Following from the from the ending of Wolfenstein: The New Order with General Deathshead assassination, The New Colossus leads on in the year 1961, and following Blazkowicz vendetta against the Nazi regime in America, the Nazis are on the move and wanting revenge against the rebels. Now the resistance is recruiting from the cities, and hoping to thwart the Nazi's aim of creating a super-weapon on mission across the country. Dark themes prevail in a world that the Nazi's won the Second World War, their influence spread across the world reaching America. The mission takes Blazkowicz into the deep south of the country, where the Nazi's have installed the Klu Klux Klan as the government in the southern states.
This opens up some amazing story-driven cut scenes of Blazkowicz and his childhood, his abusive, racist father and loving Polish mother. We understand more of his struggle, and his deep-seated hatred for the Nazis and prejudice in it's entirety. We see a world the Nazis rule with an iron-fist, a dark future we are grateful never happened but we enjoy fighting the Nazi's in such a future. Graphically the game is an improvement on The New Order, from war-ravaged zones of the country, to Nazi controlled cities and even Roswell.
Gameplay is solid, as it was in it's predecessor with new weapons, equipment and kit to use against the Nazis including suppressors, scopes and mods that can be attached to weapons in-combat. Stealth is enjoyable, as you stake out and hunt down Nazi officers with suppressed weapons, to finding Enigma codes on their bodies you can use these codes on Eva's Hammer, your stolen Nazi U-boat used as the Resistance's HQ to access side missions. In these side missions you revisit locations you completed in the main game, to hunt down high-level Nazi leaders and officials to gain upgrades for your weapons, kit and character skills. This alone adds more time to your gameplay, pushing you to fully upgrade your weapons, skills and equipment.
The Good:
- A solid, enjoyable fun sequel to The New Order that takes you to the heart of America in the rebellion against the Nazi regime in the 1960's.
- Side missions including Engima code missions, adds an incentive to complete the assassination missions to unlock further upgrades, these missions also utilize stealth and patience as these missions are challenging.
- An extensive weapons system to upgrade, as well as core skills Blazkowicz can use in-game.
- An emotional musical score to the game, that truly captures the 1960's era of rebellion, and protest as well as in-game moments.
The Bad:
- The occasional visual bug, but again it is not often and is not game-breaking.
For fans of The New Order, this is a must-buy that continues Blazkowicz story and struggle against the Nazis, and I found the game for just £12 in a second-hand gaming shop and even in other stores the game is roughly the same price. Best to pick it up for cheap, you will not be disappointed.