Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus
**Mild Spoilers ahead**
“Caroline. I’m hurting. Will you lend me your wings?”
Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus opens in a way you don’t expect from first-person shooter games. Instead of an all-powerful tank of a man we’ve come to expect from the series main character B.J. Blazkowicz, we find an altogether different person. A weaker, almost broken man. A man at the end end of his rope. In this installment, we follow B.J. from the explosive events of the last game now just having woken up from a 5-month long coma and confined to a wheelchair. The hero’s kidneys are failing, his body simply can’t hold up to the stress put on it. To make matters worse an antagonist from the last game Frau Engel, a Nazi general who has been relentlessly hunting B.J. and his so-called American Terrorists just lucked out, holding hostage the captured U-boat the revolutionaries call home. Just like last time, things are looking grim for the ailing captain. Despite the intense pressure on B.J.s mind and body he refuses to quit. Choosing instead to bet everything on his last bit of failing strength. This is where you start the game and continue B.J.’s story, and it only gets better from there.
“She's here.”
Wolfenstein II, for the uninitiated, takes place in an alternate version of the 1960s where Nazi Germany has beaten the Allies and taken over the world. What follows is a twisted nightmare found often in horror books. America, along with the rest of the world, is reshaped into the image of the Fuhrer himself. It is a dystopia rife with racism, injustice, and suffering. It is in this world that B.J. finds himself after the events of a failed invasion following the first game. Despite the Army being dismantled along with America becoming a mere shadow of itself, he continued to fight. Despite watching friends die horribly and the Nazi war machine growing unchecked. Despite his very human body deciding it had finally had enough. This is what makes Wolfenstein stand apart from similar FPS titles. There is a reality here that is simply not present with games like its counterpart Duke Nukem.
Throughout the game, we are treated to the inner monologues of B.J. His quiet thoughts on the revolution, his growing family, and his condition are shining examples of excellent character building. You can’t help but see a very human face presented when B.J. reveals his doubts, worries, and fears. This is all in spite of his kill count being higher than the International Space Station. The two worlds, BJs inner mental battle contrasted perfectly against his very real outer physical one. At the end of the day, he was simply a man. A man compelled to fight in what he believed to be right. And fight he does.
Gameplay in Wolfenstein is fast-paced at times, but not overly so. You have the option to stealth your way through levels if you choose to do so. On the other hand, if you want to go in guns blazing then the option is there. There were several tense moments in the game, often when I was surrounded by enemies. Getting out unscathed was rarely an option. The enemies are quick and responsive and the placement of several types of enemies at once was more than enough to keep me on my toes. A standard fight would usually involve you hunting down a Nazi commander with the ability to continually spawn foes once he is aware of your presence. Once you take him out it simply becomes a matter of finishing off the resistance. There are several difficulty levels to fit your playstyle. I often felt my chosen level was just the right amount of challenge.
The weapons felt very tight and depending on what I used fired as fast as I could pull the trigger. An interesting feature was getting into a close-quarters shoot-out and having the blood of my enemies spill over my hands and guns only heightening the brutality with which I would dispatch them. One thing I will note about the weapons, however, was the difficulty in switching. Just like in the last Wolfenstein you are able to dual wield weapons with a button, however good luck if you need a specific weapon in your off-hand during the middle of a fight. Often I would find myself changing to a weapon I didn’t need or removing my dual-wielding feature altogether. On top of that, I noticed that the soundtrack simply wasn’t very noticeable. This was even when I turned it all the way up and decreased the SFX in the settings. There were times when I would have one enemy left and I could hear the music clearly which I found to be strange.
“The old and the weak are doomed.”
Besides those two things I thoroughly enjoyed the game and recommend it to anybody who enjoys a shooter game with a human twist. The other characters are all well written and I often found myself laughing or left with several deep thoughts after an interaction. This includes the enemies who often have humorous conversations before meeting their untimely end at your hand. You can pick up Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus at your local retailer for around $20.
