifed bodies of their compatriots under their feet.

The Verdict

Wolfenstein: The New Order is the melding of your typical, everyday shooter with quality writing and a cast of believable and relatable characters. Machinegames' more grounded treatment of the often way over-the-top alternate Nazi history is also a nice touch, and while The New Order is in no way, shape, or form a simulation of the real world, its 10-to-12 hour campaign can certainly make you stop and wonder more than, say, Raven's 2009's occult-centric Wolfenstein reboot. With an essential early-game choice that makes it worth playing through twice, the story at the center of Wolfenstein: The New Order props up its competent -- but mostly unremarkable -- shooting.Wolfenstein: The New Order is the melding of your typical, everyday shooter with quality writing and a cast of believable and relatable characters. Machinegames' more grounded treatment of the often way over-the-top alternate Nazi history is also a nice touch, and while The New Order is in no way, shape, or form a simulation of the real world, its 10-to-12 hour campaign can certainly make you stop and wonder more than, say, Raven's 2009's occult-centric Wolfenstein reboot. With an essential early-game choice that makes it worth playing through twice, the story at the center of Wolfenstein: The New Order props up its competent -- but mostly unremarkable -- shooting.Wolfenstein: The New Order is the melding of your typical, everyday shooter with quality writing and a cast of believable and relatable characters. Machinegames' more grounded treatment of the often way over-the-top alternate Nazi history is also a nice touch, and while The New Order is in no way, shape, or form a simulation of the real world, its 10-to-12 hour campaign can certainly make you stop and wonder more than, say, Raven's 2009's occult-centric Wolfenstein reboot. With an essential early-game choice that makes it worth playing through twice, the story at the center of Wolfenstein: The New Order props up its competent -- but mostly unremarkable -- shooting.Wolfenstein: The New