Wolfenstein Review: The New Order

In The New Order, Nazi Germany won World War II and conquered the world. In 1960 the Nazis are everywhere, exterminating the surviving adversaries and "cleansing" society of impurity. We have already seen, it is true, such a script, but this new Wolfenstein impressed us with the polish applied to the excellent writing. The various interludes are full of small details capable of making the scene on the screen more realistic and engaging for the player: the shot that passes from one character to another with respect to the speaker, the subtle incineration of a cigarette, the nuance laminated eyes, everything makes us understand what feelings the character has at that moment.

The "eternal" hero of the Wolfenstein series returns, BJ Blazcowicz, even though his character is deeper and his physique is more pumped than it has ever been. At the beginning of the game we see the protagonist 14 years before the events of the main campaign in a pre-war sequence, where the rebels try to attack the Nazi base commanded by the general Deathshead. Not everything, however, will go according to plan. After a triumphant start we will suddenly find ourselves in the clutches of the ruthless general, and it is here that we are immediately faced with a choice: to save the Private Wyatt or veteran Fergus? From this choice depends the type of story we will cover, new scenes, new interludes and some hints of different gameplay. Of course Deathshead, after our choice, will not let us escape, but with great luck our group, now at the end of their strength, will miraculously manage to escape. However, we will be seriously injured in the head and our Blazcowicz will remain in a coma for 14 years.

Wolfenstein: The New Order it doesn't do much to differentiate itself from the glut of shooters that come out every year. Blazcowicz has a typical selection of weapons at his disposal: a knife, a pistol, a machine gun, a sniper rifle and so on, all the way to some futuristic Nazi technology like laser rifles which gives the game that alternative feel on which the Wolfenstein series has thrived for 22 years. Shooting is fun and fluid, although we have to question the inclusion of the dual weapon which, while a novelty, is extraordinarily complicated and totally inadequate in concurrent firefights. Combat is made more dynamic by a strong emphasis on stealth, which is both a blessing and a cross. Taking out enemies in open maps or linear corridors, knife in hand, is satisfying, especially when you are able to stealthy execution from the back. We really appreciated the inclusion of special enemies, the commanders, who can endlessly call for reinforcements until they are killed and of course they must be sneaked in so as not to put them on alert. It is a shame though that these stealth mechanisms lend their side to some criticism especially due to questionable and inconsistent artificial intelligence, which seems to be designed to make things easier for us if we choose to play on a low difficulty. Sometimes she even seems blind, ignoring both us and the newly stunned bodies of the Nazis, to the point of stepping on them without causing any kind of reaction or alert.

Those of Machinegames they wanted to bring some novelty to the game experience especially when it comes to the skill progression system. It is not based on leveling or spending skill points, but on skills divided into four different skill branches that can be unlocked by completing in-game activities, such as headshots, killing enemies from cover or taking them out with grenades. Better yet, many of these skills need to be unlocked sequentially, giving the whole scheme some depth. We really enjoyed this system that makes this type of gameplay a uniqueness in a crowded sea like that of FPS. 

The New Order then it has a wide range of environments to explore modeled on some real places, but revisited to be consistent with the What If of victorious Nazi Germany. The Nazis have a site in space, devastating bombs and a brand new golden version of their capital, Berlin. Some of these areas seem sparse, with few pedestrians and few cars, but it's nice to see Machinegames' vision of this terrible world dominated by Hitler extremists. Unfortunately, appreciating these environments is particularly monotonous and boring, especially when you are constantly forced to collect an almost infinite amount of health, armor and ammunition always having to press a button (square in the Playstation version). It is annoying to see the button on the screen first before we know what we are going to collect. Why can't we just get the ammo by walking on it? This aspect of Wolfenstein made us feel very old.